Travel Tips & Tipping Guidelines

1. In general, pack lightly. Weather is hot from May till September. So, choose clothes that could be suitable for summer. Jeans, Lightweight pants, Cotton made shirts are great for the Egyptian heat. sneakers or trainer type style shoes are highly recommended for most tours in Giza and Upper Egypt. It's also advisable to bring a white large hat, sunblock as well as your sunglasses which work as a sort of protection against dust while visiting the pyramids, Sakkara and Valley of the kings.Women can wear slacks, jeans, short sleeved blouses, knee skirts .. etc. In general, women can wear whatever they like just avoid the mini skirts, hot pants, tank tops, transparents', deep v necks and tight figure hugging outfits or anything show that much skin in Cairo and Upper Egypt. Laundry service at hotels is very quick and inexpensive, your clothing will be picked up and returned by the following day.

2. Clothes and belief: Women are expected to wear some sort of head covering. So, Dress relatively conservatively. In addition, scarves or other apparel should be taken along to cover shoulders and arms. Men are also advised to avoid shorts when visiting religious places. All visitors to mosques must however, remove their shoes.

3. Health : You might not need any medication during your stay in Egypt, however if you have sensitive stomach then it would be advisable to bring any prescriptions you might need for Diarrhea and stomach upset. Bring anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitizer, use them before you eat. Unless you prefer a specific brand, just about anything you need can be found in Egypt. Toiletries are available in pharmacies and "supermarkets". Drink the filtered bottle water, which is available everywhere.

4. Egypt uses 220 voltage so be sure to bring a power adapter and a power converter if your appliances don't work on this. The power adapter allows the item to be plugged into the wall and the power converter allows the voltage to be changed from 220 to 110 (which is what is used in the USA). If your item doesn't have an internal converter built in, then you will need a both. The plugs in Egypt are usually 2 rounded prongs.

5.Visa can be obtained at Cairo Airport for 15$ per person.In the arrival hall, head to any bank (you will find at least 3) and buy a visa from the bank clerk. Take your visa from the bank clerk and stick it on the first empty page in your passport. Now, fill your arrival card. You should have received this from a flight attendant prior to landing. If you did not get one, don’t worry, you can find one in any kiosk in the arrival hall. You must ensure that you complete all fields on the arrival card IN CAPITAL LETTERS. Now you can join the queue for passport control. It is a good idea for one person to buy the visas for everyone, while the others hold his/her place in the passport control queue

6.Banking Services : Egypt is a cash community. ATM machines, cashing money on credit card, are accessible at major hotels as well as banks in the streets. The US Dollar is well received almost everywhere. Carry enough cash or be prepared to pay 2% - 3% for a credit card advance from a bank. Merchants won’t take traveler’s checks; you’ll have to cash them at a bank for a 2% - 5% fee. Merchants will add 3% to 6% to the bill if you pay with a credit card..

7. The entry tickets to all the sights are cool, coordinated and make good souvenirs. If you bend the tear-off portion back and forth a few times while walking toward the ticket-taker, it will tear off cleanly leaving you with a nice piece. It’s not perforated. Most of the photo equipment are available in Egypt.It would be very cheap if you want to develope your film in Egypt. Many photo shops develope your film in less than an hour. Also, you can transfer photos onto a CD. Taking photos inside of any of the tombs or pyramids (also tombs) is prohibited. It is done frequently but technically illegal. Bring a big capacity of memory card, you are going to take thousands of great pictures here.

8. Egypt is perfectly safe. Some tourists are understandably concerned that the Gaza/ Israeli conflict might escalate. All I can say is that while in Egypt, tourists are usually unaffected by what's happening in surrounding countries. You will not feel unsafe or even aware of it.

9.The Blackberry worked the entire length of the upper Nile from Luxor to Aswan. Also it is almost always a fast 3G connection. But if you don’t need email it’s a lot cheaper to get your phone company to give you an unlock code for your phone and buy a local country SIM card.

10.Tipping is a way of life in Egypt, if someone does something you would consider as good service or an extra effort, he expects to be tipped. You should only tip if you feel you want to, you are under no pressure to do so, but it would leave a good impression, and many Egyptian people survive on very little. Also, a thank you and a smile will get you a lot.Tip appropriately with a smile. Get a supply of 1 EGP coins (currently worth 18 cents) to pay the public bathroom attendants. Most bathrooms in public places have an attendant who holds the toilet paper hostage, doles out paper towels, and cleans up the bathroom. For women, it's usually a young girl and there is a plate or basket on the counter to leave a tip. You don't have to -- but a one pound note or coin is a piddling amount when you realize that this makes up the income for this person. If there is no basket or bowl, hand it to them directly if they have provided a service.So, tip the bathroom attendants when you can, tip the caretakers at tombs (about one pound) if your guide doesn't do it, tip 10% or 10 pounds at restaurants, the normal amount at hotels for porters and housekeeping and don't worry, that won't ruin your trip.Please, don't give small notes or coins as a tip to people who helped you all the way throughout your trip, such as drivers, tour leaders, and tour escorts, it would be an insult to them, Also, do not offer tips to professionals, businessmen, or others who would consider themselves your equals, as you may seriously offend them by your act. Don't tip someone if  helps you with directions, even if they insist on changing directions and walking you halfway to your destination. It is considered rude. Don't give money to beggars or people who simply asked for money. The request for baksheesh "tip" should be given only for people who do something for you or showing you something particularly interesting. If it's any consolation, Egyptians give each other baksheesh as well and nearly same amounts exactly like tourists. 


Egyptian pounds are best but dollars are fine. Just don't use coins because they can't be exchanged at banks, they will have to save up enough and ask a tourist to change them for a note.If you are going to tip using dollar bills, obtain a supply of pristine, single dollar, notes as banks may not be willing to change crumpled, torn or dirty bills when presented for exchange by the recipient.it is very hard to get small LE denominations. Even the banks have few bills under LE20. Small change can be easily found at a gas station. Just ask your local Cairo guide or tour rep.


Here's a tips' menu :

Driver taking you to hotel from airport upon arrival:  10 - 20 LE 

Luggage man at hotel: 3-5 LE pr. bag both in and out

Housekeeping: 5-10 LE pr. night

Waiter/waitress at breakfast restaurant at hotel: 5-10 LE pr. meal

Driver taking you sightseeing full day: 50 LE 

Guide taking you sightseeing full day: 80-100 LE (Full days are only in Cairo)

Tour Representative min. EGP 30 per day.

Waiter at lunch restaurant in connection to sightseeing: 5-10 LE

Feluccaman taking you sailing for one hour: 10 LE 

Guards around the sites: 1-2 LE

"Groundskeeper" in mosques (the man handing you shoe-covers, showing you special things etc): 1-5 LE

Boat staff  on Nile cruise incl. reception: 10 LE pr. person pr. night, leave in envelope in reception by the end. Write your cabin number on the envelope. Will be divided between all staff. If you feel like rewarding a member of staff with a little extra, do it very discreet, or he will be forced to share with the others.

Horsemen in Edfu: MAX. 10 LE for roundtrip to temple and back 

Men or women at restrooms handing out toiletpaper: 50 PT - 1 LE. And if restroom is unacceptably nasty, don't tip!

Kids or young adults helping with camels, horses or donkeys, provided they are "employees" at the stables: 5-10 LE after trip 


11. Shopping in the land of Pyramids can be a wonderful experience. You may find fantastic, one-of-a-kind merchandise. You may get terrific bargains. However, we advise you to exercise care and common sense when making any purchase. Always get a formal receipt and try to pay with credit cards, which are generally accepted in most shopping stores. And remember that, just like in this country, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is!
We recommend and guarantee some particular shops or merchants, where you will be provided with a guaranteed certification. This recommendation will be advised by local tour guide. 


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