Shopping for perfumes and essential oils in Egypt

If you have been on guided a tour to Egypt, you will know what I am talking about. Included in one of the day's travel schedule will be a visit to a perfume shop. Whether you like it or not - you will have to spend about an hour sitting in the shop. And at the end, you will feel a little pressure to buy something. While I am not discouraging you, I just want you to be a little more aware and bargain if you are really interested to take back a scent as a souvenir.

There are numerous such perfume shops in most of the tourist areas of Egypt. So, if your guide tells you that you will not find the perfume/oil elsewhere or if the shopkeepers pressurise you, just refuse politely. From my experience, you will find the same kinds of oils and scents in almost all the shops. I spotted quite a handful of these shops within a small stretch while out on the streets of Cairo.

Most shops will stock base scents of popular brand perfumes. The shopkeeper will rattle off the name of well known brands and get you to smell the fragrance. Choose wisely and make sure that the price is reasonable. Its best to go prepared. Just research a little about the fragrance you like and its price. Be smart and shop wisely.

The Khan el Khalili market has numerous perfume and essential oil shops. Just browse around in a couple of shops to get a fair idea of the prices before you make the purchase.