Go with a plan.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Egypt
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Closed attraction ruse
Taxi drivers claim your destination is closed to steer you toward a paid tour. Use Uber or Careem to avoid this.
Unsolicited street help
Strangers offer to help you cross the street or guide you to a location. Do not talk to people who approach you on the street.
Shop lure
Individuals attempt to lead you to a shop by promising it is just around the corner. Avoid following anyone who tries to push or guide you anywhere.
Mosque access scam
A guide offers to show you a mosque, charging a fee for access. The guide keeps the majority of the money after paying a small tip to the guardian.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Public speech restrictions
Publicizing strongly worded opinions about the government in public or on social media is illegal. Foreigners are subject to prosecution for this.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rabies, Typhoid
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
Visitors to Egypt must obtain a visa from one of the Egyptian diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries that are eligible for visa on arrival.
Passport validity required: 6 months beyond entry.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Egypt. Terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate including in places visited by foreign nationals. Stay aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities. Be vigilant in crowds and large gatherings. Targets might include: Egyptian security forces religious sites large public gatherings places visited by foreign nationals The authorities in Egypt have a significant security presence across the country. Extra measures are in place at tourist sites. Examples of recent attacks include: In 2024, one Israeli-Canadian national was killed in a shooting attack in Alexandria In 2023, 2 Israeli tourists and an Egyptian tour guide were killed in a shooting attack in Alexandria In 2022, 4 police officers and one insurgent killed in an attack on a police checkpoint in Ismailiya City
Source: UK FCDO →Real, not invented
Cultural & legal notes
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is not explicitly criminalised in Egypt. However, the Egyptian authorities have prosecuted LGBT+ people under ‘debauchery’ laws, including people flying rainbow flags at public events. There is little public acceptance of same-sex relationships in Egypt. Same-sex couples showing affection in public are likely to receive negative attention. Be cautious about sharing content or having discussions of a sexual nature on social media, especially about sexual acts that are considered illegal. Some travellers have been arrested and imprisoned for this. You may be denied entry if your gender expression or physical appearance does not match the sex marker in your passport or your passport photograph. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Egypt is often labelled as an unsafe country by many foreign governments — a reputation that's not entirely unwarranted — but the average traveller should not be too overly concerned or cautious of their surroundings.
- •Travelling in Egypt is, more or less, similar to travelling in Morocco, Jordan, Palestine or Turkey.
- •Perhaps the biggest safety concern is terrorism. The Sinai Peninsula in particular is a hotspot for terrorist activity.
- •Female travellers: Egyptian men will make compliments to women; do not take offence if they do this to you.
- •Be warned that foreign women often attract the attention of Egyptian men.
- •Some men may inappropriately touch you.
Staying healthy
- •Healthcare: Some of the hospitals in Egypt's major cities and tourist areas are of international standard.
- •Doctors in private hospitals in Egypt have often studied abroad.
- •Most public hospitals do not accept foreign insurance documents as a guarantee of payment and require cash payment.
- •Private medical care is available, particularly in Cairo (Anglo American Hospital Zamalek, As Salam International Hospital Maadi, Dar Al Fouad Hospital Sheik Zayed and Saudi-German Hospital Heliopolis) and Alexandria (German Hospital).
- •In tourist resorts such as El Gouna and Hurghada, some hotels cooperate with doctors. The hotel can then order a doctor.
- •The emergency number of the Egyptian ambulance is 123.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
- Protest and Democracy : Why Restraint , Truth and Responsibility Matter2026-08-10
- Neighbors knew him as a quiet pensioner . US says he financed Hamas2026-08-10
- Europe faces rising Islamist terrorism arrests across Germany , united kingdom and Spain2026-08-08
- Regional diplomacy , domestic turmoil2026-08-07
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers report that Egypt is not physically dangerous regarding violent crime, and solo women can walk in Cairo at night without feeling threatened. The primary challenges are not safety risks but constant, exhausting psychological battles involving aggressive touts, persistent scammers, and service providers who ignore boundaries to force unwanted detours or purchases. Misinformation is used as a tool to redirect tourists into shops, and harassment is common. Success in Egypt requires being assertive, using fixed-price services like Uber, and minimizing negotiations by sticking to a pre-planned itinerary. While the country is not a starter destination, patience and firm boundary-setting mitigate the daily hassle of constant, unsolicited persuasion.
“I never felt physically unsafe in Egypt. I never felt threatened or in danger because of what's going on in the nearby region. As a woman, I walked around Cairo at night by myself and was fine.
— r/travel
“What wore me down most wasn't being scammed. It was how often simple requests turned into discussions. I found myself repeatedly having to reinforce decisions that I thought had already been made.
— r/travel
“To sum up Egypt: Egypt rewards people who minimize negotiations wherever possible. The less time spent debating terms, the happier you'll be.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 220V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 or 122 / ambulance: 123 / fire: 180
Tipping
Egyptians do not tip at restaurants, nor do restaurant owners expect them, though at fancier restaurants a service charge may be added to your bill. Many restaurants in touristy areas will inflate prices for foreigners anyway, and you probably won't even know it unless you notice a printed price or another customer being charged a different price for the same thing.
Cash vs. Card
Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards are accepted at many frequented places, but only bigger hotels or restaurants in Cairo and restaurants in tourist areas will readily accept American Express and Diners Club cards as payment. Traveller's cheques can no longer be used.
Zoom in
2 Egypt cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09