Top 20 Egypt Travel Tips - Know Before You Go!

hey everyone heading to Egypt soon here are the top 20 travel tips I think you should know before you go ready let's get started tip number one size Egypt is Big it's about twice the size of France 640 miles from north to south and 775 miles east to west at its longest and widest points don't think you can see the pyramids in the morning and the Valley of the Kings in the afternoon you may need to book some domestic flights or an overnight train to get to see everything so plan accordingly tip number two the Mediterranean Coast don't sleep on Alexandria most tourists explore along the Nile or head for some sun and relaxation along the Red Sea but if you're a fan of the Greco-Roman period think from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra then Alexandria is the place to go if you're a diver you can even go visit the ruins of the ancient Lighthouse under the Mediterranean very cool tip number three the weather we tend to think of Egypt as boiling hot and while that can definitely be the case it's not always true I visited in December and I wore a long sleeve shirt and jacket walking through Cairo at night and I was still pretty cold if you're visiting in the winter check the forecast beforehand and bring enough to keep warm layers are always a good choice to stay comfortable throughout the temperature swings from day to night tip number four alcohol Egypt is filled with Western tourists and while there is a very established tourist infrastructure and we are catered to you have to keep in mind that it is a Muslim country don't expect to find alcohol easily everywhere you go or get frustrated when you can't always get a glass of wine with dinner be mindful of local life and set your expectations accordingly tip number five wardrobe this one is for the ladies anywhere I travel I always dress toward what is considered respectful in that country's culture now you can wear whatever you'd like in Egypt and be totally fine but I find that it's nicer to dress in a way that doesn't attract unwanted attention or stairs from both men and women I brought lots of loose flowy shirts skirts and dresses on the trip I love long skirts and dresses anyway and I don't get to wear them enough in everyday life so I completely Embrace this style on the trip tip number six SIM cards if you want to stay connected on your trip buying a prepaid local SIM card is actually the best way to go you can grab one as soon as you land at the Cairo airports you'll have the most affordable rates and best mobile internet connection throughout the country the registration process at the airport kiosk takes a couple of minutes to get activated right away and then you're set tip number seven the general Vibe Egyptian cities especially Cairo can feel a bit more chaotic on the surface than what you may be used to coming from a Western Country be prepared to experience a difference in the overall energy and flow of street life a part of traveling is experiencing places and things that are different from what you know so embrace it tip number eight crossing the street building on tip 7 embrace the chaos but also have a plan to tackle it pyro traffic is notorious I've never seen anything quite like it crossing the streets in Cairo can seem daunting on day one the trick is you have to ignore the big picture and go Lane by Lane otherwise you will die of old age we're waiting for the traffic to evade just take one lane of cars at a time and broader yourself across by the end of the trip you'll be crossing without batting an eyelash and when in doubt find a local who was crossing as well and just stick with that they'll know how to get across in one piece tip number nine cash this tip applies to a lot of places the easiest way to get cash is to do just with the locals do go to an ATM I personally never use currency exchanges I just find the nearest local bank probably best to avoid any non-bank ATMs but honestly that's what I do with the states too and use a US card to withdraw the world is a very connected place so it's easy to withdraw cash and get good exchange rates this way there are many cards out there that will also refund you any foreign ATM fees which is an even bigger cost savings tip number 10 bakshish another money tip here keep plenty of small bills on hand for bakshish or tipping tipping in Egypt is a tradition and you are expected to provide one as a token of appreciation for whatever service you have received from a guide a driver a waiter really anyone who has offered you their service keep in mind service can also include things you might not consider for example if you go to a mosque and leave your shoes with someone at the front even though leaving the shoes is required to enter you are still expected to leave a tip if a guard at a historical site offers to let you around a barrier for a special closer look he's not doing that because he finds you particularly likable you are expected to give bakshish on the flip side sometimes people will ask for bakshish even if they really haven't done anything at all for you so don't be afraid to say no to people trying to press their luck but do always leave a tip for someone who has done something for you even if they kind of manipulated you into accepting their service it's still proper to tip tip number 11 guides this ties into the idea of bakshish every tourist that you go to will have guards or guides who are more than willing to show you around they're very slick at roping you in and many of them do you have genuinely good and helpful knowledge to share that can enhance your visit keep in mind though that this is never free many will tell you at the start that their services are free and they just want to guide you around nothing is free you will always be expected to tip them at the end so if you want the guide then go for it many times it can be worth it just build these sorts of things into your budget and cash plan for the day if you don't want the guide though be polite but firm sometimes they will follow you in and just start talking or reassuring you that their services are free politely Decline and keep going and they'll eventually try their luck with the next tourist I did actually meet a guide on the street one day in Cairo who very smoothly convinced me that the mosque I was looking for was closed he then led me to another one where I was handed over to a ticket collector who definitely overcharged me the guide then gave me a tour of the mosque before I grabbed an Uber to head back to my hotel the guide Services were quote unquote free until I requested my Uber to leave and then his tune changed I knew that was coming and I gave him his tip all in all I knew pretty early on that I was walking straight into one of those slick guide situations I'd read about while planning my trip did I ever breath the whole decision to go with it anyway no not really the Moss was lovely I never would have found it on my own and the whole experience only cost me around 10 US dollars tip number 12 cameras if you're a photographer who likes to shoot on a nice DSLR type camera then be aware that many sites do charge extra for this not all but many if you've watched my other videos on Egypt you may have noticed that a lot of my inside footage of tombs is kind of low quality and not framed all that well since it was all sneaky iPhone 8 video that's because cameras often weren't allowed without paying extra and the fees to bring one in were usually quite High I remember some being up to 10 US Dollars and that's on top of your entry ticket and if you want to take in a tripod that's an additional cost and most sites with these fees do have multiple guards who actively search for people taking photos without a camera pass if you're spending a couple of weeks traveling around these extra charges can really add up so if you're serious about photography or videography and want to shoot stress-free out in the open definitely build these costs into your budget tip number 13 photos of you be prepared especially if you look very different than the Egyptian people do for people to want to take photos with you especially kids I had one little girl ask for a selfie with me at the Citadel and 10 minutes later I think I had taken a selfie with an entire School Bus full of children it can seem a little strange at first but I guess it's a small taste of what being a celebrity might feel like I usually said yes to kids and women grown men I was a little more wary of but it's your call who you want to take a photo with or if you want to do it at all stay within your comfort zone and don't be afraid to politely say no or walk away if you aren't feeling uncomfortable with the attention the kids can always find another tourist to pose with tip number 14 stores and shopkeepers this is related to my earlier tip on guides actually Egyptian shopkeepers are great at what they do even the tourists with the most anti-shopping intentions can find themselves pulled into a shop and being shown plastic trinkets without knowing what happened the shopkeepers are not bad intentioned and they're just trying to make a living and do their thing but unless you're genuinely out to shop politely decline conversation with them as you're walking around you can even just ignore it if you have to it might seem rude on the surface but sometimes it's the only way to get to where you're going they'll ask you where you're from they'll ask you your name they'll ask you how you like Egypt and they're good one response from you and then before you know it you're having a conversation like he's your long-lost best friend and saying no to browsing his merchandise feels like a slap in the face so unless you want to shop avoid conversation with the shopkeepers tip number 15 hired drivers hiring a driver for the day can be a great way to build your own day tribe I hired one to take me around the necropolis of Sakara and ashore outside Cairo and it was such a memorable day just make clear to the driver before you start your day unless you genuinely are interested in the driver's shopping suggestions that you want no unplanned shopping stops be firm and clear on that point they'll often suggest a tea break or something and before you know it you're being served tea in a shop and are being shown carpets to purchase drivers will often have their go-to store where they will get a piece of the profit if you do end up buying set carpet be firm on this before you start so you don't waste any precious sightseeing time saying no to shopkeepers at Shops you didn't want to be at in the first place tip number 16 haggling pretty much everyone in Egypt expects you to haggle unless you're in a big chain store don't be afraid to negotiate it's the way things are done here and it can be a fun part of your experience best to have your top price in mind before you start the conversation and always keep things friendly and polite to help your cause don't be afraid to walk away if you feel pressured to make a decision and don't ever worry about underpaying a vendor will never sell you anything unless they're making at least a small profit tip number 17 the Cairo Metro did you know Cairo has an urban train system I grew up taking public transportation and whenever I travel I love exploring my new cities trains and buses when I was researching my trip I could hardly find any information at all in any guidebooks about cairo's Metro System but I'm here to tell you yes there is one and yes feel free to take it it's no New York City Subway or London Tube it doesn't go everywhere you'd want to get to as Cairo is such a massive urban sprawl but if your travel endpoints can be connected by train then go for it it's cheap you'll avoid the city's notorious traffic and you'll get to have a genuine local experience that 99 of tourists miss out on everyone's still with me okay we're almost there just a few more tip number 18 food Egypt is famous for its pyramids not so much for its cuisine but that doesn't mean you should sleep on the food here I had some lovely meals while I was traveling around the country but my favorite was probably kosheri it's Egypt's national dish so don't forget to give it a try tip number 19 pharmacies all right I'm just gonna be honest here we're jumping from the food tip to the flip side of that the big travel d word diarrhea traveler's diarrhea is super common and while some people have digestive tracts made of steel I certainly don't it's common for people to want to bring medicines from home to have on hand for women's strikes and I get it I usually do that too it's more comfortable to bring medicines we're familiar with but don't rule out grabbing some medication at the local pharmacy and this applies to mostly anywhere you are in the world the stuff you get in country can often work really well I got some amazing medication at a local pharmacy in Luxor and without going into too much detail it kind of made all the difference for me I was able to quickly revert from thinking about toilets to thinking about ancient tubes tip number 20. okay this one is actually a three-parter so bear with me something about top 22 travel tips just didn't sound quite as nice okay tip 20a you're going to be touring a ton of ancient sites do a little reading or research beforehand on the history so it doesn't start to feel like just an endless barrage of ruins find out who lived in those ruins what did they do what were their struggles their strengths their flaws maybe pick a period of ancient Egyptian history remember it spans over 3 000 years and sink into that period or maybe pick a pharaoh and learn all about him or her yes guides will explain the basics to you at all the sites but really knowing what you're looking at allows you to connect more dots it gives you that contacts that will turn that Temple or tomb or pile of ruins into the places that hosted the lives or deaths of real human beings people who lived and laughed and loved and schemed and struggled just like we do having some of that contacts before you get off your bus or out of your taxi in the morning is what will really bring that history to life all right enough sentiment moving on to tip 20b learn a bit of Arabic even just a couple phrases like hello and thank you is such a nice gesture to people and I don't know I think playing around in different languages is just super fun give it a try and finally tip number 20c the final tip treasure no I don't mean what the Pharaohs had buried with them treasure every moment for many of us out there this is the trip of a lifetime and not everything will go according to plan many things in fact will likely go sideways you'll get hot you'll get tired you'll get cranky your feet will hurt and you might start even giving death glares to all those people who try to sell you things or take you on those quote unquote free guided tours try to treasure every moment as much as you can Egypt is ethereal you'll be taking steps back in time to an Era long gone where magic was a fundamental part of human life Embrace that magic amongst all the chaos treasure every moment I hope you all found at least some of these tips useful thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe to join me for Future travel Adventures see you next time

Channel: DarAdventures

Views: 25,583

Keywords: top egypt travel tips, egypt travel, egypt travel guide, egypt travel tips, egypt travel experience, egypt travel scams, egypt travel guide 2022, travel, travel tips, travel tips egypt, travel guide egypt, egyptian travel guide, tips for egypt travel, tips for egypt, tips for egypt trip, tips for visiting egypt, packing tips for egypt

Id: HJTpftMxzt0

Length: 15min 15sec (915 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 07 2023