I have a chance to visits Egypt this September: see the Pyramids & the Sphinx, El Alemain and the Egyptian Museum. I notice on the calendar that the trip falls during the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan. Is that a good time to visit Egypt? Will non-Muslims be able to eat or even drink during daylight hours? Will anything be open during daylight hours?
I was not in Egypt during Ramadan, but my experience was that Egypt (and Cairo in particular) has a very metropolitan culture and I doubt very much that you will have any trouble. Cairenes seem to recognize very clearly which side the bread is buttered on and in general bend over backward to be very accomodating to tourists.
Tourists face no particular difficulty during Ramadan. Traffic fatalities rise during the rush for everyone to get home for iftar (fast-breaking) so you’d be wise to avoid traveling by car in congested areas in the hour or so before sunset, but that’s a detail.
People tend to be a bit more sluggish and inefficient than usual, but I’m not sure it is anything tourists would notice; it is more relevant if you hold down a job here.
If you can, remember to be polite and not chug big bottles of water or wolf down food in front of a guide or driver who may be fasting. But if you forget, no big deal.
I visited Cairo some years ago, and have spoken with some Muslim colleagues here in the states from Egypt. There are enough Western-style food places in Cairo that it should not be a problem, and the major historical sites are open 365 days a year.
While in Cairo, I highly recommend taking advantage of the personal guides at both the museum and the Pyramids. Yes, you will be hustled mercilessly at the Pyramids, but on balance I think it really improved my experience. Please note: a lot of these folks lowball you for guided tours, then strongly encourage you to go to nearby perfume shops, papyrus dealers, and the kitchy curio stands. This didn’t really bother me, but you may not like being shamed into buying something (I have to say that the shops I visited near the museum were excellent, and something I wouldn’t have done if it weren’t for my guide).
My wife is Egyptian and worked in Cairo for a few years. (I’ve been to Egypt four or five times but never during Ramadan.) I’ll just echo what has been said, Egypt is very conscious that their visitors are not all Muslims and the hospitality industry continues to be accommodating during that time. To the average tourist staying in hotels and seeing the sights you’ll have no problem.
Thanks everyone, I just wanted to make sure. The price is pretty reasonable, and I was afraid it was so reasonable because of the holiday.