World Guide

Egypt

Country · Africa, Northern Africa

Egypt
Photo: Ricardo Liberato, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Egypt is a country located in Northern Africa with the capital Cairo. It covers an area of 1,010,408 square kilometers and has a population of about 118 million people. The country offers travelers a range of historical sights and cities.

Highlights

The site covers 67 sights. Key locations include cities such as Cairo, Luxor, Alexandria, and Aswan. Notable sights feature the Great Pyramid of Giza, Lighthouse of Alexandria, Great Sphinx of Giza, Mount Sinai, Memphis, Grand Egyptian Museum, Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel, Tomb of Tutankhamun, Karnak, Pyramid of Djoser, Pyramid of Khafre, Luxor Temple, Red Pyramid, Egyptian Museum, Amarna, Abydos, Bent Pyramid, Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, and Al-Rifa'i Mosque.

Food and drink

Local dishes include Jalebi, Kofta, Matzah, Tulumba, Ful medames, Koshary, Simit, Basbousa, Lokma, Bissara, Rumi cheese, and Hawawshi.

When to go

The climate data reflects Cairo. January and February have daily highs of 19 °C to 20 °C and lows of 8 °C with minor rain. March sees highs of 24 °C and lows of 10 °C. April warms to 29 °C with lows of 13 °C. May through September bring hot conditions with highs ranging from 32 °C to 36 °C and lows from 16 °C to 21 °C with no rain. October cools to 30 °C, November to 25 °C, and December to 20 °C with low rainfall.

Practical notes

The currency is the Egyptian pound. The official language is Arabic. Plugs type C and F are used with a voltage of 220.0 V. Driving is on the right side. The time zone is UTC+02:00.

Cities

Food and drink to try in Egypt

  • Jalebi
  • Kofta
  • Matzah
  • Tulumba
  • Ful medames
  • Koshary
  • Simit
  • Basbousa
  • Lokma
  • Bissara
  • Rumi cheese
  • Hawawshi

Top sights in Egypt

  1. Great Pyramid of GizaGreat Pyramid of GizaCairo
  2. Lighthouse of AlexandriaLighthouse of AlexandriaAlexandria
  3. Great Sphinx of GizaGreat Sphinx of GizaCairo
  4. Mount SinaiMount Sinai
  5. MemphisUNESCOMemphis
  6. Grand Egyptian MuseumGrand Egyptian MuseumCairo
  7. Valley of the KingsValley of the KingsLuxor
  8. Abu SimbelUNESCOAbu SimbelAbu Simbel
  9. Tomb of TutankhamunTomb of TutankhamunLuxor
  10. KarnakUNESCOKarnakLuxor
  11. Pyramid of DjoserPyramid of DjoserSaqqara
  12. Pyramid of KhafrePyramid of KhafreCairo
  1. Luxor Temple · LuxorUNESCO
  2. Red Pyramid
  3. Egyptian Museum · Cairo
  4. Amarna
  5. Abydos
  6. Bent Pyramid
  7. Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut · Luxor
  8. Al-Rifa'i Mosque · Cairo
  9. Pyramid of Menkaure · Cairo
  10. Elephantine · Aswan
  11. Iconic Tower · New Capital
  12. Bibliotheca Alexandrina · Alexandria
  13. Colossi of Memnon · Luxor
  14. Aswan High Dam · Aswan
  15. Serapeum of Saqqara · Saqqara
  16. Citadel of Qaitbay · Alexandria
  17. Fustat · CairoUNESCO
  18. Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa · Alexandria
  19. Unfinished obelisk · Aswan
  20. Temple of Edfu · Edfu
  21. City of the Dead · Cairo
  22. Ramesseum · Luxor
  23. Deir el-Bahari · Luxor
  24. Khan el-Khalili · Cairo
  25. Temple of Kom Ombo · Kom Ombo
  26. National Museum of Egyptian Civilization · Cairo
  27. Taposiris Magna · Alexandria
  28. Al-Azhar Mosque · Cairo
  29. Abdeen Palace · Cairo
  30. Osireion
  31. Bubastis · Zagazig
  32. Deir el-Medina · Luxor
  33. Wadi al Hitan · FaiyumUNESCO
  34. Cairo Tower · Cairo
  35. Babylon Fortress · Cairo
  36. Mosque of Ibn Tulun · Cairo
  37. Baron Empain Palace · Cairo
  38. Theban Necropolis · LuxorUNESCO
  39. Muhammad Ali Mosque · Cairo
  40. Tomb of Seti I · Luxor
  41. Islamic Cairo · CairoUNESCO
  42. Valley of the Queens · Luxor
  43. Tomb of Nefertari · Luxor
  44. Dahshur · Cairo
  45. Black Pyramid
  46. Al-Hussein Mosque · Cairo
  47. Aswan Low Dam · Aswan
  48. Montaza Palace · Alexandria
  49. Ben Ezra Synagogue · Cairo
  50. Mausoleum of Aga Khan · Aswan
  51. Umm El Qa'ab
  52. White Desert National Park
  53. Meidum Pyramid · Faiyum
  54. Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi'i · CairoUNESCO
  55. Pyramid of Teti · Saqqara
  56. Abu MenaUNESCO
  57. Al-Sayyida Nafisa Mosque · CairoUNESCO
  58. Black Desert · Bahariya Oasis
  59. Wadi El Rayan · Faiyum
  60. Valley of the Golden Mummies · Bahariya Oasis

UNESCO sites in Egypt →

Weather by month

The warmest month is July, with an average high of 36 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C192024293235363634302520
Average low, °C8910131719212120181410
Rainfall, mm444100000123
Rainy days433200000222

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Cairo (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

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