Cash
The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian pound (EGP). US dollars and Euros are accepted (bills, not coins) but your money will go much further if you change it to Egyptian pounds. If you use US Dollars at a restaurant or store, you most likely will get a change in Egyptian Pounds. There is a lack of small-denomination bills across the country, and people rarely have change. Keep small bills available for use whenever possible (One Dollar ($1.00) bills are generally not accepted.)
Check your money! Egypt will not accept any US dollars printed before the year 2009. It should also be new bills, since old ones with markings/tears will be rejected. '
The only things you might need local money for are souvenirs.
ATM
There is no need to buy foreign currency before you leave your home country. As in most destinations, we recommend that travelers pull local currency out of the ATM upon arrival. You can know your exchange rate beforehand by visiting xe.com. Larger U.S. Dollars are preferable to smaller denominations for exchange.
Visa and MasterCard are accepted in Egypt. It is a good idea to notify your credit card of the dates and locations of your travels before leaving.
ATM's are easily accessible in Cairo but not so much in the smaller towns, also they go down frequently due to internet issues and glitches.
Recommended Amount
We recommend taking $300-500 cash for currency exchanges, souvenirs, tipping & extra excursions (ex. The Sakkara Pyramid).
We know you will want to bring at least 1 souvenir back from your trip to Egypt. However we highly recommend holding off buying any type of souvenirs on the first day of the trip or until the guide is around to explain how things work. Walking around Cairo doesn't necessarily feel unsafe but you will be harassed by salesmen, and it is easy to get taken advantage of. Your Discover Corps guides will however give you a lesson on how to handle these situations and also educate you on cheap Made-in-China products being marketed as authentic Egyptian products by street vendors.
Our Discover Corps guides are some of the best! To show your appreciation, tips are highly encouraged. You can tip in US Dollars. We suggest:
USD 10-20/person, per day, for our guides
USD 10/person, per day, for the driver
USD 5/person for the step-on Egyptologist guides
All other tipping for restaurants is taken care of. Feel free to bring them any gifts from home or write them a note to remember you by.
*Note: You may tip more or less depending on your preference.*