Egypt’s diverse economy includes tourism, agriculture, industry, and services.
Units of currency are the Egyptian Pound (EGP) which you usually see written as LE, and the piaster. The Pound is made up of 100 piasters. Coins are 25 piaster, 50 piaster and 1 pound, notes are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 pounds. The value of each note is written in English on one side and Arabic numbers on the other side.
Almost all foreign currencies are traded at banks, exchange offices, airports, and major hotels in Egypt at the official currency rates (Scotland and Northern Ireland banknotes are not accepted). ATMs are widely available. Most banks open 9am to 2pm Sunday to Thursday, with some branches open until 5pm. Hotel branches in some cities operate 24 hours but are not common.
USD and Euro and credit cards are usually accepted in tourist restaurants, cafes and shops but for smaller local places you need to use Egyptian Pounds.
You can change money at the airport bank when you arrive, the rate is fixed all over the country. Don’t change much, because it is difficult to change EGP back to USD or Euro.
In every city you visit there are exchange offices, and your guide will help with that.
For updates or information about the exchange rate, see Egypt National Bank.
Credit and Debit Cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa, are accepted in touristic places and shopping malls, but cash is more commonly used in Egypt.
Travelers Cheques: International travelers’ cheques in Sterling Pounds, Euro, US Dollars are accepted in a few places in the major cities. About 3% commission is charged for use of travelers cheques. Note that in some smaller towns there is only one bank and one ATM, credit cards are not accepted in all places, and bank opening hours are more limited than in many other countries. It is advisable to always carry enough cash and small change for
small purchases including food and water. You are advised to carry cash when shopping in the many street markets (souks), however the larger malls and street shops accept cards.
Many shopping malls have stand-alone ATMs and you can also find them located along busy pavements (sidewalks, footpaths). Airports and railway stations also have ATMs. In Egypt ATMs also act as money exchanges for US$, Euro and GBP.