Egypt, Morocco and Arabia - Egypt - Country Information

Some of the wonderful places for you to discover are the medieval street bazaars and exquisite mosques of Cairo, the imposing temples of Karnak and Luxor and the unique Valley of the Kings where the treasures of the boy-king Tutankhamun were discovered, and the magnificent Temple of Abu Simbel. You can visit the ancient sites of Alexandria and the remote Western Desert with Siwa and Bahariya Oasis, the Valley of the Mummies. Few countries can offer such historical riches as Egypt. Add to this the clear blue skies, the serenity of cruising on the Nile, magnificent Red Sea beaches and a smiling welcome from a hospitable people and you have one of the world's great tourist destinations.

Key Facts
Full Country Name	Arab Republic of Egypt
Area	1,001,449 Sq Km
Population	66,706,800
Capital	Cairo
Time Difference	Egypt is GMT +2 (From 28 April to 29 September GMT+3)
Visa	Visa is required. For visa application form click here
Currency	Pound (EP)
People	The principal ethnic majority are the Egyptians who account for 99.8% of the population and are of eastern Hamitic origin. The remainder are made up of the following ethnic groups, Bedouin Arabs, Nubians, Greeks, Italians and Maltese.
Language	Arabic
Dialling Code	+20
Electricity	220V with two-pin round plugs

Visas:

A visa for Egypt is essential. A full 10 year passport is required and it must be valid for at least six months after your arrival back into the UK, with at least two completely unused pages. If your passport is not valid for six months, it is necessary to obtain a new one. For visa application form click here

Health risks:

Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid

When to Go:

Egypt is blessed with a sunny climate most of the year.  There is very little rain, the average annual rainfall being less than two inches (compared with the United Kingdom average of twenty four inches). Egypt experiences a dry heat and the relative humidity is quite low even in summer.  Due to its more northerly latitude, Cairo is always cooler than Upper Egypt (Luxor and Aswan).  March and April are popular months to visit Egypt.  May to August is traditionally regarded as the low season due to the high temperatures of these months. Temperatures in September and October vary from hot to pleasantly warm.  From November through to February strong winds can occasionally be experienced when actually cruising on the Nile.  The climate continues mostly dry with gradually cooling temperatures.  During the day, particularly in Upper Egypt, you will find it warm and sunny.  It can be very cold at night and in the early morning but rain is unlikely.