Is Egypt Safe to Visit in 2026? An Honest Local Answer

Is Egypt safe to visit? For most travelers, yes. Egypt welcomed a record of nearly 19 million visitors in 2025 and about 9 million more in the first half of 2026. The pyramids, the Nile temples, Cairo’s old city and the Red Sea resorts are busy every day, flights from North America and Europe are operating normally, and security is visible at every major site. Like anywhere, it pays to know the few areas governments advise against and the everyday things that make a trip smoother. Here’s an honest local answer, with the official sources linked so you can check them yourself.

Planning a trip? Start with our complete Egypt travel guide, our Egypt travel tips and meet our local guides in Egypt.

The short answer

• Is Egypt safe for tourists? Yes, for most travelers. The main tourist areas are busy, well policed and used to visitors.
• Are flights operating? Yes. Cairo and the Red Sea airports are open, with direct flights from New York and across Europe.
• What do governments say? The US rates Egypt Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” the second of four levels. Canada advises “a high degree of caution,” also its second level.
• Where do they advise against travel? Mainly North Sinai, the Libyan border and parts of the remote Western Desert, all far from the main sights.
• What should I watch for? Mostly touts, taxi fares and the summer heat, not danger.

Egypt’s tourism in 2025 and 2026

Egypt had its best year on record in 2025, with nearly 19 million visitors, up about 21% on 2024, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Growth continued in 2026, with about 9 million arrivals in the first half of the year, even as travel elsewhere in the Middle East fell. Millions of travelers a year means hotels, guides, drivers and sites run smoothly, and Egyptians in tourist areas are used to welcoming visitors from all over the world.

Flights to Egypt

Egypt’s airspace is open and its commercial airports are operating, and the US Embassy in Cairo confirmed this in its 2026 security messages. Most international travelers fly into Cairo, and many European holidaymakers fly straight to the Red Sea.

• From North America: EgyptAir flies nonstop between New York (JFK) and Cairo. Many travelers connect through Europe or the Gulf.
• From Europe: British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM and ITA Airways fly to Cairo, along with EgyptAir.
• Via Istanbul and the Gulf: Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad connect Cairo with hundreds of cities worldwide.
• To the Red Sea: many European holiday and low-cost airlines fly direct to Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh and Marsa Alam.

Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea

The places almost every visitor goes are busy and well protected. You’ll see tourist police at major sites, security checks at hotel and museum entrances, and checkpoints on highways. It’s routine, and it’s there to keep visitors safe.

• Cairo and Giza: the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the old city around Khan el-Khalili are crowded with visitors every day. The main challenge is the traffic.
• Luxor and Aswan: the Nile Valley’s temples and tombs, the Nile cruises and the feluccas of Aswan are the heart of most itineraries. See our guide to things to do in Luxor.
• The Red Sea: Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Dahab are resort towns built around diving, snorkeling and beaches, with millions of European visitors a year.
• Sinai’s mountains: the sunrise climb of Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery are in South Sinai and are usually visited with a Bedouin guide.

Egypt also borders Libya, Sudan, Israel and Gaza. Those border areas are closed military zones, far from the places visitors go.

What official travel advice says

Here’s a short summary. Always read your own government’s latest advice before you travel, as it can change.

• United States: Level 2, “Exercise increased caution.” The State Department advises against travel to North and Middle Sinai, parts of the Western Desert and border areas. Read the advisory.
• United Kingdom: the FCDO advises against all travel to North Sinai and within 20 km of the Libyan border, and against all but essential travel to the north of South Sinai (not its coasts), parts of the Western Desert and the Bahariya–Siwa road. Its Western Desert advice excludes Luxor, Aswan, Siwa and the Faiyum. Read the advice.
• Canada: “Exercise a high degree of caution,” with advice against travel to North Sinai, near the Libyan border and much of the Western Desert. Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba are excluded from its South Sinai advice. Read the advice.

Planning a trip deep into the desert, like Siwa or the White Desert? That’s where the advice differs most between countries, so check yours first and travel with a licensed local operator. Travel insurance may not cover travel against your government’s advice.

Practical tips for a smooth trip

• Buy tickets at official offices or online. At the pyramids and big sites, ignore anyone offering “help” with tickets, and agree on prices for camel and horse rides before you get on.
• Use ride-hailing apps in Cairo. Apps like Uber are widely used and show the fare up front. If you take a street taxi, agree on the fare first.
• Cross roads carefully. Traffic in Cairo is heavy and fast. Cross with locals, slowly and steadily.
• Carry small cash. Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life, for bathroom attendants, guards and drivers.
• Drink bottled or filtered water, and wash fruit before eating it.
• Respect the heat. In summer, visit sites early in the morning and carry water. See our Egypt travel tips for more.
• Dress modestly in mosques, churches and traditional neighborhoods, covering shoulders and knees.
• Save the emergency numbers: tourist police 126, ambulance 123, police 122.

Is Egypt safe for women and solo travelers?

Many women and solo travelers visit Egypt every year and have a great time. The most common issue is unwanted attention, such as comments or persistent sellers, rather than danger. Dressing modestly, sitting in the back seat of taxis and ride-hailing cars, ignoring touts with a firm “la, shukran” (no, thank you) and joining tours with a trusted local guide all help. Traveling with a local guide is also the easiest way to see the real Egypt without the hassle.

Travel with a local guide

Seeing Egypt with someone who lives there takes the stress out of tickets, transport and touts. A few experiences with Simsem’s hosts:

Find a local guide: meet our local guides in Egypt.

Is Egypt safe? FAQ