Tips for a Better Travel Experience to Egypt

Me one evening in Egypt at Luxor Temple, near Cairo, posing with Ramses. April 17, 2023.

I’ve had the good fortune to visit the touristy parts of Egypt—the beaches along the Red Sea, the major historical sites along the Nile—more than once.

Based on my experiences and my observations of and conversations with other tourists about their surprises, I realized that a few universal tips I’ve gleaned could help other travelers prepare for their Egyptian vacations through knowing what to expect and how to navigate certain situations.

As there are countless guides on what to see and what to pack when it comes to Egypt—after all, the country and its sites are some of the world’s top destinations—I’ll stick to guidance in areas that I haven’t seen covered elsewhere that would have helped me and others I know before visiting.

With this information, you’ll have a much smoother Egyptian vacation!

Side note: Watch a few videos I took at some of the temples and pyramids in Egypt, to whet your travel appetite!

Have a Lot of Cash

Egypt is a tipping culture. In Egypt, people in tourist destinations who interact with tourists (and likely people in service positions in all societal facets, really) expect tips for everything, from providing advice about what to see at a tourist site or directions from one place to another through to giving you toilet paper and soap in the bathroom (and generally keeping public bathrooms safe, tidy, and operating).

Therefore—though you should leave most of it in your hotel-room safe, of course—you should bring along on your trip to Egypt enough cash to cover multiple tipping situations per day. You don’t need to give large tips, other than perhaps for tour guides and drivers, but you do need to give the equivalent of one to two dollars each time you tip someone.

What denomination of money should you bring? We found that Egyptian pounds and U.S. dollars had the widest popularity and acceptance—though people will take Euros and Swiss francs, as well.

However, an important note: Egyptians cannot exchange (or deposit) single U.S. dollar bills at their banks, so Egyptian pounds will work better for them when it comes to the smallest tips—as in, for example, what you’d provide to a bathroom attendant.

Get Vigilant about Hygiene

The most common health complaint from tourists? Gastrointestinal problems.

Egypt has different water and hygiene standards—and different types of local bacteria—than countries in Europe and the United States. Further, lots of cash exchanges hands; cash everywhere in the world is filthy.

Therefore, wash and disinfect your hands, fingers, and fingernails obsessively and avoid touching your face, mouth, eyes, and nose at all times—especially if you haven’t just washed your hands with what you know is purified water.

Also, as uncooked, raw foods will rarely have gone through a purified-water cleaning before serving—unless you plan to stay in a resort catering to westerners, of course—you should plan to eat only hot, freshly cooked foods. (Cooking kills most bacteria.)

Yet as even the most vigilant people can run into gastrointestinal issues when visiting other cultures and eating other foods, plan to bring powdered electrolytes and your preferred over-the-counter medication for stomachaches. If you forget, though, don’t worry: You can find both in Egypt in stores and pharmacies.

Ditch Your Politeness Instincts

In the tourist areas of Egypt, people throng to sell tourists products and to offer tourists advice and services—sometimes for an officially stated fee, sometimes for a tip.

These people will say hello, ask questions about your country of origin, welcome you to Egypt—all introductions and comments that feel welcoming and friendly that they’ve employed simply to draw you into conversation. At moments, especially in the most heavily tourist-frequented areas, all these surprise attempts at interaction can overwhelm you and even feel like harassment.

Alas, at least in these situations, most of us have had training from a very young age to respond to questions, say hello, smile, and be polite—even with strangers who’ve initiated conversation we didn’t want or do anything to attract.

In Egypt, they know this. And they will use it against you.

Your best bet is to go against all your home training and give full rein to your inner rudeness.

Do not respond to any questions, do not say hello in return, do not look people in the eye and smile at them unless you do want to buy something from them. Accept absolutely nothing from strangers on the street or in public areas; accepting anything offered—even advice—is seen as a sale that deserves payment or at least a tip.

If you do want to buy something from someone, do not let them bring you into a market stall or guide you to somewhere else—scams are, unfortunately, rampant—and negotiate furiously on the price of anything that catches your interest.

My best approach was to walk quickly and to keep my eyes straight ahead or even ahead and slightly down, saying nothing even to direct attempts at interaction. When someone became too aggressive or got too close to me, I would firmly say “no” and nothing else—not even “no, thank you”—would continue to keep my eyes elsewhere, and would keep walking.

Don’t Wander Solo

You will not pass for a local in Egypt, blending into the background. Especially in any heavily touristed area.

And looking like a tourist makes you an easy target for people wanting money from tourists.

This means that you’ll be an easy target for harassment and scammers even with someone else or in a group—and that you’ll especially be a target if you wander around solo. Numbers will make you safer and more comfortable.

Though this advice goes for any gender, I’d recommend it most strongly to women, as Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country and much more conservative than many western cultures. Traveling with someone else or multiple people will help to keep you away from adversity.

Better Prepared = A Better Experience

Seeing the major sites in Egypt and visiting the Egyptian beaches is a dream experience for people worldwide—and for good reason. Egypt is a country you should not miss visiting if you have the opportunity.

Yet seeing it better prepared for what you’ll experience as a tourist in the main tourist areas and knowing how to navigate these experiences will help make your experience so much better as a result.