Visit Venice on a Budget: Explore the City at Low Cost

🇪🇬 Egypt Trip – Part One

This article documents my trip to Egypt, focusing mainly on Cairo. It includes useful information about costs, transportation, food, and attractions, based on my personal experience.

📅 Travel Period

The trip took place in July.

💱 Exchange Rate

During my trip, the exchange rate was approximately:

• 100 EUR ≈ 5,225 EGP
• 1 USD ≈ 50 EGP

📱 Mobile SIM Card

I purchased an Etisalat SIM card for:

• 450 EGP → ≈ 9 USD

The offer included 50 GB of data with a double-data promotion.

🏨 Accommodation in Cairo

Hotel stay for 3 nights / 4 days cost:

• 1,600 EGP → ≈ 32 USD

There are cheaper options available, as well as more expensive ones, depending on your preferences and budget.

🕌 Museums and Tourist Attractions

• Pyramids of Giza: 60 EGP → ≈ 1.20 USD
• Egyptian Museum: 30 EGP → ≈ 0.60 USD
• Citadel of Saladin (Mosque + Police Museum + Armed Forces Museum): 60 EGP → ≈ 1.20 USD
• Ahl Masr Walkway: 20 EGP → ≈ 0.40 USD
• Nile cruise with entertainment: 50 EGP → ≈ 1 USD
• Coptic Museum (Religious Complex): 20 EGP → ≈ 0.40 USD
• Amr Ibn Al-As Mosque: Free
• Sayyida Zainab Mosque: Free
• Sayyida Aisha Mosque: Free
• Abdeen Palace Museums: 20 EGP → ≈ 0.40 USD
• Al-Azhar Mosque: Free
• Al-Hussein Mosque: Closed for renovation
• Al-Muizz Street & Khan El Khalili: Free (some museums have symbolic fees)
• Cairo Tower: 500 EGP → ≈ 10 USD
• Al Ahly Club: Members only
• Maadi Island – 5-star Nile boat lunch/dinner: 350 EGP → ≈ 7 USD

Downtown Cairo, Old Cairo, Ramses, Talaat Harb, and Tahrir Square feel like open-air museums and are absolutely worth exploring.

☕ Cafés and Districts

• El Fishawy Café
• Umm Kulthum Café
• Zamalek District (home to the Algerian Embassy)

🏛️ National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

Entry ticket:

• 1,000 EGP → ≈ 20 USD

🍽️ Food in Egypt

Food prices start from:

• 10 EGP and up → ≈ 0.20 USD+

Popular foods you must try:

Ful, Taameya (falafel), liver sandwiches, mango, sugarcane juice, shawarma, Koshary Abou Tarek, sandwiches, and Hawawshi.

Recommended restaurants and places:

• El Khoukh
• Karam El Sham
• BeLaban
• El Refaai
• Zozo
• Natural juice shops

🚕 Transportation

Ride-hailing apps widely used:

• Uber
• InDriver
• DiDi

Since I was traveling alone, I often used motorbikes as they are cheaper:

• 20–150 EGP → ≈ 0.40–3 USD

Transportation options include motorbikes, taxis, tuk-tuks, buses, and the metro.

Cairo Metro tickets start from:

• 5 EGP and up → ≈ 0.10 USD+

ℹ️ Important Notes

• Some museums were visited only from the outside due to high ticket prices.
• In some museums, Arab visitors pay the same price as Egyptian citizens.
• In others, Arab visitors are treated as foreign tourists.
• Students (Egyptian or foreign) receive a 50% discount.
• Most museums accept Visa card payments.

To be continued…