Egyptian Etiquette: What to Know Before You Arrive

Saying hello

Everyone understands As-salamu alaykum (peace be upon you); answer with wa alaykum as-salam. Shukran means thank you and afwan means you're welcome. Those three phrases change how people respond to you.

Men shake hands with men. Many women would rather not shake a man's hand, so let them go first. A hand placed on your heart is always a warm, correct greeting.

Use your right hand

Eat, pass things and take things with the right hand; the left is thought of as unclean.

Hospitality

You will be offered tea again and again. Saying yes is polite and seldom commits you to anything — it is real hospitality, not a sales trick, and Egyptians take pride in it.

Invited into someone's home? Bring pastries or fruit, praise the food, and expect to be served far more than you can finish.

Taking photographs

Always ask before photographing someone. Most people are glad to be photographed, and plenty will ask for a photo with you.

Never photograph military sites, police, the bridges over the Suez Canal, or the inside of airports. This is enforced.

During Ramadan

Don't eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight. Hotels and tourist restaurants carry on serving in set-aside areas.

Afternoons are slow, and the traffic just before sunset is wild as everyone hurries home for iftar. Plan your day around it.

Baksheesh

Tipping runs through everyday service. Toilet attendants, porters, the man minding your car, whoever opens a gate for you: 10–20 EGP is usual.

If you enjoyed your day, $10–15 a day for a guide and $5–10 for a driver, per group rather than per person, is standard. It is part of how they earn a living, not an extra.

Affection in public

Holding hands is fine; kissing in public is not. Egyptian men often hold hands with each other — it means friendship and nothing more.

Alcohol

It is legal and sold in hotels, licensed restaurants and Drinkies shops, but not in shops during Ramadan (hotels still serve). Local beers such as Stella and Sakara, and wines such as Omar Khayyam and Grand Marquis, are perfectly good.

Fridays

Friday is the Islamic holy day, and many businesses shut around midday prayers. Museums and monuments stay open, though some Islamic sites close to visitors from 11am to 1pm.