FAQs

- Your arrival terminal depends on the airline that you are using. Western European and American airlines mostly use terminal number 3, which is also called the New Terminal in Egypt. On the other hand, Egypt Air, Arab, African, and Eastern European airlines usually land in terminal number 1.

Yes, EgyptAir, the Egyptian official airline, organizes direct flights from the United States to Cairo in particular. There is a flight from New York, the JFK Airport, direct to Cairo five times a week. The journey takes approximately 12 hours. Egypt Air also flies from Los Angles directly to Cairo. This journey takes approximately 17 hours; however, most tourists coming from the United States stop either in Europe (usually London or Paris) or in North Africa (usually Morocco).

- Tourists visiting Egypt sometimes visit other countries in the Middle East or North Africa in the same trip. Geo Tours offers tourism services in Jordan, Morocco, Oman and Dubai, which you can research on our website.

It is possible to extend a tourist, but this requires obtaining an extension from the Mogamma building in the Tahrir Complex in Cairo or other governmental offices in another city. There is a two-week grace period after your visa expires during which you may purchase an extension without being subject to a fine.

- The visa for Sinai allows tourists to travel anywhere in the Sinai Peninsula; however, if they want to visit another part of Egypt, like Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor, or Aswan, they will need to obtain a new visa using the methods described in question 1

- If the traveler has a residence permit to live in another country, they can apply for a visa from the Egyptian embassy or consulate in that country or buy a visa upon arrival in the Cairo, Hurghada, or Luxor Airports. If they do not hold a residency permit, they must obtain their visa from the Egyptian embassy/consulate in the country that issued their passport.

- Visitors to Egypt must have a passport valid for at least six month after their arrival and all foreign citizens must obtain a visa to enter Egypt. You can apply for a tourist visa at any Egyptian embassy or consulate around the world.
-Travelers of the following nationalities can purchase a 1 month entry visa without application upon arrival in Egypt: Australia, Canada, Croatia, European Union, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Macedonia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States. This only takes a few minutes to do at a bank window before you go through customs
- Egypt generally has three types of entry visas.
1. Entry visa--valid for one month; given to any non-Egyptian citizen entering the country without a previously purchased visa
2. Transit visa--given to any non-Egyptian citizen entering the country for a limited period of time for transit reasons
3. Tourist visa--valid for up to 3 months and available with single or multiple entries; purchased by the majority of visitors to Egypt from a Egyptian embassy or consulate before arriving in the country

The buses in cities like Cairo and Alexandria literally cover the whole city. These buses are cheap (fare is less than 1 Egyptian pound), it can be difficult to know where each bus route will take you and the buses are sometimes extremely crowded. Therefore, it is recommended to use other transportation means, like taxis or the metro when in Cairo.

No, the railway service in Egypt does not pass the Suez Canal to reach any cities in Sinai and it doesn’t go further south than the Ismailia along the Red Sea coast. Other than airplanes, tourists can take the buses from Cairo to reach cities like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. It is also possible to hire a taxi to take you to these places, but this can be expensive without traveling companions to divide the cost.

- Generally speaking, the standard of the railways service in Egypt is pretty good. The Egyptian railway network connects the Nile Valley, the Delta, and the Suez Canal. In the summer there are also trains to the resort areas along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
- Because of the high prices of domestic flights in Egypt, air travel does not always suit budget travelers. While it takes longer, train travel provides a cheaper option and the experience of seeing the entire Nile Valley by train is a memorable one. The sleeper trains from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor are designed specifically for tourists, leaving Cairo at 9 PM and arriving in Luxor at around 4 AM and in Aswan around 7 AM. These trains are comfortable and the guests will be offered a private cabin and a hot dinner.
-Bus travel is also available to all of these locations for Turgoman Bus Station, located near the main train station in Downtown Cairo. Buses provide another affordable travel option.

The trains in Egypt fall generally into two categories; the air-conditioned trains that include the luxury wagons and local trains that stop in each village or town every 15 to 20 minutes. The local trains are crowded and do not provide much in the way of comfort. The A/C trains usually offer first and second-class cars. Both offer good options for travelers, but for a modest extra charge, the first class cars offer larger, more comfortable seats. There are around 15 A/C trains from Cairo to Alexandria everyday and five from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, which also stop in the major cities of the Nile Valley on the way. There are also two overnight sleeper trains from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, which will provide you with a private cabin and a hot dinner. Demand for trains in Egypt can be very high. It is recommended that you book your tickets several days in advance.

- There are several transportation options available from the Cairo Airport. The fastest and most common way is to take a taxi. The moment you step out of the airport, you will find many taxi drivers offering you a ride. It is advisable to avoid riding in the old black taxis as they don’t use meters and the drivers may ask for an exaggerated fare. The new white taxis, which use a meter, are a good choice if you are going anywhere around Cairo, but at the airport you may find yourself negotiating the price even with these new taxis. If you are going to Central Cairo, you should pay more than 60 LE.
- There is a limousine service offered by the Cairo Airport, which is more expensive than other transportation means, but still relatively cheap when compared to the cost of transportation in North America or most European countries.
-We recommend using the Cairo Airport Shuttle Bus, which you can reserve ahead of time if you are already in the country by calling 19970. You can also hire a car upon arrival if you look for the desk in the Arrival Hall, but you may have to wait for a short time. It is more expensive than a taxi, but it removes the hassle of negotiating a price and you will have a comfortable, private van to yourself.

In Egypt, churches are treated the same as mosques. Most churches and monasteries welcome tourists and foreigners, except during Lent. Modest dress is also advisable while visiting Christian monuments in Egypt.

Cairo, nicknamed as the ‘City of a Thousand Minarets’, features a large number of remarkable and historical mosques. The most notable among them are the Mosque of Mohamed Ali in the Saladin Citadel, built in the beginning of the 19th century, the Mosque of Al Sultan Hassan, built in 1361 AD, the Mosque of Al Azhar, built in 970 AD and restored and enlarged many times afterwards, the Mosque of Amr Ibn El Aas, the first mosque in Africa built in 640 AD, the Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, built in 878 AD, and the Mosque of Al Hakem, built in 1013 AD. Tourists are welcome in all of these mosques on any day, except Friday.

There aren’t really special clothes to be put on while visiting a mosque in Egypt; however, modest dress would be highly recommended and in some mosques, women will be asked to cover their hair and perhaps their arms and legs. Both women and men will be asked to remove their shoes before entering a mosque.

Non-Muslims are generally welcome to visit mosques in Egypt; however, it is always advisable to seek permission before entering mosques outside Cairo and Alexandria where people are less accustomed to tourists. Tourists and foreigners are welcome in almost all mosques in Egypt, except mosques where the relatives of the prophet Mohamed were buried like the Mosque of El Hussein and the Mosque of Sayeda Zeinab. Tourists are more than welcome to visit most mosques at anytime expect when they are being used for prayer, on Friday and during the five prayers of the day.

- Egypt generally has a very low crime rate. Travelers will be safe in Egypt if they take sensible precautions that would apply to any tourist destination around the world.

-There are many touristic areas in Egypt where special concerns are not necessary; however, in less touristic places, relatively modest dress is recommended. Women should avoid very tight clothing, keep their shoulders and knees covered, and avoid very revealing necklines. Men should also avoid particularly revealing clothing as all Egyptians generally dress more modestly than in many parts of Europe and America. For instance, wearing shorts is not very common among Egyptians. Dressing with relative modesty is a way of respecting the local culture.
- The metro in Cairo has separate cars for women that might be more comfortable, especially during rush hours when the cars can be very full.

Tourists have 48 hours after arrival to buy these products from any duty free shop in Egypt. Duty free locations are in the airports in Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada, El Gouna and Sharm El Sheikh. There are also several other locations in Cairo and in hotels in Sharm El Sheikh, El Gouna and Hurghada. Your will be able to purchase up to 3 liters of alcohol and up to 200 cigarettes.

It is always recommended for travelers who wish to have their own supply of cigarettes and alcohol with them in Egypt to purchase them upon arrival. There are duty free shops in the airports in Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada, El Gouna and Sharm El Sheikh. Tourists are allowed to purchase up to 3 liters of alcohol and up to 200 cigarettes on arrival.

There are a large number of banks and exchange offices that can change cash and travelers’ checks in Egypt. Moreover, many touristic shops, restaurants, and bars will actually accept dollars or Euros at rates that are relatively close to the official ones. Makes sure you know the current exchange rate of dollars or Euros to Egyptian pounds.

The official currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound, or “Geneh” in Arabic, and commonly abbreviated as LE. One Egyptian pound is 100 piastres, or "irsh" in Arabic. There are banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 LE and there are coins of 25 piastres, 50 piastres, and 1 pound. It can sometimes be difficult to find change for large bills so it is always advisable to have change on hand for taxis and tips.

English is studied in school all over Egypt. This is why most Egyptians, who live in the cities, speak or understand at least some English words or phrases. Fewer Egyptians can speak French, Italian, Spanish, and German; however, professionals, who work in the tourism sector, are accustomed to visitors who cannot speak Arabic and they will speak enough English and other languages to fulfill the needs of most travelers.

Most of the monuments, historical sites, and museums in Egypt open from 9 AM until 5 PM. Open-air historical sites, like the Pyramids of Giza for example, are open from 8 AM until sunset. Some museums have morning opening hours, from 9 AM to 4 PM, and evening opening hours, from 5 PM to 9 or 10 PM.During Ramadan, the holy month of the Islamic calendar, be aware that these hours will change significantly.

Photography is allowed in most of the historical sites and museums in Egypt, but some of them have extra charges for taking in a camera. However, in some museums, like the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, and some historical sites, like the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, photography is prohibited and visitors are asked to leave their cameras at the reception before entering.

The same as many hotels all around the globe, the check-in time in most hotels in Egypt is around midday (12:00). If you arrive in the hotel late at night or in the early morning, you may have to pay for an extra night to get to your room immediately without having to wait until the normal check-in time.

Generally speaking, tourists face few unique health problems in Egypt, but occasionally travelers experience some gastric disturbance resulting from drinking tap water or eating from a local restaurant not recommended by their tour guides or the receptionist in hotel. Some travelers might suffer sunburn or heatstroke from the heat and sun during the summer if they are not careful; however, taking the proper precautions and drinking bottled water can eliminate any health risks.

Due to the low salaries of many professionals in Egypt, many people depend on tips, or baksheesh as it is called in Egypt, as a major part of their income. Therefore, tipping is considered customary in Egypt.