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Practical Information

Visa Requirements
Health Requirements
Time
Money / Currency
Travel Seasons
Climate - When to Go
Humidity and temperature
Day & night temperatures
Temperatures for Cairo
Temperatures for Luxor
Temperatures for Farafra Oasis
Food and drink
Dress code
Tipping / Gratitude


Visa Requirements
Visa is required for Egypt.
Many can get visa upon arrival at International Airports in Egypt while others need to get it before going to Egypt. If you are not sure what is valid for your country, send us an email and we will come back with updated information.
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Health Requirements
Check with your own country's health guidelines for travelers to Egypt. For general health information we advise to look at WHO, UN's World Health Organization's travel and health information for Egypt.
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Time
GMT + 2 hours
Summertime (GMT + 1 hour) observed from late April until end of September.
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Money:
Egyptian Pounds (EGP) is the local currency in Egypt.
Major Currencies can be changed nearly everywhere. Banks are in all cities as in most top end hotels. Automats for credit cards are found in most banks and mentioned hotels. Please note that most hotel and service contracts are given travel agents and tour operators in US$ or Euro and then payment must normally be in same currency.
Check the currency with this online Currency Converter.
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Travel Seasons
Top season in Egypt is the "Winter Season" which for the travel industry starts 1st of October and lasts until end of April.
"Summer Season" is from 1st of May until 31st of September.
Peaks periods are Christmas and New Year which normally last from 20th of December until 10th of January. Second peak season is Easter - dates here vary from year to year.
Some destinations will have peak season during the summer (as Alexandria and Al Arish) due to the Egyptian summer holiday and summer guests from Arab countries.
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When to go: Climate (winter and summer):
Egypt has lower temperatures during the winter season which normally is from 1st of October until end of April.
Summer season have higher temperatures, but note that humidity are so low many places in Egypt that these temperatures can not be directly compared to similar temperatures in most other countries.
Find month by month temperatures for Cairo, Luxor and Farafra Oasis here.
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Humidity and temperature "reading":
Egypt got a dry climate and very little humidity apart from the Mediterranean and Red Sea coast. Especially dry and low humidity in destinations as Luxor and Aswan, and of course even more in the Desert.
On a hot summer day you can actually have a more pleasant time in a desert oasis compared to Cairo even if the temperature are lower in Cairo. Reason for this is the near to zero amount of humidity in the desert.
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Day and Night temperatures:
There is normally a good difference between night and day temperatures in Egypt.
For winter time it's advisable to bring some warm clothes for the evening as the night can be a bit chilly even if it's good and warm weather during the day.
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Food and drink:
Egypt is a meeting point between Africa, Europe and Asia and this meeting point is clearly reflected in her different dishes. The last few hundred years influenced by Turkish cuisine due to the Turkish presence in Egypt - and yes McDonalds and KFC more recently.
Still there is something Egyptian going though the diversity of the local cuisine, much with roots back to Ancient Egypt. In the villages in the Luxor area you will soon see the traditional round "sun bread", and in the nobles or royal tombs you find the same bread painted on the walls.
Beer was as basic as bread in Ancient Egypt and the good beer of today will most likely surprise many. Egyptian wine was the favourite wine throughout the Roman Empire, but although wine in today's Egypt has been of a lesser standard than its good beer - this is in the process of changing. So do try Egyptian wine, a good restaurant will help you to find the best.
Yes, Egyptian food can be "hot" - but not like many other cuisines where everything is hot. There is normally a lot to dip into, and all parts got their special taste. In general Egyptian food is a pleasant surprise for most visitors.
If you don't know where to go, it can sometimes be hard to find gourmet restaurants with real local dishes - but for international cuisine you will find nearly everything everywhere.
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Dress code:
Here it's important to "balance" - meaning that it's good to know some basic information, but don't think you are going to another planet either.
In part of the big cities you will find Egyptians in the latest fashion from Europe or North America, while other places you will find dress customs most will define as "biblical".
In modern city areas, hotels and more "tourist" places - go as you please. If you go to different areas in same city or the countryside, the tradition will be more conservative. It is appreciated if you think about this while visiting these areas. For men, don't go without t-shirt in such areas, and for women - have a dress with around knee length and an upper part that cover your shoulders.
Apart from going inside a mosque, there is no place a woman is expected to wear headscarf. To go inside a mosque, both sexes will have to remove their footwear. Note that in churches it's also appreciated if women wear head scarf - and for men and women, no shorts in Churches and Mosques.
Again, please remember - you are not coming to another planet, but Egypt with her millenniums of history and culture. Use your logic with above in mind, and you as visitor and Egyptians as your hosts - will enjoy your stay!
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What about tipping or gratutude?
For tours, guide and driver gratuities are left entirely to your discretion. Basic tips are included in the price if the tour is arranged by EgyptMyWay*!
Tips are main part of income for many Egyptians and for most working within tourism. While any amount is appreciated, tips often range from 5% to 10% of meals or trip costs - to be split among those involved.
We often recommend to use following "thumb rule": if any service is done well and to your appreciation, tips is a very nice way to show gratitude. On the other hand, if service on lets say a restaurant is not good, then save the tips for someone who deserve it!

*Some companies will inform about "compulsory tipping" (especially on cruises). We don't see tipping as anything "compulsory" as gratitude should come from the heart! This is why we have the policy that all basic tipping are included in our prices.
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NEW:
A Photo Journey to the Egyptian Museum.
Follow us around the Egyptian Museum through more than 30 pages with pictures and text. These pages will along with new and large photo give an introduction to the history of ancient Egypt.

Desert Expeditions.
Let us help you to plan a real desert expedition. Normally from 7 to 20 days deep into the best preserved secret in Egypt - the Western Desert.
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A Virtual Tour to Pyramids and Tombs.
On this virtual tour you follow us to the Pyramid area of Cairo and visit two 4400 year old Mastaba tombs. Included is the meeting "Tea with Ti".

A Photo Journey through the City of the Dead.
Follow our tour via the camera into a treasure chamber unknown for most. See medieval history and unbelievable monuments far away from mass tourism.

Luxor is a rather small town compared to Cairo and Alexandria. Still, no place on this planet can you find so many monuments gathered at one place as here. One normally needs more than a package tour to be able to enjoy the city and see a fair part of what is found here.

MAPS of Greater Cairo. One full Cairo map from the airport in east to the pyramids in west along with four more detailed maps! Good tools while planning tours to Egypt

OUR BACKGROUND   

The four of us who is responsible for Egyptmyway.com have a collected experience of more than half a century in management positions within Egyptian tour operations. Holding lectures in Egyptology as the modern culture, guided special journeys and been responsible for television and film productions. Hotels, luxury tour operators as Abercrombie and Kent, American Express Travel and European charter operations to this destination.

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MAPs OF EGYPT  

We provide you with maps of Egypt, a full map including the Nile valley, the deserts and Sinai. Map of Greater Cairo and a very special Nile Valley map with the original Ancient Egyptian names. More maps will be added including plan drawings of important monuments.