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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Tell Basta
تل بسطة
Skip unless you are an Egyptology enthusiast with a private driver: half a day for the ruined temple of Bastet and the cat tombs.
Tell Basta (ancient Bubastis) is the site of the temple of the cat goddess Bastet, a royal residence of the 22nd dynasty. The temple is mostly ruined, but the cat tombs are intact and viewable. The site is next to a military base, so independent visits can be complicated: guards may question you, and you will be escorted by tourist police. A private driver who knows the area is essential.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- تل بسطة
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (extreme heat)
- Stay
- 0 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 500–800 (day trip from Cairo, no overnight) · Mid EGP 1,000–1,500 (private driver + entry) · High EGP 2,000+ (guided tour) (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 |
|---|---|
| Private driver Cairo–Tell Basta, round trip | EGP 800–2,000 (check) |
| Site entry ticket | EGP 80 (check) |
| Bottle of water | EGP 5–10 |
| Simple lunch in Zagazig | EGP 50–100 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CAI · Cairo International
- About 80 km (50 mi) southwest; 1.5–2 h by carAbout 50 mi (80 km) southwest; 1.5–2 h by car
Typical fares
- Cairo → Tell Basta, private car
- about EGP 800–2,000, 1.5–2 h (check)
- Site entry
- about EGP 80 (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
On foot inside the site; a private car or taxi from Zagazig or Cairo is required to reach it.
See and do
Known for
- Temple of Bastet (ruins)
- Cat tombs with mummies
- Holy Family pilgrimage stop
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Zagazig | Taxi from Tell Basta, 10 min | About 15 min |
| Cairo | Private car via the desert road, about 1.5–2 h | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Zagazig
- Nearest town, 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest; basic hotels, check availability.Nearest town, 3.1 mi (5 km) northwest; basic hotels, check availability.
- Cairo
- 1.5–2 h drive; far more options.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | السلام عليكمas-salamu alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much? | بكام؟bi-kam? |
| I am a tourist | أنا سائحana sa'ih |
| Please help me | من فضلك ساعدنيmin fadlik sa'idni |
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
- Military base adjacent: guards may stop you if you arrive independently without a guide or driver.
- Tourist police will follow you inside the site; tip them at the end.
- The temple is in a complete state of ruin — no standing columns or walls.
- Drivers may not know the exact location; rely on locals once in Zagazig.
The site is safe but the military presence means you must follow instructions. Summer heat is severe; bring water and sun protection.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tell Basta yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Temple of Bastet (ruins)
- Cat tombs with mummies
- Holy Family pilgrimage stop
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: Tell Basta, revision 4389011 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4389011
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tell-basta). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.