Money
The Egyptian pound (EGP), which has been devalued repeatedly and sharply, most severely in March 2024. Any price quoted in pounds more than a few months ago is unreliable — including anything on this site.
Egypt runs on cash. Cards work in hotels, malls and better restaurants and almost nowhere else. Withdraw from bank ATMs, keep a supply of small notes for tips, and decline any machine offering to charge you in your home currency.
Tipping
Constant and small. See hassle and baksheesh, which is the most useful thing on this site for a first-time visitor.
Water and health
Do not drink the tap water. Bottled is cheap and everywhere; check the seal. Be cautious with ice, unpeeled fruit, raw salad and juice left standing.
Hot, freshly cooked food from a busy place is safe whatever it looks like.
Take rehydration salts. Most visitors have a mild upset for a day.
No vaccinations are required for entry from most countries, but hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended — check with a travel clinic well before flying.
Safety
Cairo is a safe city for visitors. Violent crime against foreigners is very rare and the tourist sites are heavily policed.
The genuine issues are traffic — which is the real danger, both as a pedestrian and in a car — heat, and hassle, which is tiring rather than threatening.
Women should expect a level of street harassment higher than in most European cities. The women-only metro carriages, conservative dress and firm non-engagement all help. See the hassle article.
Check your government’s current travel advice, particularly regarding North Sinai, which is a separate matter from Cairo and the Nile valley.
Photography
Do not photograph military installations, police, checkpoints, bridges under guard, or government buildings. This is taken seriously and cameras have been confiscated.
Ask before photographing people. Many museums charge for a photography permit.
Dress
Egypt is conservative. Shoulders and knees covered for everyone in public is the sensible default, and it is required in mosques and churches — with a headscarf for women in mosques, which is usually provided.
Loose long cotton is also the practical choice for the heat.
Alcohol
Legal and restricted to licensed premises and shops. Discreet. Not served during Ramadan daylight, and some venues close for the month.
Emergency numbers
122 police, 123 ambulance, 180 tourist police.
Odds and ends
The weekend is Friday and Saturday.
Friday midday prayers close many shops for a couple of hours and mosques to visitors.
Plugs are European two-pin, 220V.
Egyptian time-keeping is relaxed. Inshallah attached to an arrangement covers a wide range of likelihoods.