The Disco Ball Traveler

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Egypt packing tricks and what’s with the money?

I would have packed soooooo much differently had I known some of this stuff! So buckle up!

My goal is to create a full list / PDF of things I packed (or wish I had packed!). But, priorities my sweets. Here’s the highlights besides the normal travel stuff.

  • Travel disco ball, obvi.
  • Clothes
    • Our tour company prepared us to wear long pants, shirts that cover elbows, and have a headscarf ready when visiting temples. It was not required when we were visiting, I even asked my Tour Manager if I could wear a skirt one day, and he said, yeah, no biggie.
    • I think modesty and respect are at the core here – Think twice about those booty shorts or skimpy tanks
    • Headscarves were not required, nor did we see many wearing them.
    • Linen pants, shirts
    • A light jacket for January – It was a little chilly in the morning!
    • All your normal travel clothes
  • Shoes
    • Closed toe, comfortable, sturdy sneakers
      • Temple floors are uneven
      • Leave those stilettos at home girlies
    • Flip flops or birks for walking around the boat (swimming pool was too cold in January, but likely delightful in summer)
  • Electronics
    • Our ship had 2 different electrical outlets. The C and F. It was good we brought a few of each, so we were well covered. Type F I think was more prevalent in hotels & ship.
    • Power bank – There’s some days when you’re travelling alllll day.
    • An eSIM – Big fan of Airolo. Wifi on the ship was eh. Buy and install one before you leave the US. Once your phone detects an Egypt cell tower, it automatically asks you to switch on the Egypt eSIM. Easy. 10 days unlimited data was around $30 USD.
    • Bring a USB-A compatible charger for the tour buses – Not all busses had electricity, but the ones that did only had USB-A.
    • For iPhones, you want the USB-A to USB-C cable.
    • Download movies/shows on your phone. Egypt Air entertainment systems were a bit outdated.
  • Alcohol (yes, really)
    • Egypt really only has 3 kinds of wine (red, white, rose), and one kind of beer. Hard alcohol is imported and expensive. More on this later.
    • At JFK airport Duty Free, we bought 3 bottles of good red wine to carry on with us. We regretted not buying a bottle of bourbon to share with our tour group.
    • Can you pack a bottle in your check bag? Probably. We didn’t look into this, but may be another option if you like a nice nightcap.
    • Egypt Air is a dry airline. If you like a glass of wine or a cocktail before sleeping, buy some single serving portions at the airport.
  • Toiletries
    • Body lotion, face serums, face lotion, conditioner – It’s verrrry dry
    • Tip: Take the lotion from the hotel as a backup
    • Tissues for bathrooms that may not have paper
    • Wet wipes / Hand sanitizer – Good in a pinch if there’s no bathroom soap.
  • Bug wipes – The Nile can get buggy, (I came home with a few bites)
  • Mask for dust / sand / smoke

So, what’s up with the money in Egypt?

Yup, you may have read that Egypt largely accepts US Dollars (USD). Well, it’s true. The exchange rate is not as good as if you pay with Egyptian Pounds (EGP).

  • We brought small denominations of dollars to pay for things like tips ($1-$2), bathrooms at tourist sites ($1). Dollars, Fives, Tens. We used larger bills to tip our Tour Manager at the end. New, crisp, bills only.
  • ATMs are everywhere. We got $80 worth of EGP on Day 1 and that was enough for 10 days. We supplemented with the small USD where needed
  • ATMs will take USD and convert it to EGP. I have never seen this before, but it’s fascinating.
  • Credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and larger shops – Carpets, oils, etc.
  • Cash is used at the markets after bartering (more on this later!)
  • Casinos only take USD (weird, I know). We were easily able to go to the cashier and get dollars from our US bank. This was specifically at the Cairo Marriott Hotel.
  • Visa on arrival – Egypt requires this be paid in cash ($25 USD only, as of Jan 2026). Super easy, don’t fall for the scammers.

Overall, it was very easy to pay for things and manage with the two currencies. Definitely something I’ve never experienced traveling (the wide acceptance of a foreign currency)!

Have you ever seen this before?

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