IEgypt Local Food Tour, Street Food & Authentic Egyptian Cuisine

Egyptian food is the part of the country almost every visitor misses. Between the pyramids and the museum there is a whole cuisine being cooked on side streets, and it is cheap, generous and almost entirely unlike what is served in hotel restaurants. This guided tour takes you to the places locals eat, with someone alongside who can explain what you are looking at and order properly. What you will eat. The staples first: koshari, the layered lentil, rice and pasta dish topped with fried onion and a sharp tomato sauce that is the national comfort food; taameya, Egypt's fava bean version of falafel, greener and softer than the chickpea kind; and fresh baladi bread straight from the oven. Depending on the route and the time of day there may be grilled meat, hawawshi, stuffed vine leaves, or feteer, the layered pastry served either sweet or savoury. Two meals and a drink are included. Where you go. Markets, older residential quarters and long-established local eateries rather than tourist-facing restaurants, with transport between them by car or minibus so you are not walking in the heat between stops. Why go with a guide. Menus are frequently Arabic-only, the best places are often the least presentable, and knowing which juice stand and which grill to trust is genuinely the difference between a great meal and a bad night. Your guide handles ordering, explains each dish, and can steer around anything you do not eat. Dietary notes. Egyptian street food is unusually good for vegetarians, since koshari, taameya and most mezze are naturally meat-free. Tell us in advance about vegan, gluten or allergy requirements and the route can be adjusted. Bring cash in small notes for anything you want to buy beyond the included meals, and come hungry.