Tipping in Egypt: How Much to Tip Guides, Drivers & Staff

Tipping in Egypt runs on a few fixed habits. Budget around USD 15–25 a day for a private guide and USD 8–12 for the driver, per couple or small group. On a Nile cruise, put roughly USD 5–10 per person per night into the crew pool. Hotel porters and housekeeping get EGP 50–100. Restaurants often add a service charge, so a little extra in cash is only for good service. Carry small notes and none of this is difficult.

Tipping in Egypt quick reference

Who	Suggested tip	Approx USD	Approx GBP	Approx EGP
Private Egyptologist guide	Per day, per group	Around 15–25	11–19	750–1,250
Private driver	Per day, per group	Around 8–12	6–9	400–600
Nile cruise crew pool	Per person, per night	Around 5–10	4–8	250–500
Nile cruise guide	Per day, per small group	Around 10–15	8–11	500–750
Hotel porter	Per bag or trip	Around 1–2	0.75–1.50	50–100
Housekeeping	Per night	Around 1–2	0.75–1.50	50–100
Restaurant with service charge	5–10% extra, in cash	Percentage	Percentage	Or round up EGP 50–100
Restaurant without service charge	10–12% of the bill	Percentage	Percentage	Percentage
Toilet attendant	Per visit	Under 1	Under 0.50	10–20
Informal helper at a site	Per favour	Around 0.40–1	0.30–0.75	20–50

The EGP column uses a rounded rate of about 50 to the dollar and 65 to the pound. The Egyptian pound has moved a lot in recent years, so check the day's rate before you convert anything. Every figure here is a suggestion. With four or more people, split the guide and driver amounts between you instead of doubling them.

For a rough daily budget, allow USD 25–40 for two people on days with both a guide and a driver, small extras included. It's an estimate, not a tariff.

How baksheesh in Egypt works

Baksheesh is a small cash payment. It can be a proper tip for service or a modest thank-you for a favour. Base wages in Egyptian tourism are low, so tips make up a real share of what people take home.

There are two kinds. The expected kind goes to guides and drivers first, then to cruise crew and hotel and restaurant staff. The opportunistic kind starts when someone opens a door you were about to open or points at a hieroglyph, then holds out a hand.

Unlike in the US, nobody expects a percentage on everything. Cash beats a card by a long way, because a tip added to a card slip may not reach the person who earned it.

Tip at the end of the service: the close of the day for a guide, the last evening on a cruise. Hand it over directly, folded, with a thank-you.

Egyptians tip each other small amounts. Ignore the inflated figure a tout suggests.

Tipping a private guide and driver in Egypt

For a private Egyptologist guide, plan on USD 15–25 a day per small group, and USD 8–12 for the driver. You can hand it over each evening or in one envelope on the last day. We'd go to the top of the range after a 10–12 hour day, such as Giza and Saqqara together or the Valley of the Kings plus Karnak. The same goes for a guide who made the place come alive.

On multi-day trips, tip the guide and driver separately and in person, never through the hotel. Major foreign currencies and Egyptian pounds are all accepted. Drivers find local currency slightly more useful, but crisp notes in a major currency are fine.

If your guide changes city by city, say Cairo and then Luxor, tip each one when you part rather than saving a lump sum for the end. Guides are the biggest tipping line to budget outside the tour price. Our private Egyptologist guides page explains who you'd be travelling with.

Ask any operator, in writing, if tips are included in the package price. Some include them. Many don't.

On a shared group tour, USD 5–8 per person per day for the guide is usual. Reward good service only. A guide who steers you into a shop that pays commission hasn't earned the top of the range.

Tipping on a Nile cruise

Most ships run a crew pool. There's a box or envelope at reception on the last evening, and the money is divided between the front-of-house staff and the crew you never see in the kitchen and engine room. You'll barely meet half of them. The usual level is USD 5–10 per person per night (GBP 4–8, EGP 250–500), so a 4-night Luxor to Aswan cruise comes to roughly USD 20–40 each. A dahabiya, the small sailing boat, has a much smaller crew, so the same total is shared by fewer people.

The cruise guide is tipped directly: around USD 10–15 a day per small group, or less per person in a bigger party. If your own private guide travels on board, tip them as described above.

Pay on the last night, after dinner or at checkout. Some ships hand out sealed envelopes, and you write your cabin number on it. Read your package details first, because a service charge or an "all tips included" line means you'd otherwise pay twice.

If a cabin steward went well beyond the job, add EGP 100–200 (USD 2–4) on top of the pool. Otherwise skip it.

Bring small notes before boarding, since change on board is limited. Our Nile cruises page covers ships and dahabiyas.

Tipping in hotels and restaurants

Porters expect EGP 50–100 per trip with bags (about USD 1–2). Housekeeping gets EGP 50–100 a night, left on the pillow or desk with a short note, or a lump sum at checkout. A concierge needs a tip only if they arranged something specific, and EGP 100–200 is plenty. At 4 and 5-star hotels a service charge may already be on your bill, but it doesn't always reach the staff directly.

In restaurants, read the bill first. Many add a service charge plus taxes, often around 12% in total, though it varies. If one is printed, leave a further 5–10% in cash, or round up by EGP 50–100 after an ordinary meal. If none is listed, 10–12% is fair.

At cafés and street-food stalls, round up or leave EGP 10–30. Put cash on the table.

Airport meet-and-assist staff and their luggage helpers should get around EGP 50–100. Independent porters will name their own price, so agree it before they lift a bag.

Some tourist-heavy restaurants near Giza or on the Luxor corniche add unrequested "cover" items. Ask for a printed menu with prices before you order.

Small baksheesh at sites and how to say no

These small tips are worth giving:

• Toilet attendants: EGP 10–20.
• Mosque shoe-minders: EGP 10–20.
• Someone who took a photo you asked for: EGP 20–50.
• A site guardian who unlocks a closed tomb or chamber and shows you something extra: EGP 50–100. Your guide will usually tell you in advance.

The unwanted situations are just as predictable. At the major sites from Giza to Aswan you'll meet camel and horse touts and "free" scarves pressed into your hands, plus self-appointed guides who walk you round a temple and then demand money. Felucca and taxi drivers sometimes quote in dollars. Agree the price before you accept anything.

A firm, calm, repeated "la, shukran" (no, thank you), said with a smile, works better than silence or an argument. Keep your hands free and skip the eye contact once you've refused. If someone persists, ask your guide to step in. That's part of the job.

It's rarely a safety issue. Mostly it's persistence. Our practical tips section has more on touts and etiquette.

On the Giza plateau, settle any ride price through your guide first and stay within the official horse and camel areas.

Carrying the right cash and handing it over

Change money early into small notes, nothing above EGP 100. A 200 note is hard to break at small shops and sites, and nobody has change for a tip. ATMs in the main tourist cities dispense pounds. Keep your tipping notes in a separate pocket from your main wallet.

For a 7-day private trip, a rough planning figure for two people is USD 150–250 across all tipping, from guides and drivers down to small baksheesh. A cruise adds the crew pool on top. Our private tour packages show what a typical week includes.

Fold the note and give it with a handshake and a "shukran". You needn't announce that it's a tip. A guide or driver knows. Very worn or torn notes can be refused, and foreign currency should be crisp and recent.

Don't count on cards for tips. A few hotels take them, but most guides and drivers don't.

A day-one cash kit looks like this:

• A stack of EGP 10–50 notes, plus a few EGP 100s
• A handful of crisp USD 1 and USD 5 notes
• One or two larger notes in a major foreign currency for the guide and driver
• A pen and a spare envelope for cruise or end-of-trip tips

Frequently asked questions

How much should I tip a tour guide in Egypt?

For a private Egyptologist guide, around USD 15–25 a day per couple or small group (GBP 11–19, EGP 750–1,250), handed over at the end of each day or of the trip. On a larger shared tour, USD 5–8 per person per day is common. Go higher after a long day or exceptional service, and check with your operator if tips are already included.

Is tipping mandatory in Egypt?

Not legally, but it's expected in tourism, and many people in the industry rely on it for a real share of their income. Guides and drivers count on it, as do cruise crew and hotel and restaurant staff. For casual helpers at sites the choice is yours, and you can decline politely if you didn't ask for the help.

How much do you tip on a Nile cruise?

Around USD 5–10 per person per night into the crew pool, paid on the last evening. That comes to roughly USD 20–40 per person on a 4-night cruise. Tip the cruise guide separately, about USD 10–15 a day per small group. Check your package first for a service charge or included tips, so you don't pay twice.

What currency should I tip in: USD or Egyptian pounds?

Both work. Egyptian pounds suit everyday tips for porters and restaurant tables. Clean notes in a major currency suit guides and drivers, plus the cruise pool, though drivers often find pounds slightly more useful. Bring plenty of small EGP notes, because large ones are hard to break.

How do I say no to baksheesh requests without being rude?

Say "la, shukran" (no, thank you) with a smile and keep walking. Don't take anything placed in your hands and agree prices before using any service. Ask your guide to step in if someone persists. It's a nuisance rather than a safety problem, and a calm, repeated refusal usually ends it.