Many tourists wonder if it is safe to travel to Egypt. And the answer is ‘Yes’, although this does not mean that you should lower your guard or forget some general problems on which it is not always easy to act, at least in the short term. Therefore, on this page we give you the keys to some undesirable situations, such as thefts, scams, terrorism or the safety of women.
In relation to whether or not it is safe to travel to Egypt it is worth addressing crime in the first place. There are different measures, some governmental and others prepared by consultants. If we look at the statistics of Numbeo, one of the reference websites for comparing different aspects between countries (quality of life, purchasing power of the population, etc.), we discover that Egypt’s crime rate stands at around 46 points, which is equivalent to the rating of ‘Moderate Risk’.
Does that mean it is safe to travel to Egypt? Yes, especially if we compare it with other countries with a great tourist tradition. For example, those that usually occupy the ‘Top 5’ in terms of number of visitors per year:
And the fact is that stealing is not only considered one of the worst offenses in Islam, but carrying it out against foreign travelers is frowned upon in Egypt. And this is so from a cultural point of view, due to the traditional Arab hospitality, and also from a practical point of view, as tourism is a source of economic wealth that should be taken care of.
Therefore, workers in the tourism sector treat travelers in a very polite manner. And a reasonable amount of trust can be placed in them, since in a country where employment is a precious commodity, nobody wants to risk losing it for an action that exposes them.
In any case, nobody is safe from having money stolen in different situations, for example, in a hotel, although it is not at all common. Therefore, it is advisable to carry your passport, wallet and cash in a safe place, always on you. Precautions should also be taken in places with a high influx of people.
More common is the risk of being deceived by means of a scam, an act that sometimes borders the line between mischief and crime. One place where you should be ‘on the lookout’ is in taxis, since some of them have not yet installed updated taximeters or are ‘coincidentally’ broken.
In the case of antique and handicraft stores, you will have to show off your ‘clinical eye’ to distinguish whether it is an original piece or an imitation, often imported from China. In any case, we recommend that you do not try to export cultural and ancient goods from the country, not only because it contravenes UNESCO conventions on the fight against this type of trafficking, but also because it can carry a sanction.
In shops and other establishments, you can find two types of prices: one for Egyptians and another for foreign tourists. There will be no choice but to accept it, but at least make sure it is clearly specified.
It must be recognized that the decade of the 2010s has not been the most stable in the history of Egypt. The Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the changes of government and some tourist attacks hit the country and shocked international public opinion.
However, all this served to redouble the protection measures for tourists in the country. And the institutions have worked hard to make tourists feel that it is safe to travel to Egypt. In this sense, you will notice a great deployment of resources and personnel in the main tourist places, with the intention of offering a climate of trust and establishing preventive controls. In addition, progress has also been made in national security strategies, with the advice and supervision of international specialists in the field.
For women it is also safe to travel to Egypt, which does not mean that it is comfortable in all cases. In a society with very deep-rooted traditions, it is difficult for many citizens to understand that women travel alone. If this is your case, you must be prepared for personal questions: in most cases it may be a harmless way to start a conversation, but in other cases it may seem more like an embarrassing interrogation.
The same will happen with the straightforward looks and the string of compliments to which you may be subjected. And that should not go beyond that. To do this, it is advisable to avoid crowds where there may be an excess of ‘testosterone’. Similarly, try not to enter the ‘personal space’ of another man in public and private places, as you would be creating the conditions conducive to touching.
As an example, in the Cairo Metro, all trains have a car for the exclusive use of women. And not with a segregating intention, since in fact they can get on any other mixed car. This is a measure to avoid sexual harassment that, unfortunately, was quite common in the past.
And we speak in the past because it must also be recognized that, for women, it is now more safe to travel to Egypt than before. In recent years, laws and active initiatives have been promoted to eradicate machismo from Egyptian society, such as the classification of sexual harassment as a crime.
In any case, there is another thing that is also safe: traveling to Egypt with our agency will prevent you from exposing yourself to unnecessary risks, whether you are a group of women or not. We know all the corners of the country well and we understand both the local population and foreign tourists, so we will know how to act with ‘kid gloves’ to prevent undesirable situations.
Contact us and start planning a fascinating, enriching and, above all, safe experience.