Visiting Egypt in Ramadan

Is it a bad time to come?

Not at all — it is one of the most rewarding times to visit, as long as you know what to expect. Sites stay open, hotels work normally, and the evenings are wonderful.

Each year Ramadan starts about eleven days earlier in the Gregorian calendar.

What is different

Hours. Museums and monuments usually close an hour or two early. We adjust every itinerary for it automatically.

Food. Lots of local restaurants close during the day. Hotels and tourist areas keep serving, often behind a screen.

Alcohol. Shops don't sell it during Ramadan; hotels still do.

Traffic. The hour before sunset has the worst traffic of the year, with the whole country heading home for iftar. Then the streets are empty for about ninety minutes. We plan with that in mind.

Office hours. Government offices and many businesses keep shorter hours, and service can slow down in the afternoons, when people are fasting and tired.

Being a good guest

Don't eat, drink or smoke in public during the day — including drinking water in the street. No one expects you to fast, but keeping it out of sight is simple courtesy.

Dress a touch more conservatively than you otherwise would.

Wish people Ramadan kareem, the greeting of the season. It is always appreciated.

Don't miss

Iftar. The meal at sunset. Ask your guide to take you to one of the public iftar tables that charities set up in the street, where anyone can sit down and eat. It is one of the most moving sights anywhere.

The lanterns. Cairo fills with fanous lanterns, and Al-Muizz Street at night during Ramadan is extraordinary.

Suhoor. The meal before dawn. Cairo is wide awake at 2am in Ramadan, and there is nothing else like it.

Eid Al Fitr

The three-day celebration at the end of Ramadan. On the first day nearly everything closes, flights and hotels fill with Egyptians travelling, and prices go up. Book early, or avoid those three days.