Packing list for Egypt, travel insurance for Egypt, and taking your belongings

What to take with you to Egypt: short

Featured items:

• Documents: passport valid for at least 6 months upon arrival. An online and/or offline copy of your passport is also always useful.
• Money: It is useful to have Egyptian pounds (EGP) when you want to pay at markets, small shops and street vendors. Also, outside tourist areas, there are not always ATMs available.
• Care: sunscreen with a high factor - because hiding from the sun is going to be difficult in Egypt and buying it there is expensive!
• Outdoor and conveniences: cap or hat and sunglasses.
• Clothing: breathable clothing and layers. It can still be quite cold in the winter months. As a woman, it can be nice to wear covering clothing.
• Shoes: comfortable, airy (walking) shoes and sandals.
• Medicines and travel kit: a small first aid kit with plasters, hand sanitizer, painkillers, anti-diarrhea and ORS. Anti-mosquito repellent for the summer.
• Technology and equipment: world plug with type C & F.
• Women: scarf or light shawl for the sun and for visiting mosques. Tampons if you use them!

What are some other options for packing as well?

• Reusable water bottle with filter (more about drinking bottles).
• Portable fan or fan for cooling.
• Quick-drying travel towel and swimwear for the beach or pool. In terms of swimwear, what people wear varies - from bikini to burkini.
• Diving goggles and snorkel!
• Earplugs for the noisy cities.
• Biodegradable tissues for the toilets. Often there is no toilet paper.

What should you keep in mind when traveling to Egypt with your belongings?

• What time of year you are going.
• The dress code at different locations.
• What you are going to do.

Are there mosquitoes in Egypt?

• Yes, there are! You will mainly find mosquitoes in areas around water.
• Egyptian mosquitoes are most active in the evening and at night.
• You do not need to be afraid of malaria, but other diseases such as dengue and West Nile virus do occur.

Are there sandflies in Egypt?

• Sand flies live in Egypt, but don’t often cause problems for tourist. 
• They are usually active during twilight and night.
• There is a risk that they can transmit leishmaniasis.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellents, in Egypt?

• It is not always easy to find mosquito repellent in Egypt.
• Your best chance is online and at pharmacies and large drugstores.
• It is easiest to bring your own preferred repellent from home. 

Can you buy beer or wine in Egypt, or take it to Egypt?

• Because Egypt is a largely Islamic country, it is not necessarily easy or cheap to go wild with a night of drinking. And that despite the fact that they have quite a history with beer and wine production!
• Alcohol consumption is haram, or forbidden, for Muslims according to Islam. Apart from that, it is legal to drink alcohol in Egypt and available in certain hotels, restaurants and bars, especially in tourist areas.
• You must be 21 years old to be able to drink alcohol.
• It is better not to drink alcohol in public, because it's forbidden.
• Alcohol consumption is also totally forbidden during Ramadan and Islamic holy days.
• You’re allowed to bring one liter of alcohol in your luggage. 

Can you buy a joint or weed in Egypt, or take it with you to Egypt?

• Totally illegal. Smoking of cannabis does happen in Egypt, but the laws are strictly enforced. Especially for tourists!
• A prison sentence is not uncommon.
• So you are not allowed to take a joint or weed with you either.