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Hi!

We hope you're having a great week so far and getting excited for our adventure in Egypt together!

Two quick reminders and an answer to a common question before we dive in to all things money related for Egypt:

1. Please remember to send us your flight details ASAP if you have not already. Some of you have told us you've booked flights and the general time of day you'll be arriving, but we need airline name, flight number, and arrival + departure times for each person please!
2. We will be creating a group WhatsApp next Wednesday, August 19th. Please download WhatsApp before then so we can get you added to the chat. This group chat is a great way to start to get to know each other, ask any questions & get updates as we gear up for the trip! We will also use this to communicate with each other and the guide while we're in Egypt.
3. Will you have wifi on the trip? Yes, but it might be spotty. We will be using hotspots at the villa in Cairo, and the hotel in Sharm will have wifi across the property. During the day while we're out and about, we cannot guarantee that you will have wifi. If you want to purchase an e-sim, we recommend Airalo. You can use code CONNECTED through 8/31 to get 15% off your first e-sim. If you would prefer a physical sim card, let us know and we can arrange for our tour guide to have it ready upon your arrival. The physical sim will likely be data only though (no international calling). The price was around $25 when we visited in March.

Now, let's get into it! A couple of you have reached out with a fantastic question: How much money should you bring on the trip, and should you bring Egyptian Pounds or USD?

We're breaking it all down below in case anyone else is also wondering:

💷 Egyptian Pounds or USD?

All of the places we visit will accept debit and credit cards, with the exception of the souks (markets) and a few of the smaller shops we may stop at for souvenirs. U.S. dollars are actually preferred to Egyptian Pounds at most places in Egypt. If you want to use cash, we recommend bringing smaller bills (10s, 5s, and 1s), so the vendors can more easily give change back and you aren't too flashy with the amount you're carrying.

Banks in the USA no longer carry Egyptian Pounds due to low demand and the strength of the Egyptian Pound declining. So, you likely will not be able to get Egyptian Pounds before we arrive to Egypt. There is an ATM near our villa in Cairo and at the hotel in Sharm.

💰 How much to have on hand?

✈️ VISA ON ARRIVAL: All non-Egyptian citizens are required to get a visa upon arrival. A representative with our tour operator will meet you at the airport and assist you with getting your visa before you go through customs & get your luggage. The cost is $30 USD (exact cash strongly preferred).

🐪 TOUR GUIDE TIPS: Egypt has a huge tipping culture. Like, you even tip the restroom attendant when you use the public restrooms. However to make things super easy for everyone, tips for restaurant staff, porters, excursion guides, hotel staff, restroom attendants, and drivers are included in the cost of your trip. Unless you are venturing off on your own, you should not have to touch your wallet for a tip.

With that being said, the tip for our tour guide is not factored into trip costs. We recommend $20 per day. If you want to tip more though, it is at your discretion. This can be paid in cash directly to him at the end of the trip.

Our guide's name is Yasser, and he will be with us every day of the trip. As a licensed Egyptologist with over 30 years of experience leading tours, he is a fabulous resource for any questions you have about Egyptian history. He will also be sharing a ton of information about modern day culture! He LOVES teaching people about Egypt, so please feel free to ask him any questions you have during the trip!

He will also be the one making sure our water and snacks are always stocked on the bus, that we get a good deal when haggling with vendors, that no one ever bothers us, that we always have a table reserved at restaurants, and we work with him directly throughout the year on all the boring behind the scenes logistical info.

🥘 MEALS: Most of the meals on the trip are included. These are the exceptions:

Only dinner is provided on September 19th, as people will be arriving at staggered times. There are numerous restaurants around our villa in Cairo though if you arrive early. We will be providing a list for your convenience soon!

Dinners will not be included our other nights in Cairo. We will have a group WhatsApp chat where we can chat about eating as a group (we already have an idea for one night!) or you can 100% eat on your own if you don't want to be social. The choice is yours!

In Sharm El-Sheikh, breakfast and dinner are included at the hotel. You can choose to eat off property at a restaurant if you prefer, but it will be self pay.

Our hotel in Sharm El-Sheikh has three onsite restaurants, two of which are open for lunch (self pay).

If you are participating in the excursions in Sharm El-Sheikh, lunch is included for both excursions.

🖼️ SOUVENIRS: There will be several opportunities for souvenirs throughout the trip including souks, bazaars, artwork from the papyrus institute, a jewelry store, street vendors, souvenirs made by local artisans, etc.

If you just plan on buying smaller items from markets, $50-100 should be fine. If you think you might want to purchase souvenirs from the other places (large papyrus pieces, carpets, jewelry engraved with your name in hieroglyphics) we'd budget a few hundred dollars to be safe!

Pictures and prices in USD of what we paid for some of our souvenirs in March to give you an idea of what to expect:

Handwoven Tapestry: $260 Purchased from the Oriental Carpet School in Saqqara. They originally wanted $500, and Kayla negotiated down to $260 and convinced them to throw in a medium sized suitcase since she had purchased so many souvenirs.

Pottery Jack-o-Lantern: $3 Purchased from row of pottery stores in Cairo. This was one of our stops that only accepted cash. This pumpkin is the main reason why Kayla had to negotiate for an extra suitcase at the carpet school.

Pottery Vase: $2 Bought from the row of pottery stores in Cairo that we visited. Amanda doesn't typically buy a lot of souvenirs when she travels (she travels full time in the US, so she has to REALLY love something to move with it), but she instantly fell in love with this when she saw it!

Poster Sized Papyrus Signed by Artist: $170 Amanda purchased this large piece at the Papyrus Institute in Cairo. Other members in our group bought smaller sizes closer to 9x11", and they paid $30-$50 depending on how well they negotiated and type of design they chose.

Eye of Horus Metal Hand: $12 Bought in Coptic Cairo. They originally wanted closer to $40 and begrudgingly accepted $12 when Kayla pretended like she was leaving the shop.

Hand Painted Copper Plate: $40 Amanda got this pretty plate with Egyptian imagery from a souk in Aswan. She was unsure at first if it was true copper or a knockoff, but our guide confirmed it was genuine so she got it. The shop originally wanted $70 but she talked them down to $40!

Mini Sarcophagus With Mummy - $7 This mini sarcophagus with a mummy inside was bought from the souk in Cairo. There were also larger ones that were ornately painted that someone in our group bought for $25.

Painting of Market & Mosque: $24 Kayla bought this from a street vendor in Coptic Cairo. This was the only item we purchased the whole trip where the vendor insisted the price could not be negotiated. Kayla felt like it was still a fantastic deal though since it's an original painting signed by the artist! Amanda is still VERY jealous that Kayla grabbed this first & there weren't any others available.

Let us know if you have any questions! Can't wait to see you all NEXT MONTH IN EGYPT!

From our suitcase to yours,

Kayla & Amanda