Health, Pharmacies & Travel Insurance

Before you travel: vaccines and medicines

Check destination-specific health advice well before departure rather than relying on a generic packing list. The CDC recommends being up to date with routine vaccines and gives Egypt-specific recommendations including hepatitis A; recommendations can depend on your age, health, itinerary and previous vaccination history, so use its current Egypt page or your own travel-health service rather than treating an old article as a prescription.

If you take regular medication, bring enough for the trip plus a sensible delay margin, keep it in original labelled packaging, and carry the generic drug name as well as the brand name. Some medicines that are ordinary at home can be controlled elsewhere. If your medication is unusual, injectable, narcotic or psychotropic, check Egyptian entry rules with an Egyptian diplomatic mission before travel and carry supporting documentation from your clinician.

Food and drinking water

For drinking, use sealed bottled water or water you know has been reliably filtered. The CDC notes that water in large international tourist hotels may be adequately chlorinated, while water from other supplies or private tanks may not be consistently audited; for a short visit there is little upside in testing your tolerance. Bottled water is easy to find, and using it for drinking is the simple default.

Food risk is managed more by choosing well than by avoiding Egyptian food. Prefer busy places with high turnover and food cooked thoroughly and served hot. Be more cautious with raw or undercooked meat and shellfish and with uncooked produce when you cannot judge washing or storage. Traveller's diarrhoea is a known risk in Egypt. The priority if it occurs is hydration; seek medical advice promptly for severe dehydration, persistent high fever, blood in stools, severe pain, symptoms that are not settling, or illness in a vulnerable traveller.

Heat, sun and Cairo air

Heat can be the most underestimated everyday health issue, particularly on exposed archaeological sites. The CDC warns that heat-related illness can be dangerous and recommends regular food and fluid intake, loose lightweight clothing, sun protection and reducing exertion during high temperatures. Plan the most exposed sightseeing for earlier in the day, build in shade and indoor breaks, and do not wait until you feel intensely thirsty before drinking.

Cairo can also be dusty, and occasional sand or dust conditions can irritate eyes and aggravate asthma or other respiratory problems. If that applies to you, carry the medicines you normally rely on, bring glasses as a backup to contact lenses, and use the day's air and weather conditions to decide whether a long outdoor itinerary is sensible.

Pharmacies and buying medicine

Pharmacies are common across Cairo, and your hotel or accommodation can usually point you to a nearby option or help locate one that is open late. A pharmacist can be useful for straightforward minor ailments, but do not assume that a medicine sold without the same paperwork you expect at home is automatically appropriate for you. Ask what the active ingredient is, check the strength, and avoid substituting an unfamiliar medicine for an important regular prescription without medical advice.

For anything you know you will need, bringing your own legitimate supply is preferable to relying on local availability. The CDC cautions that medicine quality can vary internationally and advises travellers to bring required medicines with them. Keep essential medication in hand luggage, not only in checked baggage.

If you need a doctor or hospital

For a non-emergency problem, your travel insurer's assistance line is often the best first call because it can direct you to an appropriate facility and explain payment or guarantee-of-payment procedures. Your hotel can also help arrange a clinic or doctor. For serious symptoms, do not spend time comparison-shopping: use emergency services or go to an appropriate emergency department.

Healthcare costs and payment processes can differ sharply from what you are used to. The UK Foreign Office advises travellers to make sure their destination can provide the care they may need and to have insurance that covers local treatment and unexpected medical evacuation. Keep your insurer's emergency number, policy number, passport details and any important medical information accessible offline as well as in the cloud.

Emergency numbers to save

Egypt's ambulance number is 123. Police is 122, tourist police 126 and fire 180 according to current UK and Australian government travel advice. Save the numbers before you need them, along with your accommodation's phone number and your insurer's assistance line. In a stressful situation, having the address of your hotel written in English and Arabic can also make it easier to explain where you are trying to get back to.

Government travel advisories can change quickly because of regional security or health developments. Check your own government's current Egypt advice shortly before departure and again if circumstances change during your trip; an article like this should help you prepare, not replace live official advice.

What travel insurance should cover

Buy insurance before the trip and read the policy rather than assuming every activity is included. At minimum, look for overseas medical treatment and emergency medical evacuation at a level appropriate to your circumstances. Check exclusions for pre-existing conditions and for activities you actually plan to do, such as riding, diving or other adventure activities, and make sure your geographical cover matches your whole itinerary rather than Cairo alone.

Keep receipts, medical reports and police reports when an insurer may require them. If you are admitted or referred for significant treatment, contact the insurer or medical assistance company as soon as practical; UK travel advice specifically recommends doing so. Insurance is most useful when you know the claims process before an emergency, not when you are trying to learn it from a hospital waiting room.

A practical health kit

Pack for likely minor problems: your regular medicines, sunscreen, oral rehydration sachets, basic wound care, any usual pain relief or allergy treatment that is safe for you, and hand sanitiser. Add a hat and a reusable bottle you can refill from a safe source. You do not need to carry a travelling pharmacy if you are staying in central Cairo.

The useful rule is preparation rather than panic: check vaccinations, protect yourself from heat, drink safe water, bring important medicines, save emergency contacts and have insurance that can actually support you if something serious happens. Those steps cover far more real-world risk than a suitcase full of just-in-case products.

Frequently Asked Questions