Tipping in Luxor: what to actually give and when
Small Egyptian pound notes fanned on a wooden table beside a mint tea glass in Luxor
Baksheesh is unavoidable in Luxor, and knowing the 12 or so situations it comes up in saves you both money and awkwardness.
The word 'baksheesh' and what it really means
Baksheesh covers three different things that English lumps together: a tip for service, a small gratuity for a favour, and alms for someone in need. Luxor runs on all three, and if you refuse to engage with the system you will find doors closed, tomb guardians unhelpful, and taxi drivers sullen. It is not a scam, it is the informal wage layer on top of very low base pay, and once you accept that, the amounts become obvious rather than infuriating.
The going rates in early 2026 sit between 10 and 50 Egyptian pounds for most small interactions, roughly 20 US cents to one dollar. That sounds trivial to a foreigner, and it is, but it is also meaningful to the person receiving it. Carry small notes in a dedicated pocket, because pulling out a 200-pound note when 20 was appropriate signals either ignorance or showing off, and both invite escalation on the next request.
Hotel staff: doormen, housekeeping, breakfast waiters
At the Sofitel Winter Palace, Hilton, Steigenberger Nile Palace or Sonesta St George, the standard is 20 to 50 pounds for a porter who carries bags to your room, 20 to 30 pounds per night for housekeeping left on the pillow the morning you check out, and 20 pounds for the breakfast waiter who keeps bringing coffee. At smaller Nile-view places like Nefertiti Hotel or Bob Marley Peace Hotel, halve those numbers and nobody blinks.
The doorman who hails you a taxi expects 10 to 20 pounds, and the guy who opens the car door on arrival expects the same. This feels like a lot of separate transactions because it is. If you prefer to consolidate, hand the concierge 200 pounds on the last morning and ask him to split it among the team, which most will do honestly. Do not tip the general manager, and do not tip in foreign coins, which local banks will not exchange.
Guides, drivers and the Valley of the Kings ecosystem
A licensed Egyptologist guide for a full West Bank day costs roughly 1,200 to 2,000 pounds for the guiding fee, and the expected tip on top is 200 to 400 pounds if you were happy, more if the day ran long or the guide handled a difficult situation. The driver is a separate person and gets 100 to 200 pounds. If you booked through a hotel or agency, ask what is included, because some quotes bundle the tip and some do not, and paying twice is common.
Inside the tombs, the guardians in white galabeyas will offer to point out details, unlock a side chamber, or let you photograph where photography is technically restricted. Twenty to fifty pounds is the price of that transaction, and if you do not want the service, a firm 'la shukran' with a smile ends it. Do not accept the offer and then refuse to pay, which creates the kind of loud scene that ruins the next visitor's morning.
Taxis, calèches and the felucca captain
Taxi fares in Luxor are negotiated before you get in, and once agreed, that is the fare. No tip is expected on a metered-style trip because there is no meter and the price already includes the driver's margin. If the driver waits an hour while you shop or helped you find something specific, add 20 to 50 pounds. For a half-day hire at 400 to 600 pounds, tipping 50 to 100 pounds at the end is normal and remembered.
Calèche drivers along the Corniche will quote you 150 to 300 pounds for a 30-minute loop, and the horse's welfare should factor into whether you take one at all — pick a driver whose horse looks fed and unbothered. Felucca captains for a sunset sail charge 200 to 400 pounds per hour for the whole boat, and 50 pounds extra at the end for the captain, plus whatever you drank, is the accepted close.
Restaurants, cafés and the service charge question
Mid-range restaurants like Sofra, 1886 at the Winter Palace, and the Lantern Room add a 12 percent service charge and 14 percent tax to the bill, and the service charge does not reach the waiter in any reliable way. Round up and add 20 to 50 pounds in cash directly to whoever served you, handed over as you leave. At street-food places like Aboudi's koshari counter or the taameya stalls near the souk, no tip is expected, but leaving the coins from your change is polite.
Cafés serving Turkish coffee and shisha on Television Street or Mahatta Street expect 10 to 20 pounds on a small order and 20 to 40 on a bigger one. The shisha guy who changes your coals every twenty minutes is a separate role and appreciates 20 pounds at the end. Do not tip on top of an already-negotiated price at a juice stand or bakery, because the price you were quoted was the tourist price to begin with.
Mosques, churches and the tomb-guardian edge cases
The shoe minders outside Abu Haggag Mosque inside Luxor Temple, and at the smaller mosques around the souk, expect 10 to 20 pounds when you collect your shoes. This is not officially a fee and there is no ticket, but the man watches your shoes for the twenty minutes you are inside, and that is what the money is for. At Coptic churches and monasteries like Deir al-Medina's Ptolemaic temple, donations go in the box near the entrance, not to individuals.
The tomb guardians at less-visited sites — the Tombs of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina workers' village, the Ramesseum — will often be the only person you see for an hour. Twenty pounds on entry and another twenty if they showed you something specific is fair. At the major sites like Hatshepsut's temple and the Valley of the Kings ticketed tombs, the guardians inside are salaried and tipping them is optional, though 10 to 20 pounds is welcomed.
What not to tip for, and how to refuse gracefully
Do not tip the person who opens a public toilet door if there is already a posted fee of 5 or 10 pounds — that is the fee, and adding to it starts an escalation with the next visitor. Do not tip children who ask, because it locks them into begging as an income stream and pulls them out of school. If you want to help kids, buy something small from a family-run shop instead, or donate to Animal Care in Egypt on the West Bank, which also runs education programmes.
To refuse an unwanted service, use 'la shukran' — no thank you — with a hand on your heart and keep walking. Do not engage in a debate, do not explain, and do not apologise. Egyptians are direct communicators and a firm no is understood as a firm no, not as rudeness. The mistake foreigners make is smiling politely while saying no, which reads as maybe, and then feeling ambushed when the person persists for another block.
Before you book
The questions people ask about West Bank, answered with this month’s numbers.
Small dollar bills are accepted by guides, drivers and hotel staff who deal with tourists, but avoid coins, which no Egyptian bank will change. Pounds are always preferred because the recipient does not lose the exchange margin. Withdraw 500 pounds in 10s and 20s on arrival and you will use them all week.
For a couple staying mid-range and doing one guided site per day, budget 300 to 500 pounds daily in cash tips, or roughly 6 to 10 US dollars. On a Valley of the Kings day with a guide and driver, that jumps to 600 to 800 pounds. Solo travellers on a hostel budget can do 150 to 250 pounds daily.
No, it goes to the restaurant, not the waiter. The 12 percent service charge is essentially a second tax line that funds house operations. If you had good service, add 20 to 50 pounds in cash directly to the server as you leave. This is the amount that actually reaches them.
