Practical Information

Passport

Remember to check the expiration date of your passport if travelling internationally. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date of your scheduled return.

Visa

Egypt

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Egypt. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/egypt
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/egypt
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Egypt.html

If you are obtaining your visa online, please ensure you have a scan of your passport ready. The file size should be small and ideally saved as a JPEG or PDF otherwise you might not be able to load it on the visa application.

You will need to provide your host’s information on the application – please use the following details:

South Sinai Travel
79 Merghany Street
Cairo
Egypt
Telephone: +20 22418 7310
www.southsinai.com
salwa.ibrahim@southsinai.com

Please note, Egyptian officials have requested tourists carry a copy of their passport with them while in the country. Please also note, some prescribed medicines are controlled substances in Egypt.

Please note that some prescribed medicines available in the UK are considered controlled substances in Egypt and can’t be brought into the country without prior permission from Egypt’s Ministry of Health; if you arrive in Egypt without this permission and the required documentation, the medication will not be allowed into the country and you may be prosecuted under Egyptian law; if you’re travelling with prescription medication you should carry a medical certificate from your GP confirming that the medication has been prescribed for a medical condition.

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Vaccinations and Health

Egypt

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies and typhoid.

You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you’re arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Some travellers may also need proof of a polio vaccination. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Local Time

Egypt's time zone: Africa/Cairo (UTC +02:00)

Electricity

Egypt's electricity: Plug types C (two round pins, European standard) and F (two round pins) – 220V, 50Hz

Money

Egypt's currency: The official currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP), though US dollars are also widely accepted

ATM Availability

There are ATMs in many parts of Egypt and you can use Visa, Mastercard and Switch using your normal PIN. Credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and tourist bazaars. It is also possible to purchase larger items such as carpets with Visa, American Express and some other major cards.

There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that can be brought into the country, and we do not recommend you pick up Egyptian currency prior to departure.

Money can be changed on arrival at the airport or at local banks/exchange offices. Any hard currency, including British pounds, euros and US dollars can be exchanged. Additionally US dollars can be used to pay in Egypt; however, you usually receive change in Egyptian pounds. Your tour leader can assist with exchanging money throughout the tour. When you leave Egypt it is possible, though not always easy, to re-exchange Egyptian pounds into foreign currency. It is easiest to try to budget wisely to avoid having too many Egyptian pounds at the end of your tour.

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

Optional Excursions

Prices are per person and in US dollars as this is the most stable currency used in Egypt but excursions can be paid in any hard currency (including British pounds and euros). Payment cannot be made in Egyptian pounds. When booking and paying for these tours locally a three percent charge will be added for all card payments. The flight to Abu Simbel is to be requested with Exodus at the time of booking your tour. We will then check availability.Unless indicated otherwise, the below prices are based on a minimum of four people taking part and are subject to change.

Cairo (only possible pre-tour or if arriving early on Day 1):

• Sound and light show, Giza: US$48 (minimum six travellers) Does not run everyday.
• Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque: US$40
• Coptic Cairo including Coptic Museum: US$42
• Tour of Sakkara and Memphis  US$66
• Entrance fee to go inside Great Pyramids: US$30

Aswan:

• Abu Simbel flight excursion: From GBP£396, US$435. The flight must be requested with Exodus at the time of booking your tour.  If you do not request the flight at this time we cannot guarantee seats will be available if trying to book locally. Flight timings vary but the flight duration is approximately 45 minutes.  The length of time in the temples depends on the Egyptair flight schedule and is not controlled by Exodus. It should however be longer than an hour.
• Abu Simbel road excursion: From US$150 (book locally). Depart Aswan at approximately 4.30am for the 3hr 30min transfer to Abu Simbel. The temple visit itself takes around two hours. Depart approximately 10am and return to Aswan around 1.30pm.

Due to local regulations, guides are not permitted to enter Abu Simbel temple with you but will provide information outside, allow you free time to explore, and arrange a meeting place for afterwards.

• Tour of Philae, High Dam and Obelisk: US$54 (minimum six travellers)
• St Simone Monastery: US$36
• Animalia Nubian Village: US$25 – please see Responsible Travel section
• Sound and light show at Philae: $52 (minimum six travellers)

Luxor:

• C.E Luxor Animal Hospital (time permitting): Free
• Sound and light show, Karnak Temple: US$52
• Queen Hatshepsut’s temple: US$18
• Entrance for additional tombs on the West Bank, Valley of the Kings: Approximately US$18
• Dendarah & Abydos: US$70-US$90

Tipping

On this Premium Adventure, tipping for any local support staff is included, and will normally be taken care of via your tour leader (or in some cases through our local agent). So no need for any tipping kitty contributions, or to make your own tips during the trip.

Our ‘included tips’ will normally cover drivers, local specialist guides, certain hotel staff, and serving staff for included meals. Amounts will be in line with the local standard. Of course, if you wish to make a further tip for some extra special service you may do so.

Tips for the Tour Leader are not included. Whether to tip at all and the amount is entirely at your own discretion, but as a starting point, we suggest around $40 per person for the duration of the trip.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

• Tourism can be a real help to local communities, providing income, positive cultural exchanges and a financial incentive to protect their natural environment. Ours is a ‘total approach’ to responsible tourism, covering everything from the way we plan and operate our trips to the practices of Exodus as a company.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, led by a local guide, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• On Day 4, time permitting, you can visit A.C.E (Animal Care in Egypt), a charity dedicated to stopping the suffering of animals in the most deprived communities in Luxor by providing free veterinary care and education. Currently, there is a walk-in clinic, a hospital for crucial surgery and stables for the animals to recover. During term time, they host over 150 children a week to teach them about animal welfare and to better care for their animals.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about Exodus Travels’ Planet Promise here, including our rewilding and carbon compensation commitments for every customer who travels.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own reusable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.

Important Information

Water safety

This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.

Binoculars and drones

We do not recommend taking binoculars or monoculars into Egypt as on occasion these have been confiscated either on arrival or within the country. Drones are also forbidden. 

In line with our ‘book and travel with confidence’ promise which allows you to cancel free of charge up to 42 days prior to departure, or transfer to another trip free of charge up to 21 days prior to your trip starting in country,  please be aware that this excludes ‘irrecoverable costs’. Details can be found here: https://www.exodus.co.uk/about-exodus/exodus-booking-conditions

For this trip the irrecoverable costs related to in-country operations are outlined below, if booking flight inclusive your sales agent will confirm the terms related to your international flights at the time of booking.

Flights   £237 / US $293 / €255 / AUD$ 384 / CAD $410

If you need to cancel your trip because you or a member of your party is diagnosed with COVID-19 or has received a request from the Government to self-isolate, you will receive a full refund less these irrecoverable costs.

This trip goes near an area deemed unsafe to visit by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whose advice we follow when operating our trips. While our itinerary doesn’t go to these areas, you should familiarise yourself with your local government’s advice if you are planning any pre- or post-trip travel. Any independent travel to areas currently against your local government advice is entirely at your own risk and unlikely to be covered by your travel insurance.