The "Journey to Egypt" has a mystical side to it. Since the 15th century, it has been an essential adventure to increase your knowledge but also to confront legend with reality. So it is always the case with the visitor who tramples on the arable land of the Delta, the silty banks of the Nile, the burning sand of the country's deserts. The Egyptian people have just experienced a revolution, having shed their blood to make democracy real. After a period of political turmoil, calm has returned. In the name of the fight against terrorism, hopes for democracy and freedom have failed. History, which has shaped the country for seven millennia, continues its march, inexorably, as the Nile follows its course and gives life to those who drink from it. Sure to be "the mother of the world", Egypt continues to welcome with open arms, all those who wish to discover the land of the Pharaohs, its cities and its wonders: Cairo, Alexandria, the temples of Luxor and Karnak, the pyramid of Kheops... But an Egyptian tourist guide will also be able to advise amateurs to dive in the Red Sea in order to admire, in particular, its coral reef. So, no fear to have; the Egyptians are still as benevolent as ever, eager to make their country known to all those who come here, for its rich heritage, its turquoise waters and white sand, its rosary of oases and its biblical mountains. Come on, it's time to do your "Journey to Egypt"!

What to see, what to do Egypt?

When to go Egypt ?

It is not very complicated to know when to go to Egypt: all year round! Although the tourist seasons vary from region to region. In Upper Egypt and Cairo, the high tourist season runs from October to February. Then it starts to get cold. The low season runs from May to September. This is not true for the Mediterranean coast where the high season is from July to September. Apart from the initial choices based on the climate, Egypt can also be visited during Ramadan. Admittedly, the hours of museums and sites are shortened, but the nightlife is incomparable, with concerts organized in the streets, cafés, cultural centers, and Ramadan tents that welcome musicians until 4am. Eid celebrations, which are family celebrations and do not give rise to any particular event, should be avoided. The high season begins in October and ends in March. The low season begins in April and ends in September.

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Practical information for travel Egypt

Egypt is a vast country. It is " Oum ed-Dounia " (the mother of the world); the one that Isis will walk through to find the scattered pieces of her sweet Osiris? A long amorous quest, like that of the traveller touched by Egypt before having trodden the ground, and who, once he has tasted the water of the Nile, will come back to it, a second time, and then often? It is thus with modesty that one must undertake his "journey in Egypt", and take the time to discover the country, when one can. Great civilizations have shone on these varied lands; the profile of Pharaoh wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt always projects its magnificence on the country. It is dense, but one also takes the time to feel the country at the seven thousand-year-old rhythm of its civilizations, whose inhabitants today are the perfect example of serenity in the face of time: everything flows, like the Nile, life, death, and then afterwards...

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How to go Egypt

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How to go alone

Flying is the best way to get to Egypt. While most air tickets are sold to Cairo, there are seven airports in the country.

How to go on a tour

Many tours are available to visit Egypt. Cruises on the Nile are obviously the most popular trips. But self-drive tours are also available. Finally, thematic trips, such as "diving" trips, are also possible in the Red Sea.

How to get around

Almost all means are good to get around the place. By plane, the domestic service works quite well. On the water (on the Nile, therefore), two means exist: the sailing boat and the cruise ship. On the road, bus trips are often very efficient; just like train trips. On the other hand, driving a car is... sporty and confusing, the daily rules of the Egyptians having nothing to do with ours!

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Discover Egypt

The profile of Pharaoh wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt still projects its magnificence on the country. Great civilizations have shone on these varied lands. It is dense, but you also take the time to feel the country at the seven thousand year old rhythm of its civilizations, whose inhabitants today are the perfect example of serenity in the face of time: everything flows, like the Nile, the creative and nourishing river that has fed the country for thousands of years. From the depths of the Red Sea to the oases of the desert, meet a wise and peaceful people: their religion, their values, their different heritages - architectural, musical, culinary. Egypt invites you to discover its thousand and one facets. A long quest for love, like that of the traveller who is touched by Egyptomania before he has set foot on the ground and, once he has tasted the water of the Nile, will return a second time, and then often...

Pictures and images Egypt

Le Sphinx. Shariff Che'Lah - Fotolia
Plongeurs passant près des récifs coralliens au parc national Ras Muhammad. Adam Ke - Shutterstock.com
La mosquée d'Amr Ibn el As a été restaurée au XVIIIe siècle. georgeatef - Shutterstock.com
Le Caire, surnommée

The 12 keywords Egypt

1. #Animals

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They populate city streets and country roads. Many cats and dogs roam around restaurants, more or less insistently asking people at tables to share their meals. They are very rarely aggressive, although fights between rival gangs can sometimes suggest otherwise.

2. #Baksheesh

This tip, usually expected as a reward for a service rendered, does not only apply to tourists. The economic situation and the persistence of informal work do not guarantee a decent wage for many Egyptian workers. Low wages and rising living costs make baksheesh a necessity.

3. #Coffee (qahwa)

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More than just a drink, qahwa is eaten in a group, accompanied by a shisha. Finely ground and boiled in a kanaka, qahwa can be drunk sada (no sugar), masbout (medium dose) or sokkar ziyada (lots of sugar), it is always flavoured with cardamom. Coffee is also a place to discuss politics (with caution).

4. #Beliefs

The place of superstitions is not negligible in the daily life of the Egyptians. Against the jinns or evil spirits, Father Saaman, a Coptic priest, advocated exorcism. Still today, his church of Moqqattam is attended every week by hundreds of Christians and Muslims wanting to appease their souls.

5. #Foul (the bean)

Foul is the staple of the Egyptian diet. Simmered for a few hours in a narrow-necked pot, it can be topped up with olive oil, fried eggs, basterma (dried beef) or tahina (sesame cream). Highly nutritious - thanks to its high vegetable protein content - it replaces meat, which is becoming increasingly expensive.

6. #Street Trades

Shoe-shine boys, seed sellers or car tire dealers: in Egypt, trades are on display along the streets... Everyone is busy in the souks. Sweet potato vendors and their strolling ovens fill the streets with their warm smell. The small trades are legion and can sometimes be surprising!

7. #Nil

At 6,700 km long, the world's second-longest river is the cradle of Egyptian culture, and isn't the country itself a gift of the Nile? Revered in the time of the Pharaohs, controlling its floods was a major issue in the 19th century. You're bound to come across it during your trip, and you may even have the chance to ride on its waves!

8. #Night

Egyptian cities don't shut down once the sun goes down. So there's nothing to stop you going to the hairdresser at 9pm, finding a birthday present after dinner or doing your shopping late into the night... Cairo never completely sleeps, except on Friday mornings, before prayer, when it's very quiet.

9. #Pain

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Bread is a staple of the Egyptian diet. Nothing expresses its importance better than its translation into Egyptian dialect: 'aish, which also means "life". Egyptian bread, known as 'aish baladi, is a round, flat cake. It is renowned for its nutritional qualities. Don't hesitate to stroll around the markets and taste it.

10. #Revolutions #

Egypt's history is marked by numerous revolutionary episodes: long before 2011, the 1919 revolution helped to topple English domination, and the 1952 coup d'état toppled the monarchy and brought Nasser to the head of the country. Persistent structural problems do not rule out the possibility of further uprisings.

11. #Tourism

It's no exaggeration to say that tourism was invented for Egypt. The joint rise of Egyptology and Orientalism in the 19th century played a major role in the development of travel to lands hitherto known only to merchants. At the end of the 20th century, the development of mass tourism transformed the country and its infrastructure.

12. #Urbanism

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The surface area of the cities is constantly increasing and they are buildings that now extend over what were agricultural fields a few years ago. Yet many laws exist. But corruption and negligence allow buyers to circumvent them. A major problem that the authorities do not seem to have taken the measure of.

You are from here, if...

You misusethe term "maalich"(it's okay). Both when you almost run over someone and when you walk past a customer in line.

You always carry your wooden mouthpiece withyou to smoke chicha in the popular cafés!

For breakfast , you eat foul (beans), which you buy from one of the vans ('arabiyât foul) parked in the streets, offering sandwiches or plates to eat on the spot.

Take a jacket and scarf with you at all times, even if the heat reaches 45°C, as the air-conditioning in cafés and transport halls is set at 16°C.

You put 3 or even 4 teaspoons of sugar in your tea, and if the sugar runs out, the whole country goes into a major crisis.

You usethe horn to express your feelings when you want to use your car.

You know Oum Kalthoum's repertoireby heart.

Card Egypt

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