4 guides, each rated 1 to 5 with the reason — and two lists per place, where you are comfortable and where to pay attention. Nowhere is called dangerous; the specific thing is what helps.
Heavily policed and safe for visitors; the hassle is the issue, not danger. Expect constant approaches from caleche drivers, felucca captains and would-be guides — a firm la, shukran and continuing to walk is the technique. Summer heat is genuinely dangerous, which is why the tombs and the balloons start at dawn.
Comfortable: Luxor Corniche · Luxor West Bank · Luxor Temple
Persistent felucca and calèche touts on the corniche
Valley of the Kings — heat exhaustion, where there is no shade at all
Balloon operators — check the licence, because this is where the accidents have been
Very safe within the resort corridor, which is where almost everybody stays. The genuine risks are in the water and on the road: strong currents outside the reef, coral that cuts, and a coastal highway driven at speed. Desert excursions should be with a licensed operator.
The Sinai resorts are heavily secured and separated from the interior, and visitors have been coming through years in which the wider region was in the news. Roadblocks between towns are routine; carry your passport. In the water, respect the depth limits — the Blue Hole at Dahab has a memorial wall for divers who ignored them — and never touch the coral. Sun at 39°C in July is the risk that actually spoils holidays here.
Comfortable: Naama Bay · Soho Square, Sharm El Sheikh · Nabq
Unlicensed diving operators
Travel outside the resort corridor, which is restricted and checkpointed
The reef itself, which is protected and which cuts badly
Violent crime against visitors is rare and the tourist sites are heavily secured. The daily friction is relentless hustling at the pyramids — unofficial guides, camel handlers who take a photo then demand payment, and drivers who take you to a papyrus shop instead. Book official guides, agree every price beforehand, and be firm rather than polite. Women travelling alone report persistent harassment.
Comfortable: Zamalek · Maadi · Garden City, Cairo · Giza Pyramid Complex
Giza Pyramid Complex — the camel and horse touts, who take a fee to get on and a much larger one to get off
Crossing the road in central Cairo, where traffic does not stop and pedestrians are killed every year
Unlicensed taxis — use Uber or Careem
The ratings are this site's own, from the guides' authors and the corrections readers send in; they are not an index. Read the general advice in travel safety tips.
