Lonely Planet

• Eat: 93 restaurants
• Sleep: 59 hotels
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• See: 119 sights
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Weather

Cairo has only two seasons: summer and 'not-summer'. Given the choice, you're far better off visiting during 'not-summer', a period that stretches roughly from September to April or May. January and February (10-20°C/50-68°F) can be overcast with the occasional shower, but the months immediately either side are comfortably warm, with daytime temperatures leavened by breezes. Between March and April, Cairo is occasionally subject to the , a dry and very dusty wind storm which blows in from the parched Western Desert at up to 150kph (93mph). During summer the city is insufferably hot (35-38°C/95-100°F) and grimy, though the relatively low humidity makes the heat just bearable. Well-heeled Cairenes tend to sit out the summer on the coast in Alexandria.

Health & safety

Compared to most Western cities, Cairo is safe. You can walk almost anywhere you like, at any time of day or night, so long as you are properly dressed and a little streetwise. Single women should be careful when walking alone at night and should dress modestly. While rape on the street is very rare, harrassment can be aggressive; if dressed for a night on the town, better to take a taxi, even for short distances. Theft is not a big problem, but it pays to be safe. Readers have reported an increase in theft from locked hotel rooms, even from hotel safes, so think about keeping money and valuables on you or locked in a suitcase. Pickpockets are rare, but do sometimes operate in crowded spots like the metro and on buses. If anything does get stolen go straight to the nearest tourist police. A longstanding scam is the sale of over-priced trips to Luxor and Aswan. Many of Cairo's budget, and a few mid-range, hotels do a hard sell on packages of three or four days in Upper Egypt, which include accommodation and a boat or (traditional Nile sailing boat) trip. The travel agencies that organise the packages directly offer an all-inclusive price of around , but your Cairo hotel will ask for more. You could skip the packages altogether: accommodation is usually easy to find in Luxor and Aswan. And if you do want a package, call the agency yourself. Be aware that fake International Student Identification Cards are sold by scam artists in Downtown Cairo.

Visas

All visitors to Egypt, except nationals of Malta, South Africa and Zimbabwe are required to have a visa and a passport (which must be valid at least one week beyond period of intended stay). Visas can be arranged through Egyptian embassies worldwide. Visitors from the US, Canada, EU and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries may be able to purchase a visa stamp upon arrival at many large airports if the visit is for tourist purposes. One-month visitor's visas can be extended. Military permits issued by either the Ministry of Interior or Border Police are needed to travel in the Eastern Desert south of Shams Allam (50km south of Marsa Allam), on or around Lake Nasser, off-road in the Western Desert and on the road between the oases of Bahariyya and Siwa. These can be obtained through a safari company or travel agency at least a fortnight in advance of the trip.

When to go

Cairo has only two seasons: summer and 'not-summer'. Given the choice, you're far better off visiting during 'not-summer', a period that stretches roughly from September to April or May. It's also worth considering the timing of the various Muslim festivals when planning your trip. During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, many businesses work half-days, museums and tourist sites shut early and many restaurants only open after sundown. Alcohol is rarely served outside hotels and you may have to show a passport to prove that you're not Egyptian (they're forbidden from drinking in public places throughout the month).