Luxor Shopping

What to buy: Our Egyptian friend was looking to buy peanuts from Luxor, as he said that the peanuts here are the best you can find all over Egypt.
And he was right.
The taste is special and all my friends back home appreciated very much.

What to pay: The price is very good (7 LE for ½ kilo).

Visitors can buy duty-frees twice: in the arrivals section of the airport, and then at the duty-free shop in town (daily 10am-3pm & 7pm-midnight), within 48 hours after arrival in Egypt. The have household appliances, electronics, cigarets, licquor and imported beer (Grolsch!). You'll need your passport, in which the transaction(s) will be noted. Accepts euro's, dollars and Egyption pounds. The shop is not very cosy and untypical empty.

What to pay: About $15 for a liter of whiskey.

This is the government shop. The prices are fixed (execpt for a small bakshish for wrapping the goods)

What to buy: Egyptian cotton is renowned !
I went to a shop and asked for a large towel (100 % egyptian cotton). I didn't want any ''souvenirs" on the towel, just pure white.
The shop owner (and more shops) told me that is was impossible to find in Luxor. But... he could find one for 22 euros. I just had to come by the next day. Back at the hotel, I asked where I could buy white towels. The receptionist told me to go to the government store. I did, and found beautiful, very large, 100% pure egyptian white towels for .... 24 egyptian pounds a piece.

There is a small shop up to the right as you leave the Winter Palace,a little past the strip of shops running from the Palace.
keep looking to your right as you walk down the street it is set back about fifty feet from the main road running the length of the Nile
It is run by an old man, He has a very good selection of what you could call "Authentic reproduction" Stone carvings and nicknacks

What to buy: Galabayas, Old Coins, stone Carvings,

What to pay: What ever the shop keeper says the price is !
Then figure at least 50% off,
Have a sit down with the Shop keeper if you are really interested with what he is selling, but do not be to interested in what you are interested in .=o)
Sit and have a glass of hot tea and enjoy the experience.

This shop is great for two reasons: 1) you are left in peace to browse - the shop prides itself on a ‘no hassle’ policy! 2) The souvenirs are good quality and not like other shops goods that I saw in Luxor. It actually had stuff in there that I wanted to buy eg. We bought some genuine papyrus for only 10LE (1 GBP) each! Apparantly it is genuine if when rolled, it doesn’t split. I also bought a silver photo frame, a thimble, and a crystal pyramid.

Alabaster carving into vases and other figurines is a local craft in Egypt.

In most of the factories where these stone items come from, they will give you a short introduction into how they are done.
It is interesting, because hey also show you how some fake the granit-figures by making them heavier (those are not cared stone, but cement like things with old iron parts in it).

As the sign says...you are now entering a hassle free zone. It is true they will not hassle you into buying something. But they will continuously hassle you to tell you that they won't hassle you and that you can take your time.

Papyrus is a plant that comes out of the Nile River Valley, and it is used to create paper. Strands of the plant are seperated, laid out, pressed, and then used as the original parchment paper.

This picture is of the top of the papyrus plant before it becomes art!

What to buy: Definitely a nice picture of Ramses or Hatshetsup on Papyrus paper

What to pay: From $10 US to 800, depending on the art at the end.