Question 1

What is the "Perfume Factory Scam" scam in Cairo?

Accepted Answer

Tourists are taken by taxi drivers or guides to a "family perfume factory" near tourist sites. They are pressured into buying overpriced essential oils and perfumes, often told the oils are duty-free or that prices are wholesale. The same products are available in shops for a fraction of the price. Decline any offer from a taxi driver or guide to visit a factory, spice market, or craft workshop that was not on your itinerary. If you want perfume, buy from established stores in Khan el-Khalili after comparing prices.

Question 2

What is the "Papyrus Shop Fake Originals" scam in Cairo?

Accepted Answer

Shops near major tourist sites sell banana-leaf or rice-paper scrolls painted with hieroglyphics and claim they are authentic hand-painted papyrus. Genuine papyrus is more expensive and feels distinctly different. Tourists pay premium prices for worthless reproductions. Visit the Dr. Ragab Papyrus Institute or similar certified shops where you can watch papyrus being made. Genuine papyrus is translucent when held to light and does not crack when folded gently. Be very skeptical of cheap papyrus near tourist sites.

Question 3

What is the "Fake Papyrus Art" scam in Cairo?

Accepted Answer

Shops near tourist sites sell banana-leaf prints as genuine hand-painted papyrus art, claiming it is from government cooperatives. Tourists pay $30–200 for items worth $2. Real papyrus is thicker with layered fibers visible when held to light. Buy papyrus only from licensed shops with certification, or at the Dr. Ragab Papyrus Institute on the Nile. Real papyrus does not crack when folded. Ask the seller to demonstrate this — fake papyrus will crease or crack.

Other Tourist Scams in Cairo

Perfume Factory Scam

Papyrus Shop Fake Originals

Fake Papyrus Art

Experienced a scam here?