WP-TippingGuide

EGYPT TOURS - Welcome Packet Information

Tipping Guide for Tours in Egypt

Please see suggested tipping amounts below.
Generosity is always appreciated and respected in Egypt. So if you want to give more, please do.

Before Your Tour Starts - Cairo Airport Arrival
Generosity is always appreciated and respected in Egypt. So if you want to give more, please do.

American Express English-speaking REPRESENTATIVE at the airports

For ARRIVALS: $10 USD for 1, 2 or more travelers for the REP
$5 for the rep inside the airport for 1 person. $10+ for 2 or more travelers.
Escorting you to the hotel is a second service. Same as the above.
If the same rep meets you inside the airport & brings you to the hotel: double the amount = $10 USD.

50 LE or $6-7 USD for the bus DRIVER

For DEPARTURES:
80-100 LE or $8-10 USD total for the representative, 1 or more persons.
40-50 LE or $6-7 USD for the bus driver

For Tours Escorted by Ruth Shilling
When you are with Ruth all your tips are included, except the tip to the Egyptologist Tour Guide.

Egyptologist Tour Guide: Tip is usually given the last time you will see him/her. If possible, it is nice to put this in an envelope with a thank-you note. Envelopes are in your hotel room.

Suggested amount: $8-10 USD per person per day.
(Example: If the tour includes 8 days of sightseeing, $64-80 USD per person pp). Minimum expected amount: $5 USD pp/day. If you are not happy you should not give a tip at all.

Restaurants: If you eat a meal on your own, see tipping suggestions below for the waiters and waitresses.

For Private Tours and Add-on Extensions
which are
Not escorted by Ruth Shilling
Generosity is always appreciated and respected in Egypt. So if you want to give more, please do.

Waiters/Waitresses at restaurants
10% of the bill. If it says the gratuities are included, the waiters are probably not going to get anything unless you give it to them. Please also be aware that the taxes can be about 22%, so your bill will be higher than what the menu says is the cost of the food. So if the price of the meal is 60 LE you will end up paying 80 LE (+32%) including tax and tip.

Also note that if you order wine you may be expected to buy the whole bottle.

Car and Bus drivers for Day Tours and Private Tours
Day-long journey by car/minivan: a total of 100-120 LE/day (or $15-20 USD/day) is good for the group.
(examples: day-tour to Alexandria, Abu Simbel, transfer from Cairo to St Catherine’s or Sharm).

Porters, moving your bags
At the hotel: 2-3 LE/bag (Egyptian Pounds per bag). Minimum 5 LE pp.
At the airport: 2 LE is enough for all your bags if they only put your bags on the belt for the scanner.

Security man, body guard
Expected is 30 LE/day ($5/day) for the group. Suggested is 50 LE/day for the group (not pp.).

Housekeeping at the hotels
Suggested is 2-5 LE (Egyptian Pounds) or $1 USD per room per night.

Cruise boat staff – a tip for all the staff* (includes your waiter, housekeeping, reception, pool staff, etc.) is given in one envelope at the end of the cruise.

Suggested is $10 or 50 LE (Egyptian Pounds) per night (Example: a 7 night cruise would be about 350 LE, or $70 USD per person). Tips can be given in LE, USD or Euro.

Cruise Boat Tour Guide: When on the cruise boat you will have an Egyptologist tour guide who will receive a separate tip. Suggested amount: $5 USD per day of guiding (usually only 2 days for people on our tours, so total of $10/pp or 60 LE/pp) = $20 USD per couple