All countriesEgypt
Africa · 24+ destinations to browse
Five thousand years of monuments strung along one river — the Giza pyramids, the painted tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel cut whole out of a cliff. Then the other Egypt: medieval Cairo's minarets and souks, Red Sea coral within wading distance of the shore, and oases hundreds of kilometres out in the Western Desert.
Best time
October – April
Daily budget
₹2,500 – ₹8,000/day
Visa
Visa on arrival
Safety
3.8 / 5
Practical information
Currency
Egyptian Pound (E£, EGP)
Languages
Arabic, English widely used in tourism
Time zone
EET (UTC+2), EEST (UTC+3) in summer
Emergency
122 police, 123 ambulance, 180 fire, 126 tourist police
Internet
Good 4G across the Nile Valley and the coasts; weak in the deep desert. Note that VoIP calls on WhatsApp and similar apps are restricted.
SIM cards
Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat or WE tourist SIMs at the airport — cheap, generous data, passport required.
Getting around
Domestic flights link Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea cheaply. Sleeper trains run Cairo–Luxor–Aswan and are a genuinely good way to travel; day trains are slower but very cheap. Nile cruises cover Luxor to Aswan. In cities, use Uber or Careem rather than street taxis — it removes the fare argument entirely.
Visa details
Indian passport holders can get a visa on arrival if they hold a valid, previously used visa or residence for the US, UK, Schengen, Japan, Australia, New Zealand or Canada; otherwise an e-Visa applied for online, or a consular visa. Rules are applied unevenly at the airport, so carry printed proof of your hotel booking and return ticket.
Know before you go
Popular foods
- Koshari
- Ful medames
- Ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel)
- Molokhia
- Hawawshi
- Umm Ali
- Mint tea
Famous festivals
- Ramadan nights in Islamic Cairo
- Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha
- Abu Simbel Sun Festival (22 February and 22 October)
- Sham El-Nessim (spring festival)
- Coptic Christmas (7 January)
Etiquette
- Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees, especially away from the resorts
- Women should carry a scarf for mosque visits
- Use your right hand to give, receive and eat
- Ask before photographing people, and never photograph military or police sites
- Tipping (baksheesh) is expected for almost every small service — carry small notes
Packing suggestions
- Light, loose, covering clothes — sun protection and modesty at once
- Hat, sunglasses and high-SPF sunscreen
- A warm layer for desert nights and the Mount Sinai climb
- Small denomination cash for constant tipping; Type C/F adapter
Travel tips
- Carry cash in Egyptian pounds — cards are refused nearly everywhere outside hotels
- Agree every price beforehand: taxis, camels, guides, boats. The first number is an opening bid
- Hire a licensed Egyptologist guide for the major sites; the ruins have almost no signage
- Start sightseeing at opening — you beat both the heat and the tour coaches
- Drink bottled water only, and skip ice in cheaper places
- Check your government's travel advice for the Sinai interior and the Western Desert border zones before planning routes there
Popular cities
Destinations in Egypt200 total
Showing the 24 most popular of 200 — search or pick a tag above to find a specific place.






%2004.jpg?width=1200)
.jpg?width=1200)

.jpg?width=1200)

.jpg?width=1200)






