Question 1

What clothes should I wear on the cruise?

Accepted Answer

You may wear whatever you like onboard the cruise but you are asked to dress for dinner. Casual but neat is acceptable, you do not have to dress formally. Swimwear is not acceptable.

Question 2

Why am I being advised to stay in a hotel close to the pyramids rather than in Downtown?

Accepted Answer

If you are only in Cairo for a few days it is a lot easier for you to see the sites starting from a base in Giza. The traffic from downtown to the pyramids can cause the journey to take over an hour, which means an early start if you want a full day’s experience, especially if you require to enter the Great Pyramid, when you have to be at the plateau before 0800. If you are in Cairo for a while, the Hotels at the Pyramids are all on a resort basis, built in acres of land with outdoor swimming pools and relaxing areas, something which Downtown hotels cannot really provide. This is why you tend to find that the Downtown hotels are built like towers; very tall and narrow, while Giza Pyramid hotels are limited in height, but cover more ground.

Cost also comes into the equation as a simple 4-star Hotel in the Downtown area is more than often more expensive than a 5-star resort in the Pyramids area. Cairo is like most major cities in the world in this regard as city center property is a lot more expensive. Though it may appear that Downtown hotels do afford the luxury of being able to wander around the area for shopping and restaurants, etc. most of the Pyramid hotels offer free shuttle buses to allow you to do the same, plus taxis are not expensive and will still work out cheaper in the end.

Question 3

Can I get a cruise from Cairo to Luxor/Aswan?

Accepted Answer

Though movies like “Death on the Nile” show people using this cruise, it has not been possible to cover this route since the late 1990s. Flight or train are the only ways to get from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan nowadays.

Question 4

How do I get my tourist visa?

Accepted Answer

Usually, you need to apply to your local Egyptian Embassy or Consulate-General for a pre-entry tourist visa but if you are from North America, Western Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Brazil/Argentina or Hong Kong/Japan/Macau/Malaysia or Singapore you can get your tourist visa upon arrival in Egypt.

Old Cairo Attractions

Church of St George

Coptic Museum

Ben Ezra Synagogue

Church of St Barbara

Church of St Sergius

Hanging Church

The Holy Family in Egypt

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Aswan

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