Travel tips and etiquette

What to wear

Egypt is warm for most of the year, but not hot everywhere all the time. Winter evenings (December to February) are cool in Cairo and can be cold in the desert, the oases and the Sinai mountains, while Alexandria and the north coast get some rain.

• Summer: loose, light clothes in cotton or linen, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and comfortable, breathable shoes.
• Winter: layers, a warm jacket for evenings and early starts, and a light waterproof for Alexandria.
• Desert and Sinai: a scarf against sun and sand, a fleece for nights, and proper walking shoes or boots if you plan to climb Mount Sinai.
• Beach: water shoes for reefs and rocky entries. Swimwear is fine at resort beaches and pools, but cover up when you leave them.

Egyptians dress fairly conservatively, especially outside Cairo and the resorts. Clothes that cover the shoulders and knees are respectful in towns and villages and practical against the sun. For mosques and churches, see Dress and etiquette above, and carry a light scarf so you are always ready to cover up.

Sources: gov.uk.

Religion, Friday prayers and Ramadan

Islam is the state religion and most Egyptians are Sunni Muslims. Coptic Orthodox Christians form the largest religious minority, with smaller Catholic, Protestant and Armenian communities. Old Cairo has historic churches and the restored Ben Ezra Synagogue, which visitors can see.

Friday is the Muslim day of prayer: mosques fill around midday and many shops open later. Sunday is the main day for church services. Non-Muslim visitors should avoid mosques during prayer times.

Ramadan, the month of fasting, moves about 11 days earlier each year. Muslims do not eat, drink or smoke from dawn to sunset. Visitors are not expected to fast, but it is polite not to eat, drink or smoke openly in the street during the day. Hotels and tourist restaurants keep serving, and alcohol sales are restricted. Working hours are shorter, traffic peaks just before sunset, and evenings are lively, with iftar meals, late-opening shops and festive streets.

The two Eid holidays, after Ramadan and during the Hajj season, bring days off and crowded transport and resorts. Coptic Christmas is on 7 January.

Sources: gov.uk, state.gov.

Language and everyday etiquette

Arabic is the official language. People speak Egyptian Arabic, the dialect heard in films and songs across the Arab world, with the distinct Saidi dialect in Upper Egypt. Nubian is still spoken around Aswan, and Siwi, a Berber language, in Siwa Oasis. Coptic survives only in church liturgy.

English is widely spoken in hotels, at the main sites, in tourist shops and by younger people in the cities, and many guides also speak French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish. Off the tourist trail, a few Arabic words help: salam alaykum (hello), shukran (thank you), la, shukran (no, thank you) and maalesh (never mind). Carry your hotel's address written in Arabic for taxi drivers.

• Egyptians are friendly and hospitable, and greetings matter: say hello before asking a question.
• Use your right hand to eat, pass things and shake hands.
• Some people prefer not to shake hands with the opposite sex, so wait for them to offer.
• Keep public displays of affection to a minimum.
• If invited to a home, bring sweets or pastries and remove your shoes if your hosts do.

Sources: gov.uk.

Opening hours

The working week runs from Sunday to Thursday, and the weekend is Friday and Saturday. Hours below are a guide and change in Ramadan and on public holidays.

• Government offices: Sunday to Thursday, roughly 8 or 9am to 3pm. Go in the morning.
• Banks: Sunday to Thursday, usually from 8.30 or 9am into the afternoon, with some branches open until 5pm. Closed Friday and Saturday; ATMs work round the clock.
• Shops and malls: generally from mid-morning to 10 or 11pm, an hour later on Thursday, Friday and public holidays, under government rules that differ between summer and winter. Small shops may close for Friday midday prayers. Bazaars, pharmacies and supermarkets keep longer hours, and some pharmacies open 24 hours.
• Restaurants and cafés: open late, often until midnight or 1am. Egyptians eat lunch from about 2pm and dinner late, from 8 or 9pm.
• Sites and museums: most open from about 8 or 9am to 5pm, with longer hours at some major sites and museums.

In Ramadan, offices and banks work shorter hours (often about 9.30am to 1.30pm for bank customers), and many shops close around sunset, then reopen after the iftar meal until late. In resorts, tourist shops stay open into the evening all year.

Sources: egyptindependent.com, cairoscene.com, cairo.gov.eg.

Time zone and summer time

Egypt uses Eastern European Time (EET, GMT+2). In summer the clocks go forward one hour to GMT+3.

Summer time was suspended in 2015 and reinstated in 2023. The clocks now go forward at midnight on the last Friday of April and back at midnight on the last Thursday of October.

• 2026: summer time ran from Friday 24 April to Thursday 29 October; Egypt is now back on GMT+2.
• 2027: clocks are due to go forward on Friday 30 April and back on Thursday 28 October.

Phones on a local network change automatically. Around the change dates, double-check flight and train times and timed museum tickets, as some printed schedules and booking emails may not show the new time. The government can change the rules by decree, so confirm the current local time shortly before you travel.

Sources: timeanddate.com, egypttoday.com.