What crew need on the ground
Two ordinary habits get crew into trouble in Cairo: getting into a taxi without settling the price first, and pointing a camera at something the state treats as off limits.
The meter is not the default in a Cairo taxi, so fix how you are paying before the doors close.
Uber and Careem both run in Egypt, and the app price is the whole point: it is settled before you get in.
Updated information about entry requirements and regional tensions ('Warnings and insurance' and 'Entry requirements' pages).
Read the full advice at UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office →Six hours is a Heliopolis window. It is not a Giza one.
Twelve hours buys one district and a meal, chosen before you land.
Twenty-four hours is the only window where Giza is a plan rather than a gamble.
The airport side of the city, and the only district a short layover can reach and return from without gambling on the traffic.
An island in the Nile, compact enough to walk in an evening without crossing the city twice.
The dense 19th-century core around Tahrir. Also where the rules on photographing government buildings actually bite.
The embassy quarter south of Tahrir. Quiet streets, and the photography restrictions apply harder here than anywhere else you would walk.
The Pyramids side of the river. A full-day trip, not a long afternoon, and the wrong call on anything under 24 hours.
Cameras and drones are what put visitors in a police station, and your passport belongs in your pocket, not the hotel safe.
The UK Foreign Office states that it is illegal to take photos of, or near, military property, and that this includes the Suez Canal. The Government of Canada extends the prohibited list to bridges, canals, government, police and embassy buildings and vehicles, and military personnel and establishments.
You must get a permit to enter Egypt with professional photography or film equipment, and the UK Foreign Office says that covers photography umbrellas and artificial outdoor lighting gear, not only the camera body.
Drones: the Government of Canada states drones are strictly prohibited in Egypt and that anyone convicted of unauthorised import or use could face lengthy jail terms and deportation. The UK Foreign Office says using a drone without permission from Egypt's Ministry of Defence carries up to seven years in prison or a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 Egyptian pounds.
Police check ID regularly and will ask to see your passport, and the UK Foreign Office warns that failing to produce your passport and visa may lead to detention.
Drinking alcohol anywhere other than licensed restaurants, bars, private homes or certain tourist resorts is illegal and can lead to arrest. Drug penalties are severe: the UK Foreign Office says possession, even of small amounts, can lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Many taxis in Egypt have no working meter, and back seats are rarely fitted with seat belts, per the Government of Canada, which advises agreeing the fare beforehand. Either settle the whole fare before you set off or use an app that prices the trip upfront.
Getting out of the airport in fullUber in Egypt calculates the price from estimated trip time, distance from origin to destination, time of day, route and demand patterns, and includes tolls, taxes, other fees and surcharges. That is the mechanism that removes the fare argument at the kerb.
Ride-hailing in fullEgypt ended its customs exemption on mobile phones carried in by passengers from 12:00 on Wednesday 21 January 2026, in a decision issued jointly by the Egyptian Customs Authority and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Egyptian Streets reports that the exemption remains in place for tourists for 90 days from when they arrive in Egypt.
Staying connected in fullJune, July and August normals give mean daily maxima of 34.6C, 34.8C and 34.5C, with mean monthly rainfall of zero. Overnight means stay above 21C, so the heat does not clear after dark.
Weather in fullWorld Meteorological Organization,checked Sep 2026
Card acceptance is limited. The Government of Canada says major credit cards are accepted in larger stores and for larger purchases, but many merchants will only accept cash or may charge a fee for card. Carry Egyptian pounds for a meal.
Eating near the crew hotels in fullThe Egyptian Customs Authority sets the traveller's allowance at one carton of 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200g of tobacco, one litre of spirits, and new items up to 15,000 Egyptian pounds provided they are for personal use and not in quantities that carry the character of trade.
What to buy in fullNothing here on tipping in Cairo. Tell us what crew should know
Save the guide and its 7 sections now, and read them on the crew bus before you have a SIM.
Fares, timetables and rules change. Where a figure matters to your plan, the publisher above is the one to check.