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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Marsa Matruh
مرسى مطروح
Spend 2 days: one for beach and town, another for nearby sites; arrive by bus or plane, stay near the promenade.
Marsa Matruh is a small coastal town in western Lower Egypt with cool summer days, light sand beaches and clear water. A short stay of 2 days lets you relax on the beach, sample local dates and visit the modest Rommel Cave museum, while still fitting into a broader Egypt itinerary that includes Cairo or the Red Sea.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- مرسى مطروح
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (hot, crowded)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EGP
- Money
- Currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP, also written LE or £E). Hotels, cruise boats and larger restaurants take cards; taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilet attendants are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget EGP 150–250 excl. bed · Mid EGP 250–400 excl. bed · High EGP 400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) and WE sell tourist SIMs at Cairo airport with passport; about EGP 500–1,000 for 20–40 GB — check.
- Emergency
- Police 122 · Ambulance 123 · Tourist police 126
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% even when service is added (it rarely reaches staff).; Guide, full day: US$10–20 per person.; Driver, full day: US$5–10.; Cruise crew: About US$5–10 per person per day in the envelope.; Toilet, porter, small help: EGP 10–30.
- Water
- Tap water is chlorinated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; do not drink Nile water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; attendants at sites expect EGP 10–20. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bicycle rental (full day) | LE 10 |
| Bicycle half‑day | LE 5 |
| Donkey‑cart (short trip) | LE 3 |
| Donkey‑cart (longer trip) | LE 30 |
| Siwa dates (500 g) | LE 7–8 |
| Bus Cairo → Marsa Matruh | EGP 85 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MUH · Marsa Matruh International Airport
- Domestic flights; bus to town centre about 30 min
Typical fares
- Cairo → Marsa Matruh (West Delta Bus)
- about EGP 85, 7:30 AM departure, 1:30 PM arrival (check)about EGP 85, 7:30 AM AM departure, 1:30 AM PM arrival (check)
- Bike rental, full day
- LE 10
- Sherut from Abdu's Restaurant (evening)
- price negotiable, approx LE 30–50 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Bicycle rental is common (10 LE/day, 5 LE half‑day). Donkey carts negotiate 3–30 LE. No regular taxis; sheruts depart from Abdu's Restaurant in the evening.
See and do
Known for
- light‑colored sands
- clear Mediterranean water
- Rommel Cave museum
- local dates
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rommel Cave Museum | Walk or short taxi from town centre, about 5 min | 10 min |
| El Alamein War Museum | Bus from Marsa Matruh main station, about 1 h 15 min | 2 h total |
| Sidi Abdel Rahman Beach | Taxi or hired car, 30 km (19 mi) north, about 40 minTaxi or hired car, 19 mi (30 km) north, about 40 min | 1 h |
Sleep
- Jaz Almaza Beach Resort
- All‑inclusive, 5‑star, approx 35 km (22 mi) north of town; suitable for a night or two.All‑inclusive, 5‑star, approx 22 mi (35 km) north of town; suitable for a night or two.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | عفواًʿafwan |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much is it? | بكم؟bikam? |
| Where is the beach? | أين الشاطئ؟ayna al-shati? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Eating: Right hand; accept tea; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
- Bargaining: Humour and patience; avoid: Anger
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in cities; avoid: Beachwear outside resorts
- Baksheesh: Keep small notes ready; avoid: Showing a thick wallet
- Photos: Ask; pay if agreed; avoid: Photographing police or military
Scams and watch-outs
- Bicycle brakes and handlebars often need checking; rent from reputable shops.
- Donkey‑cart drivers are children; negotiate price before riding.
- Conservative norms: avoid unsolicited contact with local women.
Marsa Matruh is generally safe for tourists; petty theft is rare, but respect local customs and avoid unsolicited contact with women.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Marsa Matruh yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- light‑colored sands
- clear Mediterranean water
- Rommel Cave museum
- local dates
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Marsa Matruh, revision 5247472 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5247472
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/marsa-matruh). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.