“Are there hidden costs in the price of my Egyptian Holiday?”
This question is worth paying a good deal of attention to.
- “Am I going to pay the quoted price?” or
- “Is that just the starting price?”
I’m writing this post because of responses I have received from people I have recently quoted for accommodation and holiday/tour packages. People are telling me they are on a budget or have a price they are not willing to go above. My answer to that is “Don’t come to Egypt until you can afford it”. Because, once you are here, if you really do not have any more money than you thought you were going to spend, you are going to be stuck.
On my first trip to Egypt that is exactly what happened me. I came on a tour package, without giving much thought to what was included and what was “extra”. I thought I would be happy with the “bare bones” of the holiday. I was not. Once here I wanted to experience it all. So, I spent more than I could afford and that left me angry and frustrated on some occasions.
There are articles online written by bloggers who have done one trip to Egypt and tell people what is worth seeing and what you can skip – pay no attention. They either did the sites with a bad guide or believed they were saving money by not having a guide and had no idea what they were looking at. I can say this honestly because I tried doing sites without a guide during 2011 – 2012 when there were few tourists in Egypt – it was a waste of time because I had no idea what I was looking at and guide books alone did not bring out the charm, information and historical importance of the sites and, more importantly for me, the stories of the people who built, lived and used those sites.
There are some facts you need to be aware of:
- Egypt is no longer a “cheap holiday”. Cost of living prices here have been rising steadily for the last two years, due to removal of government subsidies – in line with IMF directions. They will continue to rise.
- PROBLEM: Most Egyptian service providers dealing face to face with prospective tourists feel under pressure to keep the prices to the tourists down to secure the bookings. But the transport, electricity, water, gas and food suppliers must put up the prices to cover the actual increasing costs and make their profits. Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters are all in high demand and charging high prices for their work – good luck to them. At the end of the day all these costs are paid for by the end user – in the tourism industry, that is you.
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- SOLUTION? – hidden costs for the tourist. Now, they may not ALL be actually hidden from you. But, like me, perhaps you are not actually taking in what is not included in your quoted price,
Costs you may not be aware of – examples:
- Giza Plateau Tour – Ticket to the Great Pyramid is not included. Why would you go to Giza and not go into the Great Pyramid? Unless you are scared of closed spaces. How is this presented to you? “Well, there is nothing really to see inside … and it’s a really long climb… and it’s hot. You are not really missing anything by not going in…” Check out what is included and NOT included on your tours.
- Day Tours – if you are bargain hunting and think you found real, dirt cheap deals – think again, dig a little deeper and find out more about the cheap day tours in Egypt and what you are actually paying for.
- Wi-fi can end up costing you quite a lot so consider investing in an e-sim before leaving home.
- Tipping in Egypt – is expected and can come to anything from US$250 per person minimum and upwards depending on your program and number of days.
- Luxor West Bank – the three extra tombs that you can see if you want. These are not cheap and prices have gone up twice I think in the last 6 months. Prices are on my Luxor – West Bank post. Is this clear on your itinerary? It can be very upsetting to find out later you could have seen something genuinely special and you didn’t know. Periodically the gvt. opens unique tombs for just a little money. For about 5 years they opened the amazing Nefertari tomb and thousands got to see so cheaply. Now it is only open for private visits costing a few thousand euros. Sety I is still open with an extra ticket and I highly recommend seeing it if you can because it will also be closed again at some stage.
- Drinks – can be relatively expensive on cruises, restaurants and hotels. Taxes on alcohol is high. Bring a bottle of spirits from an international duty free – max 1 litre if you need it because the duty free in Cairo now charges an extra $13 per bottle. I really probably should not say this but – stick that bottle in your carry-on bag after going through check-in at that international airport. Walking through customs on arrival in Egypt with a duty free bag is just asking to be stopped and checked.
- If you end up having to go to the hospital – for heaven’s sake don’t leave insurance out of your budget. A hospital stay will cost you a LOT of money if you don’t have insurance. At Mara House Luxor we always take our clients to the private english hospital in Luxor to avoid long waiting period and get the best immediate attention.
- Paying by card – is there an extra bank charge? What is it? Check out what is the best currency to take to Egypt and do not make the biggest mistake of changing your money to Egyptian pounds before you arrive – it will most likely get you into trouble.
- Last minute changes to your accommodation or transport – you thought you were getting a five star hotel and a limo service? Well, maybe not… These changes, if they happen can change the balance sheet for the service provider quite a bit.
Finally, it is not always your hotel, guide or tour company that is responsible for your upset. I write posts on every subject I can think of to help visitors cover as many eventualities as possible. I send sheets of info to my guests. I write clearly what is included and not included in my emails (all in same typeface and size so there is no actual “small print”. I send out a long list of business “terms and conditions” – again no “small print”. Usually I exchange anything from 50 to 75 emails with my guests, asking me questions, prior to concluding a booking with me. AND still I have people who misunderstand what I have sent them OR simply just don’t read or take in the info given. That’s ok – I am also guilty of, sometimes, not taking everything in. But being prepared is the best way to get your time in Egypt off to a good start.
Make sure you know what your trip is going to end up costing you BEFORE you come to Egypt.
So, for your own sake – for your happiness and peace of mind. Make sure you know what your trip is going to end up costing you BEFORE you come to Egypt. Your budget might (in your mind) be pre-determined by what you want to spend. And if you tell that to any travel agent, they will give you a quote that matches your budget – I pretty much guarantee you that is not going to be the final price. Your trip is going to cost what it is going to cost and the only one paying for it, one way or another, is going to be YOU.
Last updated on 18/07/2026 by Marie Vaughan