Home to one of the great civilisations of the ancient world, Egypt is a favourite destination for travellers and a must-see for lovers of history. The pyramids at Giza, the only remaining of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, are world famous and a spectacular site. Less well known but equally impressive are the temples and tombs along the Nile valley from Luxor to Lake Nasser, which highlight the magnificence of this civilisation across centuries. A boat trip along the Nile, whether on a cruise ship or felucca sailing boat, is a great way to visit these sites and experience traditional Egyptian life. Away from the Nile Valley, the Western Desert offers spectacular desert landscapes and historic and fascinating oasis towns. The Sinai peninsula in the east is a great location for trekking in the Sinai mountains while Red Sea ports and villages offer some of the best diving locations in the world. Explore in depth highlights of Egypt.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
|---|---|---|
| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +2 (Central Africa time) |
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| Daylight savings: | GMT +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Thursday in September |
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| Main languages: | Arabic |
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| Currency: |
Egyptian pounds (EGP) €1 = £9.93, $1 = £8.90, £1 = £11.84 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .eg | International Dialling Code: 20 |
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For help planning your trip to Egypt including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Egypt trip planning page.
Further information on Egypt
Discover more about Egypt - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 1,001,450 sq km (6,000 sq km under water)
Coastline: 2,450 km (Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea)
Neighbours (border lengths): Israel (266km), Libya (1,115km), Sudan (1,273km), Gaza Strip (11km)
Climate: Much of Egypt is covered by desert with a warm, sunny climate all year round. Summer can be unbearably hot, especially along the Nile Valley. Temperatures are more moderate between October and May, the best time to visit.
Highest mountain: Mount Catherine (2,629m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Egypt from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Not Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Authoritarian regime | 138/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 124/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Very serious situation | 156/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | No rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Medium corruption | 94/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 166/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Arab Republic of Egypt Status: Independent Country
Population: 86,895,099 (rank: 15/196) Density: 86.7 people/sq km (rank: 91/196)
Ethnic groups: Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census)
Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%
GDP (PPP): $551.4 billion GDP per capita: $6,600 (rank: 116/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.