THanks. I'm glad you found it useful. If you mean the best way of getting to Luxor from Cairo, it's by air. The flight is cheap and short. If you mean from the Red Sea, by private car and driver. It's about 4 hours from Hurghada. If coming from Sharm, by air and you'll have to connect in Cairo.
Hi John my name is Gonzalo, I went to Egypt with my wife and we did our trip by our own, we had a wonderful time in Egypt. Your podcasts about Egypt were amazing. We went to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and off course we want to return. Definitely I would like to go Alexandria, the Red Sea and return to Cairo. Now my parents are going to Egypt in 2 weeks, they just bought a cruise which stops 2 days at Alexandria port. They are taking the cruise shore excursions but I have a few questions, do you know if at ports they can buy VISAS? They want to go to Giza, Coptic Cairo and get to know the Nile River, which transportation do you think it’s more convenient from Alex to Cairo, a van, plane or train? And which sites do you recommend in Alex? Thanks a lot for your help, your podcasts were of great help.
Hey, Gonzolo. Your question about the tourist visa process for those arriving by cruise ship is a VERY GOOD ONE!! You have a few options... you can always get an e-visa online in advance (but make sure you get it directly from the Egyptian government's website and NOT from a 3rd party visa "helper"). But honestly the website can be a little buggy sometimes, and I advise nearly everyone to just wait until you get to Egypt to get a visa on arrival. But in the case of cruise passengers, you're eligible for a 48-hour transit visa (an immigration official will come to the boat to stamp passports and issue transit visas) that allows you to get off of the boat and explore Alexandria and/or Cairo for the day or even stay overnight in Cairo and go back up to the port in Alex the next day to give you more time here. Definitely Giza (i.e., the Pyramids of Giza) is the #1 site to visit, but I'd say the next one would be the Egyptian Museum (the GEM if it's open when they visit or the old museum in Tahrir Square downtown if it's not). That's where the most famous archaeological treasures are on display, and no one should miss that. Then after those Top Two sites, you can still squeeze in Coptic Cairo in the same day, if you get an early start and go the full day. Remember that all of those sites close at 5pm or 6pm, depending on season, so it's best to get an early start to maximize the day. Also, if you're coming down from Alexandria and going back in the same day, remember that it's 3 hours down and 3 hours back, so factor that in as well. Having lunch or dinner at a spot along the Nile would be a good way to incorporate in some quality time with the river too. But please don't do one of the cheesy river dinner boats. Do a nice dinner at a place in Zamalek overlooking the Nile and downtown to the east. Feel free to email me at John@EgyptTravelBlog.com if you'd like more advice.
Baraka is perhaps the most classic and well known brand of Egyptian bottled water. The word baraka means blessing in Arabic. And having ice cold water available during or after a long hot day of touring in Egypt certainly is a blessing!!
Hi mate Just watched this and thought it was a fantastic insight into egp, spot on 👍 When you debate the origin of the pound, it was in fact Scotland that introduced the pound and then England and Scotland joined as 1 to form the United Kingdom. Obviously a lot more to go with that story but the moral of the story is the pound originated from Scotland 😉
Oh wow!! I had not clue it originated in Scotland. This is great trivia knowledge to know. Thanks for sharing. This also makes it all the more puzzling why people in England gripe sometimes about taking British Pounds from the Bank of Scotland. hahaha Next time I'm in London and they give me grief for having Scottish notes, I'll remind them that these are the OG pounds!! :-)
I am about to head to Egypt and I feel overwhelmed about where to get my currency exchanged for the trip? I hear conflicted information about whether to do it at airport or at bank before heading that way or an atm.
Hello! We are on a resort holiday in Hurghada, and would like to take a day trip to Luxor. The guide from the resort we are staying in offered us the trip with 85 ($ or € - they seem to equate those) We traveled with some egyptian pounds with us, and didn’t bring dolars or euros, but they offered us a much heaftier price in liras - 11.900 instead of €170 for two people 🥵 We’re now considering buying a day trip online, to pay with a card. We are a bit uneasy about that - this guide advised us that any provider will charge us extra on the conversion to liras when using our card. What do you think - is it safe to buy a trip online and pay with a card?
The best is a private car and driver. But it also depends where you want to go and how much patience you have. If you're going to a place like the Pyramids, you want to avoid both taxis and ubers because of the taxi jumpers (who can spot ubers too). If you're just going around downtown Cairo AND you don't mind waiting a while to get one AND you don't mind being given an automatic one-star rating if you're a foreigner paying with a credit card linked to your uber account, then you can take uber. The metro has gotten a LOT better too and is quite navigable, but not to the sites, just to various neighborhoods. It all depends on where in Cairo you're going.
I read that these taxi jumpers operate near the entrance to the Pyramids . Is that true? Is it safe to use Uber to travel around Cairo? Or other cities, like Luxor? Are there Taxi jumpers in Luxor? Do they steal from you or just harrass you to buy camell or horse rides? I'd really like to know more about it. It really takes me by surprise, every youtuber I've seen recommend taking Uber. They say it is safe and inexpensive.
Yes, you can definitely bring cash with you to exchange at a bank once you arrive. Using your debit card to withdraw money from an ATM is the easiest way to obtain local currency, but if you're uncomfortable doing that, then just follow the rules for bringing and exchanging cash and you'll be perfectly fine. Don't bring in more than $10,000 worth of cash or cash equivalents without declaring it to customs on arrival (under $10k does not need to be declared, but I'd never recommend bringing in that much as a tourist anyway) and make sure to exchange it at a bank and get a receipt. Don't exchange with an individual.
I have a WHOLE looooong blog post coming about that which is SUPER detailed. It's not quite finished yet though, but email me at John@EgyptTravelBlog.com if you want a copy of the draft for quick reference now.
Hi I'm going to hurghada in September all inclusive for 1 week , I've been watching and reading different blogs alot of people are saying they don't want there own currency to use us dollars or euros and also to tip in this currency aswell is this accurate?
Yikes! I'm not sure if you can, to be honest. If you exchanged it at a bank, you can try asking that same bank if they'll change it back for you if you still have the original exchange receipt. How much leftover cash are you talking about? I'll be in Norway at some point and would be happy to change it for you if you're still here.
@@abusufyan5479how did you get it sorted out??? Did you go back to same Egyptian bank to convert back your money that was left over back to Norwegian krone ?
Yep. Any video on currency valuation is always subject to information at the time of recording only. And sure enough, a few months later they floated the Egyptian Pound and it changed again. Now it changes daily by a small amount instead of being fixed.
I m going to be there on 12 til 18 th March 🎉 i have already paid for Airplane including Hotels but i try to bring cash only 1000 Euro , exchange 500Euro to Egypt pounds I calculation for ticket go inside Pyramid of Giza, Museum and walk a few step through old Market in Cairo Do u think that enough for me alone 😂 whole trip , Giza and Cairo only ❤ Greetings from Germany
Yes, 500 Euros for a week in Cairo and Giza only will be more than enough. If you don't want to use your credit or debit card for purchases and local currency ATM withdrawals as needed (which is highly recommended), then you can exchange Euros at any bank. Just make sure to get a receipt and only exchange in a bank, not with an individual.
If possible can someone just make it easier for me. I from USA California. Going to Cairo in 2 weeks. I just want to bring for spending maybe $1,000 usd cash? What is the best increments to convert? Should i have all 100’s or 200s or all 50’s? Like for tipping and restaurants a shopping what increments should I carry for my 9 day trip? Or do Egyptians prefer USD dollars instead???
Most shops and restaurants accept Egyptian cash only, so depends on how much you are going to spend. All sightseeing places would only accept credit cards, so for that you don't need cash. You do need small notes for tipping, nothing is free in Egypt, at least not for tourists, even asking for directions, more often than not they expect a tip.
THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I appreciate your caring attention to details and information.
My pleasure!
Really formal and informative! Will be visiting in a few weeks and this helps! Do you have any advice on the best way of getting to Luxor ?
THanks. I'm glad you found it useful. If you mean the best way of getting to Luxor from Cairo, it's by air. The flight is cheap and short. If you mean from the Red Sea, by private car and driver. It's about 4 hours from Hurghada. If coming from Sharm, by air and you'll have to connect in Cairo.
Hi John my name is Gonzalo, I went to Egypt with my wife and we did our trip by our own, we had a wonderful time in Egypt. Your podcasts about Egypt were amazing. We went to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and off course we want to return. Definitely I would like to go Alexandria, the Red Sea and return to Cairo. Now my parents are going to Egypt in 2 weeks, they just bought a cruise which stops 2 days at Alexandria port. They are taking the cruise shore excursions but I have a few questions, do you know if at ports they can buy VISAS? They want to go to Giza, Coptic Cairo and get to know the Nile River, which transportation do you think it’s more convenient from Alex to Cairo, a van, plane or train? And which sites do you recommend in Alex? Thanks a lot for your help, your podcasts were of great help.
Hey, Gonzolo. Your question about the tourist visa process for those arriving by cruise ship is a VERY GOOD ONE!! You have a few options... you can always get an e-visa online in advance (but make sure you get it directly from the Egyptian government's website and NOT from a 3rd party visa "helper"). But honestly the website can be a little buggy sometimes, and I advise nearly everyone to just wait until you get to Egypt to get a visa on arrival. But in the case of cruise passengers, you're eligible for a 48-hour transit visa (an immigration official will come to the boat to stamp passports and issue transit visas) that allows you to get off of the boat and explore Alexandria and/or Cairo for the day or even stay overnight in Cairo and go back up to the port in Alex the next day to give you more time here. Definitely Giza (i.e., the Pyramids of Giza) is the #1 site to visit, but I'd say the next one would be the Egyptian Museum (the GEM if it's open when they visit or the old museum in Tahrir Square downtown if it's not). That's where the most famous archaeological treasures are on display, and no one should miss that. Then after those Top Two sites, you can still squeeze in Coptic Cairo in the same day, if you get an early start and go the full day. Remember that all of those sites close at 5pm or 6pm, depending on season, so it's best to get an early start to maximize the day. Also, if you're coming down from Alexandria and going back in the same day, remember that it's 3 hours down and 3 hours back, so factor that in as well. Having lunch or dinner at a spot along the Nile would be a good way to incorporate in some quality time with the river too. But please don't do one of the cheesy river dinner boats. Do a nice dinner at a place in Zamalek overlooking the Nile and downtown to the east. Feel free to email me at John@EgyptTravelBlog.com if you'd like more advice.
I'm visiting Egypt in two weeks for pilgrimage. This was helpful.
I hope you made it here! and are having an amazing trip!!
Thank you so much
You're most welcome
I drank Baraka water. It was my favorite. The proprietor used to put it in the freezer so it would stay cold all day.
Baraka is perhaps the most classic and well known brand of Egyptian bottled water. The word baraka means blessing in Arabic. And having ice cold water available during or after a long hot day of touring in Egypt certainly is a blessing!!
Hi mate
Just watched this and thought it was a fantastic insight into egp, spot on 👍
When you debate the origin of the pound, it was in fact Scotland that introduced the pound and then England and Scotland joined as 1 to form the United Kingdom. Obviously a lot more to go with that story but the moral of the story is the pound originated from Scotland 😉
Oh wow!! I had not clue it originated in Scotland. This is great trivia knowledge to know. Thanks for sharing. This also makes it all the more puzzling why people in England gripe sometimes about taking British Pounds from the Bank of Scotland. hahaha Next time I'm in London and they give me grief for having Scottish notes, I'll remind them that these are the OG pounds!! :-)
LOVE Ya! Should be there next Sunday! ♥♥♥
Thanks so much, Enrique. Love ya right back! I hope you made it here and are having an amazing time.
♥ Never made it - soon Insha'allah! ☺@@TheEgyptTravelChannel
I am about to head to Egypt and I feel overwhelmed about where to get my currency exchanged for the trip? I hear conflicted information about whether to do it at airport or at bank before heading that way or an atm.
Any tips are greatly appreciated.
From what I understand it does not matter, they operate in government fixed rate, wherever you go it is the same rate.
excellent thks
My pleasure, Nabil. :)
Hello!
We are on a resort holiday in Hurghada, and would like to take a day trip to Luxor.
The guide from the resort we are staying in offered us the trip with 85 ($ or € - they seem to equate those)
We traveled with some egyptian pounds with us, and didn’t bring dolars or euros, but they offered us a much heaftier price in liras - 11.900 instead of €170 for two people 🥵
We’re now considering buying a day trip online, to pay with a card. We are a bit uneasy about that - this guide advised us that any provider will charge us extra on the conversion to liras when using our card.
What do you think - is it safe to buy a trip online and pay with a card?
Hi there, what transportation do you recommend for cairo and luxor if we should avoid Uber?
The best is a private car and driver. But it also depends where you want to go and how much patience you have. If you're going to a place like the Pyramids, you want to avoid both taxis and ubers because of the taxi jumpers (who can spot ubers too). If you're just going around downtown Cairo AND you don't mind waiting a while to get one AND you don't mind being given an automatic one-star rating if you're a foreigner paying with a credit card linked to your uber account, then you can take uber. The metro has gotten a LOT better too and is quite navigable, but not to the sites, just to various neighborhoods. It all depends on where in Cairo you're going.
I read that these taxi jumpers operate near the entrance to the Pyramids . Is that true? Is it safe to use Uber to travel around Cairo? Or other cities, like Luxor? Are there Taxi jumpers in Luxor? Do they steal from you or just harrass you to buy camell or horse rides? I'd really like to know more about it. It really takes me by surprise, every youtuber I've seen recommend taking Uber. They say it is safe and inexpensive.
Can I brings cash £1K to Egypt with me. Cause I do not want to use my credit card over there. I’m from Singapore travelling from UK to Egypt.
Yes, you can definitely bring cash with you to exchange at a bank once you arrive. Using your debit card to withdraw money from an ATM is the easiest way to obtain local currency, but if you're uncomfortable doing that, then just follow the rules for bringing and exchanging cash and you'll be perfectly fine. Don't bring in more than $10,000 worth of cash or cash equivalents without declaring it to customs on arrival (under $10k does not need to be declared, but I'd never recommend bringing in that much as a tourist anyway) and make sure to exchange it at a bank and get a receipt. Don't exchange with an individual.
How much money would you recommend tipping in Egypt in general?
I have a WHOLE looooong blog post coming about that which is SUPER detailed. It's not quite finished yet though, but email me at John@EgyptTravelBlog.com if you want a copy of the draft for quick reference now.
Hi I'm going to hurghada in September all inclusive for 1 week , I've been watching and reading different blogs alot of people are saying they don't want there own currency to use us dollars or euros and also to tip in this currency aswell is this accurate?
Old 20 pound banknote is still valid?
Can i exchange Egy to US using the ATM in egypt?
Yes, some ATMs will accept foreign currency deposits and give you back local currency.
I have some cash left, how can i change my money back to norwegian krone?
Yikes! I'm not sure if you can, to be honest. If you exchanged it at a bank, you can try asking that same bank if they'll change it back for you if you still have the original exchange receipt. How much leftover cash are you talking about? I'll be in Norway at some point and would be happy to change it for you if you're still here.
@@TheEgyptTravelChannel Thanks for The reply. I got it sorted out. I would love to host you for a cup of coffee when you’re here.
@@abusufyan5479how did you get it sorted out??? Did you go back to same Egyptian bank to convert back your money that was left over back to Norwegian krone ?
Egyptian pound has lost 23 % against the us Dollar recently . Just be careful where you change your money.
Yep. Any video on currency valuation is always subject to information at the time of recording only. And sure enough, a few months later they floated the Egyptian Pound and it changed again. Now it changes daily by a small amount instead of being fixed.
I m going to be there on 12 til 18 th March 🎉 i have already paid for Airplane including Hotels but i try to bring cash only 1000 Euro , exchange 500Euro to Egypt pounds
I calculation for ticket go inside Pyramid of Giza, Museum and walk a few step through old Market in Cairo
Do u think that enough for me alone 😂 whole trip , Giza and Cairo only ❤ Greetings from Germany
Yes, 500 Euros for a week in Cairo and Giza only will be more than enough. If you don't want to use your credit or debit card for purchases and local currency ATM withdrawals as needed (which is highly recommended), then you can exchange Euros at any bank. Just make sure to get a receipt and only exchange in a bank, not with an individual.
If possible can someone just make it easier for me. I from USA California. Going to Cairo in 2 weeks. I just want to bring for spending maybe $1,000 usd cash? What is the best increments to convert? Should i have all 100’s or 200s or all 50’s? Like for tipping and restaurants a shopping what increments should I carry for my 9 day trip? Or do Egyptians prefer USD dollars instead???
Most shops and restaurants accept Egyptian cash only, so depends on how much you are going to spend. All sightseeing places would only accept credit cards, so for that you don't need cash. You do need small notes for tipping, nothing is free in Egypt, at least not for tourists, even asking for directions, more often than not they expect a tip.
@@joseph_wei THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RESPONDING!!:-) everything sounds clear and makes sense! Thanks:-) 😊 God bless:-)
The new peso’s have that new plastic ish
Yeah, I don't like the new bills. They're so much harder to fold, so they are much bulkier when you're stuffing them in your pocket.
Koshary is like the Indian Kitchari.
Ah I never knew there was an Indian equivilent. But I do love me some Indian food too, so now I've got to seek this out and try it.