Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

Egypt

A photograph of Egypt
Photograph · kallerna · CC BY-SA 3.0

Egypt covers 1,001,450 km2, and about 99% of its people live on roughly 5.5% of it: the narrow Nile Valley and the Delta. That single line of green sets the trip. Cairo and Giza sit at the head of the Delta, Luxor and Aswan lie far upriver, and what joins them is the water itself or the rail line that follows it. The coasts behave like a separate country - Alexandria on the Mediterranean, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea, where people come for coral reefs rather than tombs. Sinai holds Mount Catherine, at 2,642 metres the highest ground in the country.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Arabic
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+20
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Egyptian pound (EGP)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
122 police · 123 ambulance · 180 fire
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: no seasonality data recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Beshtak Palace
    03 1 hr 30 min

    Beshtak Palace

    قصر الأمير بشتاك

    • High
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  2. Coptic Museum
    04 1 hr 30 min

    Coptic Museum

    المتحف القبطى

    • High
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  3. Carriage Museum
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Carriage Museum

    متحف المركبات الملكية

    • High
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  4. Contemporary Image Collective (CIC)
    09 1 hour

    Contemporary Image Collective (CIC)

    Contemporary Image Collective (CIC) - مركز الصورة المعاصرة

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  5. Bayt El Kritliya Bayt El Kritliya
    13 1 hr 30 min

    Bayt El Kritliya

    بيت الكريتلية

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  6. Imhotep Museum
    17 1 hr 30 min

    Imhotep Museum

    متحف إيمحتب

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  7. Museum Storage
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Storage

    المخزن المتحفي

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  8. Police Museum
    26 1 hr 30 min

    Police Museum

    متحف الشرطة

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  9. Police Museum
    27 1 hr 30 min

    Police Museum

    متحف الشرطة

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  10. Police Museum
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Police Museum

    متحف الشرطة

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  11. Royal Carriages Museum
    30 1 hr 30 min

    Royal Carriages Museum

    متحف المركبات الملكية

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Cairo
  12. Ahmed Mido
    40 1 hour

    Ahmed Mido

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  13. Ahmed Shawqi
    41 1 hour

    Ahmed Shawqi

    أحمد شوقى

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  14. Airport Opera Hall
    42 1 hour

    Airport Opera Hall

    قاعة أوبرا المطار

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  15. alawda
    44 1 hour

    alawda

    العودة

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  16. Al Shorouk villa
    45 1 hour

    Al Shorouk villa

    فيلا الشروق

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  17. ataba
    46 1 hour

    ataba

    العتبة

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  18. Attar Art
    47 1 hour

    Attar Art

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  19. awl alshare3
    48 1 hour

    awl alshare3

    اول الشارع

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  20. Capital Opera House
    49 1 hour

    Capital Opera House

    أوبرا العاصمة

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  21. Down town for realestate and decoration
    50 1 hour

    Down town for realestate and decoration

    شركة وسط المدينة للتسويق العقارى و التشطيبات الداخلية

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  22. Egoth
    51 1 hour

    Egoth

    ايجوث

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  23. Egyptian Ankh
    52 1 hour

    Egyptian Ankh

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  24. El Galaa
    53 1 hour

    El Galaa

    الجلاء

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  25. E. Y. Tours co.
    54 1 hour

    E. Y. Tours co.

    شركة إيواي للسياحة

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  26. Fustat Festival
    57 1 hour

    Fustat Festival

    مهرجان الفسطاط

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  27. Gomhouria
    58 1 hour

    Gomhouria

    جمهورية

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  28. Honda Cars
    60 1 hour

    Honda Cars

    هوندا

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  29. Khlood
    61 1 hour

    Khlood

    خلود

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  30. Manstrli Bridge Wooden Dome
    62 1 hour

    Manstrli Bridge Wooden Dome

    قبة خشب كوبري المانسترلي

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  31. masari
    63 1 hour

    masari

    مصاري

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  32. nasser hospital
    64 1 hour

    nasser hospital

    مستشفى ناصر

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  33. National Theatre
    65 1 hour

    National Theatre

    المسرح القومي

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  34. Petrotrade
    66 1 hour

    Petrotrade

    بتروتريد

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  35. Private education
    67 1 hour

    Private education

    التعليم الخاص

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  36. ramsees
    69 1 hour

    ramsees

    رمسيس

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  37. Roman Theater
    72 1 hour

    Roman Theater

    المسرح الرومانى

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  38. Saad Zaghloul
    73 1 hour

    Saad Zaghloul

    سعد زغلول

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  39. Seraj Mall
    74 1 hour

    Seraj Mall

    سراج مول

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  40. Shoubra
    75 1 hour

    Shoubra

    شبرا

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  41. STAR INK
    79 1 hour

    STAR INK

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  42. university
    82 1 hour

    university

    الجامعة

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  43. Work
    83 1 hour

    Work

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  44. Work
    84 1 hour

    Work

    شغل

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo
  45. حورس
    94 1 hour

    حورس

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Cairo

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Egypt be?

Eight to twelve days can combine Cairo and Giza with one Nile corridor, Red Sea stay or desert extension. Moving between these regions takes substantial time, so a short visit should not attempt all three.

What entry documents are needed for Egypt?

Egypt’s official e-Visa portal states which passports can apply online and which travellers need another consular process. Confirm eligibility, passport conditions and permitted stay on that service before departure.

What is the best way to travel around Egypt?

Cairo is the main air hub, with domestic flights linking Luxor, Aswan and Red Sea airports. The Cairo–Luxor–Aswan rail corridor and organised road transfers serve other common routes, but schedules and boarding points need direct confirmation.

When is a practical time to visit Egypt?

October to April avoids the most intense summer heat on many archaeological routes. Red Sea plans and desert nights have different conditions, so temperatures at the actual destination matter more than Cairo’s calendar alone.

What money and payment basics apply in Egypt?

Egyptian pounds (EGP) are the recorded currency. This file does not record current cash availability, card acceptance or exchange fees; establish the price and currency with the provider before paying.

What practical safety details should I save for Egypt?

Egypt’s numbers are 122 for police, 123 for ambulance and 180 for fire. Type C and F sockets supply 220 V; tap-water safety is Not recorded and must be checked locally.