Top 20 Things to Know Before Visiting Egypt (Updated)

Things to Know Before Visiting Egypt: Egypt is an Arab Muslim country and so Egyptians tend to be very conservative with their living style and habits. You have to respect their tradition and culture and therefore you must remember these following dos and dont’s to have a hassle-free trip to the amazing country of Egypt.

Here is a list of things that you should know before visiting Egypt.

Important:   Do not take any Egyptian girl with you to hotel. It is prohibited and strict actions will be taken against the same.

DON’Ts:

• Wear short or sleeveless shirt or t-shirts. Avoid wearing tank tops, short skirts on the streets and in markets. You can wear your swimsuits and bikinis in hotel pools and on the cruise.
• Touch during a conversation. It is considered inappropriate to touch someone of the opposite sex while talking to them.
• Hug or kiss in public places.
• Drink or offer alcohol to any local. (It is not socially acceptable and is forbidden in Islam)
• Smoke or Walk around alone in the streets. (woman)
• Talk to people approaching you in the market places or streets for sightseeing tours, city tours etc. Always book your tours from authorized tour operators and travel agents.
• Wait for knife and fork. Egyptians prefer eating food with their hands.
• Also, don’t get offended if the Egyptian host turns on TV. It is their way of welcoming you. TV is a sign of wealth.
• Take a taxi without asking price from the local.
• Take pictures of locals without taking permission. They may get offended.

DOs:

• Learn few Arabic words. For example, “Say-eeda” meaning “Hi” or “Shok-ran” meaning “thankyou”.
• Handshake in some situations (if closely related). The most common greeting is to slightly bow and say “salaam aleikum”. Or if someone says this, reply with “waaleikum ussalam”.
• Take off your shoes before entering a Muslim house unless you are told not to. This is important as they pray inside their house, so it is considered sacred.
• Drink at least a lot of water. Egypt is rather hot and dry country, so you need to keep yourself hydrated.
• Wear Sun screen and sun glasses.
• Have a guide map with you even if you have a tour guide. This ensures that you can reach any place if u gets lost.
• Leave tips in restaurants, cafes, clothing stores etc. almost everywhere!
• Ask directions from at least 3-4 people (to ensure that you have the right information).
• Take a taxi rather than public transport. (especially woman)
• Have Egyptian money with you. Hotels, restaurants and other big shops may accept credit cards but smaller shops depend only on the local currency.

Get Detailed Information on Egypt – Read Here: Egypt Ultimate Travel Guide

Travel Tip: Things to know before visiting Egypt:

DO NOT point the toe or heel or any part of foot at any person. This is considered RUDE!!!!

“I am that person who dropped her B.Tech (really!) and chose to travel, specifically travel blogging. I’m Manmeet Kaur, a crazy, fun loving and adventurous person from Delhi. I knew I had an interest in writing since I was in school. I didn’t want to be an engineer, doctor or I would say a teacher. My plans were different. I wanted to travel which I guess no one,  specially girl had chosen to do in my family for a living. And like other human beings on this planet I have big dreams too. But my ultimate dream is to travel the world and share my experiences through writing and blogging.” 🙂