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If you’re considering travelling to Egypt then you probably need to consider whether or not to hire a guide. This article discusses reasons why I found a guide beneficial and why I would highly recommended one for your trip, for safety reasons and enjoyment reasons too. It also lists the price and inclusions for our Egypt guide in Cairo.
I also was conscious of wanting to choose a company that used local guides. Rather than giving my money to large tour companies often not even based in Egypt, I wanted to make sure my money was going to an Egyptian local who used their knowledge and expertise in the tourism industry. Tourism in Egypt has struggled significantly over recent years after several terror attacks over recent years has kept tourists away. Tourism is slowly returning but the country’s politics and infrastructure are still struggling, tourism is vital to helping those in the country.
I spent three days in Cairo, Egypt in early October. While I was a bit disappointed to not have time to explore the country more (Luxor, Aswan, cruising down the Nile), it has been a dream of mine to visit Cairo and see the ancient pyramids and I was so happy to finally be able to do that.
However, the questions that I’ve had the most are about safety, particularly in regard to female safety, whilst travelling in Egypt. I should make it clear that I was travelling with my boyfriend so I already had a male companion, which did make a significant difference and I would go so far as to say it is a more comfortable experience to have a male with you. Something I never thought I would say! I did not feel entirely comfortable in the way I was looked at, touched and harassed by strangers in the street.
But as far as a guide, we spent one day exploring alone, and the second two days with a guide, I have to say, having a guide made a huge difference and we were so grateful to have one.
In a rush? Click here to see the tour I used and the latest prices - full details of my experience are below.
What is Egypt like without a guide?
streets in Cairo Egypt
We only spent one day without a guide, so I want to avoid making sweeping generalisations. We stayed at a hostel in the city centre which was lovely, welcoming and friendly - Holy Sheet Hostel. They did warn us which directions to explore, and which directions not to explore, particularly after dark.
Nothing untoward happened but we were hassled, jostled and stared at. I was aware of being asked for a tip for EVERYTHING. And very possibly being ripped off. We are an adventurous couple but we definitely proceeded with more caution that usual during this day.
If you’ve been to Morocco then imagine it something like being in the souks, touched, hassled, jostled and shouted at. Having been in Morocco only 3 weeks prior, it was a very familiar feeling to us.
As a woman, I felt stared at and accosted more so, however Taylor, my boyfriend, was definitely a buffer, we were even wearing fake rings on our ring fingers as we had been told this will often put men off from hassling me since I’m “already taken”. This may seem drastic, and as an independent woman, I was horrified at being labelled as “taken”, however one mention of me being married instantly made men back off on several occasions.
Why you should hire a guide in Egypt
bustling markets in Cairo
We had a guide for our second and third day in Egypt and it was a blessing. Here are the reasons why you should also get a guide and the guided tours I used are shared below this section.
Being accompanied by an Egyptian local made us less of a target
For the same reasons as above, even just seeing us accompanied by a local was enough to warn people off approaching me, trying to touch me or accost me. I was so grateful for this because it took all the worry and apprehension out of exploring Egypt and I wasn’t nervous and on edge about being out and about.
He fielded any hassle from vendors
Sometimes you do just want to look at the street stores and shops but it is so off-putting in Egypt when you are immediately approached by the seller, items forced into your hands to buy, prices thrown at you and you feel intimidated into buying something because it’s the only way you can escape. With a guide, we were able to say what we were interested in at a stall and he negotiated the price for us without us being ripped off or intimidated to buy other items we didn’t want!
He managed our tipping
The thing that baffled us most in Egypt was the tipping culture. Tipping in Egypt is baffling and extreme. We had read about this before we arrived but it was so hard to negotiate.
A toilet attendant insists on opening the toilet door or you and turning the tap on for you to wash your hands then ask for a tip. A random man in the street holds your car door open as you get into the vehicle and asks for a tip. A guard sitting under a parasol at the entrance to an attraction doing nothing except swinging his gun around is given a tip.
All of these are scenarios we experience and our drive tipped them for us. It’s only a couple of Egyptian pounds or two each time but it is baffling when our only experience of tipping culture in the States or UK is to reward exceptional service and it seems you should tip for things which are forced on you that you were going to do yourself, like open a door!
Our guide fielded all these requests for tips and gave them tips appropriately. He also advised us on when we should tip and how much in places like restaurants.
He took us to reputable vendors, helped us get good deals and bargained for us
We did genuinely want to buy souvenirs and make purchases from local people and support local businesses, but being pressured and what felt like intimidated into purchases was completely off-putting. But our guide was able to take that discomfort out of the equation, tell the vendors what we wanted and negotiated a fair price for us (usually quite a bit cheaper than what we had originally been quoted ourselves).
We were taken to and from our accommodation each day
Not only is this a question of convenience but also of safety. We stayed in a different location for our last two nights (an Airbnb) and our driver collected us with our luggage in the morning and we were able to keep it safely in the vehicle all day while we explored. In areas he thought dodgy or when it was getting dark, he contacted our accommodation, helped us meet the host and made sure we got inside the door of the accommodation safely.
He really went above and beyond and even told us to contact him on his personal mobile number if there were any problems, even during the night!
He was a qualified Egyptologist
I mean, that’s what you came to Egypt for right?! In a country so rich in ancient history, having a guide so knowledgeable and informative was invaluable to our whole experience. This is particularly important at the pyramids where there isn’t actually any information boards or signs in English. Having a guide be able to give us such detailed information while exploring the pyramid complex was necessary.
7. He was a local to Cairo
We spent two full days (16 hours total) with our guide, so we didn’t just talk about ancient Egyptian history. Being an Egypt local, he could tell us lots of interesting facts about the city, raising a family there and how tourism is changing and slowly returning to the country. It was definitely interesting and eye-opening to be able to spend such a long amount of time with a local in a destination, especially as it’s not something we do often.
8. He built a schedule around our needs
Roof of the Greek Orthodox Church in Cairo, Egypt
I let our guide know that I like to get up early to photograph and he made sure to pick us up early (7am every day) to get the pyramids first thing for great photos without the crowds. It also meant we had a lot more time to see more historical sites that some people don’t make it to in Cairo, like Memphis, or some of the ornate churches like the Hanging Church in Old Cairo or the Jewish Synagogue. Our favourite was the Al-Azhar Mosque.
Al-Azhar Mosque Cairo
9. He found suitable places for us to eat (as vegetarians)
In a country where the cuisine is very meat-orientated, it definitely isn’t easy to be a vegetarian in Egypt. But it’s not impossible either. After letting our guide know we were vegetarian he made sure to find us some amazing veggie options which were still local style cuisines. We were seriously impressed!
10. Friendly face
In a new country, isn’t it nice to have a friendly face to make you feel a little more secure?
11. You have someone to take your photos for you!
Our guide knew all the best angles and quiet places to get empty shots. He offered to take photos at every opportunity plus he was great with a camera and we had photos together which we wouldn’t usually have when we’re travelling alone!
So how much does a guide cost in Egypt?
We did two separate day tours to cover everything we wanted to see and it also allowed me to visit the pyramids twice to take lots of photos since the dusty smog conditions of the city can obscure views of them:
Pyramids of Giza, Sakkara & Memphis: Private Tour with Lunch - click here for latest prices.
Pyramids, Museum & Bazaar Private Tour with Entrance & Lunch - click here for latest prices.
For two full days we paid £250 (GBP) for two people. This included:
A fully qualified Egyptologist guide
8/9-hours each day on a private tour
A driver
An air-conditioned car to take us between the sites
Lunch both days
Pick up and drop off to accommodation
All ticket costs included (except entry inside of pyramids and Mummy Rooms at the museum which is an optional additional cost)
And what did the tour involve?
You will start your private tour early in the morning when you will meet your private tour guide and get in a modern a/c van to start your tour.
Below are the itineraries we followed on each day, although please click the links for latest prices as the order of activities are subject to change.
Day 1: Full Day to see all Pyramids and ancient sites
Camel ride at the pyramids
Pyramids of Giza, Sakkara & Memphis: Private Tour with Lunch - click here for latest prices.
The ruins of Memphis
The museum of Memphis (Mit Rahina)
The Step Pyramid Complex In Saqqara
The Pyramid Of Unas in Saqqara
The causeway of Unas In Saqqara
The Pyramid of Teti in Saqqara
The tomb of Kagemni in Saqqara
The Great Pyramid in Giza of Cheops
The pyramid of Chephren in Giza
The pyramid of Mycerinus in Giza
The panorama area in Giza
The Valley Temple In Giza
The Great Sphinx in Giza
Camel ride for 30 minutes around Giza Pyramids (optional)
Lunch is included
Day 2 : Full Day To cover all highlights of Cairo
Pyramids, Museum & Bazaar Private Tour with Entrance & Lunch - click here for latest prices.
The Pyramids
The Egyptian Museum
Animal mummy Room in the museum
Mummy portraits in the museum
Royal Mummy Rooms in the museum (extra fee)
King Tutankhamun's jewelry in the museum
Roman Fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo
The Hanging Church in Old Cairo
The Church of Abu Serga in Old Cairo (Holy Family crypt)
The Jewish Synagogue of Ben Ezra in Old Cairo (Geneiza synagogue)
The Citadel of Saladin
The panorama of the citadel (best view of Islamic Cairo)
The mosque of Mohammed Aly in the citadel (alabaster mosque)
The Bazaar of khan elo Khalili
Lunch is included
You will be transferred back to your hotel at the end of each day
Other tour options to see the rest of Egypt
If you're short on time in Cairo, check out this private half day tour of the main sites.
For safety and to make the most of your trip, I recommend using a guide if you're travelling elsewhere in Egypt too. This Luxor: Full or Half-Day East and West Bank Tours is great if you're planning to visit Luxor - see the latest prices here.
If you're in Hurghada, check out this day trip to the Vailley of the Kings in Luxor.
If a Nile Cruise is also on your bucket list, this 2-night Aswan to Luxor cruise along the Nile is perfect. Check here for prices and booking.
If you’ve been to Egypt, did you use a guide?
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Flights: I use Expedia to find great flights and the best deals all over the world, they have regular sales and offers so I always check their website. I also check CheapOair to find cheap deals on round trip flights.
Car Rental: I love the customer service I've always gotten and the variety of options with Rental Cars. But for short notice rentals, I've been using Expedia for the last year, they always seem to have great one-day rates or last-minute rates from the main rental companies.
Accommodation: I prefer the flexibility of booking accommodation with Booking.com so I can cancel or change my reservation without a fee or only pay on arrival for most properties. For longer or more unique stays I prefer AirBnB because you can get the long stay discount, you can also find more unique properties and book experiences with talented locals and businesses. For my budget trips, I always stay in hostels and book through Hostelworld because they have great guarantees if anything does go wrong. If you arrive and your booking is not at the property, they refund the full deposit AND give you $50 extra credit.
Tours and organised trips Although I don’t use tours that often, I do like to book local experiences or day trips once I reach my destination. For that I use GetYourGuide because it has the biggest selection and variety of tour and experience options.
Travel Insurance: I currently use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance. Which allows me to pay a rolling monthly fee to cover my long term travels.
My camera gear and equipment: I use a Canon 77D with an 18-135mm lens or a 50mm lens. And a DJI Mavic Mini Drone. For all my gear including laptops, tripods and more camera accessories read my travel photography gear guide.