When you think of Egypt, you probably often think of pyramids and camels in a sandy environment. As a vacation country, Egypt offers much more than just the above. Beautiful hotels & resorts, stunning snorkeling and diving areas and a super rich history that you can still see a lot of.
Egypt is also a favorite vacation destination for gluten-free travelers. Unfortunately, Egypt is similar to Turkey when it comes to gluten-free food. Because wheat is a major component within many dishes, it is not the most gluten-friendly vacation destination. Still, you can find gluten-free vacations where you can eat and enjoy carefree food. So don’t let it put you off. We have already heard many positive travel experiences from Egypt. Would you also like to go to Egypt? We’ll tell you more about it!
Vacation tips Egypt
Gluten-free enjoyment in Egypt? We have a few simple tips for you listed so this should not be a problem!
Check labels in supermarkets
Always check carefully if you see labels on food products. This is not standard in Egypt. Many products may not contain a label. Because of this, you can never be sure if something is gluten-free. So even if the product is gluten-free by itself, we recommend leaving products without a label.
Don’t forget your translation!
In most countries you can get by just fine with basic English and if not, you’ll know how to produce a few words in the local language. In Egypt, in the tourist spots, they know how to get by with English just fine, but it is not the same everywhere! In addition, they speak normal Arabic there, which is difficult for us to produce a few words. With a dietary translation, you can be sure they understand what a gluten-free diet means.
5 star hotels & resorts
A good tip is to only stay in 5 star hotels or resorts. They often have very good service and on average receive more tourists from abroad. As a result, on the one hand, you are more likely to find Egyptians who speak English well and, on the other hand, you know that you can expect high-level service.
Gluten-free food in Egypt
Are you staying at a resort or a hotel, but you prefer to eat out? That’s possible, of course. We have compiled on “the best gluten-free apps” a short list of apps that will help you find restaurants, eateries or supermarkets. Below we have a few tips with gluten-free restaurants in Egypt that we got in:
- Cairo: Sea Salt Bakery and Cafe
- Cairo: Be Good To You
- Maadi (Cairo): The Gluten Free Bakery
Lesson in “gluten-free Arabic”
Still want to venture out with a few words in Arabic? Here’s a short list of a few words you can teach yourself!
- Gluten-free / khal min alghuluatin
- I have celiac disease / ladaya marad alaidtirabat alhadamia
- Gluten-free products / muntajat khaliat min alghuluatin
- Wheat / qamah
Gluten free bread Egypt?
Do your own shopping!
Want to get out and do some shopping yourself for the hotel room or a trip in Egypt? Fortunately, there are supermarkets you can go to and find gluten free products in Egypt. On “gluten-free supermarkets” we started a list of gluten-free supermarkets abroad. At least in Egypt, you can go to the following supermarkets:
- El Market Grocery Store
- Alfa Supermarket
- Gourmet Egypt
- Sunny Supermarket
- Health Harvest
- Saray Market
- Bio Shop
- Seoudi Market
- Fino Bakery
- Royal House Supermarket
Gluten-free hotel Egypt
As we mentioned earlier, your best bet for finding a good hotel in Egypt is to go nicely for the 5-star hotels. 4-star are also generally good, but always check with the hotel or your travel provider to be sure! We were able to compile a list of hotels for you that you can book through various providers, based on a few submitted experiences. Curious? Take a quick look!