Money questions come up constantly when planning a trip to Egypt, and a Nile cruise adds its own layer to the picture: tipping onboard, cash for excursions, and knowing what is already included in your fare. This guide covers currency, card acceptance, ATMs, budgeting, and the tipping customs that catch most first-time visitors off guard.
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Egypt’s Currency: The Egyptian Pound
Egypt’s official currency is the Egyptian pound, abbreviated EGP and often written as LE (from the French Livre Egyptienne) on price tags and menus. The exchange rate against the US dollar and euro has moved significantly in recent years, so rather than quoting a specific rate here that will quickly go stale, check a currency converter shortly before you travel. In practical terms, day-to-day costs in Egypt such as bottled water, snacks, tips, and souvenirs tend to be considerably lower than in Europe or North America, which is one of the reasons Egypt remains an accessible long-haul destination.
Cash, Cards, and ATMs
Cruise ships, larger hotels, and souvenir shops in tourist areas generally accept major credit cards, though a small surcharge is sometimes added. That said, Egypt still runs substantially on cash, particularly for tipping, small purchases at local markets, taxis, and rural stops. ATMs are widely available in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan, dispensing Egyptian pounds, and most accept international cards, though it is worth carrying a backup card in case one is rejected. Many travelers also bring a modest amount of US dollars or euros in small denominations, since these are widely accepted for tips and are easy to exchange if needed, though your day-to-day spending is usually smoother in local currency.
Avoid exchanging money at airport kiosks if possible, as rates there are typically the least favorable. Banks and official exchange bureaus in the city center generally offer better rates, and your cruise ship’s front desk can sometimes exchange smaller amounts too.
Tipping on a Nile Cruise: The Baksheesh Culture
Tipping, known locally as baksheesh, is a deeply embedded part of Egyptian hospitality and service culture, and it is expected in far more situations than travelers from many other countries are used to. On a Nile cruise, the main tipping categories are the ship’s crew (often collected as a single pooled amount at the end of the cruise, covering cabin stewards, waitstaff, and general crew), your Egyptologist guide, and your driver if private transfers are included. Many cruise operators publish suggested tipping guidelines in your welcome pack or on their website, and following those figures per person per day for crew, plus a separate amount for your guide, is a reasonable approach.
Beyond the main categories, smaller tips are customary for a range of everyday interactions: porters who handle your luggage, staff at temple sites who point out a good photo angle or unlock a normally closed chamber, restroom attendants, and felucca or motorboat operators on short local rides. Keeping a stock of small bills in local currency set aside specifically for these moments makes the whole trip smoother, since fumbling for change or needing to break a large note is a common frustration.
What’s Usually Included in Your Cruise Fare
Most Nile cruise packages include full board accommodation, meals onboard, and a set itinerary of shore excursions with an Egyptologist guide. What is typically NOT included is alcohol and some soft drinks onboard (though this varies by ship and package), entrance fees to certain optional add-on sites such as the Sound and Light Show at Karnak, spa treatments, laundry service, and of course tips. Always check your specific booking’s inclusions carefully, since this varies meaningfully between the standard, deluxe, and luxury categories, and confirming it in advance avoids surprises when the onboard bill arrives on the final evening.
Budgeting for Shopping and Extras
Between temple visits, you will likely pass through markets and shops selling papyrus paintings, alabaster carvings, spices, cotton textiles, and jewelry. Haggling is a normal and expected part of shopping in these settings, and starting at roughly a third to half of the initial asking price is a common approach before meeting somewhere in the middle. Fixed-price government-run shops, sometimes included on excursion itineraries, are the exception, where prices are generally not negotiable but quality and authenticity are more reliably guaranteed.
A Simple Daily Budgeting Approach
Rather than trying to plan an exact figure months in advance, a practical approach is to bring a mix of your main tipping allowance calculated from your cruise operator’s guidelines, a moderate cash buffer in local currency for daily incidentals such as drinks, snacks, and small tips, and a card as backup for larger purchases. Setting aside a specific tipping envelope before you fly, separate from your general spending money, is one of the simplest ways to make sure you are not caught short on the last morning of the cruise when several tips typically come due at once.
Planning the Rest of Your Trip
Once your budget is sorted, the next planning steps are usually choosing your cruise category and itinerary. Our guide to Nile cruise costs in 2026 breaks down pricing by cruise class, and our first-time Nile cruise guide covers the wider logistics of putting a trip together.
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