11 Things to Know Before Traveling in Egypt
Traveling to Egypt was one of the greatest things I have done. It’s one of those countries that is on everyone’s bucket list and for good reason — it’s filled with so much history and culture.
However, it can definitely be a culture shock when visiting here. There are some travel tips that you should know before you travel to Egypt. Check out my list of 11 below!
If you’re looking for an itinerary for Egypt, check out my 12 days in Egypt blog post to help you plan!
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Get a guide
I highly recommend getting a guide in Egypt. I had traveled to a few countries before making my way to Egypt and I would see that it was probably the most overwhelming country that I had ever visited.
A guide helps takes some of the stress away of getting around the city, as well as it keeps people from hassling you to buy their services. A tour guide will also be great for getting amazing photos of the historic places and they plan your trip for you based on the list of places and types of activities that you would like to see/do in Egypt. Plus, there is so much history in Egypt. You are able to learn so much by having a guide there to explain everything that you’re seeing.
I personally took a private tour and hopped along on a trip with 2 other girls that wanted to see the same things as me. I found my guide by looking through recommendations in the Girls LOVE Travel Facebook group — I highly recommend being a part of this group if you are a female and you are not. I had the BEST time with my guide and meeting the 2 new girls, I would change a thing about it.
2. Tipping
Tipping is everything in Egypt. If you are from the US or EU, Egyptians prefer getting a dollar or a euro over the Egyptian Pound as it has more value in their country. Bring SMALL bills! I’m talking nothing over $5 would be ideal. You tip for EVERYTHING and it would be best to give small bills for ease of tipping (and bartering).
3. Everything is a service in Egypt
Speaking of tipping, everything is a service in Egypt. If you are using the bathroom, tip. If you have someone take a picture of you, tip. If you need toilet paper, tip. If you even take a picture of someone else, tip. If someone gives you directions somewhere, tip.
Keep this in my mind when anyone offers you to take a picture of you or asks if you need help with something — they will be looking for a tip. While Egyptians are incredibly kind, a tip is most of the time expected. Be prepared to be hassled for everything and they will follow you everywhere to get you to buy their services. You get used to it, but it’s a bit much at first.
4. Barter EVERYTHING!
Along the same lines as tipping, barter everything you are buying even food! Most places in Egypt don’t list the price of the item, even restaurants. If you don’t look Egyptian or you don’t have a guide ordering for you (another advantage of having a tour guide), then you can expect that they are asking for at least double what the item actually costs.
A reasonable rule of thumb that I used was to barter back with a little less than half of what they originally asked for. For example: If they ask for 30 dollars, barter back with a price a little less than $15. A lot of times, if you walk away and you offered a reasonable counteroffer, they will follow you and sell it to you for the price you said. I got a beautiful hand-painted section of the book of the dead on a large piece of papyrus for $100 with a smaller picture to go with it, and was originally given the price of $650 — he tried to charge me $550 over what I was willing to pay.
You MUST barter! If you make a game out of it, then it becomes a fun travel experience. Try to think of it this way instead of getting upset that you have to pay more for an item. The mindset really makes all the difference when walking through Egyptian markets, because they can be overwhelming.
5. Dress modestly
While you don’t need to be completely covered, it helps by drawing a ton of attention to you. And it is respectful in certain parts of the country, especially Cairo.
I wore clothing that covered my shoulders and knees and kept cleavage to a minimum. I wore long dresses, rompers, and linen pants to keep cool because I went during summer.
I bought a ton of cheap maxi dresses. You will need to have your hair, knees, shoulders, and cleavage covered if you are planning on visiting religious sites like the Muhammed Ali Mosque.
Check out my Egypt packing list here.
6. Be prepared for the animals
One thing that was hard for me to get used to is the way the animals are treated in Egypt. I am from America, so we keep very good care of animals here. In Egypt, there is a lot of tourism around camels and horses. They are very thin and sometimes have abrasions on their body.
I had a camel ride that was included in my tour, which was a very cool experience but it also was so difficult for me as soon as I saw the camels.
I actually wished I had not done it, but again, it was already included and I was unaware until I was taken to my camel.
There are also a lot of stray dogs pretty much all over the country. It is something that I had a difficult time adjusting to. Just be prepared, especially if you are an animal lover.
7. Go to other areas of Egypt, not just Cairo
Cairo is the most overwhelming place I went to in Egypt. I am still incredibly happy I went as there are some must-sees there like the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, and the Egyptian museum just to name some — there is SO much more to see in Egypt and so many other beautiful places.
I recommend spending the least amount of time in Cairo and using the remainder of your trip to see other areas of Egypt. I feel like Egypt does not get enough recognition for all the beautiful places to see because they are so known for the Great Pyramids.
A Nile Cruise is a good way to see a lot of cities. I went to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada by the Red Sea.
Check out more about traveling to Hurghada and going scuba diving in the Red Sea here. I still want to return to see other cities and other areas because Egypt really has it all. I cannot wait to go back to go the Siwa Oasis! Check it out!
8. Bring toilet paper!
A lot of the bathrooms do not have toilet paper. Some don’t even have running water. I didn’t pack toilet paper but I would grab toilet paper from my hotel rooms or cruise room to bring in my bag as I explored.
On the topic of bathrooms, some of the bathrooms did not have running water either. Carry around some hand sanitizer because there is a possibility that you might not be able to wash your hands with soap and water.
9. Bring sunscreen and sun protection!
Goodness, it’s like there is no shade in Egypt.
I feel like this is a give in but it is extremely sunny in Egypt, it’s a desert. Bring sunscreen and a hat! I wore a hat everywhere I went and would reapply sunscreen every few hours, you will be in the sun ALL day. You legit cannot hide from the sun here, it will find you!
This is my FAVORITE sunscreen. It’s small enough for travel also so it’s perfect to bring along. It may not be the cheapest option, but it’s the perfect sunscreen. So you’ll want to apply it, which is good because you need it.
10. Bring a small fan
If you are visiting Egypt in the summer, like I made the mistake of doing, you must bring a fan! I brought a small handheld fan that I kept in my purse. All of the sites are outside, so you will be out and about in the hot sun all day. Sometimes there is no central air conditioning inside places either. The Egyptian Museum (the old one, the new one hadn’t opened at the time I went) does not have air conditioning so a fan was a must inside there as well.
11. Egypt is very safe
Traveling to Egypt as a woman, I felt extremely safe in Egypt. There are police and military everywhere and there are checkpoints throughout the country. If you have a tour guide like I did, you will also likely be assigned security that just attends sites with you, which I did not feel was necessary but was a part of the package I had.
I honestly felt so safe even when I explored without a guide, so don’t let the fear turn you away from exploring such a beautiful culture and country. It easily became one of my favorite countries.
