How To Deal With Baksheesh In Egypt (& How To Spot It)

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“Hey, a little something, give me 1 Pound, eh eh eh eh, come on.”

This is the familiar choice of persuasive words, researched and practiced over years to perfection, that you will encounter a lot in Egypt.

This is known in Egypt as Baksheesh. It’s used to describe a small amount of money that’s been given either as a tip, bribe, or donation.

If you travel to Egypt, or many countries in the Middle East and North Africa, you will undoubtedly be introduced to baksheesh from the first day.

It is part of the Egyptian culture and plays are major role in the tourism industry.

But it can also feel overwhelming, and for some travelers, a little confrontational, so if you’re not familiar with this type of practice, then you’re going to want to keep reading to familiarize yourself with it before you go.

What’s the meaning of Baksheesh in Egypt?

In Egypt, Baksheesh means one of three things:

1. Begging – Someone out of nowhere just asks you for money, pleading “give me baksheesh”
2. Tipping – Attempting to do something legit in an effort to get a gratuity
3. Permission for Favors – The last form of baksheesh throughout Egypt is a tweak of tipping, favors are granted and under the table tips are given

Most people will encounter the latter two forms of Egyptian baksheesh.

When people use the term baksheesh, they are usually using it to talk about tipping in Egypt and to offer a sum of money in exchange for services.

Examples of Baksheesh

In order to understand what baksheesh looks like, here is an example of what happened to me.

I was walking to the museum in Luxor one evening, knowing exactly where I was going, and walking at a brisk pace to get there.

A 13 year old boy nudged my side and said “Hey, where you going?”

I didn’t respond, yet he continued walking with me and said “Hey, you turn left here.”

I continued walking, starting to ignore the boy more and more when he recited his next verse, “Hey, give me 1 pound, I showed you where to go (at this point I hadn’t even said a word, except “hey, how are you?”).”

I almost choked on my tongue and then just grinned as I walked the 50 meters to the museum where I was already going.

It can feel aggressive, and if you’re not expecting it or know how to deal with it, can make you feel uneasy.

But it’s all part of the culture…