Tips How To Avoid Tourist Traps in Egypt

Shopping in Egypt

The sellers in Egypt will try anything to drive you in their shops. The most common tourist traps they use are: they will ask you to help them write the advertising for their shop in your language, invite you for coffee or tea, or will try to get you in using the most common sentence: Special price for you, my friend! Once you are in shop, you can find it very difficult to get out.

Tip: Try to avoid eye contact with them. If you are not interested just say La shokran (no, thank you) and just keep walking.

Taxis and Transport in Egypt

Taxi drivers in Egypt will always try to overchage you. Before entering any taxi in Egypt always negotiate the price first and pay after leaving a car. When negotiating the price always make the price totaly clear (how many persons, egyptian pounds or british pounds etc). Hitchhiking is not recommended in Egypt.

Tip: Always have exact change when paying a taxi.

Buying Papyrus

Don’t buy papyrus on the street because it is not real papyrus, it is banana tree.

Tip: For a places where you can buy original papyrus, ask your tour operator. If you buy papyrus on the street, don’t pay more than 5 Egyptian pounds.

Camel Ride

Do not let a cab driver arrange a camel riding for you and make sure that you agree the price before you get on the camel because they can ask for more money when you have to get off the camel.

Tip: When negotiating the price ask very clearly about the rates in Egyptian pounds.