Is Egypt Safe For Tourists In 2023? How To Stay Safe In Egypt

Before deciding to visit Egypt in September – October 2023. We did what most travellers would do, & research the country. Especially around how safe it is to travel there. We found a bunch of mixed reviews, some from people claiming it was categorically not safe & others who could vouch for how safe it was. The reality is that how safe you deem a country to be, will of course be affected by personal experience.

As of October 2023 the UK government foreign travel advice is that the areas within the Nile Valley, that most tourists visit, is safe to do so. Of course, you should always be alert wherever you travel to, as dangerous scenarios can take place in any country.

If you are travelling to Egypt soon & are concerned about safety, read your own countries official travel advice, for updates. You can find all UK foreign travel advice here. With the current evolving situation in the Middle East, it is especially important to keep up to date with travel advice & make sure you always have good travel insurance for any eventuality.

In this post we are going to discuss some of our personal experience with how safe we felt travelling in Egypt as well as some facts & figures. To hopefully give you more of an honest inside view of the country.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission on purchases made through these links. By doing so, you are supporting our blog and helping us to continue writing free travel guides for you, thank you for your continued support.

Is Egypt safe for tourists?

Over the years, Egypt has experienced political unrest & numerous terrorist attacks. From groups who tend to target: Egyptian security forces, religious sites, large public gatherings & places visited by foreigners.

But it is important to be aware that the authorities in Egypt have a significant security presence across the country, including armed security officers at important sites, critical infrastructure & road checkpoints. Extra measures are in place at tourist sites. Therefore it is not uncommon to see these armed officials when travelling through the country, if anything they offer more comfort than fear.

On the other hand, the general crime rate is relatively low. But you should be aware that armed muggings, sexual assaults & break ins can occur & have been reported in the past. As with anywhere you travel to, always take precautions to keep yourself safe.

Our personal experience in Egypt

Egypt felt safe for us. We didn’t experience any situations that we would class as ‘dangerous experiences’. But there were instances where we felt uncomfortable & had we not been travelling together as a couple, we would probably have felt scared. Especially for Lydia, as a woman.

These instances included being followed in the street, taxi drivers taking us in the wrong direction & being hassled/scammed a lot when out & about. For us, we were expecting this as we are experienced travellers & have travelled to countries similar to Egypt. Where we have experienced similar treatment, therefore we know how to deal with it.

However, if you are a first time traveller or a woman travelling alone, things like this may cause you more discomfort & may even leave you to feel scared.

We travelled Egypt using public transport via GoBus & trains. We definitely recommend that you use GoBus to catch buses between cities if travelling independently. They are safe, clean, used by tourists & a good price.

Staying safe in Egypt? Safety tips for all travellers

Below are some actions to take to make sure that you stay safe when travelling in Egypt:

Take out travel insurance – You should always make sure that you have adequate travel insurance before you travel anywhere, not just Egypt. Make sure it covers a high amount of medical expenses.

Use an eSIM so have access to the internet – Having internet access at all times in Egypt was a non negotiable for us. This way we could order Uber’s, find directions & stay in contact with loved ones for if anything were to go wrong.

We use Holafly for all our eSIM’s around the world. They are super easy to download via the app, are affordable & save us a lot of hassle with finding SIM cards in different countries. With Holafly you have access to the internet in over 180 different countries, all you have to do is download the app & select your destination. All their packages include unlimited data, which is incredible. You can use our code ‘THENOMADSYOUKNOW’ for 5% off any Holafly eSIM.

Avoid visiting Egypt on Christian Holidays – If a terrorist attack is going to happen, apparently it is more likely to happen around Christian Holidays, according to UK foreign travel advice.

Use Uber where available – Fortunately in some cities, including Cairo & Hurghada, Uber is available. We recommend that you use Uber for all taxi journeys where you can. Not only is it cheaper, but safer as you can track your journey & even send it to a family member or friend to let them know where you are.

Do not allow hotel staff into your room if alone – Make sure there is someone else in the room with you if you notice staff acting suspiciously. If you are travelling alone, simply decline them access to your room.

Do not drink alcohol outside of licensed venues – Egypt is an Islamic country & therefore drinking alcohol is not part of the culture. You can still drink inside licensed bars & hotels, but drinking outside of these establishments is illegal & can lead to an arrest.

Do not take any sort of drug, even if offered to you – Again, the possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs is punishable by prison sentence (up to 25 years) & in some cases the death penalty may be used.

Do not criticise the Egyptian government – This includes in conversation or via social media. Expressing negative political opinions about the government can cause issues with the authorities. In the past people have faced prison sentences for sharing negative comments on social media.

Do not bring a drone into the country without permission – for all our fellow photographers, this one is for you. If you want to fly a drone in Egypt you will have to ask for permission from the Egyptian CAA, without this your drone will be confiscated at customs. Apparently obtaining permission, is extremely difficult & drones are banned in most areas.

Do not show public display’s of affection – If travelling as a couple, it’s important to remain conservative when out in public. Display’s of affection are frowned upon & can lead to unwanted attention/comments.

Women should dress modestly when in public – Being a majority Islamic country, you’ll see Egyptian women mostly covered. Whilst there is no strict dress code for tourists, it is wise for women to cover their shoulders & knees when out in public. This will avoid you receiving unwanted attention from men & make you feel less uncomfortable. When at tourist sites, you can feel a little more relaxed & in your hotel you are fine to walk around as you usually would.

Do not walk around late at night alone – As with anywhere, bad things tend to happen more often late at night. If you do find yourself out late at night, make sure you are with someone else & avoid not busy areas.

Be aware of your surroundings & vigilant of your personal belongings – If someone seems off, trust your instincts & remove yourself from the situation. Always keep an eye on your bags, pick pocketing is common, especially at busy tourist sites. We like to use an anti-theft backpack.

How to avoid scams in Egypt?

Scamming is rife in Egypt. Whilst we were there, we felt as though we had to be constantly on the lookout for the next scam. Unfortunately, for some locals, it is just their way of making ends meet. Egypt has struggled economically for years & just in the last year alone the currency has lost 50% of it’s value against the dollar. Leaving a lot of the population dealing with issues of poverty.

Whilst no one likes getting hassled & scammed, we think it is important to remember this fact when you travel to Egypt, to understand why you are getting hassled or scammed a lot. & to approach these situations from a more empathetic point of view, rather than with anger.

Public transport scams

Always agree on a taxi fare before getting in the taxi – Where Uber isn’t available you’ll have to haggle with taxi drivers. They will almost always try to overcharge you for a journey. Make sure that you agree & shake on the price before you get in the taxi. They may still try to bump the price up at the end of the journey, in this case stick to your guns & refer to what you agreed upon.

HOT TIP: We found that a good trick was to tell the taxi driver that you only have the specified amount of cash that you have agreed upon & be adamant about it. They seemed to give up after we mentioned this.

Do not let Uber drivers cancel your ride & request cash – We had an experience in Hurghada where an Uber driver asked to cancel our ride on the app & to pay him in cash. We stupidly didn’t realise this was a scam & agreed as we were in a rush & couldn’t wait for another taxi. We ended up paying a lot more than the Uber fare. So do not let them cancel your ride & request cash instead.

Tipping is customary in Egypt – This isn’t a scam, but is definitely something to be aware of! It is customary to tip for good service, so that may be a taxi driver, a waiter, hotel staff etc. They may even ask you for a tip, if you haven’t already given one. It is not mandatory to tip, but if you feel you received good service then you should. Make sure you always carry small change for this.

Be aware of porters at train stations – We caught the train from Luxor to Aswan, which is a route not frequented by tourists. If you choose this route, you’ll likely be the only foreigner in sight. Which means you will attract the attention of the train porters, who will want to help you with your luggage onto the train for a tip. They can be quite aggressive with their approach & will just grab your bags & run them onto the train if you’re not careful.

HOT TIP: To avoid this scenario, we’d say it’s best to travel Egypt with a backpack. This way if the bag is already on your back, there is no way for them to try & grab it off you, without some force. Just continue to politely decline them, until they get the message. Unfortunately, we were unlucky & the porter managed to grab our suitcases.

It is normal to tip the bus porter – If you utilise the GoBus service, then it is normal for you to tip the porter who moves your luggage into the luggage compartment. You’ll usually have to give them 10 EGP per bag. We saw some people pay them to take it out as well, we thought this was a little excessive, so only paid for them to put it in.

Tourist site scams

You cannot pre book tickets online – To our best knowledge, there is no way to pre book your tickets to any tourist attraction. Whilst travelling in Egypt, we had heard of people who had done this & it had actually turned out to be a scam & the tickets aren’t valid. Always purchase your entry tickets at the entrance on the day, you will need to pay by card on most occasions.

Do not give your ticket to anyone past the ticket counter at tourist sites – You should never give your ticket to anyone past the official counter at the entrance. Tourists have experienced unofficial people stealing tickets & then demanding extra money to enter the site. Keep your ticket safely in your bag & only bring it out when you need to scan it to enter or exit.

Don’t give your phone/camera to anyone – I mean this one is kind of self explanatory, but you’ll be surprised how many people we saw doing this. We can’t stress this enough, but do not trust anyone! You could very easily have your gear stolen. Also not to mention that it is common for locals to ask for a tip for them to take a photo for you, or a photo with you. They will 100% be after money from you.

You will get hassled by sellers & they will try to rip you off – We would not advise buying anything inside any tourist site as the prices will be wildly overpriced & sellers will push you for a sale. If you do decide that you want to buy something, don’t be afraid to haggle with them to get a good price & know that you can definitely get what you want, somewhere else if not.

Do not buy trinkets at the Pyramids – Being the most popular tourist attraction in Egypt & quite possibly the world, it is teeming with scams. A lot of the trinkets & souvenirs that are sold here are fake & not good quality. You’d be better off visiting somewhere more local. For instance, we bought a trinket of a Pyramid at the Nubian Village in Aswan. The guy was extremely friendly, put no pressure on us & gave us an amazing price.

Do not trust anyone who says they can take you where you need to go – If you look lost in Egypt, give it 5 seconds before someone will likely approach you, convinced that they know where you are going & would like to take you there. Whilst you could just go with them, we wouldn’t advise it, as they will be fishing for a tip.

Moreover, they could just take you to the wrong place & then ask you to pay them more to take you where you really want to go. This happened to us on so many occasions, that it actually became a bit of a running joke between us both. How long will it be before we get asked?

HOT TIP: Always look as though you know where you are going, walk with confidence & if you can, try to speak a little Arabic for if someone does approach you. Then you can simple say ‘La Shukran’ which means ‘No thank you’. Furthermore, they will try to communicate with you in every language they know & they know a lot. So you could always pretend to be from somewhere they haven’t mentioned, even better if you actually are!

Do not ride a camel or take a horse carriage ride – At the Pyramids you will see camels & horse carriages & you will definitely be approached on numerous occasions to take a ride with them. Whilst we can understand the allure of this experience, we personally do not support the treatment of these animals. Not only that, but these rides are over priced & are a perfect opportunity to trap tourists into a scam.

From first hand experience, talking with others who have visited & reading blog posts. Everyone says the same thing, that you agree a price & then they over charge or short change you at the end. By that time, it’s too late as you’ve already been on the camel or horse carriage. & it’s now left a sour taste in your mouth & the experience. We’d avoid it like the plague!

Is Egypt safe for solo female travellers?

This is a question we have been asked a lot since our visit & one that I, being a woman, have personally put a lot of thought & consideration into. The thing is we don’t like to say that certain countries are too dangerous for solo female travellers, as we truly believe that a lot of people’s opinions are formed around personal experience.

So I will answer this question differently. Would I feel safe travelling to Egypt as a solo female traveller? & the answer is no I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t feel safe doing what Harry & I did together, had I have been travelling on my own. Which kind of sucks.

The reason why I wouldn’t feel safe travelling alone, is mostly because of the extreme amount of harassment & pestering we received in Egypt, mostly from men. Even though Harry was beside me the entire time, I still received unwanted attention & comments. Fortunately, I felt comfortable enough with Harry by my side to either just ignore, or answer back when the pestering got a little too personal. But I don’t think I would have had the confidence, had I have been visibly alone amongst that.

But that’s just me, maybe if you’re reading this & you are a woman, you have a few more balls than me!

What I would recommend to a solo female traveller wanting to travel to Egypt

If you are a solo female traveller & want to explore Egypt, I highly recommend that you do. Never let fear stop you from doing the things you want to. But there are a couple of things I would advise you do to make your experience more pleasurable & less stressful:

Consider travelling with an organised tour – Because of all the pestering that goes on in Egypt, this is still the most popular way for tourists to visit the country. It’s just not our style. But if you are travelling alone, this would eliminate a lot of stress. As you would be with a group & tour groups do seem to receive less attention from locals than those travelling independently.

Moreover, your itinerary including transport would likely be covered for you, meaning you wouldn’t need to navigate public transport & would instead receive private transfers, which would be safer.

Travel with a friend – If you are adamant that you don’t want to travel with an organised tour. Then the second best thing would be to find someone equally as keen to travel to Egypt with you. Safety in numbers & all! If I were to travel with another woman, I would definitely feel safer there than if I were to travel alone.

We did see women travelling together independently, which was actually amazing to see & made me feel unbelievably proud to be a woman. I think it is mostly the aspect of being alone that is the most off putting factor for Egypt.

We hope this blog has given you a lot to think about & has hopefully answered that burning question for you, as to whether Egypt is safe for tourists in 2023? Generally, we found Egypt to be a safe country, at no point did we feel threatened to the point that we felt in danger.

Alongside the people who did make us feel uncomfortable, we met some beautifully friendly & welcoming faces, who were delighted to have us in Egypt. The children who would run up to us to practice their English, the man passing by as we watched a moon rise over the river Nile, & stopped to have a chat with us. The friendly taxi drivers, who would tell us their life story & engage in deep conversations with us, even only for those few minutes. & the amazing hospitality from staff that we encountered at every hotel we stayed at.

If you can take one thing away from reading this, we would say don’t let someone else’s opinion stop you from travelling to a place because they’ve said it’s ‘too dangerous’. Everywhere can be dangerous to a certain degree, as long as you go to Egypt armed with this knowledge, some research & have prepared. You will have the most magical time, in the land of the ancients.

If you enjoyed reading this, you may also enjoy:

‘The Ultimate 10 Day Guide To Jordan’