馃惇 Egypt

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 15% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

Your passport decides whether a visa is needed, and the site linked below gives the details. Guides contradict each other about how a required visa is obtained, whether through an online e-Visa, on arrival, or solely at an embassy, and also about what it costs. So contact an Egyptian embassy and consult Egypt's official e-Visa portal prior to booking, and submit the application early. Both a passport valid for 6 months or longer and an onward ticket are normally needed. Only the official portal should be used; imitation sites add charges. Read the travel advice your government issues about the Sinai and border regions.

Culture and practical - take note

Egypt's population is mainly Muslim, and a large Coptic Christian community lives there too. Modest dress is the rule: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf in the bag for women who will enter mosques, where shoes also come off. Ramadan changes opening hours, and the main prayer day is Friday. Many small services come with an expected tip ('baksheesh'), so small notes are worth carrying. Markets are places to bargain. Fix the price BEFORE accepting a ride, a camel ride or a guide at the pyramids, and politely decline 'free' help when it turns into a demand for money. Police, bridges and military sites must not be photographed, and drones are banned. Choose bottled water, and avoid ice served in unfamiliar places. Extreme summer heat means sites should be visited early. Busy roads need care when crossing.

Emergency

Police 122. Ambulance 123. Fire 180. Tourist police 126.

Good to know

Pounds, dollars and cards

The currency is the Egyptian pound. Canadian advice says major credit cards are accepted in larger stores for bigger purchases, but many merchants take only cash or add a fee for card payments. US dollars are preferred at tourist sites, and visas issued on arrival must be paid for in US cash. Foreign currency is easily exchanged in hotels and banks.

Local laws and customs

Drugs, alcohol, dress and drones

Canadian advice says the death penalty is a sentencing option for certain drug crimes in Egypt, and UK advice says even small amounts can bring life imprisonment. Drinking alcohol in public, away from licensed places such as hotels, bars and restaurants, is illegal; dress should be modest, and drones are strictly prohibited. Photographing military sites, bridges, the Suez Canal or government buildings is banned, and online posts critical of the government may be illegal.

Taxis and scams

Taxi cautions in Egypt

Taxis and the metro both call for caution, Canada's travel advice says, as robberies and accidents have involved each. Many taxis have no working meter and back seats rarely have seat belts, and the advice suggests hiring vehicles and drivers through reputable travel agencies. According to UK advice, women travelling alone should take care in taxis, especially at night, and should pass the driver's details and live location to someone they trust.

Touts and tourist-area scammers

In tourist areas of Egypt, scammers and touts sometimes target foreign visitors, and extra security measures are in place at tourist sites, according to UK travel advice. Canada's advice says purse snatching and pickpocketing happen most often at tourist locations and on the metro, and to be alert to thieves who use distraction. Crimes should be reported to the Tourist Police, whose officers usually wear a distinctive arm band, and you should ask for a copy of the report.

Who can help

local government

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities visitor hotline 19654

Helps with: Egypt's tourism ministry hotline. It answers tourists' questions during their stay, such as site opening hours, and takes complaints and suggestions. The page says 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, in Arabic and English.

Who qualifies: Tourists in Egypt with questions, complaints or suggestions. The page is undated, so check the number is still in service.

Phone: 19654

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Egyptian Red Crescent Society

Helps with: Egypt's national Red Crescent society, the local member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. Contact its head office in Cairo for its humanitarian services.

Who qualifies: People in Egypt who need its humanitarian services; contact the head office.

Phone: +20 2 25985555

Address: Abd El Razak El Sanhouri St., Nasr City, Cairo, 11371, Egypt

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Egypt

Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Egypt since 1991. Its work includes migration and border management, crisis response, services for migrants and a migrants assistance hotline.

Who qualifies: Migrants in Egypt, including people fleeing conflict, and government partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +20227365140

Address: 47C Abu El-Feda Street, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt 11211

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Police emergency number 122

Helps with: Reaches the police in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice, which also lists 126 for the tourist police.

Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.

Phone: 122

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Ambulance emergency number 123

Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.

Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.

Phone: 123

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Fire emergency number 180

Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.

Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.

Phone: 180

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Cairo and Giza Cairo and GizaIslamic Cairo, the Khan el-Khalili bazaar and the Grand Egyptian Museum are in the capital, alongside the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx.Photo: Mohamed abdelzaher, CC BY-SA 4.0 Luxor LuxorSunrise balloon flights, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple sit in a city often described as an open-air museum.Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0 Hurghada HurghadaThis Red Sea resort city is known for diving, snorkelling over coral reefs, hotels on the beach and boat trips out to nearby islands.Photo: Michael Botros, CC BY 4.0 Sharm El Sheikh Sharm El SheikhSinai's southern tip holds this resort town, known for the reefs of Ras Mohammed and for trips to Mount Sinai.Photo: Michael Botros, CC BY 4.0 Aswan AswanNubian villages, felucca sailing and Philae Temple give this calm Nile city its character, and day trips run from here to Abu Simbel.Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 Abu SimbelRamesses II's two great rock-cut temples are in this village, which lies on Lake Nasser far to the south of Aswan and is usually reached as an excursion from Aswan. Alexandria AlexandriaAlexander the Great founded this Mediterranean port, which has Qaitbay Citadel, a modern grand library and seafood along the corniche.Photo: Michael Botros, CC BY 4.0

City selection based on: Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities site information, UNESCO list, tourism press reports (thin on city-level figures)

Festivals and events

culture

Cairo International Film Festival

around Nov-Dec 2026 路 Cairo

No film festival in the Arab world is older.

culture

Sun Festival at Abu Simbel (22 February)

22 Feb 2027 路 Abu Simbel

Sunlight at dawn reaches the statues deep within the temple. This also happens on 22 October.

culture

Sun Festival at Abu Simbel (22 October)

22 Oct 2027 路 Abu Simbel

Deep within the temple, the rising sun lights up the statues.

culture

Cairo International Film Festival

around Nov-Dec 2027 路 Cairo

No film festival in the Arab world is older.