your questions answered

Egypt operates a visa on arrival system. The cost is 35USD - you should bring this exact change with you in new notes. There is a meet & greet service available. Somebody will wait for you before passport control, have the visa ready for you, escort you through immigration, wait for your luggage, and bring you to arrivals hall. It is 700LE (=12euro) and I cannot recommend it enough to make your arrival smooth.Please send me your flight details as soon as possible and let me know if you are interested - so I can work on group discounts. I would also suggest using the service when departing as Cairo International Airport is chaotic!

Egypt has it's own currency called Egyptian pounds. The majority of shops, supermarkets, and restaurants accept visa. The only exceptions may be in very local areas downtown or in local food markets. To put it in context, I use my bank card 90% of the time and would just carry 1,000LE cash with me in case any came up. I withdraw using an Irish bank card from the local ATMs here.

I would avoid taxis as you will be overcharged for being a foreigner. Use the app Uber and have it linked to your bank card, so you don't even have to worry about carrying cash. Uber is reliable and safe here. There are alternatives such as inDrive but this is cash based.You could consider hiring a driver for any of the days you are exploring Cairo - please let me know if you are interested in this.If at all possible, we will collect you when you first arrive unless we are both in work - so please remember to send us flight details. 😁

Cairo is a very fun place for children! What it lacks in parks and playgrounds, it makes up for in cool indoor play places.In no particular order (except the first one because that's the coolest!)Kidzania - it's a whole miniature city where the kids get to try out different jobsGravity Code - trampolines, bowling, footballFamily Park - playground, animals, some ridesMagic Planet - old school arcadeOpen Air Mall Madinty - shops, arcade, big busMalahy - arcade, rides, face painting.

The short answer is yes! I have yet to feel unsafe in Egypt - in fact, people have been very friendly and welcoming, hence why you are now reading this on our wedding website!!In areas like New Cairo, Maadi, Zamalek it is fairly relaxed and you won't stand out. However, in other areas people will stare - so just be ready for that. The biggest issue you will face is people pestering you to buy things in tourist areas and little children begging. The best thing to do is either ignore or give a firm no and then don't give eye contact again.Samy's friends and family have kindly offered to set up a buddy system ... so if you want to go shopping in markets they will help with haggling prices and if you want to explore outside of a guided tour they will accompany you, so you feel safe.

This is a tricky one to answer as Cairo is a very expansive city... Below is a copy and paste of my response to somebody else 😅 but please send us any place you are thinking of booking as we can confirm if the area is decent and price is appropriate. So… - if you are looking for a quiet area, reliable Uber, English speaking people and nobody staring any hotel in New Cairo is going to be fine. It’s also where we live. The nicest ones are Dusit Thani, Marriot, and Westin but they also come with a price tag. You probably won’t be staying there for a whole lot of time either. There is nothing to do in New Cairo itself, just cafes and shopping. I stayed in H Cairo suites before and that was very clean and quiet. Not far from wedding venue. Samy and I live in New Cairo.- ⁠Do not try to stay near the actual wedding venue specifically, nothing but the wedding venue there. But equally keep in mind time to get back afterwards.- ⁠Do not stay in Zayed or 6th of October as it is too far from anything.- ⁠Downtown has a lot of character, it’s real Egypt, and will be a good base for many of the walking tours. Many of the hotels are decent but look dodgy or hard to find from the outside. People tend not to speak English and you’ll be stared at.- ⁠Giza is similar to downtown… but gets bonus points for having views of the pyramids from many of the hotels! Some hotels are far from wedding venue. Good base for pyramids and museum.- ⁠Zamalek hotels are a bit more modern in the exterior but it’s still more crowded and chaotic than New Cairo. Zamalek is great for views of the Nile.On the wedding night (night before and the night of) the wedding party will stay in Kempinski Nile Hotel.In conclusion Giza, Zamalek, or New Cairo depending on what you want.

It depends!New Cairo is a very modern area and you can wear whatever you would be wearing at home. The same goes for any of the malls, bars, clubs, and international restaurants. Within the Pyramid Complex you have freedom too but be mindful of getting there.A light scarf or shawl is one of the most useful things you can pack. It provides sun protection, works as a cover-up when needed, and is handy for visiting religious sites.Outside of these areas I suggest keeping cleavage covered and nothing above the knee. There are no rules against it, but it will help with the staring.

Cairo has a very broad international food scene and checking the Google reviews won't lead you astray. Please let us know if you are looking for recommendations for a specific cuisine - some of the Turkish and Lebanese places are excellent here. You will see a lot of sushi places here, but it isn't exactly what you would expect as everything has cream cheese and somehow ends up tasting the same. Egyptian food is amazing.. so amazing I gained 12 kg in my first year 😂Try:Hammam Mahshi (stuffed pigeon)Hawashi (spiced meat in pitta bread)Fattah (meat, rice, and crispy bread covered in garlic and vinegar sauce)Wara2 3enab (stuffed grape leaves)Camel liver - Samy knows the best places.. for brain and testicles too if you're feeling adventurous.Molokhiya (a green jute-leaf soup)Koshary (rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, and crispy fried onions, topped with a tangy tomato sauce) - go to Abu Tarek downtown for the best experience.Pasta bechamel (baked pasta dish)Sambousek (like samosas with meat or cheese)Ta'meya (Egyptian version of falafel)Alexandrian Liver (Kibda Eskandarani) (Spicy fried liver with garlic, cumin, and chilli)Feteer Meshaltet (Flaky layered Egyptian pastry served sweet or savoury) - this is amazing for breakfast and I LOVE to order it from DinaFarms.Baladi Bread (Aish Baladi) (Traditional Egyptian wholewheat flatbread.)Baba Ghanoush (Smoky roasted aubergine dip with tahini)Tahini (Creamy sesame dip served with bread and grilled meats)Ghazal Al Reem Village provides a traditional menu in a cool Bedouin style setting without having to leave Cairo. Mom and I also did a cooking class, which was a lot of fun!

Here are all the remaining bits of knowledge I think you may need to know..Egypt is dusty, get a saline nasal rinse if you are sensitive to these things.Street dogs are everywhere, don't need to worry about them - their bark is louder than their bite.Do NOT flush toilet paper, the plumbing can't handle it.If you're entering a home - shoes off.Do not drink the tap water! Brushing your teeth in it is fine. I always drink ice in my drinks.Not all cars will have functioning seatbelts and driving is insane here most of the time - trust in your driver! The applications Talabat and Instashop are excellent for ordering food, groceries, and medicine pretty much 24/7.Don't let anyone carry anything for you or a "free" gift - they will look for money.WiFi is not available in as many places here like in Europe. I would suggest having a roaming package or an e-sim.We use the 2 prong plug here.TipsThese are not expected in most cases. You don't need to give in Uber.For good service in a local restaurant, you can give 20-50 Egyptian pounds.I would tip a guide 100-200 Egyptian pounds if they were good.

The ceremony will be in both English and Arabic.

There is strictly no alcohol at the wedding.There will be alcohol the day before at dinner and at the after party if people do want to drink.International hotels as well as some restaurants/bars around Cairo serve alcohol. Smoking is common and even allowed inside in my places.

Yes, we would love to have everybody celebrate with us! However, if sitting quietly is going to be difficult then we ask that they join after the ceremony.We will have activities for the children to do in the evening. If you need babysitter recommendations, we have amazing people who we have known for years!

You can wear absolutely anything! In Egypt the guests tend to go very glamourous so you won't be overdressed. The venue is just for us and is not in a local area so don't worry about modesty like you would in different areas of Cairo.The ceremony area and dance floor will be solid, but near the tables it will be grassy so keep that in mind for heels - maybe bring back up! Also, I ask that guests refrain from wearing white, cream, or champagne colours please.

We are not arranging any transport to the venue - guests are recommended to book an Uber.If there is enough interest and people are staying in similar areas we will arrange shared transport for when the party finishes.