Guess, how does Egypt look like a Christmas tree? Correctly! It is also in winter and summer in one color - the color of the turquoise sea, the bright underwater life and the colorful crowded tourists, including from Russia .A fair number of our holidaymakers are accustomed to consider Egypt as a year-round "second dacha", where one can escape for a weekend sunbathing and dive .Historical "excursion" - complete: pyramids and Luxor daily besiege crowds of travelers who want to touch eternity .Well, about the divers and say nothing: they are here for three dozen for each reef .

The capital is Cairo.

Major cities are Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Port Said, Giza.

For a complete list of all the resorts of the country, see the city page and the resorts of Egypt, and what to do in the cities, see details on the page Tours in Egypt.

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How to get here

Many charter flights to Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh are carried out from Moscow, St. Petersburg, a number of major Russian cities, as well as from the CIS countries. The duration of the flight to both resorts from Moscow is about 4, 5 hours. In addition, it is possible to fly charter flights to Marsa-Alam and regular flights to Cairo.

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Egyptian visa

Citizens of Russia and CIS countries need a visa to Egypt. For the citizens of Russia, it is registered both in the embassy of the country in Moscow, and directly at the airports of Cairo, Hurghada and Sharm-el-Sheikh.

Customs

From Egypt it is strictly forbidden to export corals, sea shells, stuffed crocodiles, ivory, for violation of this ban, solid fines are levied. Tourists who bought these things as souvenirs will have to present a receipt from the store.

Import and export of foreign currency is not limited. Allowed duty-free importation of personal items, 200 cigarettes, 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars, as well as a liter of alcoholic beverages or 2 liters of beer.

Two liters of alcoholic beverages and 24 cans of beer foreign tourists can purchase during the stay in Egypt in duty-free shops located in all tourist centers. A note on the purchase of alcoholic beverages is placed in the buyer's passport, and you can buy alcohol only within 24 hours after arrival.

Phone numbers

Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Moscow: Kropotkinsky per., 12; tel .: (499) 246-30-96, 246-30-80, fax: (499) 246-10-64

Embassy of Russia in Cairo: Dokki, st. Giza, 95; tel .: (2) 3-748-93-53, 3-748-93-54, 3-748-93-56; Web site

Police: 122, first aid: 123, firefighters: 125

In Hurghada: the tourist police: 446-765, the police department: 446-359, the hospital: 446-740, the airport: 442-831

In Sharm el-Sheikh: the tourist police: 600-675, the police department: 660-306, the ambulance: 600-554, the hospital: 661-011, the airport: 601-140

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Transportation of Egypt

Between the cities of Egypt it is convenient to travel by bus: the cars of the companies Super Jet and East Delta are quite comfortable. You can travel around the country by train (and even with a certain comfort), but for security reasons, you should limit yourself to only the most popular routes.

Urban transport in the main resorts is not particularly diverse: it is represented by the local equivalent of "minibuses" and taxis. Route minibuses run in the central part of the resorts along the coast. The fare is about 2 EGP per person in one direction.

Taxis at the resorts can be hired for 15-30 EGP in the afternoon and for 20-40 EGP at night (in Cairo - much cheaper). It is always necessary to agree in advance with the driver about the amount.

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The mosque in Mersa Matruh

Petroglyphs

Sea depths

Safety of tourists

If you do not need extra adventures on your head, it's worth remembering that bare shoulders and miniskirts are not the best form of outfit for walking outside the hotel territory .The hotels themselves should use the safe: cases of theft are not uncommon .Water from the tap can not drink and even clean it with teeth - great risk of upsetting this oversight of the gastrointestinal tract for a good half of rest .Finally, once again, we remind: where there are corals at the entrance to the sea, you can not get into the water without special slippers, and splash around them should be cautious .

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Climate

The climate is tropical and subtropical continental (the coast of the Mediterranean Sea). In winter (December to February), the air temperature is +20 .. + 25 ° C, in summer (from May to September) +35 .. + 40 ° C. In winter and spring, dry hot winds "khamsin" often blow. Read also more about the weather in Egypt by months.

Do not miss: the current weather forecast for popular resorts in Egypt for the coming days.

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Nile Cruises

Today cruises on the Nile are held on the stretch from Luxor to Aswan. They are carried out on ships of categories 4 *, 5 * standart and 5 * deluxe, which, in fact, are "floating hotels". There are about two hundred of them. Each ship has from three to five decks. At the bottom is usually a restaurant, bar and disco, and on the top - a swimming pool, bar, a recreation area with awnings and sun loungers. The cabins are on all decks, except the top.

Meals are everywhere - full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner - buffet). Drinks are often not included in the price and are paid extra.

In addition to the standard set of excursions included in the cost of the program, tourists can order additional trips. The standard duration of the cruise program is 4-5 days (3-4 nights), swimming can be combined with rest in Cairo or Alexandria.

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Beaches

Here is a brief overview of the "beach TTX" of Egyptian resorts, a more detailed article is devoted to a separate article, which is called: "Beaches of Egypt."

All the beaches of Alexandria are sandy. A rare hotel, located within the city, has its own beach with sunbeds and umbrellas - most guests of these hotels have to settle for public city beaches. But all the coastal hotels located in the suburbs of Alexandria have their own equipped beaches.

In Hurghada, the beaches are gentle, but the open sea, fine and clean sand will not be found in all hotels. Most often these are artificially deepened lagoons. This is not always noticeable, but sometimes the water in the lagoons turns out to be rather cloudy. Many hotels have their own "home reef": corals near the beach, where you can see the fish. However, often because of the same corals it is impossible to enter the sea barefoot.

If we talk about the beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh, then in Naama Bay they are "conditionally-sandy": one can not swim without special shoes, but only in specially cleaned areas (usually they are surrounded by buoys) .The only natural sandy beach in Sharm - Sharm el-Maya Bay (hotels Iberotel Palace and Seti Sharm): only there you can safely bathe barefoot .But the beaches in the new areas of the resort (Hadaba, Sharks Bay, Nabq Bay) is more correctly called not sandy, but coral: there is an environmental zone and even to build over the coral walkways, the hotel needs a lot of permits .Almost on all beaches in these areas, corals start almost from the edge of the water and stretch for 15-30 meters .It is inconvenient for bathing children, but it pleases fans of underwater flora and fauna, watching strange coral fish and other wonders of the Red Sea right at their feet .

As a rule, the hotel provides free sunbeds and umbrellas for guests. There are urban public beaches, the entrance to which costs 5-10 EGP - it is only relevant for urban hotels without their own beach.

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Egypt Hotels

In Egypt, the hotels of all known world chains are represented. True, the "network prefix" before the name of the hotel does not guarantee a high-quality service. The general approach is the following: if you do not really need a budget tour, do not take anything below the Quartet. There are decent "trash" in the country, but they need to be known "in person": unchecked options should be dropped immediately. "Dvushki" in Egypt? Forget once and for all. Instead, always remember that all inclusive in different hotels can vary quite radically: specify all the details!

In Alexandria, hotels are mostly urban, in the suburbs - typically "beach", with a large territory and a wide range of services. Animation in local hotels is almost non-existent, and if such a phenomenon occurs, then, alas, not in Russian. But very often in hotels there are own night clubs and discos.

In Sharm el-Sheikh, the territory of hotels, as a rule, is larger than in Hurghada, and the establishments are newer - as, indeed, the resort itself. In Hurghada, there are significantly more 3 * hotels than in Sharm, and they are often located on the first line of the beach, while in Sharma "treshki" basically stand on the second line, at different distances from the sea (from 500-600 m). @

Makadi Bay and El Gouna - "mini-towns" with a small number of hotels. Soma Bay, El Quseir and Marsa Alam are young resorts that are currently being built up at a fast pace. The level of service in their hotels is also very different, but still closer to European than in Hurghada.

Rated mains voltage - 220 V, sockets - as in Russia.

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Kitchen and restaurants

In the Egyptian cuisine, everything goes to work: both traditional Middle Eastern lamb, spices and rice-couscous, and all that had the nonsense to swim in the network of local fishermen, from fish to cuttlefish .At the same time, the Egyptians emphasize the aroma, and not the severity of the dishes: generously use aromatic herbs, but the burning pepper - only occasionally to slightly shade the taste .National meat dishes are a variety of couscous and stew, of vegetables, falafel, "koshari" (rice, chick peas, pasta, tomato sauce) and classic "ful medames" - stewed beans with olive oil, onions and garlic .

The choice of catering establishments in Egypt is the widest: from inexpensive eateries on city streets to gourmet restaurants.

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Shopping and shopping

As a rule, only souvenirs are brought from Egypt: to buy there something else is practically meaningless. Typical local knick-knacks: basalt, granite or - most often - painted alabaster figurines of ancient Egyptian gods, hookah ("shisha") and papyri. In the resort areas the vast majority of shops and shops do not have fixed prices. Therefore - advice to tourists: bargain, bargain and bargain again. The original price is knocked down many times.

It is worth paying attention to products made from high-quality Egyptian cotton at ridiculous prices - around 200 EGP per shirt. It is worth asking the price for Egyptian carpets - even if they are not as famous as Indian or Persian carpets, but among them there are very high quality and beautiful specimens. Egyptian gold, too, can be a good investment of money, if you buy it in specialized jewelry (and not souvenir) stores.

In Cairo, you can buy clothes and shoes from well-known global brands: from the democratic Morgan to the disgraceful Calvin Klein, Armani, Hugo Boss and the like.

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Hookahs

In Egypt, sold four types of hookahs (they are also called "shishi"): iron (easily broken), aluminum (poisonous), brass and so-called "storms" - tubes with a glass vessel in the middle (which can not be washed).

Accordingly, only brass are suitable for smoking, while it is better to buy tobacco from Nakhla tobacco company - it is natural.

Important points when choosing a shisha: hookah should be with a large valve, and its hose should be made of camel skin, as plastic quickly tear.

You have to look after the hookah. This will help two brushes: thick for the bulb and thin long for the tube. Clean the hookah at least once a month. The secret of a good hookah: put the hot embers in a circle, put one in the center. When "shisha" smokes, remove a piece from the center - then the tobacco will not burn.

Entertainment, sightseeing and sightseeing in Egypt

The main excursion "chips" in Egypt exactly four, and they are all known: the pyramids, the Sphinx, the temples of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Usually their inspection is included in the program of one excursion, you can go to it even from the most remote resorts of Egypt (pyramids are often combined with a visit to Cairo). There is something to see and in the capital itself - these are numerous mosques, ancient buildings and the largest market in the Middle East Khan el-Khalili. The approximate cost of the tour is 80 EGP.

For more information on the interesting places of the country, visit the Egypt Attractions page.

The route along the Cairo environs is also interesting: Giza-Sakkara-Dahshur-Memphis .If you go directly from the Sphinx Square (near the pyramids), you can bargain with a taxi driver for 50 EUR for all three places .In Sakkara is the famous stepped pyramid of Djoser, more ancient and no less interesting than the same Cheops .And also the Imhotep Museum and the extensive necropolis on the site of Memphis .In Dashur - three low, but very beautiful pyramids, especially Pink and Lomanaya .The first got its name due to the color of limestone used in its construction, the second - because of the unusual shape with a sharp break of the faces .Memphis is the ancient capital of Egypt, from which now there is only a small museum with a huge sphinx .

In Alexandria, there is a fort built on the site of the legendary Faros Lighthouse (alas, obviously an unequal substitute), the famous Alexandria Library, the Montaz Palace, the Roman Amphitheater, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Pompey's Column and the Ras al-Tin Palace.

Those wishing to enjoy the beauty of the Egyptian flora and fauna, as well as all who want to try what is diving in Egypt, must certainly visit the Ras Mohammed national reserve in the Sinai Peninsula, 35 km from Sharm El Sheikh.

Details of all the above and not only in the article "Excursions of Egypt."

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Egyptian oases

Egyptian oases, which are in fact very worthy objects for excursions, are undeservedly deprived of attention. So, the three nearest to Cairo oasis: El-Fayyum, Bahariya and White Desert near Farafra. The easiest way to get to Fayum by bus from the Cairo bus terminal Turguman, from there also go minibuses to Bahariya. There you can swim in the thermal springs or ride to the White Desert. Photos of Egypt (480)