Cairo on a layover
 

I am getting a very good deal ($1300 OW) in J from BOM to JFK on Egypt Air. Comes with a 22 hr layover in Cairo. I would like to get the visa on arrival and explore the pyramids in giza, visit the cairo museum and maybe the bazaar using a guided tour.

However, the US state department advises against travel to Egypt. So that got me a bit worried. Is Egypt generally safe? If I proceed with this itinerary, could it cause challenges upon my return to the US? I am a US Citizen with global entry.

No issues re:GE.
Just take general precautions - pickpockets, etc.
22h layover - easy to see what you're looking to visit.
Uber worked really well, but do plan for traffic.

Thank you!

We had about the same amount of layover, and for $350 booked for the whole family a guided tour of the Giza, the Egyptian Museum, Sphinx, etc, that included the vehicle, guide, fuel, everything. Definitely doable.

Was there a visa needed for you guys? The website says 6-24 hours transit with onward tickets would not require Visa, is that still the case?

I'm curious about this too. What website are you referring to? I'm a Canadian and Egypt just cancelled their E-Visa and vVsa on arrival program for Canadians. My family and I have a 530am to 11PM layover in a few months and was going to do a pyramids tour but am not sure what to do now that we have to go through the hassle of getting a regular visa from the Egyptian embassy, which means mailing in passports. Even with lounge access the thought of sitting in the airport that long is not appealing at all.

Don't count on the lounge - boring as heck... not sure they'd let you spend the entire day there anyway...

Cairo has a lower crime, and higher safety index than Los Angeles. Egypt as a whole is safer than the United States.

https://www.numbeo.com/crime/compare...+Angeles%2C+CA

Your biggest danger is heat and dehydration. You'll get the usual touts and people trying to sell you stuff, and taxi drivers overcharging, but they are not dangerous.

I had zero concerns walking around solo at night...it's when the city comes to life. Restaurants and cafes open, and Egyptian families come out with their kids at night.

A guided tour will help you see most things in a short amount of time.

I recommend you to obtain your e-visa on-line before the trip. You will avoid one potentially long line before going through passport control.
https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/eVisa/Home...OVFW-D76L-ZPN5

Was there recently twice and was told categorically that ANY stay requires a visa... in my case it was just the $25 VOA so no problems at all.... but it seems the 24hr visa free idea is not actually the case. If it IS I have no idea how one gets the immigration people to accept it!

P.S. There are PARTS of Egypt that tourists are strongly advised to avoid...but Cairo is not one of those! Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (for example) says of Egypt as a whole "Reconsider your need to travel" but it is only for Sharm El Sheikh that they advise "Exercise a High degree of Caution" and for areas within 50 km of the Libyan border/Governate of the Sinai the advice is "Do NOT travel" I would take those last 2 seriously myself. Like others in this thread I felt quite safe in Cairo and environs... irritated by the number and persistence of touts etc...but not unsafe.

I had this exact thought. I have a 3-hour layover around midnight, and worried it may not be enough to reclaim my bag and check in for the next flight (on a separate PNR). But getting the e-visa online is one process from hell. Website asks for same info over and over, and not progressing. All my info periodically disappears, and I have to start over. Is there some magic trick to get this to work?

I've read that transfers without leaving the airport do not require a visa. But I'm afraid it's an even longer process to use visa-free transfers, and I'll get a higher chance of a misconnect.

3 hours on separate tickets is not a lot in CAI if you have to go landside. There’s a lot of document check at several steps (I recommend you to have a printout of your e-ticket). You definitely need your e-visa on-line, otherwise it’s a recipe for disaster. It’s certainly bureaucratic, but never had any trouble to get it (2 experiences). If you have to go landside, I doubt they will let you go through without visa.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I'll keep on trying with the e-Visa -- maybe with another browser and email address.

100% you won't get landside without a visa if your nationality requires one. Transfers are fine without visa IF your bags are through checked or you are HBO.

Just wanted to follow up on my experiences. I did order an eVisa for Egypt, got the payment confirmation -- and this followed by a rejection. I could NOT get another crack at the eVisa process, b/c in their system there was already an active app pending. I went ahead with my travel plans anyways.

During my stay in Muscat I befriended a local guy, who turned out to be working for the airport operations. Omani people are generally very helpful and friendly to visitors of their country. My friend was certainly one swell of a guy. He researched my two itin's, gave me some tips, and thought I could likely get my bag checked through with EgyptAir all the way to my eventual USA destination. That's exactly what happened, and I never needed to go landside at CAI.