15 Things to know before your trip to Egypt

Egypt is a marvellous country, but if you’ve never been there you may find it different from what you are used to. That is why I decided to create this post about 15 things you need to know before your trip to Egypt.

1. First things first: how to get a Visa.

It’s very simple to get the Visa. You can get it directly at the airport when you land – no need to pay extra for an online visa in advance. The visa costs $20 and can be purchased at the stall inside the airport.

2. Tip, tip, tip.

The ‘baksheesh’ (Egyptian word for tip) is expected pretty much for everything. You will have to tip your way through Egypt and you better get used to it. Restaurants and cafes expect tips, taxi drivers expect tips, your tour guide expect tip. Be aware that for most people, the tip is how they make their living, due to the very low salaries they are paid.

To always be prepared, just keep in mind to keep some small change for tips –5 LE and 10 LE banknotes are perfect.

Generally, for the people who give you information, take a picture for you, clean the public toilets etc 5 LE are sufficient.

For restaurants and cafes, you can leave around 10 LE (or more if the service was good!)

Tour guides and drivers expect higher tips, that you will have to determine yourself also based on how much you enjoyed their work.

3. Don’t tip in foreign coins.

Not many people talk about this, but it is a big issue. If you find yourself without any EGP left and think to tip using coins in your own currency, think twice about it. This is because banks don’t exchange coins in local currency, and this leads to local Egyptians having many foreign coins that they cannot use or exchange for their own currency.

For the same reason, if someone approaches you on the street with coins at hand, they’re not asking for money, they are probably asking you if you can exchange their coins.

4. Bargain.

Bargain, is the thing that is never missing from any ‘things to know before your trip to Egypt’ list. Same as with the tips, you’re expected to bargain for everything. Even if the price seems already low to you, just bargain!

A useful tip: when booking a taxi ride, it’s better to bargain the price at the beginning and stick to it no matter what. This way you will avoid any unpleasant rip off at the end of your ride.

5. Get used to seeing different prices.

Yes, most of the places have different prices for tourists and Egyptians. Even the archaeological sites have different prices and – of course, the tourists’ prices are twice or three times higher.

This is the way it is, don’t get surprised or upset about it.

6. Be aware of scams.

As in every other place in the world, there are good people happy to help and suspiciously friendly people who are just trying to scam you. Be aware of this, especially if you are in a very touristic location or at airports and stations. Don’t give away to many details and always check credentials of guides and guards at the archaeological sites.

7. Military everywhere.

Expect to see A LOT of military force everywhere. Sadly, Egypt has had numerous episodes of terrorism and social unrest, and the government responded by enhancing the military presence in the country. Expect to see armed soldiers at every corner in cities and loads of checkpoints on the road.

8. Safety.

Safety is one of the biggest concerns and is another must among the things to know before your trip to Egypt. We all know about the social unrest, terroristic attacks and general tense climate that has characterised Egypt some years ago. I myself was a little concerned about it, but mostly it was because I didn’t know what to expect.

I am not saying now that Egypt is the safest country in the world. You should be aware of what happened in previous years. However, you should also not believe everything you read about it. I have been there, and I can tell you that my experience has been fantastic. I have not once felt at risk or in danger.

Of course, petty crime is still a thing, so just be aware of your belongings especially in crowded places.

9. Wi-Fi is rare.

Very rare. Even resorts and hotels often don’t have Wi-Fi or just have it in shared spaces like reception or lounge.

Need not worry. You can buy a temporary Egyptian SIM card at the airport. There are many phone companies at the exit of every airport that sell this kind of SIM card for a fair price. I used Etisalat and I can recommend it – the internet connection was fast and the price was low.

10. Don’t pay extra to see Tutankhamon tomb.

Especially if you plan to visit the Cairo Museum. All the valuables, the famous funerary mask, the mummy and pretty much everything that was inside the tomb is now at the Cairo Museum. The actual tomb is empty. Of course, when you visit the Valley of the Kings you will be tempted to see it, but trust me, it is not worth it. It is not included in the Valley of Kings ticket and you will have to pay around $20 extra to see an empty tomb which is not even decorated as much as other tombs in the site are.

11. You will have to pay an extra if you carry a camera.

At the entrance of every site, your backpack will be checked, and you will usually have to go through the metal detector. If at this stage they notice you carry something more than a phone or compact camera they will make you pay an extra fee for what they call the ‘professional photography pass’. Doesn’t matter if in your opinion they’re not professional tools at all.

12. The weekend is not the weekend?

You read it right. They have different weekends and workdays! As Egypt is a Muslim country, the weekend is actually considered to be Friday and Saturday. Just remember this, as most shops, banks, offices will be closed on these days. Also, touristic sites could be more crowded as Egyptians will be taking advantage of their time off to visit them.

13. Everyone smokes everywhere.

This can really bother you if you are a non-smoker. Especially if, like me, you come from the UK where you can’t even smoke in the outside area of a restaurant. In Egypt, is the other way round: you can smoke pretty much everywhere and Egyptians do smoke A LOT. You can smoke inside the hotel rooms, in taxis, in restaurants, cafes, hotel reception, shops and so on. Probably the only place you are not allowed to smoke is the fast-food chains like KFC or McDonald’s.

14. Don’t rent a car and remember to pray every time you have to cross a road.

Traffic in Egypt is…. Well, it’s chaos. There are no signs, no traffic lights and don’t even think to find any pedestrian crossing. There are no rules on the road. When it comes to driving, better to hire an expert driver. But the struggle is real even if you are walking. If you have to cross the road my only suggestion is: when you see your 3 seconds window to cross the road open don’t think twice: just go and don’t stop until you’re safe on the other side. You’ll get used to it after a while.

15. Remember: if someone is doing you a favour, they are probably expecting a tip for it.

I read so many complaints from people who simply didn’t get the Egyptian culture. As I said at the beginning of this post, for every single thing you are expected to pay a tip. So don’t be surprised when the guard at the archaeological site that had indicated you a nice spot for a picture then asks for a tip. Same goes for the person who has taken that picture of you. If you travel by bus (don’t forget to check out my review of GoBus Egypt!), you will have to pay the person placing your luggage in the trunk of the bus. And the list goes on. So just be prepared for it!

So guys – these were the things that I thought most important to know before your trip to Egypt.

Do you have any other thing that may be added to this list? Let me know in the comment section!

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