Is it safe to travel to Egypt? A decade of media scaremongering, terror attacks, political unrest, violent protests, constant warnings about safety and hassle and government advice advising against travel have left many travellers thinking is it safe to travel to Egypt at all. But is this really accurate? Is Egypt really too dangerous to travel to? Here is the real truth about travel safety in Egypt.
This article was originally published in 2019 and was last updated in March, 2023.
Egypt has had it’s share of trouble over the years, and its tourism industry has struggled to shake off a reputation of being an unsafe destination for tourists. Stories of endless hassle at tourist attractions muddy the water with many potential travellers conflating this with actual risk.
It is true that Egypt, like many countries, over the years has been the target of terrorist attacks, with government, security and tourist sites alike a target for various extremist cowards. This, along with the unrest surrounding the cultural revolution in 2011, over a decade ago now, has led to many international governments declaring large parts of Egypt still unsafe to travel to. Official government sources such as from the UKs Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office even state that travellers may be ‘confronted aggressively for money’ at tourist sites like Giza. That is a very colourful way to describe the hassle received by touts which does nothing to calm the fearmongering rhetoric. Hassle may be annoying but that is an absolute far cry from it being dangerous. Crime of course does exist, but it is relatively low. We need to take a long, hard look at the actual facts, not just the rhetoric, and ask if the official ‘do not travel warnings’ have been left up far longer than they should have been thanks in large part to scaremongering by the media.
So what is the actual reality of travel to Egypt? Is Egypt really safe for travellers? The short answer is an emphatic yes, Egypt is on the whole very safe. Let’s look at the actual facts.
Is Egypt Safe?
Yes it is. Egypt does of course have risks for travellers just like anywhere else in the world but the fact is in general terms these risks are actually quite low. With reasonable, common sense precautions that everyone should be practicing anyway those potential risks can be absolutely minimised. The absolute majority of travellers to Egypt have a great time there with no issues, and come back home safe and sound. The biggest problem most face is being hassled at major tourist sites or being overcharged by the taxi drivers.
Is this annoying? Absolutely. Is it a risk? Not to the majority of savvy travellers.
Yes, Egypt is in general terms very safe to travel to. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office as of 2023 has precautionary advice for small sections of the country such as border areas between Egypt and Sudan but has no warnings against the vast majority of Egypt including all major tourist areas, does not advise against travel at all to these places and states categorically that most visits are trouble free.
The Fear Is Real.
The big problem is this reality, that risk for travellers is low and Egypt is on the whole safe, often doesn’t match up with many peoples preconceived notions of Egypt, nor the media’s often overblown scaremongering. This scaremongering promotes a level of fear about travel in Egypt that is just not justifiable when held up to cold, hard facts.
It is certainly true that in general terms there is a much higher fear of becoming a victim of crime than the risk of actually becoming one, especially for women (with young men the opposite is actually true, less fear but more risk). Data from the Crime Survey England and Wales has shown the same results on this year after year for decades. This general heightened state of fear is often applied to travel in general, and in this specific case, to Egypt.
There is a real fear in the West about Egypt, not helped of course by heavy handed and overcautious official warnings. I mean really, just look at the official statement from the UK FCDO, ‘crime in Egypt is generally low but some visitors have suffered armed robberies, muggings (including in taxis), sexual assaults, and break-ins’. You can apply such a broad, nonsensical statement to anywhere in the world. It would apply to New York City as much as it would to a leafy suburb in Walthamstow. Yet because of this heightened level of fear, many people automatically assume that Egypt is dangerous, that all of Egypt, Sinai included, is just too risky to visit.
But is it?
The problem is the official advice errs heavily on the side of extreme caution, and I do mean extreme. The FCDO would change the warning lightbulb to red and pull the panic alarm over a stubbed toe. Even worse than that a lot of the time these opinions are regurgitated by people who have never even been to Egypt, they are just recounting scare stories they have heard in the media, or if they have been to Egypt they haven’t left the air conditioned walls of their resort. Not exactly the wealth of experience you should be listening to the opinion of.
The actual fact is these scaremongering tales just aren’t true. So what is the actual reality of safety in Egypt?
What Is The Current Safety Advice For Egypt?
Official government advice from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK – despite common misconceptions – do not advise against travel to most of Egypt.
As of 2023 all of the main tourist areas of Cairo, Alexandria, the tourist areas along the Nile river including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada are perfectly safe and have no advisories against them.
The FCDO does advise against all but essential travel to the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, excluding the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh, and all but essential travel to all of Sinai, north and south, due to the potential for criminal and terrorist attacks on police and security forces, with the exception of the Sharm el Sheikh boundary. The only areas that have a full do not travel warning are the border areas with Libya, Israel and the Gaza strip.
What Does This Official Advice Mean In Reality?
Whilst there are warnings against small and specific sections of the country, mostly in Sinai, the fact is this does not apply to the absolute majority of the country, and certainly not to anywhere the absolute majority of tourists or travellers would find themselves. As usual these warnings are erring on the extreme side of caution.
That means that as is usual with official government advice, the warnings should be taken notice of but then taken with a pinch of salt and put into context with wider reading.
The Risk Of Terrorism In Egypt.
Egypt has been the victim of terror attacks in the past and the UK government, as well as other authorities including the US State Department does warn against a high threat of terrorism in the country, but the fact of the matter is terrorism can happen anywhere, anytime, and it often does. That is the whole point of it.
Terror attacks have occurred all over the world, including the UK, and the warnings against it are always constant, but should rarely force anyone to change their behaviour or plans.
There have been almost as many attacks in many western countries in recent years, including the UK and Germany for example, yet tourists aren’t told to stay away from these destinations. There is definitely a high double standard at work here.
Any terror attack is abhorrent, there is no denying that and I do not want to downplay any incident, but they are not and should never be a reason for you to not travel anywhere, and that includes Egypt.
Egyptian security is very visible and very good, and if you take sensible precautions against travelling with the risk of terrorism yourself there is no reason at all to fear a potential terror attack.
The fact is unless there is specific intelligence warning of a specific attack, any general warnings are unwarranted. There is no reason to believe that another terror attack will happen in Egypt as opposed to anywhere else in the world, and there is no point in living your life afraid of what may or may not happen.
Terrorists want you to be afraid. Don’t let them win.
The Risk Of Political Unrest In Egypt.
Egypt does have a risk of political unrest, especially since the revolution in 2011, and there is always the chance of protests, marches and demonstrations, and if these do occur there is also the chance of a security response against it.
But again, just put this risk into a bit of perspective, you can say the same is true in pretty much any country in the world. How many protests have the UK and the US had last year alone? How many of those were violent? Does that make the US and the UK dangerous to travel to? No.
Just as with many other risk factors just take reasonable precautions and you will be fine. Keep abreast of any local news, listen to any advice from authorities, hotels and tour operators, and if you do find yourself nearing a crowd of demonstrators then just leave as quickly and as safely as possible or stay in your hotel or accommodation and ask for advice.
The Risk Of Hassle In Egypt.
One of the biggest things all potential travellers worry about before visiting Egypt is the hassle, and this is something that always gets blown out of all proportion.
Just like any major tourist site in the world there are touts and tourists will get hassled by them. Touts are annoying, there is no getting around that fact, but one thing they are not is dangerous.
There are many ways to avoid touts and hassle whilst you are in Egypt but you can’t avoid it completely, you are a tourist there after all and locals are just trying to earn a living, but don’t escalate the hassle to a level of risk or danger that it just isn’t.
Giza is like a second home to me now, I have been there so much over the years and I am more than used to the rush of touts trying to sell me stuff. The absolute majority of the time they are harmless and most will take the second ‘la shukran’ and politely leave me alone. I have only had to raise my voice maybe twice in many years of visits and both times it was locals who helped me as much as the few touts who were bothering me. In fact when I have been out there filming or working and touts have approached me initially to sell me a tour or offer their services, a conversation about what I was doing led to some genuinely warm hospitality and friendly interactions. People will want to talk to you, people will at to sell you stuff, kids will want selfies with the big foreigner who can let four of them hang off each arm with ease. It can be a bit relentless sometimes but it is not dangerous.
You will get hassled in Egypt, but most of it is minor and the vast majority of people you meet in Egypt will be friendly and welcoming. Just read up on the common scams and tricks and be prepared for them if they happen to you, and you will be fine.
The Risk Of Crime In Egypt.
The FCDO advise that there is a risk of various crimes including car jackings, robberies, muggings, sexual assaults and rape, well yes of course there is. There is no denying that crimes do happen in Egypt, it is ridiculous to pretend that it is some crime free utopia.
But it is also important to remember that there is a risk of any of these crimes anywhere in the world. There is a risk of becoming a victim of any type of crime wherever you are.
The truth – when you put it into context – is that the actual crime rates in Egypt are generally very low, and are even rarer for tourists.
Travellers are statistically highly unlikely to be the victim of any type of crime. In fact in general terms Egyptians are far more likely to look out for tourists rather than target them as victims.
Where there is a small risk of becoming a victim it is generally crimes of opportunity such as theft or pickpocketing, or becoming the victim of a scam or being ripped off, and the risk of these crimes can be easily avoided and managed.
Use the same reasonable common sense safety precautions that you would take anywhere in the world, including at home, and you can reduce any potential risk of becoming the victim of any type of crime to manageable and acceptable levels.
The Reality Of Travel Safety In Egypt.
The truth is Egypt is a generally safe country and the vast majority of travellers will experience no trouble at all beyond the annoyance of touts and ticket sellers trying to squeeze that last little Egyptian pound out of them.
The vast majority of Egyptians are warm, welcoming and offer no threat to the general traveller at all, and in fact it is a shame that most travellers will not experience the warmth of Egyptian hospitality beyond the main tourist sites because of wariness of the touts.
Because of how badly tourism has been affected in Egypt at the moment there were man times on recent trips where I was the only fair skinned traveller around, in some cases instances where I was the only traveller period and there were many instances of having entire hostel rooms entirely to myself! So it is safe to say that despite my best efforts to blend in I still stuck out a fair bit.
Yet I never once felt unsafe, at all. I hiked the desert around Giza on my own, visited almost completely deserted tourist attractions, went out at night in Cairo looking for a snack on my own, and I never once felt threatened. I never once had a single negative incident.
The worst thing that happened to me on my most recent trip was a day where my tolerance for taxi drivers trying to rip me off hit rock bottom and I got annoyed. I simply took a step back, rested for a day with a good book and started using Uber instead.
Egypt is a very safe place, and I cannot stress that enough.
The presence of heavy security at most sites is off putting to many, but they are there as a precautionary measure, a heavy handed one I grant you, but precautionary nonetheless. There is no more reason to fear them, or fear the potential of anything bad happening than there is to fear the metal detectors at any airport around the world.
Security standards in Egypt are actually pretty high.
The truth is Egypt is an amazing country to visit. It is truly remarkable, unique, welcoming, frustrating, easy and challenging, all at the same time! But one thing it isn’t is dangerous, and I urge any traveller and backpacker who hasn’t been, or anyone at all who has dreamt of visiting Egypt but have been put off by it’s reputation and the general media scaremongering, to just go! Forget what you think you know about Egypt and go and see for yourself.
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Michael Huxley is a published author, professional adventurer and founder of the travel website, Bemused Backpacker. He has spent the last twenty years travelling to over 100 countries on almost every continent, slowly building Bemused Backpacker into a successful business after leaving a former career in emergency nursing and travel medicine, and continues to travel the world on numerous adventures every year.
Bemused Backpacker 
I went to Egypt myself last year and have to say everything you say is so true. Everyone warned my not to go because of the ‘risk’ but I never felt safer and had an amazing time, going through Cairo, Aswan and Luxor.
Exactly, people often find their personal experience is very different from the media reports.
But what about being a woman? You are obviously a man and it is different for you. I would love to go to Egypt but travelling as a woman is very different and we face much more risk.
No it isn’t and no you don’t. Men and women obviously have different experiences but travel is not more dangerous based solely on what sex you are. Egypt is a very safe country overall, for both genders.
I am planning a trip to Egypt next year (maybe spring 2020) and I wasn’t overly worried about the safety aspect but the stories in the media have made me question that decision once or twice. This has really helped put my mind at ease, thank you.
That is so great to hear Beth, thanks for commenting.
I visited Egypt way back in 2000 and I completely agree with you, both on Egypt being a very safe country and an amazing one too. We spent a lot of time travelling in Cairo and then went on a slow boat cruise (not a big package one) down the nile, stopping at Luxor and Aswan, and for the most part I felt quite safe. No issues at all beyond losing at haggling a few times, but then it is only a few quid and I was still happy with the price. I know times have changed, but I would still definitely recommend visiting Egypt as a safe country
Thanks for the input Peter, I could not agree more!
I’ve dreamed of visiting Egypt most of my Adult life and your posts and social media have helped me make my mind up! Thank you. When visiting any foreign country, ii is always a good idea to learning basic phrases in the countries language as it helps get you respect and safety. Instinct and common sense should prevail when travelling here or any where in the world and you will be perfectly safe.
That’s great to hear Wei! Enjoy Egypt you will love it! And great advice too, it is always a good idea to know the basics in any language.
My husband and I are heading to Egypt next week. Seems everyone we know is trying to scare us into changing our minds and telling us it is dangerous. We are planning to follow a lot of your itinerary in your other post (and am definitely looking forward to Alexandria, great shoutout!) But wanted to say these articles of yours have really helped to counter the doom and gloom from our friends and family. Thank you so much. One quick question though, should we take small currency with us to spend each day or is it best to use our credit card?
Hi Kerry, I’m glad I am providing a bit of counterbalance to all the scaremongering. In answer to your question I would predominantly use and carry paper money, but ATMs are everywhere and cards are accepted in major cities as a good back up. But yes I would also carry a pocket full of loose, small denomination change as well to pay for baksheesh etc.
As a solo female traveler I have been to Egypt twice now in the last few years, once to travel through and explore fully and once to head over to Sinai for a bit of diving (as well as revisiting the pyramids) and you are absolutely right, it is very safe and I have never once felt unsafe there. I have made several friends there and absolutely love the culture. I do dress accordingly and am always aware of my surroundings. I think a lot of it is about your mental attitude, if you think like a victim and expect trouble you will find it. Thank you for your article.
Thanks so much Jessica, it is great to hear the female perspective on this too, especially on that isn’t just pure fear and scaremongering, I think you are absolutely right about attitude, it is everything!
Love the cheeky little video at the bottom, had no idea you had a youtube channel too!
Haha thanks Alan, yep. Feel free to head over and check the rest of the videos out!
I will be travelling to Egypt in a few months. Is it safe to do Airbnb in Cairo. Zamalek area is where I was thinking.
Thanks 😊
Yes it is.
I agree with you on much on this, the level of fearmongering about Egypt is just insane. Yes touts will hassle you at tourist spots but exactly like you said, that does not mean it is dangerous.
Exactly! Annoying yes, dangerous, no.
I just don’t want to get scammed. Heard there are so many scans and so much hassle here.
Hassle at the tourist sites can get a bit annoying yes, but it is not as bad as people think. You can ignore most of it or deflect it easily enough. And more often than not it is just people trying to sell you stuff rather than an outright scam.
I always felt safe in Egypt, especially in the bigger touristy places! Love, love Egypt! But yes, the hassle can be a bit full on there!
It can be, but glad you felt safe too Sally! It really is a great place.
I love that you are still pushing this message! Well done! Someone needs to counteract all the nagativity and false reporting from the mainstream media.
Thanks Alice, I do my best!
I can’t believe people still think Egypt is a dangerous place to visit! I suppose that is the damage a permanent travel advisory against it will do!
I don’t disagree.
I honestly don’t know why people want to travel to egypt. Other than Pyramids, there’s nothing to see. One of the most dangerous places to travel.
Sure, the museums, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Islamic Cairo, diving the red sea, Luxor, Aswan, Alex … yeah nothing to see at all, and no, it really isn’t.
Egypt is not safe for women. Period.
Yes it is. Period.
Egypt is amazing, but you can’t just pack and go, you need an Egyptian to create a plan for you with places to visit and places not to visit
Yes it is amazing and yes you absolutely can. There is nothing wrong with getting a tour or a guide if you want and it can be very beneficial, but they are absolutely not a necessity. You can very easily travel through Egypt independently.
Have you not seen social media? The amount of women who say they feel unsafe when in Egypt? Yeah, I think you got it wrong on this one.
Yes I have, I’ve also seen those very same women pose for Insta pictures in front of the pyramids in big flowy dresses they of course made themselves, travel through the country with zero issues and then leave safe and sound. But of course you have to repeat the mantra that it is dangerous for women, right?
😂😂😂😂 Based!
I’ve been to Egypt and was truly blessed to be there several days. I didn’t have a bad experience once. It was really incredible!
Awesome to hear Fran! It really is such an incredible place.
Have fun and respect the country that you are in and there are no problems. You will be very safe here.🥰 welcome to Egypt dear
Thank you so much! And I agree!
I hate that people are always asking is it safe to go to egypt or any African or Asian countries and not any other western country like the US or UK which gave some of the highest crime rates in the world. I mean bad people are everywhere
I agree completely.
This is such good advice. As an American woman living in Egypt, and have lived here since 2005, I feel a hundred times safer here than the US!
Awesome to hear Kate! Do you live in Cairo?
Honest question, I’ve heard so many say on social media that you need to get a tour guide if you want to be safe? Is this true? I really want to go to Egypt but don’t know if I should get a tour or not? What do you think?
No you don’t. Not at all. Tour guides are great, and there is nothing wrong with getting one, you can put some money back in the local economy, make things a little easier for yourself, they can deflect some of the touts etc, but that doesn’t mean you are in danger if you don’t get one and you can absolutely travel safely on your own and independently too.
My advice to stay safe I’m Egypy is get a tour guide, please 🙏
My advice is to just travel there however you like, independently if you want to, use reasonable common sense precautions and you will be fine, because Egypt is safe!
I’m going back to Egypt in March next year, I love it so much there, and it’s really nice to read some genuine fact and common sense about safety in the country. I’ve travelled solo – yes, as a woman – multiple times in Egypt now, and have never been treated with anything but kindness!
That is awesome to hear Rachel!
I’m sorry when was the last time you went? I’ve been to Egypt RECENTLY and you cannot say it’s ‘extremely safe’ It’s mostly safe to tourists and travelers yes but c’mon now. They have heavy security at all the resorts, we are looked after getting on and off the tours … That isn’t there for no reason.
I’ve just left. And I can because it is. Maybe if you get out of the resorts and actually see some of the country you will see beyond the facade the resorts put on because that is all it is. The security is there because the previous Egyptian government, petrified of losing tourism after a terrorist attack, went severely overboard as a show to tourists that they are protected. That never went away. London has had a terrorist attack since then. Germany has. Paris has. Many other places have. Do you need an armed escort to get from London to Manchester?
It may be safe in the nice hotels in Giza, but it is a whole other world outside. I wouldn’t want to leave the hotel to walk to the pyramids alone tbh.
I would, have and had zero problems. Maybe getting out of the air con resorts and hotels might do you some good and open your eyes a bit?
Literally anyone who knows anything about actual Egypt knows it can be a very dangerous place for foreigners.
I think you need to relearn your definition of literally. I know Egypt very well. I have lived there for extended periods, travelled through it extensively, written a book based there and I know it is very, very safe. As a literal foreigner. ;D
Gov website says it is not safe to travel and they can’t help us if something happens so I’ll pass.
The gov advice is a starting point, nothing more, and is heavily disproportionate.
I wouldn’t say it’s safe without a guide, especially if you’re solo travelling
I would, I’ve done both plenty of times. Have you been?
Can’t wait to go to Egypt this summer This was so reassuring to read. Thank you. 🩷
Thank you Kat!
This is SO refreshing to read. I have seen so many videos about scammers I was reconsidering going.
Thank you so much Akilah, please go and judge for yourself, I promise you won’t regret it!
The way to avoid trouble and scammers at the tourist spots is to hire a tour guide. They will look after you and not allow such things to happen.
Not necessarily, I agree hiring a guide/tour can be great, but it really is just as easy to travel independently and not get hassled. I have been doing so for many years.
I felt unsafe in Egypt and constantly taking advantage from, and would not go back.
Sorry you felt that way Farah, but why did you feel unsafe exactly?
Travelling through Egypt was the absolute best adventure of my life, Backpacked through the whole country, took the touts at the tourist sites in good grace and had zero trouble otherwise. Unless you count the usual ‘I’ll be your guide’ pressure sales from the taxi drivers! 😂 I never had to say la Shukran more than twice 🤘🤘🤘🤘 I think a lot of people conflate that into danger or trouble, and they shouldn’t!
That’s awesome to hear Nichole and I absolutely agree with you, I get the Egyptian hustle may make some people feel uncomfortable but it is very very different to say it is dangerous. Those taxi drivers can be incessant but as long as you are friendly with it they are super friendly with you too!
Looks like Egypt are finally lifting covid restrictions. I had my planned trip ruined last year because of this, now I’m planning to go back! I can’t wait!
Sorry to hear about your trip Mira, those restrictions were horrific in so many ways! I hope this new one makes up for it!
Do you think there will be more crime or hassle after they have had tourism shut down for a year due to covid? I don’t know whether to postpone my trip until next year, let things calm down a bit?
I think it will be a lot quieter tourist wise because everyone is still petrified, and since risk is generally low you’ll be perfectly safe. As for the touts, who can say?
You get hassled in any country where there are famous buildings/monuments. They do the same in Mexico and Chichen Itza. That’s not dangerous.
That is very true.
Such a brilliant, balanced post, well done on this. I can’t stand the absolute double standards of official sources. ‘Yes it is safe but women will still get kidnapped and worse, panic! It is just ridiculous. No wonder everyone doesn’t have a clue.
Thank you! And you are absolutely right.
The section on fear really nailed it. It’s all about fear, not reality. Different people will have vastly different perceptions but that doesn’t change the fact crime is low, risk is low and Egypt is safe. Great post.
Thank you so much!
There was a lot of hassle at Giza tbf and it does spoil it a bit but its nothing more than that. A man put a tea towel hat on my head saying free, free free and then said no I have to pay. He got to see my 100 meter sprint for free
Haha, well it was a gift just for you, right?
I visited Cairo recently and felt so unsafe the people were horrible, just constant staring and hassle and they wouldnt leave me alone, and the police are so corrupt.
I’m sorry you felt that way Nada but that is not the experience of most.
This is really helpful! Thank you❤️
I’m glad you found it useful Shana.
Thank you for your honesty on safety and advising people without hate on my country. Egypt is very safe for people to come. I hope you enjoyed your time here? You are very welcome
Thank you so much Mohammed, I always love my trips to Egypt!
What platform did you use to find the places to sleep in in Egypt?
I didn’t, I walked around, found a few places I liked and booked there and then, at much cheaper rates than any booking site too!
Thank you for honest report about my country’s safety. You are welcome anytime
Thank you Ahmed!