WP-TippingGuide

Tipping Guide for Tours* in Egypt

*Note: For Group Tours escorted by Ruth
When you are with Ruth all your tips are included, except the tip to the Egyptologist Tour Guide.

*Note: For Private tours, Extensions & Excursions (including cruises)
before or after a group tour and early arrivals before a group tour
Please see suggested tipping amounts below.

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 or 50-60 LE pp/day.
(Example: If the tour includes 8 days of sightseeing, $64-80 USD per person or 400-460 LE pp). Minimum expected amount: $5 USD or 30 LE pp/day. If you are not happy you should not give a tip at all.

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.

American Express Rep at the airports
For arrivals: $5 for the rep inside the airport for 1-2 persons. $10 for 3-4 persons.
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: $10 for 1-2 persons, $20 for 3-4 persons.
For departures: 40-80 LE total, 1 or more persons.
(Remember to also tip the bus driver)

Car and Bus drivers
$8 USD or 40-50 LE/short service (Example: airport to hotel) is suggested amount for 1-2 persons.
Day of sightseeing by car: 1 person: 60 LE, 2 or more persons: 60-100 LE for the group ($10-17).

Day-long journey by car/minivan a total of 80-120 LE/day (or $15-20/day) is good for the group (examples: day-tour to Alexandria, Abu Simbel, transfer from Cairo to St Catherine’s or Sharm).

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

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.

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 $9-10 or 50 LE (Egyptian Pounds) per night (Example: a 4 night cruise would be about 200 LE, or $35-40 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).