Tipping in Egypt: baksheesh, by the situation, in 2026.
Egypt runs on baksheesh — small cash gratuities at almost every interaction with anyone whose job is to help. It is not optional and not a Western tip; it is woven into the way the service economy is paid.
Tipping is structural. Sit-down restaurants: 10–15% in cash on top of any service charge. Currency: Egyptian pound (EGP, £E). The rule: "Always carry small notes — £E5, £E10, £E20 — for everyone who helps you, from porter to bathroom attendant."
One-screen version: 10–15% at restaurants, £E20–50 for porters and drivers, £E5–10 for bathroom attendants, £E50–100 for camel and horse handlers at the pyramids.
Cultural context
"Baksheesh" comes from the Persian bakhshīdan, "to give," and across Egypt it covers three overlapping things: a tip for service rendered, a small gift in expectation of service to come, and a charitable gesture to someone who needs it. The Egyptian Tourism Authority's 2024 visitor briefing and the Lonely Planet Egypt guide both describe it as a structural feature of the service economy — base wages for tour guides, drivers, porters, and informal attendants are very low, and baksheesh is the variable that lifts those jobs to a living. A restaurant tip is one form of baksheesh; so is the £E10 to the man who opens the museum gate just slightly faster, and the £E20 to the camel handler at Giza.
The texture takes a day or two to learn. Once you've got it, you carry a stack of small notes and the trip stops being awkward.
By situation
| Service | Customary tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down restaurant | 10–15% | On top of any service charge. Cash to the server. |
| Café / ahwa | £E10–20 | Coins on the saucer for a coffee and shisha. |
| Bar (per round) | £E20 | Hotel bars: 10% on a closed tab. |
| Taxi (white cab / Uber) | Round up + £E10–20 | White cabs: agree fare upfront. Uber: in-app. |
| Hotel housekeeping | £E20–50 / day | Leave on the pillow daily, not at the end. |
| Hotel porter | £E20–50 / bag | £E50 at five-star resorts in Sharm or Hurghada. |
| Tour guide (full day) | £E200–400 | Per person, in cash, at the end of the tour. |
| Driver (full day) | £E150–300 | Separate from the guide tip. |
| Camel / horse handler (pyramids) | £E50–100 | Per person, on top of the agreed ride price. |
| Bathroom attendant | £E5–10 | Always carry coins or £E5 notes. |
| Hairdresser / barber | 10–15% | Plus the apprentice who washed your hair: £E20. |
Money mechanics
Egypt is overwhelmingly cash for baksheesh — credit cards are accepted at hotels and upmarket restaurants in Cairo and Alexandria, but the porter, the driver, and the bathroom attendant cannot take a card. Egyptian pounds are the only practical currency at street level; foreign notes are useful only at the hotel front desk. ATMs in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan dispense in £E100 and £E200 notes, which are too large for most baksheesh moments — break them at a kiosk or a Vodafone shop into £E5, £E10, and £E20 notes before you leave the airport.
A working float for a one-week trip: roughly £E500 in small notes plus whatever you've budgeted for restaurants and guides. The £E20 note is the workhorse — it solves most situations on its own.
The phrase to use
Mistakes visitors make
- Not carrying small bills. A £E20 note solves almost every baksheesh situation; a £E200 note creates an awkward standoff at the bathroom door. Break the big notes early and often.
- Skipping the bathroom attendant. £E5–10 is the expected baksheesh, every time. The attendant's wage is essentially this float. Carry coins or £E5 notes for the purpose.
- Under-tipping the camel or horse handler at the pyramids. The handler often expects £E50–100 per person on top of the agreed ride price. Settle that expectation up front in pounds and have the cash ready in your hand, not buried in a wallet.
FAQ
What's the difference between baksheesh and a tip in Egypt?
Baksheesh is a culturally embedded small gratuity that sits between a tip, a gift, and a charitable gesture. It's expected at almost every interaction with someone whose job is to help — the porter, the driver, the bathroom attendant, the man who shows you where to park. The Egyptian Tourism Authority and Lonely Planet's Egypt guide describe it as structural, not optional. A restaurant tip is one specific kind of baksheesh.
How much do I tip the camel or horse handler at the pyramids?
£E50–100 per person for a short ride, more for a sunset or multi-hour excursion. The handler often expects a separate tip from the agreed ride price. Negotiate the ride cost upfront in Egyptian pounds and have the tip ready in small notes.
Egypt sits on a tipping spectrum with its Middle East neighbors. See tipping in the UAE (10–15% in dirhams, service charge usually goes to the house) and tipping in Turkey (10% bahşiş in lira). For the full picture, the country hub lists all 22 destinations.
If your trip combines Egypt with a stop on the subcontinent, the India page covers a different but related pattern — small cash tips across the chain, with a service-charge trap on the restaurant bill that catches most first-time visitors.