Going to Egypt for holiday. Is there anything tourists should know about local customs etc?

I Am Sin: Going to Egypt for holiday. Is there anything tourists should know about local customs etc?
Hi, we’re going to egypt on holiday some time in the summer holidays.
I would like to know about local customs such as things that are deemed appropriate or inappropriate.
I’ve read with clothing it has to be below the knee and covering arms? And what is the rules about swimming costumes and the such.
I really wouldn’t like to offend anyone whilst there so any tips would be very much appreciated
Would like to know more about the customs really.

Answers and Views:

Answer by dustie rhodes
No matter where you vacation, beware of thieves who prey on tourists. Try not to display wealth, careful of carriyng important items in your purse. I know an American in her 20s who was punched in the face, her pocketbook stolen while visiting France. Just a reminder.

Answer by nadoosh
i would like to tell u that Egypt is the safest country u could ever visit every where there are security people caring about tourists but i wanna tell u that u must have a tour guide because u’ll be lost if ur alone believe me LOL
btw about ur clothes it depends where r u exactly in egypt if in Sharm el Shkeih or hurghada don’t care about ur clothes wear what ever u wan’t but in cairo u can wear anything also but it’s better if u wore a jeans than a skirt about the clothes under the knee and those stuff they it’s just for the vailed girls
have a nice holiday in egypt ,i’am sure u’ll have fun btw visit sharm el sheikh it has the best beaches ,resorts over there 🙂

Answer by G. #2
I will tell you:

– In the hotel, feel free to do as you wish, walk with cut sleeves, short shorts, swim with bikini, whatever.

– In the street however, try not to wear too revealing, you can wear t-shirt, but try not cut sleeves, and not showing parts of your body such as boobs. You can wear shorts, but preferable not too short above the knee.

That’s it really.

Answer by Gaby
If you are a woman it is totally inappropriate for a man to touch you at all … a lot of them will try and kiss your hand, and while that is ok in a western culture, it is completely an attack to you…
You can wear t-shirts but trousers shud cover ur knees. However, fi you go to the beach in Dahab (which i totally reccomend, instead of Sharm or Hurghada) you can wear shorts and sleeveless tops; your swimsuit shud be 1 piece if in Cairo; if at a resort – 2 piece is ok, but no G-string.
If you have a man with you, let him do the talking – locals would prefer talking to a man when bargaining or buying anything. It is a men culture…
Egyptians are friendly and will try and invite you for tea … make sure you use ur common sense to see the difference between those who try and rip u off and those who are genuine.
They often assume that any foreigner has a LOT of money…
If you take a taxi, ride in the back, never in the front if you are a woman.
Leave a tip wherever you go …
The Egyptians like to make jokes so smile a lot…. dont act scared!!! Their way of making jokes is making jokes at other people’s expense, so do not get offended!
Express an interest in their family …. it is a family culture!
I can go on and on… but these the the things I can think of now.

Answer by Egypt Tour Guide
Great tips to visit Egypt on facebook, search for ILikeEgypt.com 500 tips to visit Egypt on facebook

Answer by Kate
no thats not true about wearing that code …
theres lots of russians in sharm el sheik. do you think they stick to the dress code ? lol
just be wary of your bags and make sure you never leave them alone anywhere… also dont be fooled into people taking you into their shops… they will harass you alot to get in their as they need the money ofcourse and tourists are an easy target to be fooled
take lots of suncrean , when i was there over the years its always been hot , around about 50 ..smoking hot!
take light clothes and simple because of the heat… and comfortable shoes , you dont want to be walking rond nama bay in high heel shoes…
have a nice time 🙂

Answer by MACer
you will figure out all this info the moment you walk down the streets, but in general try to cover as much skin and hair as possible.

Answer by Passion
Yes that’s true. Wear up till ur knees/elbows. For swimsuit I would recommend one piece swimsuit like this one:
Good luck!

Answer by Listen To Granny
Truuust me, it really depends on where your staying, and ofcourse your overall appearance, if you look arabian, then yes your not allowed to show TOO much skin, but if you don’t thats just fine, it really doesn’t matter no one cares, haha its a pretty easy going country! No, it doesn’t have to be, I mean I don’t always cover my arms, I don’t wear skirts, but thats just me! Its totally okay I mean like I said it depends where your staying, like if your staying at maaadi then no one cares what your wearing, ive seen ppl walk out of their houses in their bathing suits! but if its more a ghetto area then I recommend being a bit more conservative. It really doesn’t matter, seriously! There arn’t any specific customs, but atm do not bring up algeria or I swear you can get beat up…. I’ve done that….. and its not good. Just be friendly, and we like it when you say our names right! But other than that the most important thing to an Egyptian citizen is soccer and food. =)
WELCOME!!!!!!
=DD

Answer by Tarek Flash
About the swimming costumes i think normal bikini swimming suit is cool and it some places in Egypt like sharm el shaikh topless I think