# Tipping in Egypt: what is normal, what is optional, and what to carry - Page: https://www.sunnyegypttravels.com/en/blog/tipping-in-egypt-guide - Published: 2026-10-07 - Last updated: 2026-10-07 - Topics: planning, budget Tipping, often called baksheesh, is part of daily life in Egypt. This guide explains where a service charge already exists, where a tip is expected, and why published amounts differ so much. WHAT BAKSHEESH ACTUALLY MEANS In Egypt, tipping, often called baksheesh, is part of daily life, and you will be asked for it in places a visitor from Europe or America might not expect. You are not obliged to pay for help you did not ask for. The real question for most travelers is not whether to tip, but how to do it without overpaying or running out of small notes. RESTAURANTS AND CAFES Many mid-range and upscale restaurants add a service charge to the bill, commonly described as 10 to 12 percent. Check the bill: if the charge is there, many guides suggest adding a smaller extra tip in cash, around 5 to 10 percent. Where no service charge is printed, 10 to 15 percent is the figure most guides give for restaurants and cafes. In a simple cafe or at a street stall, rounding up or leaving some loose change is normal. HOTELS Porters, housekeeping and concierges are tipped in Egyptian pounds, published figures range from about 30 to 100 Egyptian pounds per bag or per night, with some guides suggesting up to 200 for housekeeping or special services. Housekeeping is best left on the bedside table with a note, so it is clear the money is for the room attendant. Published amounts differ between sources, so treat any number you read, including ours, as a starting point and adjust to the standard of the hotel. GUIDES AND DRIVERS This is where published advice varies most. One 2026 guide suggests roughly 30 to 50 US dollars per day for a private Egyptologist, plus a little more per extra person, while another quotes a few hundred Egyptian pounds for a full-day private guide. The gap comes from different assumptions about the exchange rate, the type of tour and the group size. At Sunny Egypt we suggest guests think of about 30 US dollars per day as a sensible minimum for a private guide, and more for an excellent full day or a larger group. A practical approach: decide on the figure that feels fair for the quality of the day, ask your tour operator what is customary for your specific itinerary, and hand it over privately at the end of the trip or the day, in an envelope if the amount is larger. For a group tour, the amount per person is lower than for a private guide. Drivers are tipped separately from guides. NILE CRUISES Cruise ships usually collect staff tips in one pooled envelope, handed to reception on the last evening. Guides quote roughly 10 to 15 US dollars per person per night for standard cruises (one says 10 to 12). Dahabiyas are quoted higher, around 15 to 20 US dollars. Ask the operator how the pool is divided and whether the figure is already suggested in your booking documents. SMALL SERVICES Expect to be asked for small sums at some toilets, from camel and horse handlers, and sometimes from site guards who offer to open a door or point out a detail. A few pounds for a genuine service is customary. You do not need to pay someone who simply walked beside you without being asked, and it is fine to say a clear, friendly no. WHAT TO CARRY Egyptian pounds in small notes, in a separate pocket from your main cash, are the single most useful thing. Some guides accept US dollars in small bills for larger tips such as guides and cruise staff, while others advise pounds only, so ask your operator. Rates move, so check the current exchange rate before the trip rather than relying on any pound figure printed in an article. A SIMPLE RULE OF THUMB Tip for service you actually received, in cash, directly, in the local currency for small things and in dollars or euros for large ones if the recipient prefers. If you are unsure, ask your hotel or tour operator what is normal that week. And remember that the amount matters less than the courtesy: a thank-you and a smile go with every tip. Prices checked October 2026. All figures come from commercial travel sites; no official source on tipping exists.