Egypt Budget Travel Guide

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The Giza Plateau, Egypt
Author: Daniel Mayer (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Egypt Budget Travel Guide provides useful travel information to help you prepare for a vacation in Egypt. I write this with budget travelers in mind, so whenever the opportunity arises, I will share with you tips to explore Egypt economically. On this page is listed the principal cities of the country as well as its major tourist attractions.

About Egypt

Egypt is a country on the northeast corner of the African continent. It is bordered by Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and Israel to the northeast. The country is also bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the East.

The River Nile flows through Egypt, creating a ribbon of habitable land in an otherwise barren desert landscape. Due to the monumental artifacts of its ancient civilisation, Egypt is today one of the biggest tourist destinations of the world. Less spectacular perhaps, but not less important, is Eqypt's medieval heritage represented by the many ancient churches, monasteries and mosques of Coptic Christianity and Islamic origin, that can be found and visited all thorough Egypt.

With a population approaching 80 million people, Egypt is the most populous country in Africa and the Middle East. With a country of 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq miles), most of its population is concentrated along the banks of the River Nile, within an area of just 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles). The capital of Egypt, Cairo, has a population of 6.8 million people. It is the largest city in Africa and one of the most densely populated cities of the world.

Egypt is a major tourist destination drawing visitors from around the world to admire the ruins of its ancient civilization. The most famous include the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, the city of Luxor, the Temple of Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Abu Simbel. The city of Cairo, with its Islamic and Coptic Christian heritage, is also becoming more and more well-known to tourists.

Bedouin at Mount Sinai, Egypt
Author: Chmouel (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

Fast Facts about Egypt

Official Name: Arab Republic of Egypt

Capital: Cairo (8,700,000)

Population of Egypt: 78,887,000

Languages: Arabic (official), English, French

Time Zone: UTC+2, in summer UTC+3.

Currency: Egyptian Pound

Religions: Islam (94%)

Size: 995,450 sq km (384,343 sq miles)

Region: Africa

The Colossi of Memnon, Egypt
Author: Olaf Tausch (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

When to visit Egypt

Definitely not during summer, June to August, when it is unbearably hot during the day. December to February is the best time to visit, when the temperature becomes more pleasant.

What to wear in Egypt

Lightweight cotton clothes, long sleeves, hat and scarf are all useful items to wear, along with a good pair of sunglasses. Apply sunblock to exposed skin. During evenings, a jacket will keep out the chill. Umbrellas are not necessary, but you can bring a parasol to keep out the sun.

New library of Alexandria
Author: Elgourmet (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Budget Travel to Egypt

All nationals require at least Tourist Visa to enter Egypt. This can be easily obtained upon arrival, and usually costs around US$15. Citizens of the following countries require a visa before arrival: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China (People's Republic of; except Hong Kong and Macau), Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malaysia (if you intend to stay for more than 15 days), Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African countries (except the citizens of Guinea and Libya).

By Plane
Cairo International Airport is the main entry point for most visitors to Egypt. Upon arrival, budget travelers can take the Cairo Airport Shuttle Bus. A trip to downtown Cairo costs 35 LE.

Budget Travel within Egypt

Getting around Egypt by train may be a little sticky for foreigners. Due to security measures, foreigners may encounter restrictions against buying train tickets. Even as a budget traveler, you should opt of at least a Second Class ticket on the Egyptian trains.

If you can afford it, taking domestic flight is the fastest way to cover Egypt. The national carrier Egyptair has services to most of the cities in the country. Until 2007, foreigners had to pay a fare which is as much as four times what the locals pay. The system has since been revamped, and now it is standard fare for all.

Useful Links

South Sinai Villas: Find the perfect villa on TripAdvisor.

Pyramid of Cheops and the Great Sphinx
Author: Hedwig Storch (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Principal Cities of Egypt

Cairo
The capital and biggest city of Egypt.
Alexandria
Second biggest city of Egypt.

Tourist Destinations and Ancient Sites in Eygpt

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Egypt
List of properties inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List.
Giza Plateau
A suburb of Cairo which is home to the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and other important ancient ruins.
Saqqara
Archaeological site near Cairo, home of the Step Pyramid of Djoser.
Fayoum
Biggest oasis in Egypt with a tranquil lake and a few pyramids.
Luxor
A bustling town with numerous ancient ruins in the heart of town.
Karnak
Egypt's most important Pharaonic site.
Valley of the Kings
Barren valley housing the necropolis of the New Kingdom pharoahs.
Hatshepsut Temple
Rock-hewn mortuary temple against a mountainous backdrop.
Aswan
Egypt's southernmost city and home to a number of important ancient ruins.
Abu Simbel Temple
One of the most breathtaking ancient Egyptian monument, reassembled with help from UNESCO.
Lake Nasser
Largest artificial lake in the world.
The Nile Valley
A ribbon of land on both sides of the River Nile, dotted with mudbrick villages and countless ruins.
The Nile Delta
Egypt's most fertile and densely populated region, and home to Alexandria, the second biggest city in Egypt.
Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea Coast
A place of natural beauty combining the mountains and the sea, and dotted with resorts.
Suez
Port on the southern end of the canal.
Port Said
Port city on the coast where the Suez Canal meets the Mediterranean.
St Catherine Monastery
Greek Orthodox monastery founded in AD 527
Western Desert
Desert area that stretches from Egypt to Libya and the Sudan, with oases which were stopovers of the caravan trail.
Siwa Oasis
An oasis with more than 300 freshwater springs and streams.

Egypt's UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Return to Africa Budget Travel Guide

Siwa Sand Dunes, Siwa Oasis, Egypt
Author: tronics (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

Find lowest price for your Hotel Room

Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?

The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!

Find a hotel

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Flight Checker

Our Flight Checker helps travelers compare flights and get the lowest fare for their trips. If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.

Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.

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