Egypt Solo Female Travel: What You Need to Know

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Everything you need to know to be prepared for solo female travel in Egypt – including safety tips and travel advice.

Egypt can be a little trickier to travel than many other countries- especially if you’re going alone. But it’s also a warm, fascinating, and incredible country with so much to discover, and it should definitely be on every traveller’s list.

Cairo in particular was overwhelming and chaotic – but wonderful. And despite seeing a thousand photos (and climbing them in Assassins Creed!), nothing prepared me for the magic of seeing the pyramids in real life.

I know that travelling to Egypt solo can seem daunting. I’ve been travelling the world solo for over a decade, but I was still nervous before visiting Egypt for the first time this year.

Below, you’ll find all my travel tips for solo female travellers visiting Egypt for the first time. Use the contents menu below to skip to the sections you need – and feel free to ask questions in the comments.

Is Egypt Safe for Sole Female Travellers?

The short answer is YES: overall, Egypt is safe for solo female travellers. However, there are a few things to be aware of, which I’ll outline below.

No matter which country you’re visiting, my advice to all solo female travellers is to remain vigilant, practice common sense, and avoid dangerous situations. I’ve included some more specific Egypt solo travel tips later in this article to help out.

Crime and Terrorism

Egypt’s crime rate is generally moderate, but crime still occurs. Scams and pickpocketing are the most common crimes against tourists, but there have also been reports of armed robberies, muggings, sexual assaults, and break-ins. Remember that these are the exception, not the norm: most travellers to Egypt don’t experience any problems.

READ MORE: Tips to Avoid Being Robbed While Travelling

Since the Arab Spring in 2011, there has been significant political turmoil in Egypt. Protests and demonstrations occur across the country and have become violent on occasion. Avoid any demonstrations and marches.

As of October 2024, the UK government’s Foreign Travel Advice website states “Terrorism is a risk across Egypt, particularly in North Sinai.” It’s worth noting, however, that they say the same thing about the USA, and that there is “a high threat of terrorist attack globally”.

In Egypt, there have been instances of terrorist attacks in recent years, and the authorities have increased security measures at tourist sites and important travel checkpoints. Always check the latest situation via your local government before you travel.

There are some areas in Egypt where the FCDO advises against all or “all but essential” travel. However, these are very remote areas such as the Egypt-Libya border, where tourists are highly unlikely to travel. Click here for more details.

Hassle and Harassment

One of the major problems with travelling solo in Egypt that I experienced was hassle from vendors (and occasionally from men) – many of whom simply wouldn’t leave me alone no matter how many times I said no.

This was particularly rife in Giza, around the pyramids, since there are so many tourists visiting. We must seem like “easy prey” to people selling souvenirs!

People followed me for up to twenty minutes trying to get me to buy something. There were a few men who did the same trying to get me to choose them as my “Egyptian boyfriend”!

Most of the time, these conversations were lighthearted – but the relentless selling/following/pestering did feel aggressive at times. I found that the best tactic to deal with this was to simply ignore them and keep walking. It felt rude, but I felt better after my local guide assured me it’s not.

Top Tip: If you want to visit a bazaar or market like Old Cairo Bazaar, it might be worth booking a tour. A guide can help you avoid harassment from vendors – and help you haggle for a better price!

Unwanted attention

As a solo female traveller, unwanted attention from men was an occasional problem. Thankfully, this was also pretty lighthearted most of the time – but I know that harassment can be an issue. Avoid going to bars solo or walking alone at night: Uber from door to door is the best option after dark.

There have been a number of sexual assaults reported to the British Embassy, most commonly in the touristy Red Sea region and often committed by someone the victim had already met.

When I was in Sharm el Sheikh, a few guys messaged me on Instagram trying to get me to meet up with them. I strongly recommend that you say no to anyone who does this. Some more tips:

• Avoid sharing your live location on social media: post your Instagram stories at the end of the day.
• Don’t meet up with anyone you don’t know.
• Don’t allow hotel staff to enter your room while you’re alone.
• Avoid travelling in taxis alone. Use Uber or turn on location sharing via WhatsApp if you’re ever concerned.
• Use reputable providers for tours and excursions.
  • Check reviews before booking. Get Your Guide are my favourite place to find tours because the reviews are verified – look for tours that have high ratings from over 100 reviewers.

Health and Hygiene

Beware the “Pharoe’s Revenge” – aka “traveller’s diarrhoea“. This is by no means specific to Egypt, but the country has a reputation amongst travellers as a place where getting hit with a tummy bug is common.

The main tip is to avoid drinking tap water. Use bottled water to brush your teeth, avoid locally made ice cubes (most places use safe, store-bought ice), and steer clear of sliced fruit and salad leaves that might have been washed in tap water.

Top Tip: My Water-to-Go filter bottle was my BEST FRIEND on this trip – check out my review for a 15% discount.

The NHS recommend that you have a Poliomyelitis and Tetanus vaccination for travel to Egypt. If you live in the UK you’ve probably already had these, but make an appointment with your GP if you’re not sure.

What to Wear

I recommend loose-fitting, comfortable clothing: dress in light layers to protect against the sun.

If you want to avoid attracting unwanted attention, stick to long dresses/skirts and trousers and avoid things like hot pants, cropped tops and very low necklines. Although a woman’s choice of clothing should never be an excuse for poor behaviour, the fact is that in some parts of the world, certain clothing choices can attract the wrong kind of attention.

I mainly wore maxi dresses and wide-leg cropped trousers, with sleeves that covered my shoulders (mostly for protection from the sun). If I wore a vest, I teamed it with a loose shirt or kept a scarf over my shoulders.

Comfy shoes are a must for sightseeing, especially at the ancient sites. The ground is uneven and often sandy – and you’ll be doing a lot of walking. Closed-toe, comfortable trainers or walking shoes are your best bet. In cities, I wore my Converse trainers – in Sharm el Sheikh, flip flops and sandals were fine.

Top Tip: Cross-body bags are usually the safest option. Consider an anti-theft bag made with slash-proof materials – like the ones from Travelon.

Tips for Solo Female Travel in Egypt

Get a Local SIM or eSIM

Get a local pre-paid SIM card or an eSIM so you can stay online while you’re in Egypt (handy for online maps, translations, ordering Ubers, etc).

The main providers in Egypt are Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat and WE. You can buy a pre-paid SIM at most airports, including Cairo and Hurghada. Orange’s Holidays plan starts from 200 EGP (roughly £3 / $4).

Personally, I prefer eSIMs: you can download them to your phone so there’s no need to change SIM cards over. They’re usually a bit more expensive, but you can set it up before you arrive in Egypt and then activate the sim as soon as you land – so you can get online straight away without any faff!

Airalo: From £5.50 / $7 (1GB, 7 days). Use code EMILY9237 to get £2.50 off your first purchase.
Nomad: From £4.50 / $6 (1GB, 7 days). Use code EMIL96SV to get 25% off your first purchase.

Learn the local emergency numbers

Memorise or save these in your phone, in case of an emergency.

Tourist Police: 126
Police: 122
Ambulance: 123

Have good travel insurance

I cannot stress enough the importance of travel insurance. If you encounter an issue – whether it’s a cancelled flight (pretty common with Egypt’s internal airlines) or a medical emergency – you want that covered.

I recommend Safety Wing Travel Insurance – they have policies specifically for long-term travellers, digital nomads, and backpackers, and offer good cover for more adventurous types of travel.

Avoid travelling at night

Avoid taking public transport at night or walking alone in city/town centres after dark. If you do travel at night, for example on an overnight bus, take extra care with your belongings and avoid being the last person left on board.

More safety tips for female travellers

• Avoid sharing your live location on social media: post your Instagram stories at the end of the day.
• Don’t meet up with anyone you don’t know.
• Don’t allow hotel staff to enter your room while you’re alone.
• Avoid travelling in taxis alone. Use Uber or turn on location sharing via WhatsApp if you’re ever concerned.
• Use reputable providers for tours and excursions.

READ MORE: How to Protect Your Valuables while Travelling

Use Uber to get around – especially in Cairo

The public transport system in Cairo is pretty decent and very cheap – but even as a seasoned solo traveller, I found it a little overwhelming. Uber is actually incredibly affordable and made it so much easier to navigate the city.

You should avoid taking taxis alone, especially at night – Uber is a much safer option thanks to its built-in safety features and location tracking.

Top Tip: Set up Uber’s Safety features in advance. You can set up a PIN verification, switch on safety check-ins, and add a trusted contact with whom you can quickly share your location and trip status if you’re concerned.

Don’t stay in the Giza area of Cairo

It was great waking up to a view of the pyramids, but the neighbourhood felt a little sketchy at night. A few people I’ve spoken to have said the same.

I don’t think Giza is particularly dangerous – but it felt a little more run-down than other parts of Cairo. It’s also a very touristy area, so all the locals I encountered here seemed to be trying to sell me something – often pretty aggressively.

I actually spend a few nights in Giza without any incidents (other than a guy hitting on me in an unpleasantly “not-taking-no-for-an-answer” sort of way). But if you’re new to solo travel or feeling nervous, I think you might find the neighbourhood a little overwhelming.

Book tours – especially for the pyramids and other ancient sites

Usually, I’m a big fan of exploring on my own. That’s what I did throughout most of my trip – and I had a great time discovering the country. However, if you’re nervous about visiting Egypt as a solo female traveller, booking a few tours can make exploring easier.

It’s a lot smoother to get around with a guide and a driver, so you’ll likely see more – and have a better understanding of what you’re looking at. Plus, a guide is usually happy to take photos of you (I have dozens of silly poses with the Sphinx!)

Having a guide was also great because the vendors at tourist sites left me alone. When they wouldn’t, my guide always stepped in!

Check reviews and make sure you’re booking a tour company with a good reputation – you want a guide who actually knows their stuff. Get Your Guide has a few female-guided tours in Egypt – these were brilliant and I would highly recommend booking one if you’re visiting Egypt as a solo female traveller:

Remember: it’s not rude to be a bit rude!

I found the best way to cope with unwanted interactions (usually men) and pushy salespeople was to say “no thanks” once and then just stay silent.

A lot of vendors like to ask questions like “where are you from”, and once you’ve engaged, they tend not to stop! My instinct was to answer just to be polite – but it felt like as soon as I engaged even in the slightest, they wouldn’t leave me alone until I bought something. See the above section on “Hassle and Harassment” for more info.

It went against all of my British politeness to ignore and keep walking, but it was the easiest way to avoid being aggressively sold to!

Book in some downtime

Travel in Egypt can be stressful and overwhelming at times – whilst still being a lot of fun. If you have time, I’d recommend booking a couple of days at a nice hotel or resort for some chill time. I loved my stay at Domina Coral Bay in Sharm el Sheikh.

Don’t be scared 💕

Even as a seasoned solo traveller, I was nervous about heading to Egypt alone… but I loved it.

Most of the people I met were so warm and friendly. Tourism has still nowhere near recovered since Covid and a lot of people I interacted with, especially in tourist businesses, were delighted to welcome me to their country. And it really is a beautiful country – full of history, myth, and wonder.

So please don’t let the above warnings put you off. I honestly believe that as long as you make sensible choices, take the right precautions and use your common sense, you should be perfectly safe travelling solo in Egypt.

Quick Summary: Egypt Solo Female Travel

• Get a local pre-paid SIM or eSIM (use my referral codes above for a discount)
• Learn the local emergency numbers
• Have good travel insurance
• Use Uber to get around – especially at night – and wait inside until the car arrives.
• Don’t stay in Giza
• Book tours for the major attractions (look out for tours with female guides)
• Don’t engage with vendors just to be polite. It’s not rude to walk away!

As I’ve said above: don’t let the warnings make you too nervous or put you off visiting Egypt. This is a beautiful country with so much fascinating history to uncover – not to mention delicious food, a unique culture, and gorgeous landscapes.

Travelling in Egypt can be trickier than other countries. The city centres are chaotic, the public transport is sometimes problematic (I had several trains cancelled), and the vendors at tourist sights are often more than a little over-zealous.

But on the whole, Egypt is safe for solo female travellers – as long as you use common sense, stay vigilant, take care, and avoid dangerous situations!

Got a question about solo female travel in Egypt? Scroll down to leave a comment and I’ll try to help!