What kind of holiday would it be without gifts and souvenirs? How could you fly home from an Arab country without saying — “I negotiated good prices!” Yes — in that world it’s true: if you can haggle, you’ll get what you want; if you can’t, you’ll lose money and the fun!

Our advice:
Shopping in Egypt is so easy. Even if you don’t really want or need anything, you’ll surely leave with something! You could already start in the hotel shops. That’s only worthwhile if you urgently need something or don’t feel like going into town. Hotel shops are of course always more expensive than anywhere you’ll find downtown.

You have many opportunities to buy typical Egyptian or Oriental-style goods. You could also organize a private city tour with your tour operator.

Tourist-towns like Hurghada have changed a lot in the last 20 years in terms of shopping options. Still, alongside the large stores you’ll always find small bazaars where you’ll be welcomed with a tea (hibiscus/Karkadeh) and where they’ll show you “extras”. You’ll be made to believe that you’ve met the best seller who has the best offer of everything. If he doesn’t have something, he’ll “fetch it from someone else … somewhere in the street … where a cousin has another shop …”

On your city tour you can visit famous fruit-and-vegetable markets, experience the fish market (for example in Hurghada next to the New Marina) but also browse in the large shopping center (Senzo Mall). You can buy anything from snorkeling gear to brand-name clothing or jewellery.

Regarding currency – in the tourist zones you can pay almost everything in Euros or Dollars. Small local shops prefer Egyptian pounds, of course. You can very easily change money at the bank or ATM. In the large centers you conveniently also pay with a card. Always check the current exchange rate.

In the large centers prices are fixed; small shops will always give you a chance to negotiate… Don’t forget that Arabs don’t really like doing business without bargaining. It’s not just about the price, but also about the personal contact. After all, profit is made better in a friendly atmosphere….

With tourists, negotiating is not so common. If you don’t feel comfortable or even feel restricted in the bazaar — simply leave. You have many other places to find something suitable.