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A taxi and a metro carriage, drawn in gold on papyrus

Leaving the airport, and moving around after that

31
For a taxi or an airport transfer, the durable answer is to use a ride-hailing app rather than agreeing a fare at the kerb: Uber's Egypt site states "In most cities, your cost is calculated up front, before you confirm your ride", and that entering your destination shows a price estimate for each ride option. Note the wording is "in most cities" — check the price is shown before you confirm, do not assume it.

Uberchecked 26 Jul 2026

Cairo Metro single-journey ticket prices on lines 1, 2 and 3, as published by the operator: 9 stations EGP 10, 16 stations EGP 12, 23 stations EGP 15, 39 stations EGP 20 — the band is set by the number of stations travelled. Over-60s, army and police pay EGP 5/6/8/10; special needs and veterans pay EGP 5. Buy at the station window.

Cairo Metro — Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operationchecked 26 Jul 2026

How to leave Cairo airport, from the airport's own guide: limousine services pick up in front of the terminals at the curb side, and "The prices are fixed depending on the destination and the car category" — Category A is luxury cars, B is a microbus for up to seven, C is a midsized car, D is a London Taxi. White taxis have meters; the old black-and-white taxis usually do not, so the price is negotiated before you set off. Buses leave only from the bus station in the parking area in front of Terminal 1.

Cairo Airport Company (Cairo International Airport)checked 26 Jul 2026

Changing terminals at Cairo airport is free: the Automated People Mover train runs as a free service connecting Terminal 1, the Air Mall, the car park, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 in five minutes maximum. It is open to the general public, not just transit passengers, so do not pay anyone for a lift between terminals.

Cairo Airport Company (Cairo International Airport)checked 26 Jul 2026

East Nile Monorail fares, as announced by Egypt's Ministry of Transport on 8 May 2026: the line is split into four zones — one zone (5 stations) EGP 20, two zones (10 stations) EGP 40, three zones (15 stations) EGP 55, four zones, the whole line (22 stations) EGP 80. Passengers over 60 and passengers with disabilities pay half: EGP 10 / 20 / 30 / 40. This is a fixed official tariff, so there is nothing to negotiate.

Egypt State Information Service (sis.gov.eg), carrying the Ministry of Transport statementchecked 26 Jul 2026

The East Nile Monorail runs from Cairo Stadium Station in Nasr City to Justice City Station in the New Administrative Capital — 56.5 km, 22 stations, about 60 to 70 minutes end to end. It interchanges with Metro Line 3 at Cairo Stadium and with the LRT at the Arts and Culture City station. It is a commuter line to the New Capital, not a way to reach the pyramids or old Cairo.

Egypt State Information Service (sis.gov.eg)checked 26 Jul 2026

Egyptian National Railways sells air-conditioned intercity train seats 15 days before the travel date, through the ENR website, the ENR mobile app, station ticket offices, ticket vending machines at main stations, and city booking offices. A seatless ticket is also released for 20% of each train's seat count if you are willing to stand.

Egyptian National Railways (ENR)checked 26 Jul 2026

Egyptian National Railways FAQ: tickets for air-conditioned trains are on sale from 15 days before the train time up to 5 minutes before it leaves, so a same-day seat is worth trying. If a train is completely delayed the passenger can recover the full ticket price with nothing deducted. ENR's complaints and customer service number is 19468.

Egyptian National Railways (ENR)checked 26 Jul 2026

Instead of queuing for a paper ticket every ride, Cairo Metro sells a rechargeable contactless "cash wallet" card. The card itself costs EGP 80, you load it with anything from EGP 40 up to EGP 200, it carries no name so anyone can use it, it does not expire, and you can buy it at any station on all three metro lines.

Cairo Metro — Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operationchecked 26 Jul 2026

Cairo Metro trains have women-only carriages, and the operator's own passenger rules state that male passengers should not use them — worth knowing before you board, in either direction. The same rules ask you not to smoke in the carriages or stations, to use headphones for anything you are listening to, and not to throw food or drinks around inside the trains or stations.

Cairo Metro — Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operationchecked 26 Jul 2026

If you are thinking of driving yourself: the UK travel advice for Egypt says a British visitor needs both the 1949 version of the international driving permit and their own driving licence in the car, and that an IDP cannot be bought outside the UK. It also warns that "Accidents are common because of variable road conditions, dangerous driving and poor traffic law enforcement" and to not drive outside main cities and resorts at night. Visitors from other countries should check their own government's advice for the permit rule.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 26 Jul 2026

inDrive is a third ride-hailing app operating in Egypt, and its fare works differently from Uber's and Careem's: the price is not set by the app but agreed between rider and driver. inDrive's own site puts it as "Fair rides for the price you both agree on". So the number is settled by negotiation rather than shown to you before you confirm.

inDrivechecked 27 Jul 2026

The East Nile Monorail's second phase opened on Saturday 27 June 2026, adding six stations — Cairo Stadium, Hisham Barakat, Al-Azhar University, Seventh District, Field Marshal Ahmed Ismail and Jehan El-Sadat — and completing the 56.5 km, 22-station line. Cairo Stadium is the interchange with Metro Line 3, so from June 2026 you can reach the monorail from the metro network.

Egyptian Streetschecked 27 Jul 2026

East Nile Monorail tickets are half price every Friday and Saturday and on official public holidays. If your trip to the New Administrative Capital is flexible, going at the weekend costs half.

Egyptian Streetschecked 27 Jul 2026

The East Nile Monorail runs daily from 06:00 to 21:00. It stops earlier than the Cairo Metro, so do not plan a late return from the New Administrative Capital on it.

Ahram Onlinechecked 27 Jul 2026

Egyptian intercity train fares rose in late March 2026 — long-distance tickets by 12.5% and short-distance tickets by 25% — announced by the Ministry of Transport at the same time as the Cairo Metro fare rise. Any train price you read in a guide written before March 2026 is out of date.

Daily News Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

The Giza Plateau's main entrance moved from the old gate near the Mena House to a new entry point on the Fayoum highway, south of the pyramids, and private cars and tour buses are barred from driving onto the plateau. You move around inside on electric vehicles operated by Orascom Pyramids Entertainment. Tell your driver the Fayoum-road gate, not the Mena House gate.

Ahram Onlinechecked 27 Jul 2026

Smithsonian states that tour buses no longer have access to the plateau and that visitors ride air-conditioned hop-on hop-off electric shuttle buses to the three main pyramids. It does not say private cars are barred, and it notes private cars are allowed up for night concerts.

Smithsonian Magazinechecked 27 Jul 2026

The Giza shuttle buses do not start when the site does. A guide written from an early-2026 visit reports the shuttle service does not begin until 08:00, so if you go in at first light you are walking — which is the trade-off for an empty plateau, not a fault.

Anywhere We Roamchecked 27 Jul 2026

If you booked an Egyptian National Railways air-conditioned seat and then decide not to travel, ENR's own FAQ says you must present yourself to the head of your station at least 48 hours before the train departs to get a cash refund, and 25% of the price of a full single ticket in the class you booked is deducted as administrative expenses. Turning up after that window, or not turning up at all, is not a refund case. Missing the train and picking up a later one is only allowed in the regular (non air-conditioned) classes, and the ticket has to be stamped at the station where you broke your journey before you travel on.

Egyptian National Railways (ENR)checked 27 Jul 2026

A train ticket bought from one of the self-service ticket machines at an Egyptian National Railways station has a narrow refund window: ENR's FAQ states the cancellation must be at least 48 hours before the journey, after which cancelling the booking is not allowed at all, and 24 hours must have passed since the ticket was issued. Refunds are done at the station ticket windows, not on the machine. Separately, if the machine takes your money but does not print the ticket, take the payment receipt it produced to the station ticket window and the amount is refunded to the card it was charged to.

Egyptian National Railways (ENR)checked 27 Jul 2026

Smoking on an Egyptian National Railways train carries a published fine of EGP 70 — the railway's FAQ states it applies inside the carriages, in the passageways between them, while the train is moving, while it is stopped, and at stations.

Egyptian National Railways (ENR)checked 27 Jul 2026

The overnight sleeper train is not booked on the Egyptian National Railways site. ENR's own navigation carries a "Sleeping Trains" item and it links out to abelatrains.com — so the sleeper is sold by a separate operator with its own booking system, which is why searching enr.gov.eg for a Cairo–Luxor sleeper berth finds nothing. Go to the operator's site, or a station, for sleeper availability and price rather than assuming the ENR app covers it.

Egyptian National Railways (ENR)checked 27 Jul 2026

Cairo Metro publishes its fine schedule. Riding past the number of stations your ticket covers is a EGP 50 fine issued by company supervisors and inspectors; travelling with no ticket at all is EGP 100. A separate EGP 250 police fine, issued by the metro police, covers smoking in stations or trains, selling or begging on the network, putting up posters without permission, crossing the tracks, tampering with or misusing equipment, and blocking the train doors as they close. Causing a train to be delayed is charged at EGP 300 per minute for a passenger.

Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation (Cairo Metro)checked 27 Jul 2026

A Cairo Metro ticket carries accident cover. The operator's passenger page states that by buying the ticket you are covered by insurance from Cairo Metro, in cooperation with the insurance group, up to EGP 30,000 against body injuries inside the metro. The same page lists what voids the claim: passing through places that are not allowed, being drunk or under the influence, and self-inflicted injury.

Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation (Cairo Metro)checked 27 Jul 2026

Adly Mansour, at the eastern end of Cairo Metro Line 3, is the interchange where five different modes meet, according to the metro operator: the Line 3 metro station, the electric train (LRT) to the New Administrative Capital and 10th of Ramadan, the Cairo–Suez railway station, a SuperJet coach station, and a BRT station connecting to Cairo International Airport. It is a 15-acre transport complex with a commercial zone, and it is the practical place to change between the metro and an intercity coach or the New Capital train.

Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation (Cairo Metro)checked 27 Jul 2026

Go Bus publishes a luggage allowance in its own booking conditions: one large bag or two small bags per passenger, and anything beyond that is charged as extra freight. If the company loses a bag, its stated maximum compensation is EGP 100 and it takes no responsibility for the contents — so nothing valuable belongs in the hold. Food may not be brought into the cabin, and animals, weapons, flammable materials and liquids are prohibited outright.

Go Bus (Go GoBus Company)checked 27 Jul 2026

Go Bus's own booking conditions set the cancellation rule for intercity coaches: a ticket paid by credit card can be cancelled on the website up to 4 hours before departure, with a cancellation fee of 10% of the ticket price rounded to the nearest EGP 5. Cancel later than that, or simply not turn up, and the ticket is non-refundable. Tickets are also non-exchangeable once issued — to change anything you have to cancel the original and buy a new one, paying the cancellation fee.

Go Bus (Go GoBus Company)checked 27 Jul 2026

Travelling with children on an Egyptian intercity coach: Go Bus's booking conditions state that a child over 6 years old needs a full ticket and there is no half ticket, so budget a full seat per child above that age rather than expecting a discount at the counter.

Go Bus (Go GoBus Company)checked 27 Jul 2026

An open passport with a stamp on one page, drawn in gold on papyrus

Before you fly, and at the border

25
Egypt's official government e-visa portal is visa2egypt.gov.eg. The tourism fees it publishes are 30$ for a single-entry visa and 65$ for multiple entries, and the portal says the fee is collected on the website by credit card after you register your details.

Arab Republic of Egypt — Egypt e-Visa Portalchecked 26 Jul 2026

Apply for the e-visa on the official portal at least a week before you fly: visa2egypt.gov.eg tells applicants to create an e-Visa application at least 7 days before departure. You sign up, apply and pay online, then download the visa — print it and bring the printout with you.

Arab Republic of Egypt — Egypt e-Visa Portalchecked 26 Jul 2026

Whether you can buy a visa at the airport at all depends on your passport, so read this as what it is: the UK government's advice to British citizens, not a rule that covers everyone. For them, UK travel advice states that approved airports have kiosks before you reach the immigration counters where you can buy a visa for 30 US dollars (cash only), that visas on arrival are valid for up to 30 days, and that tourist e-visas are valid for up to 3 months. Cash only means the desk will not take your card. If you hold a different passport, check whether your nationality is served at all before you count on the kiosk — Egypt's own e-visa portal prints the list of nationalities it will serve, and a country that is not on it has to go through an Egyptian embassy or consulate.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 28 Jul 2026

If you arrive by air to Sharm El-Sheikh and stay for less than 15 days at resorts in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba, UK travel advice says you do not need a visa at all. The exemption is tied to staying in that area — if you plan to travel further into Egypt, get a visa.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 26 Jul 2026

Crossing into Egypt overland from Israel at Taba, carry US dollars in cash. UK travel advice recommends bringing at least 170 US dollars in cash per person, and warns that ATMs at the Taba border crossing are unreliable and frequently run out of cash. The border tax there gets you an entry permission stamp for a stay of up to 15 days.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 26 Jul 2026

From 1 August 2026 Egypt runs a pilot of a digital visa on arrival at Cairo International Airport, covering all arrival terminals. Instead of the paper visa sticker sold at the bank counters you get a Visa QR Code. It is a pilot at Cairo only — if you land at Hurghada, Sharm El-Sheikh or Luxor nothing changes yet.

Egyptian Tourism Authority (press release, distributed via AAP/Cision)checked 27 Jul 2026

Whether Egypt's official e-visa portal will serve you at all depends on your passport country. The portal, run by Egypt's Ministry of Interior, prints its own list of nationalities that may apply: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, China/Taiwan, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Kosovo, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam. If your country is not on that printed list, the online portal is not your route and you have to deal with an Egyptian embassy or consulate.

Arab Republic of Egypt — Ministry of Interior, Egypt e-Visa Portalchecked 27 Jul 2026

An approved e-visa is not a guarantee you get in. Egypt's own portal says the possession of an e-Visa is not the final authority to enter, and its FAQ adds that Egyptian port authorities have the right to refuse entry to an e-visa holder without any explanation. The officer at the desk makes the decision, not the website.

Arab Republic of Egypt — Ministry of Interior, Egypt e-Visa Portalchecked 27 Jul 2026

You do not get the e-visa money back. Egypt's e-visa portal states plainly that the visa processing fee is non refundable, and that incomplete applications will be rejected — so a form you fill in carelessly costs you the fee as well as the trip. Check every field against the passport before you pay.

Arab Republic of Egypt — Ministry of Interior, Egypt e-Visa Portalchecked 27 Jul 2026

Egypt's e-visa portal states that each visitor to Egypt is required to submit e-Visa applications in their personal account — so two adults travelling together need an account each. The same clause makes one exception: parents can apply for their children from the parent's account.

Arab Republic of Egypt — Ministry of Interior, Egypt e-Visa Portalchecked 27 Jul 2026

The e-visa portal only handles ordinary passports. Egypt's portal states that requesting an eVisa with a Diplomatic, Service, Special, Official, Temporary, Nansen, Refugees, Mission, Alien's or July 51 Agreement passport is not allowed at this stage, and tells those holders to visit their nearest embassy or consulate. If you travel on anything other than an ordinary passport, do not plan on the website.

Arab Republic of Egypt — Ministry of Interior, Egypt e-Visa Portalchecked 27 Jul 2026

Coming in overland at Taba, what you pay depends entirely on how far you intend to go, and UK travel advice publishes the tiers: staying in Taba is a border tax of 20 US dollars; going further into the Sinai Peninsula, including Sharm El-Sheikh, is a border tax of 120 US dollars; going beyond the Sinai at all, including to fly out of Cairo or Hurghada, is that 120 US dollars plus a standard entry visa for 30 US dollars. Decide your route before you reach the window, because the answer sets the price.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 27 Jul 2026

UK travel advice says the Taba entry visa also requires a 'letter of guarantee', provided by travel agents and costing around 20 US dollars — and that both the visa and the letter of guarantee can be purchased at the Border Crossing itself. Budget the extra 20 dollars in cash US dollars; you do not have to arrange it before you arrive.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 27 Jul 2026

Treat every published Taba figure as a floor, not a fixed price. UK travel advice states that since early March 2026, border crossing charges at Taba have been subject to increases at short notice. Carry more US dollars in cash than the arithmetic says you need, because nobody republishes the new number the day it changes.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 27 Jul 2026

If you are bringing a car through the Taba crossing rather than walking it, UK travel advice says you may also be required to pay 100 US dollars, with additional charges for parking. That is on top of the border tax and the visa, and it is in cash US dollars like everything else at that crossing.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Sinai-only exemption is visa-free, not free. Spain's foreign ministry states that travellers entering Egypt directly through the Sinai — Sharm el-Sheikh or Taba — and staying on the peninsula without going beyond St Catherine are exempt from the visa but have to pay a fee of 25 US dollars. So budget cash even when you have been told you need no visa, and note the geographic limit: St Catherine is the edge of it.

Gobierno de España — Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperaciónchecked 27 Jul 2026

There are two versions of the six-month passport rule and they are not the same. Canada's travel advice says your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Egypt, while the UK measures the six months from the day you arrive. If your passport expires in the gap between those two readings, book on the stricter one — count six months from your departure date, not your arrival date.

Government of Canada — travel.gc.cachecked 27 Jul 2026

Governments do not agree on what it costs to get into Egypt, so carry more than the headline number. Canada's travel advice says all visas issued on arrival must be paid in cash in US dollars only, and that entry may cost between 60 and 100 US dollars per person depending on your travel plans — against the flat 30 US dollars the UK and Spain quote for the airport kiosk. Take at least 100 US dollars in cash per person and expect to bring some of it home.

Government of Canada — travel.gc.cachecked 27 Jul 2026

The Sinai-only stamp is shorter if you come in by land. Canada's travel advice says that at the Taba land border crossing you can get a 14-day, visa-free entry stamp if you plan on staying within the Sinai Peninsula, which includes Sharm El Sheikh — 14 days, against the 15 days the UK and Ireland describe for flying into Sharm El-Sheikh. If you are close to the limit, plan on the shorter one for the route you are actually taking.

Government of Canada — travel.gc.cachecked 27 Jul 2026

If you need a multiple-entry visa, the airport may be cheaper than the website. France's foreign ministry publishes the on-arrival prices as 30 US dollars, or the equivalent in euros, for a single entry and 60 US dollars, or the equivalent in euros, for a multiple-entry visa — while Egypt's own e-visa portal charges 65 dollars for multiple entries online. The French page also says taking the visa on arrival is preferable to going through a consulate.

France — Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (France Diplomatie)checked 27 Jul 2026

Egyptian customs cares about your camera gear. UK travel advice says you should declare high value electronic devices and recording equipment when you arrive. This is the same customs mindset behind Egypt's mobile-phone import rules — if you are travelling with a drone, professional camera, or several laptops, declare on the way in so nobody argues with you on the way out.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 27 Jul 2026

A torn ticket and a price tag, drawn in gold on papyrus

What the ticket costs, printed by the people who set it

18
Giza Plateau ticket prices as printed by the Ministry on 26 Jul 2026: foreigners area entry EGP 700 adult / 350 student; Egyptians EGP 60 / 30. Area entry does NOT include going inside the Great Pyramid, Khafre, Menkaure, the Tomb of Meresankh III or the Workers' Cemetery — those are separate tickets. Vehicles: car or taxi EGP 25. Prices change; check the page before you go.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

The best defence against being overcharged at a monument is that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities publishes each site's official ticket price on its own page — so the price is checkable before you arrive, and anything quoted above it at the gate is worth questioning. Look the site up on egymonuments.gov.eg.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

Saqqara is sold monument by monument, so what you pay depends on what you go inside. Ministry prices printed on 26 Jul 2026 for foreigners: Saqqara area EGP 600 adult / 300 student, Pyramid of Djoser 280 / 140, Serapeum 340 / 170, Noble Tombs plus New Kingdom Tombs 400 / 200, Tomb of Mereruka 200 / 100, the Southern Tomb in the Djoser complex 300 / 150. There is an inclusive ticket at EGP 1400 / 700 covering the site, the Imhotep Museum, the Nobles Tombs, the New Kingdom Tombs, and the tombs of Mereruka and Mehu. Egyptians pay EGP 30 / 10 for the area. Car or taxi EGP 25.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

Luxor Temple tickets as printed by the Ministry on 26 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 500 adult / 250 student; Egyptians EGP 40 / 20. That is a separate ticket from Karnak — the two temples are not one entry.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

NMEC tickets as printed by the Ministry on 26 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 550 adult / 300 student; Egyptians EGP 90 / 45. Children under 6 enter free.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

Pump prices set by the Ministry of Petroleum effective 3:00am on 10 March 2026: 95-octane EGP 24/litre (from EGP 21), 92-octane EGP 22.25 (from 19.25), 80-octane EGP 20.75 (from 17.75), diesel EGP 20.5 (from 17.5). The source does not establish whether these remain in force today.

Ahram Onlinechecked 27 Jul 2026

The camel and horse trick at Giza turns on the dismount, not the mount. The handler quotes something cheap; once you are up, the quoted figure becomes per-minute, or there is a separate fee to get the animal to kneel. The countermeasure travel writers agree on: settle the total in Egyptian pounds — covering the ride back and getting off — before you get on, and pay only at the end.

The Cure for Curiositychecked 27 Jul 2026

Locally made cigarettes in Egypt do not have a per-shop price — the manufacturer announces one national retail price for the pack. Ahram Online reported on 10 February 2026 that Eastern Company, Egypt's largest tobacco producer, raised the price of all its locally produced cigarettes by EGP 4 per pack to EGP 48, effective that same Tuesday. Brands covered include Cleopatra, Mondial, Boston and Belmont.

Ahram Onlinechecked 27 Jul 2026

As of 19 July 2025, Eastern Company stated the merchant's margin ranged between LE0.050 and LE0.250 per pack and urged consumers to stick to the announced price and report violations. The pack prices printed alongside that statement have since been superseded.

Egypt Independentchecked 27 Jul 2026

Before you accept anyone's price for something ordinary, you can look up what a shop charges: Egyptian grocery chains publish their own shelf prices on their websites, product by product. Gourmet Egypt's own page for a 1.5-litre bottle of Aquafina lists it at EGP 10 in machine-readable product data — so that is the reference point when a bottle is handed to you somewhere with no price on it.

Gourmet Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

Philae is open 07:00-16:00 all seven days. Foreigners EGP 550 adult / 275 student; Egyptians EGP 40 / 20. A separate 'Temple panorama' ticket is EGP 200/100 for foreigners and EGP 40/20 for Egyptians. The page does not explain what the panorama ticket buys, and says nothing at all about the boat to the island.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Temple of Edfu (Temple of Horus) closes at 17:00 every day, but the Ministry's own table gives two different opening times: 06:00 on Sunday and Wednesday, and 07:00 on the other five days. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 550 adult / 275 student; Egyptians EGP 40 / 20 — the same headline price as Philae.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

Kom Ombo temple is open 07:00–21:00 all seven days — far later than any other Nile temple, so it is the one you can still walk into after sunset. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 450 adult / 225 student; Egyptians EGP 40 / 20. The Ministry also prints a separate vehicle charge at the gate: car or taxi EGP 25, micro-bus EGP 50, coaster EGP 75, bus EGP 100 — so a driver asking you for a 'parking fee' has a published number behind it.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

Deir al-Bahari (Hatshepsut) is open 06:00-17:00 all seven days. Ministry-published tickets: foreigners EGP 360 adult / 180 student; Egyptians EGP 40 / 20. Drop the claim about the online portal showing a higher figure — no fetchable page supports it.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

Kom el-Dikka — the Roman theatre and villa site in central Alexandria — is open 09:00–17:00 all seven days. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 200 adult / 100 student; Egyptians EGP 20 / 10.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

Dahshur is open 08:00-17:00 all seven days. Foreigners EGP 200 adult / 100 student; Egyptians EGP 10 / 5. If the Giza comparison is kept, cite the Giza Plateau page (foreigner area entry EGP 700 adult / 350 student) as a second source, and drop the no-queue line.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

Bibliotheca Alexandrina sells two visitor tickets. The Main Library ticket is EGP 150 for a non-Egyptian adult and EGP 20 for a non-Egyptian student (EGP 10 / 5 for Egyptians), and it already includes the guided tour, the Culturama show, the Sadat Museum and the permanent and temporary exhibitions. The inclusive ticket is EGP 300 for a non-Egyptian adult and EGP 120 for a non-Egyptian student (EGP 50 / 25 for Egyptians) and adds the Antiquities Museum, the Manuscripts Museum and the free museums.

Bibliotheca Alexandrinachecked 27 Jul 2026

The Antiquities Museum at Bibliotheca Alexandrina sells photography as a separate ticket, and publishes the rate: mobile phone photography is free for everyone; a professional camera for stills costs EGP 250 for a non-Egyptian (EGP 50 for an Egyptian); professional camera video costs EGP 400 for a non-Egyptian (EGP 150 for an Egyptian). Entry to that museum on its own is EGP 100 for a non-Egyptian adult, EGP 50 for a non-Egyptian student.

Bibliotheca Alexandrinachecked 27 Jul 2026

A phone standing beside a SIM chip, drawn in gold on papyrus

Getting online: a SIM, an eSIM, and what they ask to see

15
Vodafone Egypt sells a tourist line (TourSIM). Its page states it is eligible for tourists visiting Egypt only, and that you can get it from the Vodafone airport store or from any Vodafone retail store across Egypt.

Vodafone Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

To buy a prepaid line in Egypt you need your passport. Vodafone Egypt's required-documents page lists: "valid passport and valid residency or valid refugee residency on passport, official refugee letter, exempted from residence, E-visa." So bring the physical passport with your visa or entry stamp — that is the durable rule whatever the shop tells you.

Vodafone Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

The regulator's own rule for buying a SIM: a foreigner goes to a mobile operator branch and gives the sales agent "his own original valid passport and residency document". The NTRA also caps a foreigner at "a maximum of 5 voice lines and 5 data lines registered using his original valid Passport from each mobile operator" (Egyptians get 10 voice and 5 data on a national ID). Bring the physical passport, not a photo or a photocopy — the rule says original. Note the rule as written also names a residency document, which a short-stay visitor will not have, so the counter rather than this page decides what they accept from you.

National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

e& Egypt (Etisalat) is the operator that actually publishes its tourist prices. Its page says "Package Applies Only For Tourists Visiting Egypt" and lists: Traveler 200 — EGP 200, 7 GB, 100 local minutes; Traveler 300 — EGP 300, 12 GB, 250 local minutes; Traveler 450 — EGP 450, 25 GB, 250 local minutes; Traveler 600 — EGP 600, 40 GB, 400 local minutes. Each also carries an international-calls allowance printed as 5, 10, 20 and 30, without the page saying whether those are minutes or calls. Traveler 200 and 300 are marked "Not Renewable"; 450 and 600 are "Renewable 3 Times Only". Renewal is on *620#.

e& Egypt (Etisalat Misr)checked 26 Jul 2026

If you end up on an ordinary local prepaid line rather than a tourist package, e& Egypt publishes its data ladder: 1.8 GB for EGP 46 and 2.5 GB for EGP 69, both one month; then 3.5 GB for EGP 92, 8 GB for EGP 150, 14 GB for EGP 225, 25 GB for EGP 375 and 45 GB for EGP 600, all three months; and 72 GB for EGP 900 over six months. Add-ons: an extra 500 MB is EGP 15 and an extra 1 GB is EGP 29, one month each. Useful as a reality check on what data costs locally before you agree to anything at a kiosk.

e& Egypt (Etisalat Misr)checked 26 Jul 2026

Vodafone Egypt does not publish a TourSIM price or data allowance on its tourist-line page in either English or Arabic — you only find out the bundle at the counter, so do not let anyone tell you the price on the page. What the page does publish is the out-of-bundle rate: "Local minute or SMS rate is EGP 0.19" and "Megabyte rate is EGP 0.19". That second one is the trap — once your bundle is spent you are billed by the megabyte, so check your balance and re-buy the bundle on *6060# rather than drifting out of it.

Vodafone Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

Orange Egypt is the operator that says in writing that tourists can have an eSIM: "All new and existing customers are eligible for eSIM, including tourists." Its published fees are EGP 350 for a new eSIM line, EGP 300 to change a physical SIM to eSIM, and EGP 300 eSIM to eSIM. You get it through the My Orange app or the nearest Orange shop, and it only works on a handset that supports eSIM. Read the small print though — the same page's FAQ answers the foreigner question with "foreigners with valid residence can get an eSIM through Orange shops", which is narrower than "including tourists", so bring your passport and expect the shop to decide.

Orange Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

Vodafone Egypt sells eSIM at "300 EGP for swapping your existing physical sim and 350 EGP for new lines". You buy it in any Vodafone store or through the eShop, and activate it by scanning a QR code that the page says "is valid for 5 days only" — so scan it while you still have some internet, not after you have handed back your old SIM. The page's stated condition is that "your number needs to be linked to your national ID and your phone must support eSIM"; it describes no passport route for a visitor, so ask in store before you count on it.

Vodafone Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

WE (Telecom Egypt) charges "330 EGP for new line" and "270 EGP for sim swap" for eSIM, and states that "eSIM is available to individual mobile customers in case of new lines or sim swap", activated by scanning a QR code you get by visiting the nearest WE branch. The self-service steps it lists are an Egyptian-resident flow — photos of a national ID front and back, and your maternal grandfather's name in Arabic — so as a visitor plan on doing this at a branch counter with your passport rather than in the app.

WE — Telecom Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

Vodafone Egypt says in writing where its tourist SIM is sold: "You can get your TourSIM from Vodafone airport store or from any Vodafone retail store across Egypt", and that "Tourist Line is eligible for tourists visiting Egypt only." So the airport counter is a genuine Vodafone outlet, not a middleman — but the same page still publishes no price and no data allowance for the TourSIM, so you only learn the bundle at the counter. Balance, re-buying the bundle and other self-service run on *6060#.

Vodafone Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

Vodafone Egypt publishes its ordinary prepaid data ladder: "Plus bundles are internet bundles that start from 37 EGP up to 600 EGP." The rungs as printed are Plus 37 for 1400 Mega, Plus 69 for 3000, Plus 98 for 4750, Plus 120 for 6000, Plus 180 for 10000, Plus 300 for 18000, Plus 450 for 29000 and Plus 600 for 45000 Megabytes — all renewing every 28 days for prepaid customers. Vodafone Plus Apps add-ons for YouTube, TikTok and PUBG are listed at 6.5 EGP monthly, with 450 MB, 1000 MB and 2000 MB variants shown at that price; the page does not say which applies to prepaid. Subscribe or manage on *00# or *2000#.

Vodafone Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

WE (Telecom Egypt) prices its Nitro Prime data ladder BEFORE tax — the page literally labels each rung "Price (without taxes)", e.g. "Price (without taxes): 675 EGP/ 3 Month" for 62,500 MBs over 90 days. That is the opposite of e& Egypt, which states its traveller prices are tax-inclusive, so a WE number and an e& number are not comparable as printed. The published rungs are 15 EGP for 781 MBs, 29 EGP for 1,718 MBs, 58 EGP for 4,062 MBs, 105 EGP for 7,812 MBs, 150 EGP for 12,500 MBs and 300 EGP for 29,375 MBs, all 28 days. Second trap: each rung carries a smaller figure conditional on another bundle — "If your Super Kix Bundle is not active, you'll get 625 MBs" on the 15 EGP rung — so a bare new line may get less data than the headline.

WE — Telecom Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

e& Egypt (Etisalat) publishes the one eSIM condition that ruins a plan made from home: "The eSIM profile can only be downloaded from within the Arab Republic of Egypt." You cannot install it before you fly. Its fees are "New Line: 350 EGP including VAT & SDF" and "Swap from Physical sim to eSIM: 300 EGP including VAT", the activation QR "is valid for 5 days from the date of purchase or replacement", and eligibility is stated only as "eSIM technology is available for all e& customers" — the page names no passport or tourist route, so the counter decides.

e& Egypt (Etisalat Misr)checked 27 Jul 2026

The regulator's rule ties a foreigner's SIM to their residency document, not to their trip: the line "will be disconnected after one month of the end of the residency period if the customer did not provide a new extended residency document". The same regulation requires a foreigner to present an original valid passport and residency document, and the agent to keep a coloured copy of both. For a long-stay expat this is the clock that quietly kills a number after a residency lapses; for a short-stay tourist it is the reason the counter, not the website, decides what it will accept from someone with no residency at all.

National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

eSIM in Egypt is a regulator-sanctioned service across the whole market, not one operator's experiment: the NTRA announced the launch "following the completion of all necessary technical tests by the four mobile operators to operate the service", and published its own eSIM usage guide for the Egyptian market. The authority states users can switch operators without changing a physical SIM, "get a new number and activate it directly on the eSIM", and move an existing number onto an eSIM. So if a shop tells you eSIM is not a thing here, that is the shop, not the country.

National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

Two lotus columns flanking a display case, drawn in gold on papyrus

Inside the museums, and when the ticket window shuts

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The royal mummies are at NMEC in Fustat, not at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. NMEC's Royal Mummies Gallery displays the mummies of 17 kings and 3 queens, and the museum says the closest metro station is Mar Gerges. Neither NMEC's site nor the Ministry's NMEC page prints a separate price for the gallery, so ask at the ticket window whether it is included in your admission.

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)checked 26 Jul 2026

Two NMEC rules worth knowing before you queue: bags, backpacks, luggage or parcels larger than 40 x 40 cm are not allowed inside and go in the cloakroom, and private photography or video inside the museum is only permitted after you pay the photography ticket fee — no flash, no tripods.

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)checked 26 Jul 2026

The Museum of Islamic Art at Bab al-Khalq is open 09:00–17:00 every day, but the ticket window closes at 16:00 — arriving at 16:30 means you do not get in. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 340 adult / 170 student; Egyptians EGP 20 / 10. During Ramadan it runs 09:00–15:00 with the window closing at 14:00.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Coptic Museum in Old Cairo is open 09:00–17:00 every day with the ticket window closing at 16:00. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 280 adult / 140 student; Egyptians EGP 20 / 10. During Ramadan it runs 09:00–15:00 with the window closing at 14:00.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Alexandria National Museum is open 09:00–17:00 every day with the ticket window closing at 16:00. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 220 adult / 110 student; Egyptians EGP 20 adult / 5 student. During Ramadan it runs 09:00–15:00 with the window closing at 14:00.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria charges foreigners EGP 400 adult / 200 student and Egyptians EGP 40 / 20, as printed on 27 Jul 2026. Its hours need care: the Ministry's day-by-day table shows 09:00–17:00 Sunday to Thursday and 09:00–20:00 on Friday and Saturday, but the museum's own 'Visit Hours' note on the same page names Sunday and Friday as the long evenings. The two disagree — if you are going in the evening, ring ahead. During Ramadan it runs 09:00–16:00 with the window closing at 15:00.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Nubia Museum in Aswan is open 09:00–17:00 every day with the ticket window closing at 16:00, and it reopens in the evening on Thursday and Friday from 18:00 to 21:00 with the window closing at 20:00. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 400 adult / 200 student; Egyptians EGP 30 / 10.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Mummification Museum in Luxor closes in the middle of the day. It opens 09:00–14:00 with the ticket window shutting at 13:00, then reopens 17:00–21:00 with the window shutting at 20:00. Turning up at 15:00 means a locked door. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 220 adult / 110 student; Egyptians EGP 20 adult / 5 student.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The Gayer-Anderson Museum (Bayt al-Kritliyya, beside the Ibn Tulun mosque in Cairo) is open 09:00–17:00 every day with the ticket window closing at 16:00. Tickets as printed on 27 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 100 adult / 50 student; Egyptians EGP 10 / 5 — the cheapest foreigner ticket on any Ministry page read for this entry.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

The photography rule the Ministry prints on its own museum pages, and it is not what most visitors assume: taking photos with a mobile phone is free of charge, but video recording inside the galleries — with a phone or a camera — requires a paid ticket. Flash is not allowed, tripods and monopods are not allowed except under a commercial permit, and any commercial filming needs permission from the authority plus a daily rate. So if a guard stops you, it is usually the video, not the photo.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)checked 27 Jul 2026

Photography at the Grand Egyptian Museum: personal photography and video with cameras and mobile devices is permitted throughout, except in designated areas inside the Tutankhamun Galleries. Flash photography is not permitted anywhere, and tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, drones, external lighting and live-streaming equipment are all prohibited. Photos and videos are for personal use only; commercial use needs prior written permission.

Grand Egyptian Museumchecked 27 Jul 2026

What time the gate opens, and when it shuts

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Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opening hours: the complex opens 08:30–19:00 on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 08:30–22:00 on Saturday and Wednesday; the galleries open 09:00–18:00 and 09:00–21:00 respectively. Last entry is one hour before the galleries close.

Grand Egyptian Museumchecked 26 Jul 2026

Giza Plateau (the pyramids and Sphinx site) is open 08:00–16:00, the same hours all seven days. The Ministry's page shows no seasonal split and prints no last-entry time.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir is open 09:00–17:00 every day, and 09:00–16:00 during Ramadan. Tickets as printed on 26 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 550 adult / 275 student, Egyptians EGP 30 / 10; audio tour EGP 75 for foreigners, EGP 30 for Egyptians.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

Karnak in Luxor is open 06:00–17:00 every day. Tickets as printed on 26 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 600 adult / 300 student for Karnak Temple including the Open Air Museum, and EGP 200 / 100 for the Temple of Mut; Egyptians EGP 40 / 20 and EGP 10 / 5.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

The Valley of the Kings is open 06:00–17:00 every day. Entry as printed on 26 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 750 adult / 375 student, Egyptians EGP 60 / 30. The Ministry page prints no list of which tombs the ticket covers, so check at the gate rather than assuming a specific tomb is included.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

Abu Simbel is open 06:00–17:00 every day. Tickets as printed on 26 Jul 2026: foreigners EGP 750 adult / 375 student, Egyptians EGP 30 / 10. On the two sun-alignment days, 22 February and 22 October, the price rises to EGP 1200 / 600 for foreigners and EGP 60 / 20 for Egyptians.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

Saqqara is open 08:00–16:00, the same hours all seven days. The Ministry's page prints no closing day and no last-entry time — get there in the morning, because the site is huge and the gate shuts at 16:00.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

Luxor Temple is open 06:00–20:00, the same hours all seven days, so it is the one big Luxor site you can still walk into after dark — and it is lit at night.

Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquitieschecked 26 Jul 2026

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat opens Saturday to Thursday 09:00–17:00, with the last ticket sold at 16:00. Friday it opens 09:00–17:00 (last ticket 16:00) and again in the evening 18:00–21:00 (last ticket 20:00). Note the Ministry's own NMEC page prints 09:00–17:00 for all seven days and shows no Friday evening session, so if you are going late on a Friday, treat the evening slot as the museum's word and check before you travel.

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC)checked 26 Jul 2026

Bibliotheca Alexandrina's Main Library opens 10:00–14:00 on Saturday and Sunday and 10:00–18:00 Monday to Thursday. The weekend is the short day, not the long one — a Saturday visitor has four hours. Friday appears in none of the schedules the library publishes.

Bibliotheca Alexandrinachecked 27 Jul 2026

A fan of banknotes beside a payment card, drawn in gold on papyrus

Cash, cards, and what you may carry across the border

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Cash at the Egyptian border: you can bring up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds into or out of Egypt — that cap applies in both directions, so do not plan on carrying a big pile of pounds home. There is no limit on how much foreign currency you can bring in, but you must declare foreign currency worth more than 10,000 US dollars on arrival.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 26 Jul 2026

Egypt runs on cash more than most visitors expect. Canada's travel advice says major credit cards are accepted in larger stores and for larger purchases, but that many merchants will only accept cash or may charge a fee for payment by credit card. It also says foreign currency is easily exchanged in hotels and banks, and that US dollars are preferred, particularly at tourist sites. Keep cash on you and treat card acceptance as a bonus.

Government of Canadachecked 26 Jul 2026

There is a published ceiling on how much cash an ATM in Egypt hands out in a day. The Central Bank of Egypt's press release of 21 August 2024 states that on 15 April 2024 the daily ATM cash limit was raised to EGP 30,000 instead of EGP 20,000, and the daily maximum for cash withdrawal in local currency was raised to EGP 250,000 from EGP 150,000. The same release says that for foreign-currency withdrawals the CBE left the limits to each bank's own policy, after its board's approval — so there is no single published figure for taking dollars or euros out in cash.

Central Bank of Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

Ordinary bank branches in Egypt work Sunday to Thursday and are shut Friday and Saturday — but branches inside malls, clubs and hotels are not. The Central Bank of Egypt's announcement of 8 July 2025 allowed selected branches to stay open until 5pm instead of 3pm on official working days, Sunday to Thursday, and set separate hours for the rest: a branch inside a mall works 11:00 to 20:00 every day of the week including Friday and Saturday; a branch inside a sports or social club works until 20:00 every day including Friday and Saturday; a branch inside a hotel works until 17:00 every day including Friday and Saturday, with currency exchange afterwards from 17:00 to 21:00 if the bank asks for it. A mall, club or hotel branch that has its own door onto the street works only until 17:00, and only on official working days, Sunday to Thursday.

Central Bank of Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

A torn, taped, stained or written-on Egyptian banknote is still worth its full face value, so you do not have to accept being told otherwise. The Central Bank of Egypt's banknote page classifies notes that are torn, dirty, pierced, worn or faded — including notes taped together with any kind of tape, notes with holes, notes blotted with ink or stains, and notes with writing or markings on them — and states they are considered currency with full nominal value that can be deposited in customers' accounts or exchanged for other ones valid for circulation. Notes in worse shape are a separate category: notes with the edges cut off, notes that have lost more than 25% of their normal size, or notes missing part of the serial number must be sent to the Central Bank through a bank, which determines what they are worth. The same page cites Article 59 of Central Bank Law No. 194 of 2020, which prohibits insulting, distorting, destroying or writing on cash.

Central Bank of Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

The small paper 25 piastre, 50 piastre and 1 pound notes you may be handed as change are genuine and still legal tender. In a press release dated 1 July 2026 the Central Bank of Egypt denied social media reports that it was printing new notes in those denominations, and said the paper notes of those denominations currently in circulation are from previous printings: they retain full legal tender status and will continue to circulate in the Egyptian market until the end of their lifespan and monetary cycle. The CBE added that any new issuance of the 25, 50 and 100 piastre denominations in recent years has been in the form of coins only.

Central Bank of Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

If a bank in Egypt takes money it should not have — an ATM that debits without paying out, a fee you did not agree to — the Central Bank of Egypt publishes the exact escalation path and the deadlines that go with it. You complain to the bank itself through its call centre, its website, any of its branches, or by fax or email. The bank must give you a complaint reference number immediately or within a maximum of two business days from the date you submit. The complaint shall be answered within a period not exceeding 15 business days from the date of its receipt, except for complaints related to transactions with third parties. If you are not satisfied, you object in writing within 15 business days and the bank gets a further 15 business days to reconsider; staying silent for those 15 days counts as accepting the answer. If no reply arrives in time, or the second reply is not accepted, you may escalate to the Central Bank of Egypt itself, at its headquarters or through its website.

Central Bank of Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

Egypt's mobile wallets — the phone apps locals pay and transfer with — are not a route a visitor can take. The Central Bank of Egypt's mobile wallet page sets out the registration process: you go to a branch of the bank, a telecom company or a bank agent, and fill in and sign the registration form for free using a valid National ID and a mobile phone number where the number and the applicant's data match. The page states that only one e-wallet account can be activated for each mobile number, and that there is a maximum of 3 e-wallets per National ID. It gives no passport route. The same page caps individual e-wallet transactions at 30,000 EGP per day and 100,000 EGP per month.

Central Bank of Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

You can get Egyptian pounds at Cairo airport before you reach passport control, which matters because the visa-on-arrival desk takes cash. The airport's own Banks/ATM directory lists bank currency exchange offices and ATMs in the arrival halls of Terminals 1, 2 and 3 both before the immigration gate (marked 'pre') and after it (marked 'post'). Exchange offices listed before immigration include National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, Bank of Alexandria, Banque du Caire, ADIB, Emirates NBD and Travel Choice Bank; ATMs listed in the arrival halls include HSBC, CIB, Banque Misr, National Bank of Egypt, Mashreq, United Bank and others. The airport publishes locations only — its separate Currency Exchange page carries no rates and tells passengers to check the Central Bank of Egypt page for the day's rate.

Cairo Airport Company (Cairo International Airport)checked 27 Jul 2026

Leaving Egypt, the cash rule is tighter than the rule for arriving, and it is the arrival declaration that unlocks it. Cairo Airport's own customs page states that arriving passengers face no restriction on the amount of foreign currency they carry, subject to disclosure of ten thousand dollars or the equivalent in other foreign currencies, and may carry local currency up to five thousand Egyptian pounds. For departing passengers it states the maximum allowed for foreign exchange is ten thousand US dollars or the equivalent of other foreign currencies, and allows non-Egyptians to carry the remaining amounts on condition that it was disclosed on arrival, with the same five thousand Egyptian pound allowance. In short: if you land with more than ten thousand dollars and want to leave with it, the declaration you made on the way in is what permits it.

Cairo Airport Company (Cairo International Airport)checked 27 Jul 2026

Buying the ticket before you go

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Buy Grand Egyptian Museum tickets from tickets.gem.eg and nowhere else online. The site states it is the only official website for purchasing GEM tickets and that the museum is not responsible for tickets purchased through other platforms — so a reseller's ticket is your risk, not the museum's.

Grand Egyptian Museumchecked 26 Jul 2026

You do not have to book GEM online: its own terms name three sales channels — the online platform, self-service machines, and on-site ticket counters. But the ticket binds you tightly once bought: it is valid only for the date and time specified, it permits single entry only with no re-entry once you leave, it is non-transferable and tied to the name on the booking, and it is non-refundable whichever channel you bought it from.

Grand Egyptian Museumchecked 26 Jul 2026

GEM waives the admission fee all week for children under six, visitors with disabilities, Egyptian tour guides accompanying a group, and ICOM members — a valid ID is required to prove eligibility, and a guided tour still costs the difference at the ticket office. Also useful: foreign spouses of Egyptians and their children may buy the Egyptian admission pass, with a marriage certificate or the child's birth certificate as proof.

Grand Egyptian Museumchecked 26 Jul 2026

Grand Egyptian Museum ticket prices go up on 1 November 2026: five dollars more for foreign visitors and EGP 20 more for Egyptians. The tourism ministry announced it in April 2026. If you visit before 1 November the current price still applies.

Ahram Onlinechecked 27 Jul 2026

The Egyptian adult ticket at the Grand Egyptian Museum is EGP 200 now and becomes EGP 220 from 1 November 2026. The Egyptian student and senior ticket goes from EGP 100 to EGP 120.

Egypt Independentchecked 27 Jul 2026

Until 31 December 2025 a September 2002 resolution required Arab tourists to be charged the same entry fees as Egyptian citizens. That resolution was revoked, so from 1 January 2026 there are two tiers only — Egyptians and foreigners — and Arab visitors pay the foreigner rate.

Egypt Independentchecked 27 Jul 2026

On the Luxor West Bank most sites do not sell tickets at their own gate. You buy them at the central Antiquities Inspectorate ticket office on the main road in from the ferry landing. Only the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and Deir el-Bahari (Hatshepsut) have their own windows — turning up at any other temple without a ticket means driving back.

Wikivoyagechecked 27 Jul 2026

The Valley of the Kings general ticket admits you to three tombs of your choice from the ones open that day. A fourth needs another general ticket. Tutankhamun, Seti I and the Ramesses V/VI tomb are sold separately on top of it — this is the thing the Ministry's own price page does not spell out.

Earth Trekkerschecked 27 Jul 2026

Someone telling you on the street that a site is closed — for prayer, a holiday, a private event, restoration — is an opening line, not information. It exists to redirect you to a shop, a guide or a ride. Ignore unsolicited news outside an attraction, walk to the official entrance, and read the posted hours yourself.

The Cure for Curiositychecked 27 Jul 2026

Men in smart clothes, sometimes with lanyards, will wave your car down or step in front of you on the approach to Giza and present themselves as officials. One rule survives every version of this: hand money or a ticket only to a person sitting behind a glass booth under an official Ministry sign.

Nile Empirechecked 27 Jul 2026

Bringing your own handset into the country

3
Egypt governs mobile phones brought in from abroad, and it can reach the handset in your pocket. The regulator states the exemption "will continue to apply to mobile phones of Egyptians living abroad and to tourists for a period of 90 days", and that "a 90-day grace period, effective the date mobile phone was activated" is given to regularise a device before any regulatory measures are taken. Registration of personal phones at customs offices has been cancelled; taxes and fees are paid through the "Telephony" app or through banks and e-wallets. A normal holiday is well inside 90 days, so this only bites if you stay longer or move in.

National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egyptchecked 26 Jul 2026

If the 90-day handset clock does catch you, the regulator has published how you actually pay. The NTRA's "Telefoni" app handles "registration and payment of mobile device (IMEI) fees", and the authority has added payment routes beyond the app itself: bank cards from all banks, direct payment at specific bank branches, "Khadamaty" network outlets, mobile wallets from the telecom operators, and the "Meeza" card. Nobody has to be met in person and no third party needs to be paid to do this for you.

National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

There is a free number to escalate above your operator, and the operators themselves print it: "in case you are unable to solve any problem you have encountered with your service provider, kindly dial 155 to call the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) customer service call center and submit your complaint." 155 covers mobile, internet and fixed line. It is the mechanism for a billing dispute or a line you were charged for and never got — not a substitute for the shop, but the step after it.

WE — Telecom Egyptchecked 27 Jul 2026

Who to call when something goes wrong — and where the official lists disagree

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Official advisories do not agree on Egypt's emergency numbers. Canada's Egypt travel advice lists police 112, medical assistance 113, firefighters 110 — a different set from the UK's 122/123/180/126, and neither page mentions the other's numbers. Practical answer: try the number you have, and if it does not connect try the other set; ask your hotel or any officer on the spot.

Government of Canadachecked 26 Jul 2026

Buying in the bazaar, and telling real from fake

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Two tests you can run in the shop separate real papyrus from painted banana leaf or rice paper. Bend it: real papyrus bends without cracking or holding a crease. Hold it to the light: real papyrus shows a crosshatch of strips laid at right angles. Fakes crack along the fold and show no fibre at all.

Pyramids Landchecked 27 Jul 2026

In Khan el-Khalili the asking price is an opening move, not a price. Recent shopping guides put your first counter-offer at 30–40% of what was asked, and name the polite walk-away — thanking the seller and moving toward the next stall — as the thing that actually moves the number.

Sola Travelchecked 27 Jul 2026

What the border asks about your health

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There is one vaccination Egypt can actually stop you at the border for. UK travel advice states that to enter Egypt you must have a certificate to prove you have had a yellow fever vaccination if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk. It is about where you have been, not who you are — so a stopover in a listed country can trigger it. If your route touches one, carry the paper certificate.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)checked 27 Jul 2026

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