Cairo: 7 Things Travelers Need To Know Before Visiting
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Cairo and the area surrounding it are on many bucket lists due to its wealthy tradition, monumental websites, and historic historical past.
Whereas town itself is hectic, scorching, and an assault on the senses, there are unbelievable issues to find round each nook.
The meals, spiritual websites, and historic streets draw a relentless stream of holiday makers from world wide.
However earlier than setting off to Cairo, there are some things you want to remember. On this put up, we’ll cowl all the pieces that you must learn about touring to Cairo, together with:
- What are the prices for vacationers?
- Issues to learn about tradition and etiquette
- What are the highest points of interest?
- How secure is it?
- Native meals and drinks
- How good is the WiFi?
- How lengthy are you able to keep?
Prepared? Listed below are the highest 7 issues that you must know earlier than visiting Cairo:
Do you know… Later this yr the Grand Egyptian Museum is because of open and when it does it’s anticipated to be one of many largest museums on the earth.
At over 5 million sq. toes, the museum will home an estimated 100,000 artifacts together with a lot of King Tutankhamun’s treasures.
If you’re touring to Egypt quickly, the museum is reportedly providing restricted excursions of the brand new area earlier than the official opening.
1) Cairo Affordability
The foreign money in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound or EGP. The present alternate price is £10 EGP = $0.32 USD or $10 USD = £309 EGP.
Listed below are the typical prices for vacationers in USD:
Lodging
- Common lodge value: One evening at a 3-star lodge usually prices round $65/evening, whereas a room at a 4-star lodge averages $120.
- Luxurious 5-star motels: Luxurious 5-star motels common $250 an evening, though there are costlier choices. For instance, St. Regis Cairo has fundamental rooms beginning at $450 per evening, or you possibly can dwell like a Queen within the Royal Suite for a cool $19,400 per evening.
- When you’re on a finances: Cairo has loads of reasonably priced hostels to select from. A mattress at a well-rated hostel in a superb space will value between $5- $8 per evening in a shared dorm or $15 – $20 for a non-public ensuite room.
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Meals
Guests to Cairo will discover unbelievable meals at actually reasonably priced costs.
- A 3-course meal at a mid-range restaurant for 2 prices lower than $20.
- For a low cost meal at a cheap restaurant, count on to pay round $3.50
- A beer prices between $1 – $2, whereas a cappuccino is often lower than $2.
Transportation
- Getting round Cairo is best and most cost-effective on public transportation. The town has a clear and environment friendly underground metro system and an intensive bus community. The value of metro tickets relies on the gap traveled however ranges between $0.16 – $0.32 per journey.
- There are many Taxis in Cairo, and they’re essentially the most handy option to get wherever the Metro doesn’t journey to. There are two sorts of taxis to select from – black and white taxis are older and unmetered (and infrequently don’t have any air-con). Yellow or white taxis are metered and fares begin at $0.33 and price an extra $0.20 per mile traveled.
- Uber is accessible in Cairo and charges are corresponding to Taxis, and include the additional advantage of not needing to barter with the motive force.
- Many vacationers who don’t thoughts spending further on transportation select to get round by tour bus. A number of firms supply transport from motels on to the highest points of interest and embody the value of admission. Packages usually value round $100 per particular person.
- Vacationers seeking to discover the Nile can take pleasure in a trip on a small wood sailboat known as a felucca. The fee is usually round $5 per hour.
2) Tradition And Etiquette In Cairo
Test this listing earlier than your journey! Listed below are among the main Dos and Don’ts in Cairo.
- DO costume appropriately: Girls particularly ought to costume modestly and carry a shawl to cowl shoulders and knees if wanted. Males ought to keep away from sporting tank tops.
- DON’T smooch in public: any PDA above holding arms is frowned upon, so save the general public smooching for one more metropolis.
- DO carry money: Many companies in Cairo nonetheless function totally on money, so keep away from having to stroll away from a desired memento or plate of avenue meals empty-handed and carry some money and cash.
- DON’T neglect to tip: One other nice cause to hold money is for suggestions. Tipping is commonplace in Cairo so plan to tip a small quantity for any providers.
- DO plan to haggle: Negotiating the value is predicted in markets, memento outlets, and in taxis.
- DON’T go to mosques throughout prayer occasions: Muslims usually pray 5 occasions a day and the particular occasions are posted exterior every mosque
3) Prime Points of interest in Cairo
Cairo has a great deal of attention-grabbing historic and cultural websites to discover. Listed below are a number of of the top things to see and do while exploring Cairo:
- The Pyramids of Giza – No journey to Cairo is full with out a go to to the Pyramids of Giza, a mighty sight that has remained largely intact for 4,500 years and remains to be thought to be one of many 7 (authentic) wonders of the world.
- Museum of Egyptian Antiquities – Guests can discover a plethora of historic artwork and artifacts on the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Nonetheless, some latest guests have famous that among the shows have already been eliminated to be ready for the Grand Egyptian Museum.
- Coptic Cairo – The oldest neighborhood within the metropolis is a maze of alleyways, historic spiritual buildings, historic websites, and loads of scrumptious avenue meals.
4) How Protected Is It For Vacationers?
Cairo is a usually secure place for vacationers, and plenty of vacationer areas profit from extra safety safety. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless some issues that vacationers ought to consider to remain secure throughout their go to:
- Watch out for pickpockets: Be particularly vigilant in vacationer websites and in crowds, as pickpocketing and bag snatching is the commonest crime towards vacationers in Cairo.
- Be careful for scammers: Scammers are plentiful in Cairo, particularly in vacationer areas. E book excursions forward of time to keep away from having to evaluate whether or not a proposal of a tour is professional or not. When you plan on buying gold, do analysis on the present value in order that you don’t get taken benefit of.
- Regulate journey warnings: Terrorism and civil unrest are unusual in Egypt, so test for government travel warnings earlier than you go. Keep away from becoming a member of any protests or demonstrations as they’ve grow to be violent prior to now.
- Know what to do in an emergency: Earthquakes and tremors are frequent in Cairo, so know the right security protocols and have an emergency plan. Dial 112 for emergency providers.
- Girls remember: Sexual harassment is frequent all through Cairo, so be ready to keep at bay any undesirable consideration. The metro has women-only automobiles, and it is strongly recommended to make use of them, particularly in case you are touring alone.
- DO get journey insurance coverage: Travel insurance will help in well being emergencies in addition to with protecting the prices of any journey mishaps throughout your Cairo journey. For five nice choices, read more here.
5) Native Eats And Drinks
Top-of-the-line components of journey is testing the native delicacies, and Cairo is a implausible place to strive new meals. Conventional Egyptian meals dates again to historic occasions and is a must-try. Vegans and vegetarians can have loads of choices all through town. Don’t let your self go away with out attempting at the very least one of many following:
Meals
- Ful medames – One among Egypt’s nationwide dishes is that this creamy fava bean stew flavored with olive oil, spices, and lemon.
- Aish Baladi – Egyptian flatbread just like pita, comprised of entire wheat flour and baked recent all day. The bread is usually used to scoop up different elements of a meal.
- Koshari – a preferred avenue meals consisting of lentils, rice, chickpeas, and macaroni that’s topped with tomato sauce and fried onions
- Molokhia – a comforting soup manufactured from jute leaves cooked in rooster broth
- Falafel – deep-fried balls of floor fava beans seasoned with recent herbs
Drinks
- Karkadeh – a candy hibiscus tea served scorching or chilly
- Sahlab – a comforting beverage comprised of the bottom bulb of an orchid and combined with rosewater, milk, and sugar and topped with pistachios and cinnamon
- Qamar Al-Din – slices of dried apricots are used to make this tea which is served chilly and sweetened, standard throughout Ramadan
6) How’s the WiFi?
Utilizing Ookla, an web pace testing service, the typical web speeds in Cairo for March 2023 had been 21.71mbps obtain and 6.55mbps add.
7) How Lengthy Can I Keep?
U.S. Residents want a visa to go to Egypt, and it may be obtained upon arrival on the airport for $25. Visas are good for 30 days and are renewable. It is usually doable to use for an e-visa by means of the Egyptian Government’s website – no different web site is allowed to promote e-visas, and there are a number of rip-off web sites arrange. Upon entry, passports will need to have six months of validity and at the very least one clean web page.
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