Is Egypt safe to visit? What four governments say, place by place
The short answer: The US, Canada and Australia advise caution in Egypt as a whole, and the UK advises against named areas only. None of the four advises against Cairo, Luxor, Aswan or the Red Sea resorts, and all four advise against North Sinai and the Libyan border. Their advice differs on the rest of Sinai and on parts of the Western Desert, so check the place you are going, in your own government's advice.
What each government says overall
United Kingdom
No country-wide level. The FCDO advises against travel to named areas only, among them North Sinai, the Libyan border, the northern part of South Sinai beyond the St Catherine–Nuweiba road, and the Western Desert outside listed exceptions. Updated 4 August 2026.
United States
Level 2 of 4: "Exercise increased caution", citing terrorism, crime and health. Issued 14 July 2025 and still the current advisory on 30 September 2026.
Canada
"Exercise a high degree of caution" in Egypt, citing regional tensions, the unpredictable security situation and the threat of terrorism. Updated 24 September 2026.
Australia
"Exercise a high degree of caution" in Egypt overall, due to the threat of terrorism, with higher levels in some areas. Updated 14 September 2026.
Place by place
| Place | United Kingdom | United States | Canada | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo, Giza and Alexandria | No area warning | Level 2, as the whole country | High degree of caution, as the whole country | High degree of caution |
| Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel | No area warning; named among the exceptions to the Western Desert warning | Level 2, as the whole country | High degree of caution | High degree of caution |
| Hurghada, Marsa Alam and the Red Sea coast | No area warning | Level 2, as the whole country | High degree of caution | High degree of caution, as the whole country |
| Sharm el-Sheikh | No area warning; the FCDO calls the southern Sinai's Red Sea tourist areas generally low risk | Level 2, as the whole country | High degree of caution | High degree of caution |
| Dahab and St Catherine (South Sinai beyond Sharm) | Outside the advised area, which lies beyond the St Catherine–Nuweiba road, coasts excepted | Not among the "do not travel" areas, which are northern and middle Sinai | High degree of caution; the avoid-non-essential area lies north of the St Catherine–Nuweiba–El Tor road | Reconsider your need to travel: all of South Sinai except Sharm el-Sheikh's southern coast |
| Siwa, by the Marsa Matruh road | Named exception to the Western Desert warning | The Western Desert is "do not travel" unless with a professionally licensed tour company | High degree of caution, by the Marsa Matruh–Siwa road only | High degree of caution, by the Marsa Matruh–Siwa road |
| The White and Black Deserts and Bahariya | Named exceptions to the Western Desert warning | The Western Desert is "do not travel" unless with a professionally licensed tour company | High degree of caution, by the Oasis Road only | High degree of caution, on the road from Giza to Farafra |
| Fayoum | Named exception (the Faiyum Governorate) | Not named | Not named among the exceptions to its Western Desert warning; check its map | Not named among the exceptions to "reconsider" west of the Nile; check its map |
| North Sinai | Against all travel | Do not travel | Avoid all travel | Do not travel |
| The Libyan border | Against all travel within 20 km | Do not travel to border areas | Avoid all travel within 50 km | Do not travel within 40 km |
Read on 29–30 September 2026. Each government's own wording and map take precedence over this summary; where a government does not name a place, we say so rather than guess.
The everyday cautions they name
- Harassment: the US and Canadian advice both say women, including foreigners, face unwanted attention and harassment, from comments to touching.
- Scams and petty theft: the US advice says most crimes against foreigners are crimes of opportunity such as bag-snatching and pickpocketing, and warns of overcharging in tourist areas.
- Protests: the US and Australian advice both say to avoid demonstrations; the US notes that people have been arrested for being near one.
- Regional tensions: the Australian advice says they could disrupt air travel, and the UK advice calls the situation in the region unpredictable.
- Insurance: the FCDO warns that travelling against its advice can invalidate travel insurance.
What it means for our tours
- Cairo, the Nile Valley and the Red Sea resorts carry no area warning from any of the four governments, beyond their country-wide levels.
- St Catherine and Mount Sinai: outside the UK's advised area, but Australians are advised to reconsider travel there. Our Mount Sinai tour says so.
- Siwa and the White Desert: our routes use the roads the UK, Canada and Australia name. The US advises against the Western Desert unless travelling with a professionally licensed tour company.
- Fayoum: a named UK exception; Canadian and Australian travellers should check their government's map.
Before you book, in our judgement:
- Read your own government's advice for each place on your route, not only the country.
- Check that your travel insurance covers every place you will visit.
- Tell us which passport each traveller holds: advice and visa rules differ.
Where to go from here
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Official statements are attributed to their source; where we give a judgement, we say so. This guide names no school, boat or hotel.
- UK FCDO, Egypt warnings and insurance (updated 4 August 2026, still current 30 September 2026)
- US Department of State, Egypt travel advisory, Level 2 (issued 14 July 2025, read 30 September 2026)
- Government of Canada, Egypt travel advice (updated 24 September 2026)
- Smartraveller (Australia), Egypt (updated 14 September 2026, still current 30 September 2026)
Photo: Ahmed Al.Badawy, CC BY-SA 2.0
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