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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Rosetta
رشيد
Half-day trip from Alexandria or a one-night stop for Ottoman architecture and the Rosetta Stone's birthplace; skip as a base.
Rosetta (Rashid) is a quiet Nile Delta town known for the Rosetta Stone, discovered here in 1799. Its Ottoman mansions and citrus groves make a calm half-day from Alexandria, but the town has limited accommodation and few evening options. Most travellers visit as a day trip or a single overnight.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- رشيد
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (high heat and humidity)
- Stay
- 0–1 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 400–700 excl. bed · Mid EGP 700–1,200 excl. bed · High EGP 1,200+ 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 |
|---|---|
| Microbus Alexandria–Rosetta | EGP 20–30 |
| Tuk-tuk within town | EGP 10–20 |
| Falafel sandwich | EGP 10–15 |
| Grilled chicken meal | EGP 60–100 |
| Bottle of water (1.5 L) | EGP 5–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HBE · Borg El Arab Airport
- About 70 km (43 mi) east; taxi or private transfer to Rosetta, about 1.5 hAbout 43 mi (70 km) east; taxi or private transfer to Rosetta, about 1.5 h
- ALY · Alexandria Airport
- About 65 km (40 mi) east; checkAbout 40 mi (65 km) east; check
Typical fares
- Microbus Alexandria → Rosetta
- about EGP 25, about 1 h (check)
- Tuk-tuk town centre → Fort Julien
- EGP 15–25 (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
Walkable centre; the Ottoman houses and mosques are within 1 km (0.6 mi) of each other. For Fort Julien (about 3 km (1.9 mi) north), take a tuk-tuk or taxi (check).Walkable centre; the Ottoman houses and mosques are within 0.6 mi (1 km) of each other. For Fort Julien (about 1.9 mi (3 km) north), take a tuk-tuk or taxi (check).
See and do
Known for
- Rosetta Stone discovery site (Fort Julien)
- Ottoman houses (Amasyali House)
- Abou Mandour Mosque
- Zaghloul Mosque (oldest in town, 1517)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria | Microbus or taxi from Rosetta station, about 1 h | About 1–1.5 h |
| El Alamein | Taxi via the coastal road, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Town centre near the corniche
- A few small hotels and guesthouses; quiet at night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much? | بكام؟bikam? |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| Yes / No | أيوه / لأaywa / la' |
| Where is the bus station? | فيـن محطة الباص؟fein mahattet el-bas? |
| This one, please | ده لو سمحتda law samaht |
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
- Fort Julien is closed to the public (check); the Rosetta Stone is in London, not here.
- Limited dining options after sunset; eat before 20:00.
- Tuk-tuk drivers may quote inflated fares: agree the price before you ride.
Rosetta is safe for daytime walking. Usual cautions: avoid unlit streets after dark, agree tuk-tuk fares in advance, and keep valuables out of sight.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Rosetta yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Rosetta Stone discovery site (Fort Julien)
- Ottoman houses (Amasyali House)
- Abou Mandour Mosque
- Zaghloul Mosque (oldest in town, 1517)
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: Rosetta, revision 5272148 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5272148
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/rosetta). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.