Egypt, in practice
Guides to the questions guests ask us before they book: when to go, what things cost, which tombs are worth your ticket, and whether a small sailing boat really beats a cruise ship. Written by the people who run the trips.
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Nile Cruise with Children: From What Age Does It Work?
A Nile cruise works well from primary-school age and really well from about eight. Here’s what our guests tell us about ages, boats, heat and safety - including what didn’t go so well.
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Abu Simbel from Aswan: By Road or by Air, and When to Go
About 280 kilometres south of Aswan: how to get to Abu Simbel, when the sun alignment happens, and why the temples now stand 64 metres higher.
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Staying Well in Egypt: Hygiene, Heat and What to Pack
Bottled water, meat well cooked, shade at midday and no swimming in the Nile: how to stay well in Egypt, and what to pack.
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Money in Egypt: cash, cards and changing money
Egyptian pounds in cash, cards in hotels only, bank ATMs for the rest - and small notes matter more than the exchange rate.
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Egypt entry requirements: visa, passport and health
Six months of passport validity and a visa: online, cash on arrival, or through a consulate. With the Sinai stamp trap and the desert permit rule.
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The Grand Egyptian Museum: how long you need, and what to skip
Allow four hours, not two. Go up to Tutankhamun first, before the coaches. And accept before you walk in that you will not see all of it.
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Which tombs to choose in the Valley of the Kings
Your ticket covers three tombs out of the eight or nine open. Which three you pick matters more than anything else that morning, and most people choose by queue length.
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Tipping in Egypt: how you keep track, without doing the maths
How much tip is customary in Egypt, without fixed amounts, and how we take part of it off your hands at Orientoura.
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Is Luxor worth it as a day trip from Hurghada?
Is a Luxor day trip from Hurghada worth sixteen hours? What you can honestly see, who it suits and when a night in Luxor is the better plan.
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The best time to visit Egypt, month by month
October to April, if you have the choice. Here is what that means month by month, what the Khamsin is, and how to build a good trip if your holiday falls in July.