Buy Egyptian pounds
With thousands of years of history on offer, it’s no wonder that Egypt is so popular with visitors. Whether it’s a trip down the Nile or a walk around an ancient wonder, be sure to take plenty of pounds so you can enjoy it all.
Today's rate:
- EGP= £1
- °F
What to spend your pounds on
Single trip on the Cairo metro
1 EGP
Bottle of water from the market
3 EGP
Guided dive in Shark’s Bay
216 EGP
Camel ride in Sharm El Sheikh
266 EGP
Day-tour of Coptic Cairo, the city’s old town
1,678 EGP (price for up to eight people)
A budget
RecalculateMust-sees in Egypt
- Cairo
- The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the ancient wonders of the world, where thousands of visitors come to feel at one with the past. Check out the Great Sphinx, too, while you’re there.
- Sharm El Sheikh
- The Red Sea beaches are a paradise for sun-seekers, and are perfect if you want to try your hand at diving. Conversely, the Heavenly Cathedral is a stunning man-made wonder filled with Biblical artwork.
Piling up the pounds
The Egyptian pound (EGP) became the country’s official currency in 1834, replacing the piastre that was in circulation beforehand. It has been overseen by the Central Bank of Egypt since 1961.
One pound consists of 100 piasters (keeping the heritage of the former currency alive), but given the very low value of single pounds, trading is rarely done in piasters. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep plenty of one pound coins to hand so you can settle small bills – these coins are decorated with the image of Tutankhamun’s mask.
Make sure you have plenty of the smaller notes at the market or in a taxi – if sellers see larger notes in your hand, they will try to charge you more. Smaller bills will help you get the best possible deal.
Frequently used banknotes
Like its namesake, British Pound GBP, the Egyptian banknotes start with 5 pounds (blue). The other notes in circulation are to the value of 10 (pink), 20 (green), 50 (brown), 100 (purple) and 200 (olive).
Buying Egyptian pound online is easy
Free next-day home delivery on orders over £500
*The figures provided are indicative only and are there to provide an idea of the amount of travel money you may need during your trip.