As a rule of thumb, especially for women, chest, shoulders, and knees should be covered at all times when not at beach resorts. You can still stay relatively cool by taking a tip from the ancient Egyptians and wearing light, breathable fabrics like linen.
Avoid public displays of affection. Sex outside of marriage is illegal. Dress standards are very conservative, particularly for women. Wear modest clothes that cover your legs and upper arms.
How to dress when visiting Egypt? (Men & Women) | What to Pack for Egypt? | What to Wear in Egypt?
Can you wear sleeveless in Egypt?
Pants, t-shirts, and long-sleeve shirts are acceptable as clothes to wear in Egypt. Avoid wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts to fit in with local customs. Men do not need a head-covering scarf to enter mosques.
It is considered impolite to point the toe, heel or any part of the foot toward another person. Showing the sole of one's shoe is also impolite. Modest dress and presentation is highly valued in Egyptian culture. Greetings often occur before any form of social interaction.
As a tourist you aren't expected to wear a hijab or any other hair or facial covering in Egypt. What is this? The only exception to this is if you're visiting a mosque – in that case, you do indeed need to respect the fact that you're entering a religious building and cover up.
Egypt is a Middle Eastern country where both the Muslim majority and the Christian minority are fairly conservative. When visiting mosques, churches or synagogues, casual, comfortable clothing covering knees and elbows is best, in order to respect the local culture.
Egypt is conservative. Very conservative. You won't find couples cuddling and kissing in public, as any type of public affection is a big no-no (even handholding isn't really approved of).
In the desert, temperatures are high in the day and low in the evenings, and you'll be coming across a lot of dust and sand. This is why we recommend not wearing white if you can avoid it, as the dust will gather on your clothes.
Can I stay with my girlfriend in a hotel in Egypt?
In Egypt, it is technically illegal for unmarried couples to share a hotel room, and many hotels will require couples to provide proof of marriage upon check-in. However, some hotels in Cairo may be more lenient or discreet about enforcing these laws.
Generally for men in Cairo or any city that is not on the sea side, remain with trousers (at tourist sites long loose shorts) or jeans and T-shirt , as even in Cairo, local people do not feel comfortable seeing a man in shorts.
Regarding Egypt in particular, it is common for criminals and people who been prisoned to have them, so that will be the first impression. The answer in that question was meant for a person who wants to blend in and look like Egyptian. But for a tourist it is totally fine to show them.
Packing a couple of tunics and long-sleeved shirts that you can slip over the top of your outfits is also a good idea for easy layering in more conservative areas. For mosque visits, female travellers should wear clothing that covers from ankle to elbow as well as decolletage and hair.
In summary, wear thick-soled hiking sandals, a hat, sunglasses, shorts, capris, or light-weight pants, preferably in light colors (no black, navy or dark colors that absorb the sun/heat) and pack a million long-sleeve cotton or linen shirts that are very breathable and can be rolled up when in the shady areas.
It is religiously and culturally wrong to hold anything with your left hand because the left hand is perceived as unclean. It is offensive to expose the soles of your feet – so keep your feet on the ground and avoid crossing your legs. A thumbs up gesture and finger pointing is offensive.
The statement is vague in many ways, but it clarifies that it criminalizes sharing photographs that could “damage the country's image.” Also avoid taking photos of the police or military, as taking anything of strategic importance could be grounds for imprisonment, even if you did not take the photo in bad faith.
Aside from beachside resort cities, it is not recommended for female tourists to ever wear shorts in Egypt. Before traveling to Egypt for the first time, many travelers ask us what clothes to bring.
As this is not a normal hair color in Egypt, blonde tourists do tend to get a lot of looks and attention. Sometimes, this extra attention can be a bit uncomfortable, so covering your hair with a scarf is an easy way to help avoid that.
Therefore Capris would be ideal. You will find lots of Egyptians (middle class and upper middle class wearing short sleeved T-shirts). Of course you "can" wear sandals, open toe shoes etc... but I would recommend otherwise due to dust and that you will be visiting 'sandy' locations (Pyramids, temples etc...)
Even males are not allowed to go bare-chest. On closed days, people are not allowed to wander the streets. Drinking alcohol other than the licensed restaurant is not allowed. Use or trafficking of illegal drugs is a serious offence.
Couples kissing on the street, even a kiss on the cheek might be unacceptable in some areas in Egypt. Handholding and shaking hands is ok in general, but strict Muslims don't shake hands with people of the opposite sex to avoid any physical contact.
This is simply part of the culture here, tipping is expected everywhere in Egypt. Tips are a very important part of Egyptian workers lives as they do not receive much in wages, and therefore they depend and rely on their tips to make a living.
