If you think that picture up at the top is of the Tomb of Nefertari…well, you’re right.

But it’s also somewhat emblematic of what your experience in Egypt may be like.  Yeah, it’s an image of an Iunmutef Priest directing Nefertari towards the afterlife — but it’s also a bit like a local holding his hand out for a tip.  After all, tipping in Egypt is everywhere…and you need to know what’s expected of you before you go.

Tipping in Egypt is part of the culture

People in other countries often mock the US for their tipping culture.  Servers at restaurants are paid next to nothing for their jobs.  Customers are expected to subsidize their wages by tipping them a percentage of the bill.

The reason I bring this up is because it’s cultural.  It seems normal to us, because that’s what we’re used to.  Someone in a European country may think it’s backwards, or silly, or outright ridiculous. 

Every culture has its own traditions, and tipping in Egypt is a huge part of the culture.  If someone helps you out or performs some kind of service for you, you’re expected to tip them.  The local word is “baksheesh,” and you’ll probably hear it quite a few times.

This includes things that might not seem so unusual, like tipping the person who helps bring your bags to your room, but it extends to other “services” tourists may not be used to paying for.  For example, when you go into a public bathroom, there will likely be someone inside.  You’ll have to tip them to get some toilet paper — and if you don’t need any, you’re expected to tip anyway.

Why?  Because that’s the way things work.  That person is working in the bathroom, keeping it clean for you.  It’s on you to pay him.

Yes, the guards want tips

See that guy on his phone?  He’s a guard at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, on the West Bank of Luxor.

You’ll see people like him everywhere in Egypt.  His job is to make sure the temple stays safe, and to make sure you’re safe as well.  But it’s also understood that he’ll try to get tips from tourists.  It’s how he supplements his income.

My philosophy on this is to tip when someone is actually performing a service for you.  In all likelihood, that guy isn’t going to be doing anything to help you.  He’ll probably walk up, point to a figure on the wall, say “Anubis,” and that’s it. 

Well, you don’t need him to do that, and you didn’t ask him to.  In fact, if you look over behind the column on the left, you can see Anubis for yourself.  In a case like this, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to ignore the guard or simply wave your hand like “No thanks.” Nobody’s going to be offended.

While some guards will be more persistent than others, I never had any get angry because I didn’t tip them.  But remember: If you’re accepting their help with something, you really should give them something.  It’s how this works.

Accepting help

Here’s a bit of a story for you.

See the guy in the picture up above?  I blurred his face out, just in case.  I don’t think he’d get in any trouble for doing what he did, but better safe than sorry.

This was in the Tomb of Menna, a wonderful little spot in the area known as the “Tombs of the Nobles” on the West Bank of Luxor.  The cab driver introduced me to a local, who took me around from tomb to tomb so the guards would let me in.

The area isn’t heavily trafficked by tourists, so all the doors were locked.  You need a guard to unlock the door, and once you’re in there with him, you can’t really ignore him or refuse his help.

Sometimes, the guards will offer to do things they technically aren’t “supposed” to do.  In this case, there’s a little ankle-high rope blocking off this section of the tomb.  The guard offered to take my camera over there and take pictures for me. 

It’s perfectly fine to accept “help.” Just know that you’re expected to tip them in return, and you should do so in an amount that’s relative to what they’re doing.  If this guy had virtually nothing to say and didn’t do anything but open the door, then I would have given him less than I did.

Tipping in Egypt means knowing the rules

Want to avoid tipping to get out of “trouble”?  Make sure you’re well versed in what sort of tickets you need before going inside.

For example, when you visit the Valley of the Kings or Abu Simbel, you need to buy what’s called a “photo ticket” if you want to use a camera to take pictures.  This isn’t really publicized when you’re at the ticket window, so you need to ask for it…because I promise you, the guards will be asking to see it.

Every time I took out my camera in a different tomb, a guard came over to ask if I had the photo ticket.  I saw plenty of other tourists who were seemingly dumbfounded, saying they didn’t know they needed one.  Well…yeah.  If you didn’t do any research ahead of time, you wouldn’t know that.

So, the guards would basically offer them a choice: Either “tip” me and keep going, or delete your pictures. And yes, they will stand there and watch you delete them. 

How much to tip in Egypt

See the guy in the picture?  He’s actually a guard in the Temple of Edfu.  I spotted him sitting with his face in a beam of light, and he kept moving when I’d raise the camera.  He made eye contact, and smiled.  I knew what he wanted.

Yes, he was offering a “service.”  In this case, he was offering to sit still and pose for a picture.  He knew it made for a cool picture, and he was right.  Did I pay him?  Well…you’re looking at the picture, aren’t you?

So what’s the standard amount?  Unfortunately, there’s no set “tip” for anything.  It just depends on how much you’re willing to offer someone.

Some things are easy.  For example, if you’re tipping an attendant in a bathroom, you’re probably just going to give one or two Egyptian Pounds, which is a really insignificant amount.  If you’re with a tour guide (and really, you shouldn’t bother), I’d recommend giving 15 percent to the guide at the end of the day, and a little less to the driver. 

The best advice I can give you is to just tip someone whatever you think they’re worth.  I went inside the burial chamber at the heart of the otherworldly Pyramid of Unas at Saqqara, and the guard inside turned out all the lights and put his flashlight up against the walls to make for some really nice pictures.  I gave him 20 Egyptian pounds, which is about $1.25.  He seemed satisfied.

I’d say tipping guards who are offering you a service should start around there, and go up depending on what they’re doing for you and how much time they’re spending.  Some guards are extremely knowledgeable and are more than willing to spend plenty of time walking you around.

So, don’t be cheap.  But at the same time, don’t get fooled into emptying your wallet, either.

Hoard your money

At all costs, do whatever you can to keep small bills.  I would put this in a giant font to emphasize how important it is, if it wouldn’t be so annoying.  So just close your eyes and picture letters filling up this entire page, screaming at you to remember it.

The ATM’s in Egypt almost always dispense large bills.  Get change anywhere you can, and hoard it.  The last thing you want is to be stuck at a site when a guard or someone else is being helpful, and you aren’t able to pay him anything but 200 Egyptian pounds.

Because odds are, there’s nothing they can do that will be worth that much.  But accepting someone’s help and not tipping them in return is incredibly rude.  You don’t want to be rude, do you?

On a related note, one tip I repeat time and time again is this: Keep most of your money in a money belt.  Put a few smaller bills in your wallet so when you’re tipping someone, they don’t see a huge wad of cash.  Like I said, I never had anyone get pushy or aggressive when I tipped them, but better safe than sorry.

Note: Everything I say here is my own personal opinion, and may not work best for everyone. I’m far from an expert, so please just do whatever is best for you, and be sure to visit the TripAdvisor Forums to ask questions and do some more research!