Touts, camel rides and other add-on offers at Egyptian sites: what to expect

At the Giza plateau and other busy sites, visitors are commonly approached with offers: camel and horse rides, photos, souvenirs and unofficial guidance. The customary advice is short. Agree the full price, the length and the currency before any ride, say a firm no thank you to anything you do not want, and keep walking. Rides are optional, and you can walk the site.

Which offers appear

Travel articles describe postcard vendors, freelance guides, horse-drawn carts and camel and horse riders approaching visitors at Giza. One adds unofficial helpers at Giza, Saqqara and the Egyptian Museum who offer guidance and then ask for payment. These are accounts from visitors and writers, not a count, and many people at the sites simply sell what they sell. Licensed guides wear official identification and are normally booked in advance. See the Giza pyramids page for the site itself.

What to agree before a ride

Three sources advise agreeing the price before the ride, and one says to settle the full fare including the return trip and any stops. Two advise naming the currency, Egyptian pounds, in advance. Two say that when a price was not fixed, handlers may ask for more at the end. Published ride prices come from older articles and differ a lot, and no current official rate was found, so no figure is given here. Ask the length of the ride, whether the price is per person, and whether photos are included.

How to decline politely

Four sources give the same advice: a firm, polite no thank you, then keep walking without starting a conversation. If a dispute does arise, two sources advise going to a tourist police officer at the pyramids. In April 2018, news reports said Egypt's parliament approved a law fining people who pester visitors to sell goods or services by up to 10,000 EGP; the reports do not confirm ratification or enforcement.

What has been reported about rides at Giza in 2026

Reports from July 2026 describe a redevelopment of the Giza plateau in which camel and horse rides near the pyramids are restricted or phased out and replaced by electric buses and carts, with 45 electric buses in two reports. Accounts differ. One says the restriction is site-specific, not a nationwide ban; another says no official statement establishes a national ban and that owners of horses and camels demonstrated; a third describes the plan as still in progress. Treat the position as changing, and ask when you request a tour what runs on your date.

What a private guide and driver change

All our tours are private for the group's car and guide, and every tour starts and ends at your hotel, so there is no taxi fare to settle at the gate. A guide and driver are arranged before the day, and two sources advise booking a licensed guide in advance. Tipping is listed as not included on 86 tours, so a guide's or a handler's tip is separate; see tipping and cash on Egypt day tours.

Optional extras and rides on our tours

Going inside the Great Pyramid is an optional extra on 12 tours (see going inside the Great Pyramid), and 5 tours have an optional shopping stop that can be skipped (shopping stops). Camel rides appear like this:

The quad bike at the Giza pyramids is a separate tour of about 2 hours of riding with a safety briefing. If the rides at Giza change, the reply to your request states the plan for your date.