Tipping in Hurghada: How Much to Give Everyone
Tipping in Hurghada is expected in most situations where someone has done a job for you directly, from the boat crew on a snorkelling trip to the porter who carries your bags. It is not built into most bills, wages in tourism are often low, and small tips make up a real part of someone's income. Locals call it baksheesh, and a modest, consistent amount handed over with thanks goes further than a single large tip given once.
There is no fixed rulebook, but there are patterns most visitors follow without much thought once they know them. This guide sets out roughly what people tip the boat crew, the driver, the guide, hotel staff and restaurant servers in Hurghada, whether to use Egyptian pounds or euros, and the few situations where a tip is not expected at all.
How tipping works in Hurghada and Egypt generally
Egypt's tourism industry runs on a mix of fixed wages and tips, and this is especially visible in a resort town like Hurghada where boat trips, desert safaris and spa visits make up much of the daily work. Staff are used to receiving small amounts from each guest rather than one large tip from a few people, so even modest sums handed out consistently are the norm rather than the exception.
Most tips in Hurghada are handed over in cash, directly to the person who served you, rather than added to a bill or pooled through a till. This means carrying some loose notes is more useful than relying on card payments, which rarely include a tipping option here the way they might at home.
As a rough starting point, day trip guides and boat crews tend to receive a little more than hotel waiters or porters, since the work is longer and often includes some personal attention. None of these figures are fixed charges, and nobody will chase you for more if you tip at the lower end of what is usual.
Tipping the boat crew on snorkelling and island trips
Boat crews on Red Sea trips, whether a day out snorkelling at Orange Bay, a visit to Mahmya Island or a dolphin-watching cruise, usually share tips among the captain, the deckhands and whoever prepares lunch on board. A single amount handed to one crew member at the end of the day, with a word of thanks, is normally passed around rather than kept by one person.
On a full-day trip such as the Hurghada: Orange Bay Boat Trip with Snorkelling, a tip in the region of a hundred Egyptian pounds per person for the whole group is common, more if the crew has spent extra time guiding snorkellers to good spots or helping nervous swimmers with equipment.
On smaller boats, such as a private speedboat outing like the Hurghada Private Speedboat Adventure, tipping tends to go directly to the one or two crew on board rather than being split further, and a slightly higher amount per person is usual since the service is more personal.
If a trip includes snorkelling gear, fins or masks handed out by a crew member who also helps you in and out of the water, it is fair to treat that as part of the same tip rather than a separate payment. Euros in small denominations are accepted on most boats, though pounds are easier for the crew to use once ashore.
Tipping drivers on private transfers and day trips
Drivers on private transfers, such as the Hurghada Airport Private Transfer or a longer route like the Hurghada to Luxor Private Transfer – Comfortable One Way, are generally tipped a smaller, flat amount rather than a percentage, since the fare already covers fuel and the vehicle.
A tip of around twenty to fifty Egyptian pounds for a short airport run is typical, rising for a longer journey of several hours such as a transfer to Cairo or Marsa Alam, where the driver may also have helped with luggage, stopped for a break, or waited outside while you ran an errand.
On a group day trip with a driver and a separate guide, such as a bus journey to the pyramids, the two roles are usually tipped separately. The driver's tip is smaller than the guide's, reflecting that the guide has done the talking and explaining while the driver has simply kept everyone safe on the road.
If a driver arrives early, helps with heavy bags, or has clearly gone beyond the basic job, a slightly higher tip is a reasonable way to acknowledge that, though nobody expects a large sum for a routine transfer that has gone smoothly.
Tipping guides on desert safaris and cultural tours
Guides who lead a full day, such as on the Cairo Pyramids, Sphinx & Museum Day Trip from Hurghada by Bus or the Hurghada: Cairo & Giza Pyramids Day Trip, generally receive a higher tip than a driver, since the role involves explaining sites, answering questions and managing the group's time at each stop.
A guide on a long cultural day trip is often tipped in the range of a hundred to two hundred Egyptian pounds per person, depending on group size, with smaller groups or private tours sitting towards the higher end since the attention is more personal.
On a desert safari such as the Hurghada ATV Quad Biking Desert Safari Tour or a longer outing like the Hurghada Quad Bike Safari: Camel Ride, Dinner & Stargazing, it is common to tip the lead guide, and separately to leave a small amount for whoever handles the camels or serves the barbecue dinner, since these are often different people.
If a Bedouin village stop is part of the safari, a small tip for the family hosting the visit, separate from the guide's tip, is appreciated and is sometimes the only income the stop brings them beyond what the tour operator pays.
Tipping hotel staff: housekeeping, porters and waiters
Hotel tipping in Hurghada follows a similar pattern to much of Egypt. Porters who carry bags to your room are tipped a small amount per bag, often the equivalent of a euro or two, or the rough Egyptian pound equivalent, handed over as soon as the bags are set down.
Housekeeping staff are rarely seen in person, so tips are usually left in the room rather than handed over directly. A small amount left daily, rather than one larger sum at the end of the stay, is more likely to reach the person who actually cleaned your room, since staff rotate through different rooms during a stay.
Waiters at hotel restaurants and bars are tipped per meal or per round of drinks if service is not already included in an all-inclusive package. Where a service charge is added automatically, which happens at some hotels, an extra tip is not expected, though rounding up for particularly attentive service is common.
Pool and beach attendants who set up sunbeds, bring towels or fetch drinks are generally tipped a small amount at the end of the day rather than after every interaction, which keeps things simple for both sides.
Tipping in restaurants and cafes
Away from hotels, restaurants in Hurghada's marina area and along the main tourist streets usually do not include a service charge on the bill, so a tip of around ten per cent is the common guide, rounded to a convenient number of pounds rather than calculated exactly.
In smaller, local cafes serving tea, juice or simple food, tipping is lighter, often just rounding up the bill to the nearest note rather than adding a separate percentage. Staff in these places are used to tourists tipping modestly and do not expect restaurant-style amounts.
If you are on a tour that includes a lunch stop, such as a boat trip or island day out where food is served as part of the package, a small tip left for the kitchen or serving staff is a courteous extra, separate from any tip already given to the boat crew.
Card payment is becoming more common in Hurghada's restaurants, but tips are still best left in cash, since card tips do not always reach staff directly and cash is simpler for everyone involved.
Tipping at the spa, hammam and for massages
Spa and massage staff in Hurghada are tipped directly at the end of the treatment, handed over in person rather than added to any bill paid at reception. This applies whether you book a straightforward session, such as the Hurghada: One Hour Full Body Massage, or a longer spa visit with several stages.
On a hammam package that includes several treatments, such as the Hurghada: Cleopatra Hammam VIP, Massage, Sauna, Steam & Transfer, it is common for more than one therapist to be involved across the scrubbing, massage and steam stages, and tips are usually split between them or given to whoever worked with you for the longest.
A tip in the region of fifty to a hundred Egyptian pounds per therapist is typical for a single treatment, with the amount adjusted up for a longer session or down for a brief add-on such as a short massage at the end of a boat trip.
Where a driver is included as part of a spa package, as with transfers to and from the hotel, that driver's tip is handled separately and in the same modest range as any other private transfer.
Egyptian pounds or euros: which to carry and how much
Both Egyptian pounds and euros are accepted for tips in Hurghada's tourist areas, since so many visitors arrive from Europe, but pounds are easier for staff to spend locally without needing to exchange them. Carrying a stock of small pound notes is the more practical approach for a stay of several days.
If you only have euros, small coins and low-value notes are fine for casual tips, such as a porter or a beach attendant, but changing a larger euro note for a tip is awkward for staff who then have to find somewhere to exchange it. Where possible, break larger notes at a shop or hotel reception before heading out on a tour.
Cash machines are widely available around the marina and main hotel strips, and withdrawing a mix of smaller denominations rather than one large note makes it far easier to tip appropriately throughout the day without over- or under-paying because you only have a big note on hand.
There is no need to convert tips precisely between currencies. Rounding to a convenient note, in either pounds or euros, is normal practice and nobody expects an exact calculation.
When not to tip, and when a service charge already covers it
Some hotels, particularly larger all-inclusive resorts, already add a service charge to the bill or build tipping expectations into staff wages more formally. In these cases, an extra tip for routine service is not required, though many guests still leave a small amount for staff who have gone out of their way to help.
On fully inclusive packages where food, drinks and activities are already paid for, there is no obligation to tip at every single interaction. Tipping once a day for housekeeping and once at the end of the stay for a waiter who served you regularly is a reasonable and sufficient approach.
If a transaction has already involved a clear service fee, such as a fixed transfer cost that includes the driver's wage in full, an additional tip is a courtesy rather than an expectation, and declining to add more is not considered rude.
Equally, there is no need to tip for simple transactions such as buying bottled water from a shop, paying for a taxi fare that was agreed in advance, or any interaction where no particular service has been performed beyond the basic sale.
Practical tips for carrying and handing over tips
Keep a small supply of low-value notes separate from your main wallet, so you are not fumbling for change in front of a boat crew or a guide. A simple envelope or a zipped pocket in a day bag works well for this on longer excursions.
Hand tips over directly and with a word of thanks rather than leaving them on a table or seat, unless that is clearly the local custom for that situation, such as leaving a note in a hotel room for housekeeping. A direct handover avoids any confusion about who the tip was meant for.
On group tours, if you are unsure whether to tip the guide, the driver and the crew separately or together, a quiet question to the tour operator or your hotel's front desk usually gets a clear answer, and staff are generally happy to explain what is customary for that specific trip.
Finally, tipping in Hurghada is meant to recognise good service rather than follow a strict formula. A modest, well-intended tip given with thanks is received well, and there is no need to overthink the exact amount for every single interaction during your stay.