Want to know what I hate? People telling me not to visit certain countries just because I’m female. That was something that happened a lot when I decided to travel to Cairo without a male companion and just a girlfriend for company. ‘Is Egypt safe to travel for girls?’ was the question on everyone’s lips.
It’s something us girls who travel have to put up with constantly; these incessant warnings to be careful because there are bad men in the world. It frustrates me because why should we be the ones to alter our behaviour? Why not preach to the bad men instead?
I was determined to write a post when I returned about how safe Egypt is for female travellers. Unfortunately, I can’t write that post. We experienced a sexual assault in Cairo, in a busy area where we expected to feel safe.
Read on for further details about visiting Cairo from a female perspective.
Is Egypt safe to visit?
The following information applies to all travellers. This post was last updated June 2020. I visited a few years before this, so things may have changed.
Currently, Egypt is considered a high-risk location for terrorist attacks, particularly for Brits and people attending religious celebrations. Most attacks occur in North Sinai. Get the most up to date information about Egypt travel on the GOV.UK site.
Airport security in Cairo is very tight. Your bag is scanned before you enter the airport then checked numerous times while you’re inside Departures.
The security at our hotel also checked under our taxi before they let us in to the property – I believe they were checking for car bombs. Most of the attractions we visited in Cairo also had rigorous security measures in place.
We saw a few army tanks and a lot of rubble en route to some of the tourist spots, which was scary.
We decided we didn’t feel it was completely safe to walk around Cairo at night without our guide, but we did eat out after dark in his company.
I’m not sure I would have been comfortable venturing out alone at night in Cairo had he not been there. Then again, this rule applies in most of the cities I visit. As a female, or even just a person in an unfamiliar place, it’s best to avoid the darker hours.
Is Cairo safe to travel for women?
Until I visited Cairo with my friend Hayleye, being a woman had never really been an issue during my travels. Egypt was the first country (out of 30 so far) where I’ve ever felt truly unsafe because of my gender.
It may have been incredibly naive of me and highlights just how privileged I am (can I call it a privilege to have grown up expecting men to respect me? That makes me sad) but I honestly didn’t expect to feel so uncomfortable in Cairo as a female traveller.
Hayleye and I wish we had understood more about travelling as females in Egypt before we went. Nothing can prepare you for sexual assault, but our experience on our second day shook us horribly.
This is just two girls’ experience and I’m not saying this will happen to you if you go to Cairo, or that it should stop you from going. The world is ours to explore and we shouldn’t let anything stop us just because we’re girls.
In fact, this is what makes it important that we continue to visit these countries – because the more bold females that these creeps encounter, the less incidents like this will eventually happen.
I’ve explained more about what it’s like to visit some of the main attractions in Cairo as a female traveller below.
Do females need a male guide in Cairo?
We felt we had no choice but to pay a guide to show us around, because the Egyptian hotel staff claimed we should. Usually I do a lot more research about how to see the sights before I visit a new place but this time we decided to trust the locals.
Uber is the safest way to get around in Cairo but without international data, we didn’t want to rely on that so we paid (far too much money) for a guide and driver. They were great and kept most of the men at the pyramids from bothering us, but it’s a shame we had to pay someone to show us around Cairo purely because it was unsafe for us to go out unattended.
Should females travel to Egypt without a male companion? My answer is still yes. But hiring a male guide can definitely make the experience more positive once you arrive.
Is visiting the pyramids safe?
The pyramids are on a huge site. I felt safe there physically, but visiting the pyramids as a western female can be uncomfortable.
When you’re at one of the Seven Classic Wonders of the World, you really don’t expect to be the main attraction.
As soon as we arrived at the pyramids, we were massively aware of everyone staring at us. The guide had explained it would happen but it was still disconcerting. We made the best of it and joked about feeling famous, but it was unsettling.
We caught lots of teenage boys trying to sneakily take pictures of us, and most didn’t even try to hide it. Some asked if they could take selfies with us, to which we replied with stern NOs.
The guide explained that these boys were tourists from outside of Cairo and had most likely never seen women with uncovered hair. This made us feel ignorant for thinking that because we were at a tourist attraction, we would blend in. We definitely didn’t!
I don’t believe any woman should have to cover herself in order to command respect from the opposite sex. However, we should have done our research and perhaps we would have covered our hair at the pyramids if we’d known just how much attention we’d attract with our hair exposed.
Is Khan Al-Khalili market safe to visit as a tourist?
We ventured out without our guide on our second day in Cairo, eager to do some shopping.
When we arrived at Khan Al-Khalili I was so excited. It’s everything I imagined an Egyptian bazaar would be and I couldn’t wait to dive in. As we made our way down the main stretch, we got all the usual hassle from the vendors, and brushed it off expertly. This wasn’t either mine or Hayelye’s first time in a foreign country.
The shops are like treasure chests and we had so much fun haggling over prices and trying on amazing jewellery.
The further we progressed down the market stall-lined street, the larger the crowds became and we moved away from one area where people were particularly unfriendly.
We hadn’t thought to cover our hair and that was a mistake. Stupid of us maybe, but I guess living in a tolerant country like Dubai made us forget that not all Muslim countries are as accepting of other cultures. A woman pushed me in disgust, and we realised that we weren’t welcome. We purchased pashminas then and there to cover our hair.
We became essentially trapped in a crowd as local shoppers, vendors and men with loaded barrels reached a standstill. A fist fight broke out an arm’s length away but we were hemmed in by bodies. We couldn’t move to safety. Panic rose in my throat and we latched on to a man in a leather jacket, who seemed to be carving a path.
And then the prick in the leather jacket thought it was okay to touch women inappropriately and our whole Egypt experience will be forever tainted with that horrible memory.
Imagine dreaming of visiting a destination your whole life and when you finally get there, you’re sexually assaulted. It was incredibly upsetting but we still had an amazing trip, as strange as that may seem.
My tips for solo female travel in Cairo
- Cover up in the market places. Egypt’s dress code is conservative. Knees, shoulders and chests should be covered at the very least.
- Know where you’re going. Don’t look lost, and make sure you have international data so you can Uber everywhere. We actually got a taxi home from Khan-Al Khalili and it was fine but it’s best to play safe.
- Wear a fake engagement ring. Unfortunately, many men are more likely to respect the ‘property’ of another man (your fake husband) than they might respect a woman walking or sitting alone.
- Bitchy resting face, sunglasses, earphones are your go-to getup (but don’t play music – you need to stay aware of what’s going on around you).
Safe places to stay in Cairo
We stayed at Le Meridien and while it was a perfect location and the room was great – we even had a pyramid view – we found the staff acted condescending towards us.
The people on reception treated us like two silly girls who had no idea what we were doing in Egypt when we asked for directions or a taxi. It was frustrating but I understand they were just concerned about our safety.
You can use the booking.com map below to find a hotel in Cairo for your trip.
Booking.comSo, should you travel to Egypt?
I’ve spoken to plenty of women who travelled to Cairo with a male friend or their husband and they had positive things to report. But if I had a little sister, I wouldn’t be comfortable with her going to Egypt alone.
We were determined to enjoy our time in Cairo and we did, but unfortunately our girls’ trip to Egypt comes with a massive caveat. I’m sharing what happened to inform other women thinking of travelling to Cairo solo, but not to scare them off the idea. We’re still glad we went, but disappointed that this happened.
It angers me to my core that this is a daily occurrence – not just in Cairo or Middle Eastern countries but all over the world. There are so many streets on this planet that women can’t walk down alone without fear, and that needs to change. It won’t happen overnight but I hope that if more female travellers keep carving a path, it will become less prevalent.
There’s a campaign in India that urges local women to ‘loiter’, and the idea is that the more common it is for women to be seen outside at night, the more men will get used to the sight of liberated females. Perhaps they might not feel so compelled to harm us.
How ridiculous is it that we still have to educate men that women are equals?
Until every man on the planet is brought up to respect women, we have to be fearless and never let it stop us exploring. So as one female traveller to another – please don’t be put off travelling to Egypt, but (as much as I hate to say it) be careful.
More travel guides you might like
Is Marrakech safe for solo female travellers?
A day-trip from Marrakech to Essaouira
Girls, wherever you travel: Be safe, but be seen.
Have you ever had a similar experience on the road?
Get travel insurance for Egypt via World Nomads
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