Did I Feel Safe in Egypt?: The Revealing Truth

May 10, 2022 by jordangassner

Did I Feel Safe in Egypt?:

The Revealing Truth

I won’t lie, I went back and forth on sharing my thoughts on safety in Egypt. Maybe it’s the Enneagram 6 in me, but putting pen-to-paper sort of felt like I had stepped into the spotlight on a grand debate stage, with a crowd anxiously awaiting my thoughts on a subject that I had just barely scratched the surface of. Pretty terrifying stuff.

Travel Blogger Jordan Gassner wearing a white button down shirt and army green midi skirt inside the Ancient Egyptian Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Solo Female Traveler with brown hair wearing a burgundy shirt dress and holding a cream scarf while looking over her shoulder and smiling outside the Alabaster Mosque in Cairo, Egypt

Travel Blogger Jordan Gassner wearing a green dress and cream scarf smiling with her eyes closed and catching the rays of the sun shining into the Hypostyle Hall of Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor, Egypt

So, I first need to preface this post by saying – please do not take what I have to say here as the literal truth. I’m by no means an expert and as with most things in life, safety in Egypt is a bit complicated.

What I can and will share though are answers to questions I’ve received since my trip, in terms of how they relate to my own personal experience in visiting the country as a solo female traveler. My hope in sharing is not to convince you to travel to Egypt one-way-or-another, but to provide some extra clarity in your decision-making journey.

egypt: the revealing truth

Did I Feel Safe?

Short answer: yes. I didn’t see any violence, I had nothing stolen and I didn’t experience any harassment as a woman traveling alone. I also visited Egypt post COVID-19 and found that many Egyptians were still observing all the health & safety protocols outlined by the W.H.O. (mask wearing, social distancing, etc.).

Solo Female Traveler wearing a white bikini in the turquoise waters at the Red Sea, Egypt — Similar to how the Red Sea is actually blue, I found that Egypt is not necessarily synonymous with danger.

Longer answer: Yes, and I had a safe visit because I researched and prepared for months leading up to this trip. I booked a guide through a reputable company (more on that below), followed my usual Solo Travel Safety Tips, and even took a few extra precautions to avoid being seen as disrespectful or as a naïve foreigner. If you’re interested in learning more about that, I compiled my Tips for Traveling Egypt on the blog.

All this to say, could something dangerous still have happened that I wasn’t prepared for? Of course. No matter the destination or the means, traveling will always come with risks, but at least for me, I found a way to travel the country that I was happy with and that provided me with a safe and comfortable journey.

egypt: the revealing truth

Did Anything Shock Me?

Despite prior research, I still didn’t completely have a grasp on how extensive security would be when I arrived, so in a sense, yes. That shocked me. I was so jetlagged and confused when I got to my first hotel, fresh off the plane. It was almost 2AM, and the hotel was completely blocked off by a closed gate and a guard booth. I remember thinking, “Oh no. It’s closed for the night! Now where am I going to stay?”.

A few other standard security protocols I saw?

Frequent roadside checkpoints and police or military presence at all major sights. I’m not sure if these made me feel any more or less safe (out of sight, out of mind, right?), but it was at least reassuring to see that the government was taking the safety of tourists seriously.

Travel Blogger Jordan Gassner wearing an explorer outfit and holding a blue scarf flowing in the wind in front of the Sphinx and Giza Pyramids in Egypt — Exploring the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx

egypt: the revealing truth

Were There Bumps In The Road?

Solo Female Traveler Staring out a car window at the Pyramids of Giza - safe in Egypt — Arriving by car to the pyramids

The most crazy thing that actually happened to me in Egypt was when the police at Karnak initially denied my tour guide and I entry because we were with two photographers and they insisted we were there for a “commercial shoot” (we weren’t) and needed a permit to enter (we didn’t). After some back and forth and a few phone calls later, they ultimately did allow us in, but closely followed us around the complex, monitoring our every move.

egypt: the revealing truth

Would I Travel Back?

I would 100% return to Egypt for another solo trip if given the chance. Egyptians really are some of the most friendly people I’ve ever met. They’re incredibly proud of their country and want the world to see it with the same passion that they do.

But would I feel comfortable traveling without a tour operator in the future? If I was only traveling to a Red Sea resort town, then yes. And that’s something I actually did on this trip! But to be honest, traveling completely alone anywhere else without a guide is not something that I’m ready for. In my experience as a foreign female tourist, the country’s security measures are a bit too difficult for me to navigate. I wouldn’t feel comfortable without a licensed operator to guide me through.

If you’d like to see more of my Tips and Recommendations for traveling through Egypt, please check out some of my related posts below and make sure to follow along on Instagram so you never miss an update!

Dress Twirl near Pyramids at the Marriott Mena House in Cairo, Egypt — The view of the Giza Pyramids at the Marriott Mena House.