General Information

General information about the city can be obtained by contacting any of the Egyptian Tourist Authority Offices Worldwide, the official representative of the Egyptian Tourism Ministry. The information presented here is unofficial.

The Association of Tourist Friends is a non-profit organization founded in 1969 to help visitors in several ways. It is strongly recommended to contact them as soon as you arrive in Egypt if you are not visiting with an organized tour. Their main office is at 33 Qasr El-Nile St., 9th floor, El Tahrir, Tel. (202)392.20.36

Egypt time zone is GMT+02.00. This means that, for instance, the time is 10:00 am in Egypt when it is 8:00 am GMT. Summer daylight saving time is in effect May 1 through September 30. Weekends are on Friday, not on Sunday. Some streets are closed on Friday for the Moslem's prayer. Most stores and currency exchange locations are open 7 days a week, but most banks are closed Friday and Saturday. Travel agencies and airline offices may close on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, depending on the management. Most stores and some businesses close on Sunday, not Friday.

Crime, especially violent incidents are very rare in Egypt. The emergency phone number is 122. The tourist police head office is located at 5 Adli St, Tel: (+202)390.60.27.

Clothing

Cairo's weather is mild in winter, hot in summer. Summers and winters are dry. Rain is rare even in winter, and sand storms are common in spring. Below is a Table with the mean maximum and minimum temperature (Celsius). To convert to Fahrenheit, multiply by 9/5 and add 32.


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 Jan   Feb   Mar   Apr   May   Jun   Jul   Aug   Sep   Oct   Nov   Dec 

 20.4  22.3  20.7  25.9  32.5  34.2  35.7  34.6  32.8  28.2  24.6  20.0
  9.9  11.9  10.7  14.2  18.2  20.6  23.7  23.6  22.0  18.4  14.3  12.1
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Both men and women are expected to dress modestly when visiting churches or mosques. Women are required to cover their hair before entering mosques.

Food

The Egyptian kitchen is renowned for its tasty dishes. Elegant restaurants in major hotels, and elsewhere, offer delicious oriental selections such as Kofta (ground meatballs), Kebab (grilled meat), Mulukhia (green soup), Tahina (tahini) Salad, Hamam Mahshi (stuffed pigeon), Baba Ghannoug (tahini and eggplant), Mixed Green Salad, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Foul and Falafel (cooked and fried beans), and Kusheri (rice and lentils mix). Use of bottled water is highly recommended.

Electronics

The electric current voltage is 220 Volts, with European-style plugs. For TV broadcasting, Egypt uses MESECAM which is a derivative of the SECAM standard. Usually, VCRs sold in countries using MESECAM can also play tapes recorded in the PAL standard. All of these standards, however, are incompatible with the US standard (NTSC).

Health

Pharmacies are scattered around the city, and many are open 24 hours a day. In addition to filling prescriptions, pharmacies sell perfume and cosmetics during regular working hours. Check out Health Net and the CDC travel page for more information on health issues in Egypt.

Entry Procedure

Tourists are required to obtain an entry visa from Egyptian diplomatic missions and consulates abroad. Tourists may be granted a one-month visa on arrival at Egyptian airports or ports (not recommended - there is no guarantee). Nationals from certain Arab countries and from Guinea and Malta may enter the country without a visa.