Is Cairo Safe? Get All the Safety Tips that You Need to Know About Travel in 2024
I traveled to Jordan by myself in 2023 so by the time I went to Egypt in 2024, I did a ton of research in terms of traveling safely to the Middle East, especially alone! I made sure to do a ton of research of safety travel tips for Cairo. So you ask: Is Cairo Safe?
Cairo is as safe as any other major cities you travel to – places like New York City or Rio de Janeiro or LA! Densely populated, you want to use your common sense in major cities.
Is Cairo Safe?
YES! You can travel there as a tourist and be perfectly safe! Americans may be worried about heading to Egypt due to the conflicts in the Middle East which is understandable. However, if you check the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory for Egypt, it advises only against visiting certain areas but it is not in Cairo.
The State department alerts have actually been up for many years so they are not new advisories. As a tourist, you are probably only traveling to Cairo and other tourist areas of Egypt so you are perfectly safe.
That being said, the thing to watch out for in Cairo — and all of Egypt — is the aggressive street vendors. They will approach you every 15 seconds no matter where you are walking and they will be asking you to buy something. And they don’t let you off easily. Some will even follow you for a little bit.
I didn’t feel unsafe, but I felt like you can’t enjoy a nice stroll without being approached every few seconds. I would recommend going to Cairo with a tour guide or a tour group due to the constant harassment by street vendors.
Is Cairo Safe at Night?
Cairo has 9.5 million people so it is a huge urban city so I would treat it like any other city you visit. The vendors love to approach tourists and they are aggressive so it’s probably worse at night time. I would not go out at night alone unless you are with a group of people in terms of just getting approached by people who are trying to haggle you.
Is Cairo Safe for Female Tourists?
Yes, but I would probably not wander the streets alone due to the aggressive approach of vendors. I would treat the city like any big city in terms of walking around with money and not carry large amounts of cash. The vendors are always approaching you – you probably would not walk more than 20 feet without someone asking you for money. Even children.
Is It Safe to Visit the Pyramids?
Absolutely! I went there with my tour group first thing in the morning at 8am and it was very quiet! All the other tourists were not there yet and there was very little street vendor harassment. It is definitely a Wonder of the World not to be missed! It is only 20 minutes or less from the city of Cairo. You can even pay a small fee to go inside the Pyramids!
Safety Tips For Cairo
As a solo female traveler, I recommend booking a tour group to take you around Egypt. First of all, you need someone to translate the language with the locals. Second, safety wise from the pushy street vendors, it will help having other people there with you. They may be a little less pushy also with a local tour guide with you.
#1: Get on a Tour Group!
The biggest thing I’d recommend to guarantee your safety for Cairo is get on a tour group! Unless you know Arabic, not knowing the language can make you an easier target for scams. You are much less likely to get taken advantage of on a tour group.
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#2: Carry Very Little Cash
As mentioned, the biggest issue for tourists in Cairo and all of Egypt is the aggressive street vendors. If you carry very little cash, it is much easier to just say, hey, I don’t have anything of value and walk away. Also, for any pickpocket that could happen, best to only carry very little cash around.
#3: Get to the Pyramids Early in the Day
The Pyramids are the reason people even go to Cairo so expect it to be a zoo if you go later in the day! Our group went at 8am and we had barely any other tourists there until we were about to leave! It was wonderful as we got to take a lot of photos without tour buses and tourists in the background.
#4: Don’t Drive
I’ve never been as scared to be in a car as I’ve been in Cairo. It is a free-for-all with seemingly no traffic patterns. No one obeys the lane lines and people honk to let others know they are there. Cars honking at each other seems to be their own language of communication but not in an aggressive way – believe it or not!
#5: Watch Where You walk: Traffic Patterns Are Not What You Think
Since the cars are a free-for-all, be careful how you walk in Cairo!! There are no traffic patterns and cars do what they want. Don’t think cars stay in lanes the way you are used to in the U.S. Look both ways before walking anywhere and don’t expect traffic patterns to be the same in Cairo!
#6: Be Aware of Scams
Some scams can include being ripped off with pricing as an American so it helps to have a local guide to tell you what is a reasonable price to pay. It is EXTREMELY common to overpay for something, as nothing has a set price in Egypt. It’s all about haggling!
When my cousin and I were at the pyramids, a man came up to us showing us some sort of ID as if he is a legit tour guide but since we couldn’t read Arabic we didn’t know what his ID meant. We also already had our OWN tour guide. That being said, he was acting like a guide and trying to get us to follow him to go in another direction to get inside the Pyramids.
We were extremely confused because we couldn’t tell if he worked for the Pyramids and was just trying to show us the entrance. After a few minutes, we realized he was probably a scam trying to get us to go somewhere else to sell us something. Be aware of anyone asking you to follow him – even if they seem “legit” and seemingly part of the tourist site.
#7: Everything and Every Action Has a Price
First of all, you will need cash to pay for toilets and also toilet paper. I would recommend carrying a roll of toilet paper with you. Every single tourist attraction will require you to pay cash for restrooms. They don’t take cards or Venmo – only cash!
If anyone OFFERS you to take pictures for you, they will ask you to pay for it after. Say you and your friends are standing in front of a monument – doesn’t matter which one- and a security guard comes up and says he’ll take it for you. He will do a great job but ask you for money after. He will be upset if you don’t give him money.
Every tourist attraction I went to will have someone who works at the tourist attraction come up to you and offer to take photos for you. You are expected to pay them after.
I will say that for the tourist attractions, the people who work there actually take really awesome pictures, or will show you cool views you didn’t realize you could see and get them in the background.
Safe Places To Stay In Cairo
It may seem overwhelming to find a safe place to stay, but here are some safe options of hotels to stay at in Cairo! I personally thought the hotels were great price for the value.
📍Budget Option: Comfort Giza Inn View
Location, location! This hotel is known for its proximity to the Pyramids- it is literally right across the street! They provide free airport pick-up upon arrival.
📍Mid-Range Option: Cosmopolitan Hotel
My favorite part of Cosmopolitan Hotel was the food! There was a restaurant in the lobby open 24/7 and nothing spectacular to look at at first, but the food itself was incredibly flavorful. I had the best salad I may have ever had in my life in that restaurant! Their breakfast buffet was also quite the spread, with an amazing eggplant dip.
The regular rooms are small but the suites are actually quite big with a living room! The beds were comfortable and you can call for room service. The rooms had air conditioning and good WiFi. It was a 2 minute walk to the local stores nearby as you are pretty much right in the city.
📍Luxury Option: The St. Regis Cairo
This place is amazing and full of amenities – it’s got 3 swimming pools, fitness centers, 5 restaurants, hot tub, concierge service, free bikes, sauna and evening entertainment!
Getting Around Safely
The biggest safety factor in Cairo is actually the street traffic. I would highly recommend NOT renting a car. The traffic patterns and driving styles of Cairo drivers are unlike anywhere I’ve seen in the world. It would be extremely easy to get into a car accident unless you were a local.
I would recommend taking Ubers around or hiring a tour guide who can take you around in a private van. At one point our group all pitched in money to hire a private van to take us to the Valley of the Queens!
Ubers are really easy to get and you know your price before you get into the car. With regular taxis in Egypt, you risk the chance of having to haggle the price of the taxi. In Egypt, most things don’t have a fixed price. Vendors and businesses can decide whatever price they want and rip off foreigners who don’t know any better!
Here is a great day tour I’d recommend that will take you around the main attractions of Cairo plus lunch! Then all your transportation is provided including a camel ride at the Pyramids.
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FAQs
Is it safe to walk in Cairo?
You can walk around Cairo safely on the sidewalks, but I would just be careful crossing streets since people are the most aggressive driver’s I’ve ever seen- and I’ve driven in LA, Manhattan and Boston! I would not recommend as a female solo traveler to walk around alone at night. There is too much harassment from street vendors.
Is Cairo safe for American tourists?
Absolutely! The most difficult part will be street vendors and even young children begging American tourists for money.
Is Cairo a peaceful place?
Absolutely. It was like any major city I’ve ever been to, bustling and busy with shops and people. Use your common sense and judgment just like any major cities you’ve been to.
Visit the Department of Tourism services for additional news updates about Cairo.
Summary
I got to finally tick off one of my life-long bucket list items: seeing the Pyramids! It is definitely worth visiting since it is the original Wonder of the World. Cairo has great food but in terms of the city itself, it is difficult to overlook the constant vendor harassment to buy something. They also target anyone who looks like a tourist so if you can find yourself a local to go with, you’ll get potentially less harassment. That being said, you are perfectly safe to travel there as a tourist. Have fun!
If you are looking at visiting other attractions to visit in Cairo, check out my post about Is Egyptian Museum Worth Visiting?