Dear Friends


Thank you for joining our tour & giving us the opportunity to serve you to help you make the best of your holidays, permit us to give you a few suggestions & general hints.

 

Entry Requirements


Any Egyptian consulate around the world can supply you with a tourist visa. The price of a Visa depends on the holder's country of origin. Details and requirements regarding different nationalities can be found at Egyptian consulates. Multiple entry visas allow up to three visits to Egypt. 
When arriving from certain countries, visas fees can be paid on arrival at the airport.  All visitors entering Egypt are required to register with police authorities within a week of arrival. Hotels and tour operators often take care of this, though it is advised to double-check as there is a fine for not registering.

 

Passports


Your passport must have a minimum of 2 months' validity beyond your departure date in order for you to enter Egypt. Everyone older than 16 is required to have his own passport.

It is important that you register with the Passport department within one week of your arrival in Cairo. Your hotel will normally register your passport and return it within 24 hours.

What to take along?


  • Keep a copy of your passport, travel visa, airline tickets and travel documents, besides the originals. Also keep the copies separate from the originals.
  1. Remember to keep an 'in case of emergency card' that should contain your blood type, allergies and special medical conditions, along with the names and numbers of your doctors.
  2. Do not forget to keep an extra pair of eyeglasses and a list of your medicines in your carry-on luggage.

What to leave behind?


  • A copy of your passport, travel visas, airline tickets and a list of any charge or credit cards.
  • A copy of the itinerary of your trip and important phone numbers.
  • A copy of your Travellers' Cheques' serial numbers and other such details.

Currency

The currency in Egypt is the Egyptian pound (EGP). The Egyptian Pound is divided into 100 piastres. Coins, which are not used often, are available in 5, 10, 20 , 50 piasters and 1 pound, while banknotes come in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pounds.

Currency Exchange

Travellers can exchange money on arrival at Cairo International Airport, where there is a bank, several ATMs. All large towns in Egypt provide bank branches, most with currency exchange services. ATMs are plentiful, especially in the capital of Cairo, and accept a variety of credit cards. Most shopping areas and business districts also provide cash

                                                    machines. Credit cards are accepted in most large establishments.

                                                    Banking Hours

                                                    Banks are open from 8am-2pm from Sundays to Thursdays.

Language


Egypt’s official language is Arabic, but foreign languages, such as English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish are also widely spoken, especially in educated circles.

Climate


The best season is from September through June, when the temperature in Cairo is comfortable in the daytime, and cool or even cold at night. Weather in Upper Egypt, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel is comfortably warm. During the summer months Cairo is hot and dry, Upper Egypt is extremely hot, and sightseeing should be done early mornings.

What to Wear

Winter months: Bring sweaters and a light coat for cool evenings. Women should bring slacks or walking (long) shorts for sightseeing, long sleeved dress, Men should bring a jacket for nightclub visits. Pack a bathing suit if visiting Aswan and Luxor or if taking a Nile Cruise. Summer months: Lightweight clothing, a sweater for cool Cairo evenings. AT ALL TIMES: Modesty in clothing should be observed, wear bathing suits and shorts at the beach or swimming

pools only. A good rule is to cover your back and shoulders outside of the hotel area. Women should cover their arms when visiting mosques. Bring comfortable walking shoes for sightseeing and walking on desert sand. Sunglasses, as well as sun visors, hats and scarves are recommended as protection against the strong sun. On a Nile cruise dress

                                                     is strictly informal.

Useful things to bring 

1- Comfortable walking shoes ( open toes sandals not recommended )
2- A camera with plenty of spare batteries and memory. Please note that currently no photography is allowed inside any tomb or museum . Your guide will keep you informed at each site as this is rather randomly enforced .
3- A wide - brimmed hat and sunglasses.
4- A good pullover ( the evening can be chilly ).
5- Sun-cream, sun block and lip salve.
6- A set of binoculars, if you have them, and a torch.
7- A small rucksack or equivalent for carrying water.
8- A notebook and pen are very useful to remind you of sightseeing name, etc. when you come to look at your pictures.

9- A flashlight will come in handy for the dim light of the tombs and museums.

10- A happy smile and open mind.

Telephone


The country code for Egypt is +202. Internet providers, as well as internet cafés, can be found in the capital of Cairo and in Egypt's larger towns and cities. Large hotels and establishments often provide high-speed internet access. Coffee shops, restaurants, hotel lobbies and other various locations offer free wireless internet access. It is common for visitors to enter a coffee shop with their laptop and browse online for free.

Medical matters
Most problems with health in Egypt are caused by simple things and are generally nothing to do with bad food. The following advice holds :
1- Always  wear a hat when on excursions the sun is very strong and the breeze can lull you into a false sense of security.
2- When coming in from an excursion do not consume ice cold drinks for at least twisty minutes as this will give your body time to re-adjust to the air conditioned temperatures. Take a luk-warm drink, room temperature water or perhaps a soft drink with no ice. Your stomach may strenuously object to rapid changes of temperature .
3- Drink lots of bottled water. Be sure to take plenty on long excursions .
4- After being out and about, remember to wash your hands before eating. We strongly recommend the frequent use of antiseptic gels to keep hands clean.
5- If it does all go horribly wrong contact either your guide or the hotel receptionist for medical attention. For minor discomfort the local pharmacies will be able to help . 
The saying ( local drugs for local bugs ) holds well in Egypt .

Shopping

Cairo is a shopping adventure. Buy brass, copper, and inlaid wooden articles, silver

and gold jewelry, leather shoes, bags and belts, cotton goods and perfumes, have a gold

cartouche made with your name written in hieroglyphics. Be sure that the letters are soldered

and not glued on. Have a kaftan of pure Egyptian cotton tailor made in two days. Shop at the

Khan El Khalili Bazaar for a better variety of interesting and artistic goods. You should be able to

bargain prices that were originally quoted to you.

Credit Cards

American Express, Master Card, and Visa are accepted in major hotels and

shops,however, most of the Nile Cruises will not accept Credit Cards, SO please make sure to

have Egyptian Pounds from any ATM machine the nigh before you check out of the Nile Cruise.

Tax and Tipping

We carries out a great deal of background tipping on behalf of its clients throughout all tours. This includes luggages handlers, restaurant staff and cleaning staff, as well as the myriad others who work hard behind the scenes. However it is customary in Egypt to give a personal gratuity whenever and wherever possible. All Egyptians who can afford to tip do so constantly !
For your driver, a tip of up to LE 15 per person per day would be about right. You can give this to the driver when he finishes his a allocated days - Your guide will let you know when that is - rather than every day. It's always nice to leave LE 30 / 40 in the hotel room when you leave as a thank you to the room cleaners .
It is usual to give your guide a tip personally . This might be around 40 LE for a day per person at the end of the tour. 
( Of course all the tipping is at your discretion ), these are only indications of what previous tourists have done.
The best way to see many of the sites in the Middle East is to be there in the first part if the day. This avoids hoards of less committed tourists, as well as the heat, and also provides the best light of the day for photography. This can mean some rather early starts but don't be alarmed - you will see the benefits

!!! Hope all the above suggestions & general hints help you to make your tour a very remarkable one!

Have a Wonderful Time 

Egypt Unlimited Tours Team