Passport and visa. You will need a valid passport that will expire more than 6 months after entering Egypt. General US passport information number: 1-900-225-5674. If you don’t have a passport already, ask at your local post office about getting forms or look under "Immigration" in the local government listings. American, Canadian and British citizens do not need to get a visa for Egypt in advance (although you can if you want to by going to an Egyptian consulate). You will receive your visa at the Cairo airport (upon arrival in Egypt). Citizens of other countries should call the Egyptian consulate in your home country and ask the visa policy for citizens coming from your country.

Immunizations. You do not need any immunizations to go to Egypt at this time. This is a personal decision as to what feels good and safe to you. Doctors often recommend hepatitis and tetanus shots for traveling.

Travelers checks in US Dollars are very rarely used now, and not a good way to bring money.

Cash. You can exchange money at the airports (cash only). Exchanging money in the USA or your home country will not give you a good exchange rate. Wait until you are in Egypt. Bringing about $30 in USD one dollar bills can be helpful for tipping in the airports and for bargaining with the vendors in Egypt.

Credit cards. Major credit cards are accepted at the hotels, larger shops and restaurants. You can use your credit card to get cash, but you need to check with your credit card company as to whether this is economical for you.

ATM machines. This can be a handy way to get money while in Egypt. There are ATM machines in the hotels, but note that they are not always reliable and they will give you Egyptian cash, not dollars. The Egyptian money cannot be changed back into US Dollars or other currencies when you leave. Be sure to check with your ATM company about the limits on withdrawals when you are in a foreign country. Also the extra fees that will be charged. Do not rely on one ATM card only. Sometimes the ATM machines eat the cards and then you are out of luck with using that card.

Things you may want to buy or set aside:

Sun hat, sunglasses. A sun hat is strongly recommended, even if you don’t usually wear hats. The weather in Egypt can vary quite a bit. There was one November tour where I never wore my jacket, but in 2004 I wore a warm leather coat the whole trip. It even rained a bit at the pyramids! For daily temperatures check Wunderground.com. There is a "trip planner" that will give you the temp’s for the last few years during your chosen dates.

Good walking shoes. I like to wear lightweight boots because I appreciate the ankle support. Good sneakers or sturdy shoes are also good. There is a fair amount of walking over uneven ground. Sandals are not good for sight-seeing, but you will probably want a pair to wear at other times. Make sure the walking shoes are well broken in before the trip.

Money holder that you wear under your clothes. It is rare that anyone would steal anything in Egypt. Still, since you will be carrying all the money you have with you it’s a nice feeling to know it is secure. You do not have to worry about being mugged, but you don’t want your valuables falling out of your pockets when you sit down or lean over, either.

Swimsuit. Five star hotels have pools. Outdoor, not heated.

Travel clock.

Small flashlight (and batteries).

Electrical converter. If you have American electrical appliances you won’t be able to use them in Egypt without an adapter. If the hotels do not have hairdryers installed in the bathrooms, they will bring you one to use free of charge. You will not need a converter (only the plug adapter) for your digital camera charger, laptop and mobile phone.

They use 220 V, TWO ROUND PLUGS. It would be a good idea to bring a few of the plug adapters (same as Europe). They are easy to forget when you leave a hotel, and you will need them to recharge your camera, etc.

Digital cameras. My recommendation is to bring a large memory chip (32 GB or higher) and one backup. That way there is no need to try to download it throughout the trip. But we have had travelers download their photos to their iPads, too. So think about what will work best for you. Remember about the different electricity (see above). It would also be a very good idea to have a spare battery. I alternate between two batteries, recharging (using an adapter) each night, and then switching when I use up the one in the camera the next day.

Laptops, Egyptian Modems & Internet Usage. The hotel will have wifi, but it is not a fast connection in Egypt, and you will need to pay for that service.

Luggage. NEW TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. We will need to check on this just before departure to see what the present regulations are.

In the past, Egypt Air domestic flights allowed:
• 1 carry-on bag. Maximum dimensions: 45" total (height + width + length).
They don’t tell you this, but you can also carry on a purse (= 2 carry-on’s).

• 1 checked bag. Bags cannot weigh more than 50 lbs.* each. You can also pay an extra fee for a second bag.

Maximum size: 62" total dimensions (height + width + length). Additional suitcase is $89.

*Note that if you have a domestic flight within the US, Delta now only allows 40 lbs/bag. Please check for their latest baggage regulations. You may also have to pay for the 2nd bag. There are usually different regulations for domestic and international.

Recommendations:

• Only use one suitcase going to Egypt. Pack a folding suitcase and you will then have two suitcases for your trip home. This will give you room for souvenirs like cotton dresses, quilted pillow covers and wall hangings, T-shirts, beautifully woven shawls, tablecloths, papyruses, books or maybe even a small carpet.
• Or fill the extra suitcase with gifts.
• Use a Tupperware-type container to provide extra protection for fragile items or things that might leak. Egypt specialties: perfume oils, ornate hand-blown glass perfume bottles, alabaster statues and vases, replicas of statues, carved reliefs.
• The more expensive papyrus shops provide mailing tubes, but if you plan to go for the bargains bring your own mailing tube or long cardboard tube.

Another big sale item in Egypt is gold jewelry. Everything is 18 karat or more. You will be able to use your credit card for anything you might purchase of this sort. It’s easy to pack, but a lot more expensive than a sun dress.

Water carrier or small water bottles. Egypt is very dry. Even when it is not too hot one needs to drink a lot of water. We will provide you with bottled water, free of charge, on the bus while we are sightseeing. Think about how you will want to carry it with you. You can transfer it to something smaller or put it in a water carrier. No drinking fountains.

Inflatable neck pillow for the plane. These can make a world of difference. You can buy them in travel stores or the travel section at many office stores.

Other items to consider: mini-flashlight, notebook & pen, pen knife. Some travelers enjoy having a walking stick along, as there is a fair amount of walking over uneven ground. The folding/collapsible type is probably most practical.

Travel clothes. It is nice to travel as lightly as possible, so think about what wardrobe items will be most efficient to bring. Choose comfortable layers for sightseeing and maybe a nice outfit or two in case you want to spend time relaxing in the restaurants and lounges at the hotels. There will be formally dressed people at the hotels, but that is a matter of personal choice. If you like to wear T-shirts, you can buy them there and wear them right away. It can save on packing space. In the evening the temperature drops considerably, so you will want to bring a jacket or warm sweater. A windbreaker or nylon jacket is helpful. Check the temp’s for your travel dates on Wunderground.com.

The Egyptian tourist bureau asks that out of courtesy to the Islamic culture women refrain from wearing sleeveless blouses, low-cut tops and short shorts in public. Short sleeves (like T-shirts) are fine and longer shorts are OK, too. One solution is a loose-fitting long sleeved shirt (which blocks the sun) over a sleeveless blouse. Men can wear shorts but might want to know that it could look to the Egyptians like you are walking around in your underwear. The Egyptian men wear something like shorts under their gowns.

Travel vest, light knapsack or large fanny pack. Think about what would be a comfortable method for you to carry things. It is surprising how much stuff one ends up carrying around. We will be able to leave extra things on our bus.

• Light jacket, sunglasses, sun hat.  
• Water carrier or small water bottles. See above re: water.

• Passport.

• Camera, extra memory, extra battery

• Money - Egyptian pounds, US $, ATM card and credit card.

• Kleenex (toilet paper can be scarce, except of course in our hotels).

• Moist towelettes.

• Sunscreen, lip protection.
• Snacks. Always good to have. What if a plane is delayed or… A granola bar might hit the spot. *Note: You need to bring these snack-type items from home.

Small gifts. Egypt is a third world country. While people are less likely to beg (although this has started in recent years), they will often try to do you some service so that they can then ask for a tip. Tips are just a part of the lifestyle there. A 1 pound tip, for taking a picture, for example, is equivalent to 11¢ (US). The kids will also often ask for "un stylo," i.e., a pen. Just regular ballpoint pens are what they have in mind, so you may want to bring along some extra. Felt-tip pens dry out too quickly. Candy is another possibility, but chocolate will melt if it is hot.

Overall, the people are warm, out-going and friendly. The children are delightfully open and enthusiastic and will wave to our passing bus or want to try out their English asking, "What is your name?" or "What time is it?" After that, they often don’t know any more phrases and will just smile and giggle.

Clothing to give away. Too many jackets in the closet? Baseball caps beginning to stack up? There are people in Egypt that would love to receive these. It is fun to give something that you know will make someone very happy. They especially like things with a popular logo. If you bring an extra suitcase of things to give, you can fill it with souvenirs for the trip home. Items which would be good:

• children’s clothing (t-shirts, pants, jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, sneakers, baby clothes).

• men’s clothing (t-shirts, polo’s, dress shirts, pants, jeans, baseball caps, jackets, suits, sweaters)

• women (knee high stockings, sweaters, jackets)

Animal lover? Life is hard for most animals in Egypt. You won’t see any pampered pets. But you will see friendly dogs at the temples and various cats here and there. A doggy treat might be the high point of someone’s life.