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Back to Taba

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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt

Taba

Half a day covers the casino, a quick snorkel and border-zone shopping; one night is optional if you want a relaxed pace.

Taba is a tiny duty‑free border town with a casino, a few mid‑range hotels and limited dive sites. Most attractions fit in a half‑day, so one night is enough unless you plan to use it as a base for diving or to reach Taba Heights.

Abu KabirAbu SimbelAin SokhnaAlexandriaAssiutAswanBahariyyaBanhaDahabDamanhurDesoukDumyatEdfuEl AlameinTaba200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Egypt
Best months
Oct–Apr (cooler, less heat
Avoid
Jun–Sep (very hot)
Stay
1 night

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 LE300–500 excl. bed · Mid LE600–900 excl. bed · High LE1200–1800 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

ItemPrice
CoffeeLE15–30
Shallow snorkel dive (gear hire)LE100–150
Taxi within town (5 km (3.1 mi))LE80–120
Casino entry feeLE50–100

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

ETM · Ramon Airport (Israel)
20 km (12 mi) north in Israel; cross the border at Taba, then a 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi or bus 30/15/16 to the airport. Allow 1 h for border crossing.
SSH · Sharm el‑Sheikh Airport
Domestic and some international flights, poor onward links to Taba.

Typical fares

Taba → Sharm el‑Sheikh bus
≈ LE300, 8 h, departs ~14:30 (check schedule)
Taxi to Ramon Airport
≈ LE200, 30 min
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

Town is walkable; taxis needed for airport or Taba Heights (20 km (12 mi) south). Bus to Cairo departs around 14:30, about 8 h ride. Bus to Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm el‑Sheikh likely departs around 15:00.

See and do

Known for

  • Casino at Steigenberger Taba Hotel
  • Snorkelling reefs near the border
  • Salah El‑Din castle on Pharaoh's Island

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Salah El‑Din castle (Pharaoh's Island)Boat from Taba harbour, 10 min ride≈30 min total
Taba HeightsTaxi, 20 km (12 mi) south≈30 min

Sleep

Steigenberger Taba Hotel & Nelson Village
B&B double LE1300, casino, diving centre
Mövenpick Resort Taba
B&B double LE1000, private beach

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Excuse me / Sorryعفواًʿafwan
Thank youشكراًshukran
How much is it?بكم؟bikam?
Can I pay by card?هل أستطيع الدفع بالبطاقة؟hal astaṭīʿ al‑dafʿ bil‑bṭāqa?
Where is the toilet?أين الحمام؟ayn al‑ḥammām?

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

  • Visa‑free stay limited to 14 days within the Sinai coastal zone (Taba to Sharm el‑Sheikh); longer trips or travel beyond the zone need an online visa (arrange ≥7 days ahead). Check current eligibility.
  • Sinai entry tax LE400 (as of 2020) collected at the border; amount and collection method may have changed – check.
  • Taxi fares to the airport can be inflated – share rides when possible.

Generally safe in the border zone; stay aware of taxi scams and keep visa documents handy.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Taba yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Casino at Steigenberger Taba Hotel
  • Snorkelling reefs near the border
  • Salah El‑Din castle on Pharaoh's Island

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Taba

إلى هذا العنوان من فضلك

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

US consulate in Cairo; nearest Egyptian diplomatic office in Sharm el‑Sheikh.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/taba). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.