Traveling To Cairo Egypt During A Pandemic

I know there are many people still reluctant to travel during these times. I’m not one of them. If you have read my previous post then you know I’ve only traveled within Turkey. However, I had planned a trip for mid-August and when that fell through, a friend invited me on a once in a lifetime trip to Cairo. I couldn’t, wouldn’t and did not resist.

The flight and all accommodations including hotel, private security, driver and tour guide was included within the price. Which was very reasonable. The only requirement prior was the purchase of health insurance and 72 hours prior we had to take a Covid test. It was super easy. We arrived at the airport, paid roughly $25 and was given the website and unique bar code numbers to access our results within four hours.

The day started early with a short flight on Turkish Airlines from Izmir to Istanbul. After a long layover we hopped onto Egyptair and two hours later we had arrived in Cairo. I was very pleased with both airlines for taking cautionary measures. We were given goodie bags filled with hand sanitizer, gloves and additional masks and of course we had to keep our masks on the entire time unless you were eating or drinking. Unfortunately this is our new normal we just have to comply.

Upon our arrival in Cairo, we were welcomed by Kareem, our local travel coordinator. He greeted us before passport control and I’m so glad he did, because the one thing we forgot to do was get a visa. We are both military and made the assumption that we could arrive there off of our orders as we have during other trips. The visa was around $25 and was so easy to purchase. The entire process was less than an hour for arrival, customs and retrieving our luggage. Exiting the airport all I can do was exhale as I honestly was still in disbelief that I had made it there.

Helpful Tips:

Language: Arabic and English. Although we had an English speaking tour guide, there was never a point where there was a language barrier.

Currency: Egyptian Pound

Religion: The majority are Muslim and Christians makeup 10% of the population. Dress attirewas only an issue entering the mosque. After living in other Muslim countries, I always ensure that I travel with a scarf or wrap as your shoulders cannot be exposed upon entrance..

Where we stayed: Conrad Hotel. The hotel overlooked the Nile River and all I could think of was the music from the Black is King soundtrack. The staff were wonderful they spoke English and were very helpful. One of the waiters even googled how to make a Gin & Fizz for us!

Must See: The Egyptian Museum, Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Great Sphinx of Giza and Pyramids of Giza

It may sound a little selfish, and I know that it’s not good for the economy, however I thoroughly enjoyed traveling without waiting for that moment to try to capture the perfect picture amongst other tourists. We had the entire pyramids and Sphinx to ourselves. There was no time limit, as our guide Abbey was very accommodating and was so happy to be able to have tourists again. She even showed us the right spots for that Instagram picture. Four days was not nearly enough time. I really wish that we could have visited other cities as well.

Have you traveled during the pandemic? Please share your experience with me or let me know if you have any questions.

Shalonda