Tipping in Luxor: What to Give and When to Decline

Four kinds of payment

Type	What it is	Do you pay it?
Service charge on a bill	A percentage added by restaurants and hotels, often shown with VAT at the bottom of the bill	Already included; check the bill before tipping on top
Optional tip	Thanks for a service you asked for: a guide, a driver, a porter, a waiter, a boatman	Yes, if the service was good
Official fees	Monument tickets and any official extra tickets sold at the ticket office	Yes, at the official office only
Unsolicited requests	Money asked for pointing at a carving, holding a door, offering a photo, or "helping" without being asked	No; decline politely

Service charges

Many restaurants and hotels add a service charge and VAT to the bill. Whether the service charge reaches the person who served you varies, so many diners also leave a small cash tip for good service. Read the bill first so you know what is already included.

When a tip is expected

Guides and drivers on a day you booked: at the end of the day, in proportion to its length and how well it went.
Hotel porters and housekeeping: for carrying bags; a small daily tip for housekeeping is common.
Waiters in restaurants and cafés, especially where there is no service charge.
Boatmen on a private motorboat or felucca trip, in addition to the agreed fare if the trip was good.
Toilet attendants where someone is maintaining the facility.

Ask your hotel what is customary for each, since expectations change over time.

When to decline

Someone points out a carving, a view or a direction you did not ask about, then asks for money.
Someone offers to take your photograph at a viewpoint, or to pose for one, and then asks for payment. You can decline before the photo.
Someone at a site offers to show you a closed tomb, a roped-off area or a "special" view. Do not pay for access to restricted areas. Areas are closed for conservation or safety, and paying informally for access is not permitted.
On the public ferry, the fare goes to the operator; nobody on the ramp is owed a tip.
On a tour booked with a licensed company, crew are paid by the company; tip only for good personal service.

A calm "la, shukran" (no, thank you) and walking on is enough. There is no need to explain.

Official fees are not tips

Monument tickets, and any separate tickets for particular tombs or for photography where a site requires one, are bought at the official ticket office or through official channels. Nobody at a gate, a tomb entrance or a barrier can sell you access in place of a ticket. See What tickets to buy in advance.

Practical tips

Carry small notes in a separate pocket, so you never open a full wallet in public.
Agree prices first for any service with a fare (taxis, boats, carriages); the tip is extra and optional.
Tip at the end, not in advance.
Hand it over quietly, folded.

Sources

Restaurant and hotel service charge with VAT on Egyptian bills: hotel rate sheets and Kwentra's "Tax definition: Egyptian tax law" (help.kwentra.com), accessed 22 October 2026. Typical practice, not universal.