How much do I tip in Egypt? Whom do I tip?
“Tip Box” at a restaurant in Dahab, Egypt. Unfortunately, it is not always this obvious where and how to tip when traveling in Egypt.
Note: This post was originally published on 29 October, 2020, and was most recently updated on 30 July, 2024.
In Egypt, just like in the United States, many people rely on tips in addition to their normal income. And just like when traveling to other places, it can be confusing to know when, and how much, to tip when you are on your Egypt adventure. Let’s talk about the overall philosophy behind tipping in Egypt and then look at different situations and talk about when and how much one should tip.
Here’s my quick cheatsheet guide on tipping in Egypt. I’ll go more in-depth in the blog post below, so save this image, and keep reading!
Tipping Philosophy in Egypt
Egypt is similar to the U.S. in that tipping is a part of everyday life. Egyptians regularly tip the door person at their apartment, the parking attendant who helps them find a space, and the cleaner who comes to their home. However, Egyptians may not tip in other circumstances where tipping in the U.S. is common, like when getting a haircut, taking a taxi, or eating at a restaurant.
When tourists used to come to Egypt in droves, tips helped supplement the income of all of the taxi drivers, hotel workers, restauranteurs, tour guides, and more who worked in the industry. Now that tourism is down to a fraction of what it once was, those who work with tourists rely on tips more than ever, now simply to make ends meet.
To make matters worse, a lot of the big purchases Egyptians make, like appliances, cars, and electronics, are imported, and Egypt’s currency value has plummeted in the last 10 years. When I first went to Egypt in 2012, 1 US dollar was equal to 6 Egyptian Pounds. Now, 1 US dollar is almost 50 Egyptian Pounds, meaning that the price of all imported goods has gone up almost 10 times the previous price. Salaries in Egypt have stagnated, meaning that making the same purchases that used to require saving up for months or years now are out of reach for many people.
Many Egyptian people make salaries between 36,000-90,000 Egyptian Pounds (LE) per year, which is around $750-$1900 at the time of writing. Yes, you read that right. Many Egyptian people survive on $100 USD per month or less. Even considering a much lower cost of living, could you imagine making ends meet with that level of income?
“Remember, a little bit goes a long way. A tip of even $1 can help supplement someone’s income, encourage above-and-beyond levels of service, and help someone feel appreciated and valued. ”
Keeping this in mind, my tipping philosophy is as follows:
Tip often, almost any time you receive a service as a tourist in Egypt (not for tiny things like holding a door, but services like bag porterage, hotel cleaning staff, restaurant servers, etc)
Tip small amounts ($1 or less) for one-off services, and tip more ($5-$20, or maybe even $30) for services that are more intensive or involve more time (driver who is with you for the day, massage, etc.)
When tipping, be genuine, and express gratitude for the service provided
Don’t feel obligated to tip in situations that are unprofessional or uncomfortable
Remember, a little bit goes a long way. A tip of even $1 can help supplement someone’s income, encourage above-and-beyond levels of service, and help someone feel appreciated and valued.
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Should I tip in US dollars, Euros, or local currency (Egyptian Pounds)?
I used to recommend tipping in local currency (Egyptian Pounds), but recently, with all of the challenges Egypt has had in obtaining foreign currency, tipping in US Dollars or Euros is now the preferred method for most people to receive tips, however it varies from person to person, so you can always ask what your tour guide, driver, or representative prefers. And of course, still feel free to tip using local currency—just use a currency convertor (Google is a good one) to find the value of what tip you would provide in the Egyptian Pound equivalent. However, see below for tipping using $1 bills or coins.
Can I tip using $1 bills in Egypt?
Never, ever, tip using foreign coins, and I highly recommend against using $1 USD bills, since these cannot be exchanged for local currency at any currency exchange office in Egypt. When you give an Egyptian person a $1 USD bill, they will not be able to use it for anything, and will not be able to get local currency for it from any exchange office or bank. If you notice an Egyptian person coming up to tourists with $1 bills or coins, they are trying to exchange them with you for local currency (Egyptian Pounds), or they will be trying to get a larger bill (like exchanging five $1 bills for one $5 bill) because they will not be able to exchange them at a currency exchange office. So if you see this, and you have the equivalent in local currency, or have a larger bill, you would be doing them a big favor by exchanging the local currency you have for the $1 bills, and then when you return to your home country, you can use those $1 bills. Of course, tipping in $1 bills instead of not tipping at all is a good option, but whenever possible, try getting change at a kiosk (sells snacks, sodas, water, etc.) or try asking for change at your hotel, from your guide etc., instead of bringing in $1 bills for tips.
Different situations…to tip or not to tip in Egypt?
Let’s go over specific scenarios and talk about when, and how much, to tip.
Note: I list amounts on this blog post in USD $, because the currency value in Egypt is fluctuating so much. You can easily get a current exchange rate for USD to Egyptian Pounds (EGP), by searching Google for the amount you want to exchange. For example, search Google for “20 USD to EGP” will tell you how much 20 USD $ is worth in Egyptian Pounds.
Do I tip Taxis/transportation in Egypt?
It is kind to tip taxi/Uber drivers 10-20% for good service. It is not expected. Try to tip and pay Uber drivers in cash (EGP) if possible, because Uber withholds their income and only pays out twice per month, making it difficult for them to budget and plan on expenses if something happens with their vehicle.
I do not tip public transportation workers, like bus/microbus drivers.
It is expected to tip drivers who are with you for the day (driver for the temples around Luxor, private driver bringing your group from Cairo to Siwa, etc.). You should tip between $5-$15 per day. It’s usually best to tip the driver at the end of each day, in case they are not with you the next day, but you can always ask your tour guide or representative (or the driver if they speak English well enough) if you can tip your driver at the end of your time in the particular city you are in.
The same expectations above apply to private boats that are rented by the hour, day, etc. For a shorter boat ride, tipping $2-5 is good.
It is best to tip drivers as a group, not each person paying an individual tip.
What do I tip Egypt tour guides
Tip tour guides based on the level of service provided—$15 is a good starting amount for an average level of service, and I tip up to $30 depending on how long the guide is with me and their service. These amounts are per day for the entire group (if you have a group of 5 or fewer people—for more people, tipping around $5 per person is a good amount).
Tip tour guides at the end of your time with them, or at the end of each day - you can ask them what they prefer.
It is best to tip tour guides as a group, not each person paying an individual tip.
If you can hand the tip to your tour guides in an envelope, given publicly at the end of your time with them in the particular city (or at the end of your trip), with gratitude, and a big “THANK YOU” from your group, this makes it more personal and easy to manage, instead of loose cash.
Tipping on a Nile Cruise
Treat a large Nile Cruise just like a hotel, and tip the cleaning staff, porterage workers, etc.
There may be an option to do a large tip at the end of the cruise that is distributed amongst all the workers. Check with your tour guide or tour leader to ask about specifics for how much to tip. Generally speaking, a tip of around $10 USD per person per night of the cruise should be sufficient.
For a Dahabiya Nile Cruise (also spelled Dahabeya), they will usually have a tip envelope at the end of the cruise where guests can leave a tip for all staff that gets divided up. I recommend tipping at least $20 USD per person, per night of the cruise. Just like a larger Nile Cruise, ask your tour guide or tour leader what is expected.
Do I tip in restaurants in Egypt?
Many nicer restaurants include a service charge (usually 10-15%) with the bill, usually added on at the end.
Even if a restaurant has a service charge, I like to leave 5-10% of the bill as a tip for the server, in cash, on the table. It is difficult to know how much of the service charge actually makes it back to the servers, so that is why I like to tip them directly in cash.
For small, informal restaurants, rounding up your bill and/or leaving a small trip (USD $2-3 equivalent) is a kind gesture, but not expected.
I do not tip when I buy food from a street vendor, or buy food from a market, unless I have 1 pound Egyptian coins or bills (worth a few cents in USD) that I will leave for them. Another option is rounding up your bill — if you are buying some street food and it costs 9 Egyptian Pounds, as an example, you can give the vendor 10 Egyptian Pounds, smile, and decline the change.
When to tip at hotels in Egypt
Tip room cleaners at 5-star hotels around $1 USD equivalent in Egyptian pounds per day, left in a conspicuous place each day, like on your pillow. If you are staying for multiple nights, feel free to do one large tip on the first night, or on the last night, if you do not have smaller EGP notes.
For smaller, more informal hotels, leave a tip with the reception at the end of your stay and express that it is for those who keep the rooms and property clean. About $1-2 USD per day is a nice gesture.
Tip someone who carries your bags up to your room around $1 equivalent, although they may leave abruptly after dropping bags off and not stay to receive a tip.
I do not tip security guards, police officers, or others at the entrance/lobby area of hotels.
What to tip meet-and-assist representatives
These are the people who keep everything running smoothy — they meet you at each airport and help you through immigrations and customs, they check guests into hotels, and help everyone find their transfers.
Tip $5-$10 for someone helping your group at the airport one time.
Tip $10-$15 if a representative helps at the airpot and at hotel
checkin.
Tip $15 (or up to $20 for “WOW”! service) if a representative is with your group the entire day.
Miscellaneous tipping in Egypt
I do not tip shopkeepers or store owners, unless they do a specific favor for me or demonstrate how they make a particular handicraft.
For one-off group tours (like a street food tour, or a walking tour of Islamic Cairo), tip around $2-5 per person for a tour lasting a few hours, or $5 per person for a tour lasting a full day. The group total should be tipping the guide between $10-$20 for a tour lasting a few hours, and $20-$30 for a tour lasting the whole day, so you can do the math if you are among a group of several people you do not know, so that you are tipping your share of that total.
Oftentimes there will be guards at different ancient Egyptian tombs, temples, and other sites (like the Pyramids). It is totally optional to tip these guards, even though they may seem insistent about being tipped. As a rule of thumb, if a guard is at a far-flung site that does not get a lot of tourist activity, I tend to leave around $1 USD equivalent as a thank you for opening up the tomb and showing me around. I do not tip the guards who are in temples or who are in the Valley of the Kings, especially if they follow me around.
In some tombs it is illegal to take pictures. If you end up taking pictures and a guard allows it, it is expected to leave them a tip. Around $5 USD equivalent is expected. I do not recommend going this route, but some of the tombs have amazing interiors that make you yearn to photograph them!
A small tip (less than $1 USD in local currency) to the shisha worker who replaces coals can ensure consistent service. No one wants to holler every time they need the coals on their shisha replaced!
Just like in the United States, a tip of 15-20% is expected for spa workers when received services like a massage, facial, manicure, etc.
Sometimes tour groups will have armed police officers or security escorts from the tourism police. Usually these security are tipped around $1-2 USD equivalent, and this is often handled by the tour guide for the group.
You probably won’t need a haircut when you are in Egypt, but if you do, tipping 10-20% is a nice gesture.
Tip: it can be hard to have all of the small bills that is required for a tip! Here are some ways to get change:
-Buy something small from a kiosk, like a water bottle, and pay with a larger bill
-Ask your tour guide, driver, or fellow travelers for change
-Sometimes banks will make change for you, but lines can be long and they may refuse
Wrapping up…
Tipping is going to be a big part of your time in Egypt, so it is good to know when and how you should tip. My motto is, when in doubt, tip a small amount anyway. Even if someone refuses, if your demeanor is one of gratitude and is genuine, it will be appreciated. And hey, if the tip is not expected or necessary, you just helped brighten someone’s day.
I used to have a negative mindset when it came to giving tips, and loathed that I, as a foreigner, was expected to tip so much, when Egyptian people I saw on my travels did not face the same expectation in all the same circumstances. After realizing the economic privilege I have as a U.S. American though (remember when we compared your salary to the $800-$3000 yearly salary of someone in Egypt?), I changed my mind. I now see tipping as a way to say thank you to the most hospitable, generous, and kind people I have ever had the pleasure of traveling with. Egyptian people open up their country, history, culture, and hearts to tourists, and giving a tip with sincerity and authenticity here and there is a simple way to show our gratitude in return.
“Egyptian people open up their country, history, culture, and hearts to tourists, and giving a tip with sincerity and authenticity here and there is a simple way to show our gratitude in return.”
