How much to tip in Egypt
Egypt quick reference
Why Egypt is different
Baksheesh is a deeply embedded part of Egyptian daily economic life, not limited to formal hospitality service the way American or European tipping is — it functions as a broad, expected system of small reciprocal payments across many interactions, reflecting both long-standing cultural practice and the reality that wages in much of Egypt's tourism sector are low enough that these small payments make a genuine, meaningful difference to workers' actual income. Visitors sometimes find the sheer frequency of baksheesh requests overwhelming at major tourist sites like the Pyramids or Luxor's temples, where informal guides, camel handlers, and site workers may all expect something — understanding this as a real economic structure rather than begging or hustling helps calibrate expectations honestly. It helps to distinguish three separate categories: a genuine service tip (a waiter, a hotel porter), a small payment for an unrequested but real favor (someone who opens a locked tomb chamber or points out a good photo angle), and outright pressure tactics some site hustlers use — a firm, polite decline works for the third category without any obligation, while the first two genuinely warrant a small note. Cairo's tourist-heavy areas around the Pyramids and Egyptian Museum see this dynamic most intensely; Alexandria and smaller Nile towns are noticeably calmer.
Service charge reality
Most Egyptian restaurant bills, especially in tourist areas, list a service charge (often 12%) alongside a separate sales tax, but there's a widely known and fairly candid local reality that this charge frequently doesn't fully reach the actual serving staff or gets distributed unevenly among back-of-house workers — which is why an additional direct cash tip to your server is still customary and expected even when a service line already appears on the printed bill.
Cash vs. card
Cash, in small Egyptian pound denominations, is essential for tipping in Egypt far more than in most countries on this list — baksheesh culture here extends well beyond restaurants to bathroom attendants, people who point you toward a good photo spot, security staff who unlock a closed area, and many other small everyday interactions, almost all of which are cash-only. It's genuinely worth carrying a stock of small notes specifically set aside for this throughout a day of sightseeing, since running out of small bills becomes a real practical problem.
Situation by situation
Restaurants
Expected: 10% directly to the server even when a service charge already appears on the bill
Actually rude: Assuming the printed service charge covers the tip and leaving nothing further
At smaller local restaurants without a printed service charge, 10% in cash is the clear, straightforward expectation. Nile-view restaurants and floating restaurants aimed squarely at tourists in Cairo and Luxor sometimes add a higher service charge than a neighborhood spot, so it's worth checking the printed percentage rather than assuming 12%.
Taxis
Expected: Rounding up; agreeing the fare beforehand for unmetered rides matters more
Actually rude: None specifically
Ride-hail apps (Uber, Careem) are increasingly used in Cairo and reduce the negotiation friction of street taxis.
Hotels
Expected: E£20-50 per bag for porters; E£20-50 per day for housekeeping; smaller amounts for many minor favors throughout a stay
Actually rude: None, but skipping tips for the many small services hotel staff perform (extra towels, directions, unlocking something) is noticed more here than elsewhere
Nile cruise ship staff are customarily tipped as a group at the end of the cruise, often via a collection envelope — check what's included versus expected separately.
Tour Guides
Expected: E£100-200 per person per day for a licensed private guide; site-specific informal guides expect smaller amounts
Actually rude: Ending a full day with a licensed private guide at the Pyramids or Luxor and paying only the pre-arranged fee
Drivers on multi-day itineraries are typically tipped separately from guides, roughly E£50-100 per day.
Salons
Expected: 10%
Actually rude: None
Similar overall structure to restaurant tipping.
Related reading
The situation-specific guides behind each service norm above, plus Egypt’s regional hub.
Frequently asked questions
Why does it feel like everyone at the Pyramids wants a tip?
Baksheesh is a genuinely broad economic custom in Egypt covering far more everyday interactions than the Western restaurant-tip model — informal guides, camel and horse handlers, and site attendants at major tourist sites commonly expect small payments, which reflects real local economic structure rather than aggressive begging, even if it can feel relentless to a first-time visitor.
If a 12% service charge is already on my bill, do I really still need to tip?
Yes, generally — it's widely acknowledged locally that the printed service charge often doesn't reach frontline staff in full or gets split with back-of-house workers, so a direct 10% cash tip to your actual server remains the real customary practice.
How much small cash should I carry for a day of sightseeing?
More than you'd expect — a steady stock of small Egyptian pound notes for baksheesh throughout the day (bathroom attendants, photo help, site staff) is genuinely useful, since running out becomes an awkward and recurring problem.
Is it okay to say no to a baksheesh request I don't want to pay?
Yes — a polite, firm decline is completely acceptable, particularly for unsolicited offers from site hustlers rather than genuine services; it's worth reserving actual payment for real assistance you asked for or clearly benefited from.
Do I tip on a Nile cruise separately from the daily meals included in the package?
Yes — most Nile cruise packages price meals and cabin service into the fare, but crew gratuities are handled separately, usually via an end-of-cruise collection envelope suggested by the cruise operator rather than something included upfront.
Sources: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities visitor guidance (checked 2026-06-17); US Embassy in Cairo — travel and local customs guidance (checked 2026-06-17). See methodology for our annual-refresh policy.