Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is vast, stretching from the souks of Marrakesh to the skyscrapers of Dubai and the ruins of Petra and Giza. Start by deciding your trip style: city-hopping, desert adventures, historical sites, or beach escapes on the Red and Mediterranean Seas.

To keep things organized, use trip planning tools in the Hello app to build themed days: one for Cairo’s museums and pyramids, another for Istanbul’s mosques and bazaars, or a food-focused day in Beirut or Amman. Group nearby sights to minimize transit time and check opening hours, prayer times, and seasonal schedules in advance.

Travel times can be longer than they look on the map, especially with traffic in cities like Casablanca, Cairo, and Riyadh, so allow buffers between activities. For multi-country trips, consider key hubs like Istanbul, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Casablanca as flight bridges between regions.

Budget-wise, North African destinations such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt tend to be more affordable, while Gulf cities like Dubai and Doha generally sit at the higher end for accommodation and dining. Use Hello’s budget tracking in local currencies to compare costs between stops and adjust your route if a particular city stretches your wallet too far.

Prices across MENA can swing from street-food cheap to ultra-luxury. A simple meal of falafel or shawarma in Amman or Cairo might be 40–80 EGP (around 1.5–3 USD), while a brunch at a high-end hotel in Dubai can easily top 150–250 AED (40–70 USD). Alcohol, where available, is often heavily taxed and pricey, especially in Gulf countries.

Cash is still useful in traditional markets and smaller towns, but cards are widely accepted in major cities like Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, and Casablanca. Withdraw money from ATMs tied to reputable banks and keep some small notes for tips, taxis, and local snacks.

To avoid overspending, set a daily allowance in the Hello app’s budget tracking feature, using the local currency for each country (e.g. MAD in Morocco, TRY in Türkiye, SAR in Saudi Arabia). This helps you see real-time spending on essentials like:

• Transport: metros, buses, and ride-hailing apps
• Food: from street stalls to rooftop restaurants
• Activities: museum entries, guided tours, desert safaris

If you’re traveling with companions, Hello’s expense splitting makes it easy to share costs for things like car rentals, riad stays in Fez, or boat trips in Hurghada without awkward money conversations.

The MENA region is a dream for food lovers, from tagines in Morocco to smoky kebabs in Türkiye and mezze spreads in the Levant. In cities like Marrakesh, Istanbul, Cairo, and Beirut, you can eat extremely well on a moderate budget if you follow the locals rather than sticking to hotel restaurants.

Look for busy, no-frills spots serving dishes like hummus, baba ganoush, mansaf in Jordan, or koshari in Egypt. Street food is usually affordable and filling: a hearty shawarma wrap in Cairo might be around 30–60 EGP (1–2 USD), and a sit-down meal in a mid-range restaurant in Tunis or Rabat often lands in the 40–80 TND/MAD range (13–25 USD).

Tap water quality varies, so many travelers prefer bottled water, especially outside major urban centers. When in doubt, ask your accommodation or guide. For café culture, cities like Amman, Dubai, and Casablanca have vibrant coffee scenes where you can try traditional Arabic coffee or mint tea.

Use Hello eSIM to stay online and quickly check reviews, opening hours, and local delivery apps, especially during Ramadan when meal times shift. If you’re dining in groups, track shared restaurant bills and tips with Hello’s expense splitting, so you can focus on enjoying the food instead of doing mental math.

Getting around MENA is easier when you’re connected and a bit flexible. Major hubs like Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, and Casablanca usually offer reliable airport Wi‑Fi, but coverage can be patchy or time-limited in smaller airports and bus stations. Activating a Hello eSIM before you land means your phone connects as soon as you arrive, so you can order rides, check maps, or message your hotel without hunting for a SIM kiosk.

In cities, public transport ranges from modern metros (Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo) to older buses and shared taxis. Ask locally about how to pay: some systems use contactless cards, others cash. For late-night journeys or areas with less public transport, ride-hailing apps and registered taxis are often the simplest option; always confirm approximate fares or use the meter when available.

Between cities, consider trains in countries like Egypt and Türkiye, and buses or private drivers elsewhere. Domestic and regional flights can save time on longer stretches such as Casablanca–Cairo or Dubai–Amman.

Stay aware of local customs when moving around: dress modestly in conservative areas, especially in rural towns and when visiting mosques and shrines, and always ask permission before photographing people. Use navigation and safety tips saved in your Hello trip planning to keep key addresses, embassy info, and transport details handy, even when plans change on the go.