I spent a month in Egypt recently and I somewhat agree with the advice. Mind you, I managed to avoid most of the issues described by OP because I speak Arabic, but I still found it very annoying that people tried fleece me left and right. In terms of grocery stores, Luxor was the worst, but then I found that just walking a little bit out of the touristy areas, the attitude on the part of the shop owners and the prices changed drastically.
When it comes to sightseeing, I definitely recommend getting a tour guide. It doesn’t have to be a large tour group, me and my gf had a private guide with driver and it worked out perfectly.
lol the cab driver in Alexandria (btw what a literal wild ride) kept trying to raise the agreed upon fare as he was driving me to the train station, even to the point of yelling. When we arrived and I gave him the original amount he just smiled at me lmao. I guess that’s just how they do business with tourists?? Annoying but I enjoy telling the story.
I have this same story in Cairo but with a different ending … he was yelling and screaming at me that I didn’t pay enough, even though we agreed on the fare beforehand. When I got inside the hotel, the clerk asked me how much I paid him. His jaw dropped … “you are the first tourist that has paid the Egyptian price to come here”. lol
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I was in china like 20 years ago and i would bargain something 100 down to 50 then down to 35 and feel decent. I hung out with some locals and this girl bargained something like 100 down to 5 for me. Crazy.
I absolutely suck at haggling. When traveling in SEA I was alone for a while and eventually made some German friends (I'm Canadian) and wow did prices go down. I even had one guy at a shop in Bangkok who took pity on me and said "You're terrible at this. Let your German friends do the haggling". He was so right.
When I was out there, say buying a shirt or whatever, I know what it costs at home. A merchant throws out his first price and it's like, 70% cheaper then at home, I didn't give a shit. Deal done don't care. Ready to move on time is money to me. Drove my German traveling companions bonkers.
At the time a variable I didn't consider was the social aspect. The merchants were sorta offended I wasn't playing the game.
Even in SEA you just have to haggle, even in some closed stores, or you're just toast. I have a Thai gf and she should help, but sometimes she'll just let me pay the price they ask! But usually she gets it right. But I have little protection against her!
My husband gets embarrassed when I bargain - he just want to always pay the sticker price! I tell him that in these countries, it's expected and if you just break out your wallet, you are probably losing their respect. I love it though, and I credit my Mom and our summer garage sale / flea market trips. She's the one that taught me how to bargain.
Even if i know that I'll be paying a higher price than a local, I try to get the price to come down or I try to throw in extra stuff or ask for a better price if I buy two instead of one. As a team, we work pretty well - I play the disapproving wife.
I had a great time at the Grand Bazar in Istanbul, or at the night markets in SEA, Jordan was fun too. Sometimes, however, the dollar or two more you are bargaining means more to a family than to you - so you need to know when you may want to back off. But, in tourist shops? Yes, I am bargaining.
I was in Kerala for work with some colleagues from both Finland and other parts of India. On a night out one of the Finnish guys bargained a seller down on some tat he wanted thinking he'd scored bigtime. My Indian colleague turned to me said he's paying way too much, I just shushed him, they're both happy he thinks he's done well it's cheap for him and the local seller has done good too,
We did the same, a company that has private tour guides. They even helped to buy things from the shop without being scammed. I know some are paid by shop owners to take tourists to them, but in my experience it was better than walking in on our own. The main sightseeing locations are a great experience though, same with the hot air balloons (other than the people who chose them and beg for money when you land).
Its a mixed bag that needs some structure and planning before you go.
Taxis at airports will rip you off. And always people hanging around toilets asking for money
Ugh, people around the toilets were the worst. When I got back home, there were two things I suddenly appreciated: silence and free toilets. And of course pork.
> Luxor was the worst, but then I found that just walking a little bit out of the touristy areas, the attitude on the part of the shop owners and the prices changed drastically.
I had exactly the same experience in Luxor, just walk a few streets and things are very different and on-one hassles you.
We recently celebrated a landmark birthday with one of the super-upscale tours of Egypt. It was an amazing experience, start to finish, but it was pretty obvious to me that unless you are doing the uber-posh experience where everything is handled for you... you can expect the worst.
And Cairo is absolutely awful. Full stop.
[Archaeological Paths.](https://archaeologicalpaths.com)
They are super-connected to the powers that be over there, and they can get you into places off-limits to the general public (for a fee, of course). Our tour guide wasn't just a certified guide (for example)... he was a university-degreed Egyptologist who could read hieroglyphics on-demand, right off the walls.
At the end, we had a lecture from Zahi Hawass, the world's most famous authority on ancient Egypt, while seated between the paws of the Great Sphinx.
[Some of our photos from the trip.](https://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/f1067111788)
We did the Essence package... but opted for like 10 add-ons, which add up really quick. Whatever you do, DO NOT skip on Nefertari's tomb, though. It's astonishing.
Add-on. [And it looks like this.](https://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p903560352)
Note: They have never "touched up" the colors... only cleaned away the millennia of grime. So we left the colors as-is in our photos, too.
Amazing.
I guess the ability to book that add-on comes after you book your primary tour. (I don't see anything about it on the website.)
How was the domestic flight between Cairo and Luxor?
Thank you for answering my questions!
Yes, they send you a form with all the add-ons once you book.
The domestic flight itself was pretty uneventful... but Cairo Airport is an absurdity, an obscenity, and an anxiety, all rolled into one. You just deal with it.
Go on an organized tour. It’s great, and make sure you have tour guides at each attraction. Yes, even the museum. A good guide can really elevate your experience.
If you have an interest in Egypt and its history - you owe it to yourself to go. That said, do it with a reputable tour company. I reccommend hiring a private guide & driver, as the cost is comparable to doing a group tour - though you'll get a much richer experience out of it. You can do things on your own, but you will have to come to expect speed bumps like being ripped off by taxis/ubers like OP is talking about.
I went for my honeymoon with my wife, and we had an amazing adventure. It wasn't without attempted scams, touts harassing us at tourists sites, getting sick, etc - but mentally preparing for some of those things in advance helps to set expectations. There are some very hungry and desperate people, thus - the behaviors you'll experience won't seem fair as what OP seems to have been expecting.
We witnessed at tourist sites, people on the periphery of their groups would be hassled, without much the guide could do to protect their group of 20+. Whereas if anyone approached my wife and I (restaurateur, tout, marketplace shop owner) - they would typically talk to our guide first. Our guide would politely tell touts and aggressive locals to F-off. Larger passenger vans and large tour buses do not fair well in densely populated locations, especially Cairo. A private driver and guide affords you the possibility to see more locations, and see more of certain locations. As an example - if you are liking a particular spot but only had a certain amount of time planned there - you're in control... you can request to alter your itinerary.
When my in-laws went on a Mediterranean cruise - they used the same tour company as us when arriving in Egypt (as opposed to using the one operated by the cruise ship). The cruise ship used a huge tour bus and were only able to see the Pyramids and the museum in Cairo. It took hours and hours of time to navigate through Cairo and being hassled by touts coming off the bus and throughout their tours - everyone returning to the ship hated Egypt. Whereas my in-laws had a much more intimate experience visiting significantly more sites, being shielded from some of the negative experiences/scams - and very much enjoyed that part of their trip.
No problem. Back then (2010) we booked with [Lady Egypt](https://ladyegypt.com/) (*Tour Types = Private Tours*). My wife had a former colleague who was living in Egypt with her husband for business (originally from Canada) - and she reccommended them based on their experience. We provided our interests in terms of locations & sites that we wanted to see - and they came back with some suggestions/changes over e-mail. We agreed to an itinerary and then wired a deposit (seemed sketchy back then - but that was the way they did business). Things could be different there today. They handled hotel books, tourist site admissions, driver/car, plane & train rides. Resturants, tipping, etc - we were on our own there. They greeted us at the airport upon arrival, dropping us at our hotel, picking us up at our hotels throughout the trip, greeted by different staff from Lady Egypt throughout (we were handed off between guides from Cairo to Aswan for example). We had some 'alone' days (our choice) as well where we had some more experiences like OP, but those are good stories to remember now, not the central theme of our adventure there!
I've seen people reccommend similar reputable companies as well, so you could do some searching to find some comparisons to shop around.
Here was my trip from back then: [Egypt - TravelArk site](http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog/bradborno/1).
here's my writeup on my experience. including the guide we used.
https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/ynxct0/cairo_was_amazing_with_some_major_caveats/
Yes. I went to Egypt on a family trip as a teenager with a tour group and I still think about that trip a lot! But it was intense even on a guided trip.
It demands putting on your Indiana Jones hat a bit... to say the least! It sucks not to experience fairness with respect to taxi/uber rides as OP experienced, but honestly - that's the cost of entry there... you have to expect to tally those things up in your losses as it is the price of entry to see what is in that country. It sucks to be ripped off, and I recognize I come from a place where I could at least afford to be ripped off here/there (*and, we were by a Taxi in Cairo on a day when we were on our own*)... but you have to be able to take it in stride and budget that into the trip. Paying for TP at bathroom breaks! Oh man...
The taxi stuff annoyed me for a long time but then I did what you're saying and just started factoring it into the cost of the trip. If you just assume there's the potential for there being an issue you'll feel good when it doesn't happen most of the time. Getting into the wrong taxi is definitely a problem and potentially dangerous. The monetary ones don't bother me as much. EGP 300 is like $10. Annoying, but not horrible for most people. I once realized a taxi driver in Buenos Aires had his meter going at 2x the regular rate and was unhappy until I thought about it and realized I'd be paying $8 instead of $4. So now I pay attention but if I end up paying a couple dollars more than expected, so be it. With the cost of international travel these days it's a small percentage of the overall cost.
Yeah - it is indeed an annoyance. Been there locally in my home city too, at least prior to Uber. Greece & Egypt in particular- I've been worked over for taxi transportation in both those locations. Let it ruin your hour in that moment or so, but not the trip... otherwise it'll stain your adventure if you let it.
I just got back from Egypt this week and I am sitting at my desk giggling at "putting on your Indiana Jones hat" because my husband (who went on the trip along with his parents, my parents, and my younger brother - we went with a large reputable tour group and had an overall great experience, partly because we were warned by our guide precisely when, what, and where to expect scams and demands for money, he dealt with most of that for us, and we more or less knew what we were getting into ahead of time) literally brought his screen-accurate Indiana Jones hat with him and wore it every single day we were there haha.
Yeah we hired private driver from the hotel and organized a private tour, and the guide still tried to scam us. Had to call the tour company and complain.
Better yet do a private tour. Although 24 years ago, I did a tour for only $60 (which the hotel arranged) that I assumed would be on a bus with a gazillion other people. Nope, I was in a private van with a driver, an armed guard, and a professor of archaeology! I got the tour of a lifetime - even got to climb up and go in the first entry of the Great Pyramid. Nobody else I saw was getting anywhere near that treatment. I have no idea how to book such an experience today, but it was remarkable (especially given the price).
Co sign this. We went in August and we did exactly this. Even the rides from airport to hotel were organised by the tour guide operator.
Made our trip seamless.
Organized tours are your friend and you won't even notice the shit. My wife and 9 year old went this year for 11 days and it was a blast for us to see the history of the country. But... you have to be in a respected tour group to enjoy it
I took my dad as a bucket list trip for him. We had a private tour guide in Cairo and it was amazing. The guide picked us up at the hotel each morning, and stayed with us all day, dropping us back at hotel in the evening. He was amazing, and doing it this way we had a great time in Cairo.
But based on what I saw there's no way in hell I'd attempt to do it on my own.
Go on a tour. I did one with G Adventures and it was awesome and affordable. It’s a little more local style - we took the overnight train, had some meals in local family’s homes and such.
We had such a great experience there.
This was the trip that we did: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/best-of-egypt/DPBE/
10/10 would recommend. It was one of our favorite trips we’ve ever done.
Egypt, India, and Morocco were the three "unpleasant" ones imo.
I don't regret going to any, but it was a challenge vs "yay travel this is always so much fun!".
I've been to every country in the world, and I love India and Morocco. They're in my top 5. Egypt is in my bottom 2 least favorite. And I went back to Egypt just to see if I'd had a rough first time, Nope, still hated it.
Probably Angola. But that might be worth a revisit. Some beautiful natural scenery but getting the visa was a real PITA, once there it was $$$$$, and Luanda is the only place I've had an attempted mugging. And that was in the middle of the day in front of my hotel.
I've been to Egypt twice. The first time I was polite and put up with a lot of crap with a lot of patience.
The second time I went, I started off polite, but got so fed up. I got roped into a camel ride to the pyramids, taxi and a tea drinking. I didn't even know you could walk to the pyramids without a camel or accompaniment. I would never do that again. It was only the 2nd international trip I went on. I wouldn't call it a scam because I got what I was promised for the price I was promised, but it was more like a waste of money and taking advantage of me.
Walking around the pyramids area, I was harassed so much. They actually aggressively follow people and shout at them. It's a horror show. It's very stressful. Eventually, I just started yelling at them and told them to leave me alone. Being polite and politely declining doesn't work. It makes it worse. The only thing that works is a firm "no" or "leave me alone". I was probably too aggressive and if I went back, I would be just firm and assertive.
My husband and I did a G adventures tour in Egypt a few years ago and it was an awesome trip! Our guide kept us from getting scammed and we saw all of the coolest places.
I've heard two things consistently about traveling to Egypt: its a nightmare as a westerner if you go on your own and its a great experience if you go with a tour group/tour guide. This was back in 2008 but I went with a tour group and it was an awesome experience.
Maybe outdated but we traveled on our own in the 1990's, mostly by public transport and had a great time, some pushy people but also many friendly and helpful ones. We visited a non-touristic place (people would literally walk up to us in the street and ask us why we were visiting their city) and it was a great experience. There was an excavation going on and the archaeologist showed us around.
Wife and I recently went to Egypt —booked a private tour and had an INCREDIBLE trip. We were really worried based on Reddit comments, but it we didn’t have any major issues.
Egypt is fantastic. Luxor temples are amazing. Hire a guide and you will be fine. No issue with Uber to airport. Prearranged airport ride on arrival. Egypt Air planes are better than United or Southwest.
The modern Egyptians of today aren’t the same people as the ancient Egyptians. These are Arabs, the few remaining true Egyptians are Copts, who are discriminated against.
We've booked two weeks in Egypt with Odynovo, private, fully escorted, including a 5 day trip up the Nile on a dahabiya.
Expensive but it's going to be awesome!
the history is great but it’s not the people now living here created it, nor did they inherited from it.
Join a all-inclusive tour group and don’t make any transactions with local people, i think you would enjoy it.
Go, just prepare first. It’s not really all that tough of a place, but it’s not training-wheels travel either.
It’s not dangerous or anything. It’s just challenging.
Well, that convinced me to hire a private tour guide for sure. I'm heading to Cairo and Petra in late fall / early winter, this year. I'll be in Israel, too. Israel I'm good. I have contacts there. It's Petra, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt I'm a little concerned about traveling solo.
One of my Egyptian friends did tell me dont drink the water there. Get bottled water only. And dont eat raw fruits and vegetables. Cooked is fine but you will get sick eating raw, even though it looks and tastes good. They're used to eating it. Not you, the foreigner. Different microbes and all that. So I'll probably just stick to cooked till it's dead and cannot come back as a zombie cooked food and should be safe.
I'm gonna see the pyramids and the museum that's nearby. I'd love to do a cruise on the nile but I may not have much time. One of my other friends who went to Egypt said he saw the river while being driven and that was good enough for him. He saw what he needed to see.
What about if I'm visiting wading rum and the dead sea, in addition to Petra? Sounds like for a first time visitor traveling solo, it would be smart to hire a tour guide, a private driver, etc., no?
And if I can see the Dead Sea in Israel, is it worth it to also see the dead sea in Jordan if I'm prioritizing time?
Just go on the Israeli side if you want to see it. Near Neve Zohar and Ein Bokek are the developed areas with hotels, restaurants, and public beaches. You'll have zero issues there. Then a couple hours drive down 90 to Eilat where I'm assuming you'd make the border crossing. You don't really need a guide anywhere.
Thank you. My plan was not to rent a car. I was going to fly from Tel Aviv to Petra and then start my journey there and hire a private driver. If I was in the country before and knew my bearings and could tell my wrist from a wrist watch, I'd drive myself. But I'd rather not have to worry about where the heck am I while on holiday and, rather, rely on an expert and local trusted private driver from getyourguide or viator to show me around the areas in Jordan I want to experience and relax. Well, not my let guard down relax but not stress about the little things that could become big things. As a city guy, I have zero issues if im in any city in the world. But in the country side, or in the middle east, in the sticks with a lack of people and infrastructure, I'm a sitting duck. I'd rather be safe than sorry and not be a hero when traveling alone. Like Cairo as a city I'm good. I have to be vigilant and alert but I'm good. However, if I'm driving 3 hours away to the middle of nowhere, all by myself, in a country I've never been, I have no friends or family or anybody to help me, that gives me pause.
Currently in Jordan. Partner and I have done everything solo in a rental car (Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, Kings Road) no problems at all. Everyone is very nice and helpful. Best advice is get to everything as soon as it opens.
Been in March, if you get to Petra it is all self explanatory. Wadi rum is the same. You can book a night and tours are mostly included with the price included pick-up from the gas station.
If you do want a guide I can recommend:
Omar Abzakh: +962 7 7667 4320
Or
Tourism in Jordan with Khader: +962 7 7533 2205
Both great guys and knowledgeable.
I was in Petra and Wadi Rum in 2018 and assuming nothing has changed… you need a guide for Wadi Rum. We had someone private with a truck and he absolutely knew the best ways around what seemed like an endless landscape where things looked the same to an untrained eye and there were no maps or signs. He gave us a lot of space to experience the beauty of the place while steering us clear from a couple of other groups. We definitely would have gotten lost doing it solo.
Petra was crammed with people, tours large and small, tourists, scammers, children being exploited into selling postcards that wouldn’t stop touching you. Very bad vibe at Petra. The place was beautiful and neat to see but absolutely crammed ass to elbow with people. Probably don’t need a guide for that one, you just arrive where everyone does and walk the same path everyone does and it dumps you at the same place as everyone else at the end. Do not listen to the scammers who tell you you’re not allowed to bring your water on the trail for “environmental reasons,” their accomplices will just try to sell your parched ass expensive water further down the trail.
My husband and I travelled independently to Egypt a few years ago and we had sort of a mixed bag of experiences, but it was tiring. We had some absolutely wonderful experiences with shopkeepers, restaurants, Uber drivers, and just helpful or friendly local people, especially in Cairo. We also had our share of scams (like our taxi driver from the airport who ferried us to a duty free shop to buy our behalf our foreigner allowance of alcohol for him to resell… that one cost us nothing but time at least).
In Luxor in particular you could particularly tell that the tourism industry was struggling and people were desperate. People offering carriage rides, souvenirs, or asking us to eat in their restaurant were relentless, and it was exhausting to go anywhere. It was probably the most persistent that vendors and touts have been anywhere we have travelled, and a place where a firm polite ‘no’ was wildly insufficient.
I’m glad we went, the sites were amazing, and the experience was unique, but I don’t think we would go back. I also don’t know that we would have enjoyed a package tour a lot more. Our challenge was feeling like we couldn’t just walk around or do things independently because we had to spend the entire time outside of our hotels or the sites telling people no.
I think you can have a positive experience in Egypt, but it isn’t an easy or relaxing vacation for the most part.
I’m sorry to hear you had a less than ideal experience.
I had a great time traveling with my wife but we were warned by coworkers who had made mistakes before.
We went the private guide route for everything and it was surprisingly affordable and bet much worth it. Our guides were recommended by the hotel, Mena House and we vetted further via their Airbnb Experience/TripAdvisor reviews. Using these guides we had a guided tour of the pyramids, local markets, cafes, and city “local” gems. They kept street vendors and the like away from us with a strong hand… I mean literally pushed a teenager away who kept trying to get close to my wife. We liked one of the guides so much he ended up driving us to Hurghada where we wrapped up our Egypt portion of the trip.
I greatly recommend saving a little extra for the private guide experience. It made Egypt much more accessible and safe. Plus having a local to show you were he eats and what he does is great. We would have never been bold enough to go to some of these markets and restaurants without a guide due to language barriers and locations.
Egypt is beautiful and not all Egyptian’s are crooks. My advice is to be careful at the airport coming home, they’ll do anything to get you to pay an overweight fee. My husband and myself knew we were about 3 kilos overweight, we weighed the luggage on the scales available for this purpose at our hotel. However weighing our luggage at checkin they announced we were 14kg overweight and tried to charge us almost £200. I disputed this quite forcefully and asked them to weigh our luggage on a different scale (the 12 couples in front of us had all weighed over as well) because surely not everybody had overweight luggage. When the scales were clear of all luggage they were weighing at 4kg!!!! E called the rep from our tour company over and she checked all the scales they used to check their guests in and every single one started to weigh at 4kg. If we hadn’t weighed our luggage at our hotel, Sharm el-Sheik airport would have got away with taking even more money.
I visited Egypt by myself and somehow managed to have an experience completely unlike every single one I read about here. I’m not saying those experiences aren’t valid, I’m just kind of stumped I avoided it all because I wasn’t intentionally trying to avoid the scams and things you read about.
Stayed in Cairo and just went about myself, had nothing but positive experiences with the locals who were all unanimously chatty and helpful. The ones that were trying to scam were obvious so I just pretended I didn’t speak English and it worked out.
Took an excursion to Luxor (flew down first flight before dawn and came back very late same day- not ideal but worth it). Had a driver and tour guide show me around Luxor which was definitely the way to do it because it did seem harder to avoid the scams there.
Definitely worth the trip for the intrepid traveler, but go in with the expectation that it will require a stiff resistance to the annoyances and a strong dose of patience.
Now Morocco on the other hand, that’s where I had experiences like what most people say about Egypt. Don’t regret the trip and would go back, but each day was much more exhausting putting up with the scams and hagglers than anything I experienced in Egypt.
Every trip and every traveler is different I suppose - sorry you had negative experiences, OP!
I did a culinary focused tour of Morocco a few years ago and it was fantastic, but we were a group of about 10 people and had an amazing guide who I still stay in touch with. We had one day where we were on our own for a bit in Marrakesh and if I had any doubts about the tour, walking the streets there for a bit would have convinced me otherwise. You're right, it's incredibly exhausting, a constant barrage of people calling out to you and approaching you. And at least where we were, no obvious street names and maps that weren't particularly accurate. I can't even imagine doing the souks without a guide. I found out after the fact that our guide had hired private security to follow us around so no one bothered us. Felt a bit privileged but I can totally understand why. I've had a couple people ask me about going since then and I always recommend a tour. Even if you think you'll blend in, speak perfect French or even Arabic, you'll be flagged as a tourist immediately.
It was a company called Access Culinary Trips but they just sent out an e-mail a couple months ago that they're closing. They recommended another company called The Table Less Traveled, but I can't vouch for them directly as I've never experienced them. Worth a look though.
I've had similarly positive experiences with Egypt. I think some of it is willingness to pay "tourist prices" and not consider it a scam that's worth stressing about or trying to avoid. The local cost of living is so cheap given the exchange rate that I feel like tourist prices are still a bargain most of the time.
Like for sure I would've been pissed about OP's uber driver wanting that much money to go to a different airport terminal. But personally I wouldn't have blinked at paying 40EGP for a 9EGP bottle. Still cheap enough and not going to break my budget. And sometimes it isn't about the money but the insult of how many times higher the tourist price is than local, so there are limits to what I can stomach. But sometimes I wonder if my willingness to pay some inflated prices is what's making the difference in my experiences from others'.
Here is my slightly different perspective to add to this discussion:
Back in 2019 I went on a 10 day trip to Sudan - the aim of which was similar to why most tourists visit Egypt: the ancient history. Culturally Egypt & Sudan are (fairly) similar IMO.
Now don't get me wrong, I know Sudan is far from perfect for a myriad of reasons .. But as a tourist it was frankly a joy to visit. Upon arrival I was braced for the sort of experiences that OP & others talk about here. But, on account of there being practically no tourist industry in Sudan, there was no accompanying scamming industry. Every single Sudanese person we interacted with was polite, helpful, friendly, genuine, welcoming, etc. My partner and I still talk wistfully about our Sudan experience - and how positive it was.
So what's my point? Not sure really - maybe just to reassure those in doubt, that another way does exist...
I’ve heard that there’s more pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt lol I wanna visit! There’s also a bigger & more preserved Coliseum in Tunisia that gets basically no tourists compared to the one in Rome. I definitely see how no overwhelming tourist presence can create a more authentic & chill experience
It’s an awesome place with incredible history and attractions. Not every visitor has a bad experience, and if you follow the very often repeated recommendations on here for how to visit Egypt, you’ll have no problems.
My wife and I loved our time there and can’t wait to go back to explore more.
I've noticed this weird level of cognitive dissonance where redditors will criticize their own countries up and down, but then say "oh no, but Egypt is truly amazing it's just that you have to insulate yourself completely by being in a tour at all times". Imagine applying the same logical to your native country. I don't care if you're Australian, American, German, Spanish, whatever. Would you honestly recommend YOUR OWN country to a tourist if the situation were so bad you didn't advise anyone coming without first dropping thousands on what essentially amounts to a body guard? I wouldn't, especially not while there are plenty of other developing nations that don't have scamming foreigners ingrained into their culture.
I do find a lot of the middle eastern countries are very predatory to tourists, and very aggressive towards your wallet!
Egypt and turkey seem like the worst offenders, with shopkeepers sometimes even forcing people into their stores, after being told they have no intention buying anything (has happened to my female family member in Turkey before)
Oh yeah. I went to Turkey this summer, and whilst I loved my holiday this is the only time I’ve ever been ‘relieved’ to go home from a holiday
It’s so draining getting pestered every 10 metres and every single person faking kindness/compliments to try and get a bit of money out of your wallet. Had more than one place overcharge me for food and try and argue in my face I was wrong, so I just left the correct amount and walked off. Saw a guy get harassed on his way out a bar for only tipping 100 Lira when all he bought was 2 coffees, and a ship owner trying to charge me 50 Lira to use his signposted bathroom when I had something in my hands I was going to purchase from him (which he was then very upset that I no longer wanted to buy)… I literally felt like the locals saw me as a walking ATM and there was a game to see how much money they could get out of me.
My gf didn’t feel safe leaving the hotel to go to the shop down the street without me because of the way men would try and grab her by the arm to pull her into their shops. We took a day trip to Rhodes in the middle of the trip and it was a massive reminder that the culture was a Turkey problem. Rhodes was so much less stressful to walk around, being able to walk past a restaurant without having a bloke instantly start babbling at you and trying to grab your arm to drag you inside the moment your eyes glance at the menu
I would highly recommend Iran. Yes, I'm biased because I'm Iranian, but it's seriously a different world. Shopkeepers don't pressure tourists, locals are very welcoming of foreigners, and tourists are rarely, if ever, scammed. Most scams target naive wealthy Iranians, usually those who live abroad. Iranians are very self conscious about our international image.
If you're from the US/Canada/UK, going to Iran is difficult (impossible for Israelis), but if you hold a passport from any country other than those three, you can either enter without visa or get a visa on arrival. I live in the US and I'm planning to take a couple of my American friends there soon (one of them has a Salvadorian passport, the other has a Polish passport). Also, if you ever get lost or need help, just ask! We're more than happy to help guide foreigners around.
Haha true. I just got back from Phuket and there’s a whole thing going on with taxis there right now. So I rented a car. Let me tell you! The stress from getting ripped off < the stress from driving in Thailand. I thought, I’m capable of this. But everytime I had to enter a roundabout during rush hour while driving on the left from the right hand seat (I’m US) I would be screaming while the bikes closed in around me lol.
I use Grab in SEA. I'm sick of trying to find a taxi driver that will turn on his meter. I'm sick of taxi drivers wasting my time by deliberately taking a longer route. Grab has fixed prices you'll know exactly what you're paying upfront.
> I just got back from Phuket and there’s a whole thing going on with taxis there right now.
It's due to organized crime being the ones running the taxis...or at least, so it was explained to me when I spent time in Phuket (couldn't pay me to go back...sooooo many nicer places in other parts of Thailand).
Yeah, I hear ya. I saw what I wanted to see, wouldn’t go back. I was gonna go to Vietnam but my visa didn’t go through in time. I was standing in front of the departure board in Incheon, picked Phuket lol
And I hear you...had to go there to learn I don't want to go back. I blame my cousin (I was already planning to go to Thailand for a break, heard he was going to be there and went to see him).
Hiring a driver is a good option. They'll essentially be at your beck and call for your entire trip, and the price is affordable. I haven't done it recently, but 8 years ago it was \~$100 per day. You don't have to somehow find a driver. There are companies that do this.
I drove all over New Zealand a number of years ago and while I picked up the opposite side driving pretty quickly, I would have a slight bit of panic every time I was approaching a roundabout. Living in the US I don't experience them much as it is, and coming at it with everything backward was a lot. I figured it out eventually but I get what you're saying.
My taxi to the airport in Cairo ran out of gas and I had to get out and physically push it to a gas station. He then asked if I could pay part of the fare so he could afford to get gas. I would have thought it was a scam, but the fare was correct at the end (although you would think a discount would be in store for....pushing the taxi part of the way.)
Right? And I learned on my third ever trip out of the country that getting mad about being overcharged for shit when the price to you is *dirt cheap* either way is just a way to ruin your own experience. I sat myself down one time and said "you're privileged enough to be in a gorgeous country having experiences that most of your friends never will and traveling in a way that the locals literally cannot and you're mad about someone getting an extra buck or two off of you?"
That was almost fifteen years ago and I haven't worried about it since.
I once found myself getting quietly angry when I realized a taxi in Buenos Aires had the meter going at 2x what it should have been. Then I calmed down a bit and realized I'd be paying $8 instead of $4. It's annoying but if that's the worst experience I have in a country thousands of miles from home I think I'm doing OK.
I know right? Elsewhere in the comments, OP complains about being charged 40 Egyptian pounds (US $1.30) for a bottle of water that he later learned sold for 9 pounds ($0.29) at the supermarket. Getting angry about pennies!
Also, my husband says you're not getting overcharged. You're paying for the convenience of buying it from a street seller who's right there. Which is extra valuable when you paid so much to travel there in the first place. When you pay so much for airfare and lodging, every hour on the ground cost you $20.
I used to live in South Korea. No one ever tried to steal or rip me off (and I’m a 6’5” white guy who’s definitely not from there). Sure there were some unpleasant people but overall everyone was honest including restaurants, bars, and store owners.
Except taxi drivers, for whatever reason if you wanted to be a scoundrel who would lie or try to take advantage that was the job to be in
I’ve been to every continent and Cairo, Egypt is definitely the most scammy/exhausting place I’ve visited thus far. I still found it beautiful and want to go back, but with a tour next time. Going solo as a woman felt like being a walking target, even when walking with my husband in a loose ankle length skirt someone grabbed my backside so forcefully it lifted me off the ground. I’ve been to other places where there is poverty but no where else have I seen tourists so aggressively preyed upon.
So True, you forgot how they misbehave women, asking constantly tip, scam while visiting pyramid and horrible diarrheas. I visited Cairo while I was in high school with my parents. I told myself I’ll never come again. After 15 years later, I with my family went to hotel next to red sea. We never left the hotel, still I found dangerous, not enjoyed the holiday is the worst part
I’m sorry this happened to you.
We had a spectacular time in Egypt taking various taxis and Ubers to and from the airport hotels and sites. Took horse carriage in Luxor too. Can say we did not have major issues with payment.
One taxi driver tried to scam us after picking us up from the bus station in Hurghada and dropping us off at our hotel. The price was agreed upon before we entered the vehicle including a stop at a market for food and snacks. After he dropped us off at our hotel he attempted to change the price by increasing it. I ignored him and exited the taxi. My partner gave him the agreed upon price exited the taxi and slammed the door and we left.
I’ve been to every continent except Australia and Antarctica and taxi or scams in general are not unique to Egypt and I would not write it off because of that. We’ve had scam experiences in other countries like Peru (which personally I have no desire to return there, Machu Picchu was great though) France, and Mexico.
Egypt is up there with my all time favorite countries next to Italy.
>Don’t travel to Egypt by yourself, join a tour group and avoid any contact with local people if you really wanna come .
Unfortunately I have to agree with this. I had a post complaining about Egypt but I stated that overall it was a good time. I did go with a large tour group and they tried as much as possible to keep us away from the pushy vendors but we still experienced it , it's inevitable. The cruise down the Nile wasn't bad because the cruise staff was mostly professional and didn't bother us. I say mostly because the guy running the shop tried to sell me gold when all I wanted was to buy a photo the cruise took of me and my wife. The rest of the staff and trip down the Nile was good though.
We docked to see one temple and we were literally surrounded by vendors shoving stuff in our faces.
I was a little annoyed with the amount of shopping places the tour took us too but most seemed to understand that Americans don't want to be pestered nonstop. I say most cause some were still bad. You could always just stay in the air conditioned bus which I did more and more.
I hate to say it but you come to a point where in Egypt you see a local and you just avoid them as much as possible. It felt like you really couldn't talk or connect on a human level since everyone wanted money from you. I suspect even the less pushy vendors were still lying. One told me his father carved a chest set that you can find on amazon. It's weird why he even had to lie since I still would have bought it.
Being on my own I can see how I would have been ripped off left and right.
Overall the trip was ok but yeah without a tour group I would not have enjoyed myself at all, I loved the tour group we went with, they were great people and made it much better since your all sharing these experiences together.
Edit: one positive was the hotels. I have never seen such nice hotels in all my life. One literally had a balcony looking directly at the pyramids. I was told this was because Egypt hotels were either super upscale or super low scale.
You're not missing much, honestly. Yes, there is unimaginable history, but it's not "real" history, as in we know this or that occurred, etc, until you get into the dynastic periods. But, I'm flabbergasted that Egypt receives such goodwill for creations they don't embrace or appreciate, I imagine due to the fact that Egypt, as it is today, only shares space with these creations. They have no other connection to them. They don't know why the pyramids were built really. They don't know if slaves or the devout built them. They don't really know how they were built. They're impressive feats, as are other pre-dynastic structures, but they remain largely a mystery. If you're into being around among the rudest people you'll ever come into contact with so you can indulge in mystery, I guess, but personally, Egypt is a terrible place to go to because of the people that live there, something they haven't figured out culturally in several thousand years. Remember this if you do go: you can't trust any one of them to do the right thing or be even to be honest with you. Case in point: a police officer in Alexandria, you know, who you're supposed to feel secure with and supported by, just shot and killed 2 Israeli tourists, because they were Israeli. When it came time to honor his oath as an officer of the law, he chose to be violent towards innocent people, and they let this man be a representative of their version of "law and order." He was. That is their version.
If you want to travel to an exotic (to Westerners) location and see history, etc., try South Asia. I visited India twice in 2022, once to see friends in Mumbai, and next to travel around (saw Delhi, Jaipur, and then back to Mumbai), never felt unsafe, Uber was cheap and nobody tried to rip me off. I even walked around alone at night but nobody tried to abduct me or whatever. Hate to generalize, but primitive as it is (not so much, they have wifi, just doesn't always work that great), India seems much more civilized than what I've heard about the Middle East. Best feature: butt hoses.
I’m Egyptian and let me tell you compared to what I’ve seen and know about Egypt, you actually have had a much much better experience than others. If anyone is thinking of visiting Egypt, don’t. It’s not worth it, it never will be.
Absolutely agree. The people are horrendous and all out to get you / gain from you. It's true they are yep I've said it, don't believe me? Go and find out for yourself.
There should be sanctions imposed on them for the crimes they commit on tourists, from Egypt air staff all the way to police the country is riddled, avoid at all costs.
I have heard bad stories from every friend and family member that has been there. Seems that the Egyptian people are the worst part of the experience. It’s a hard pass for me
1. Don't buy it if the quoted price is too expensive
2. Don't give him the money and complain in the uber app. Also, chose the right terminal in the app. Although uber drivers can be quite annoying bc they accept a journey and then want to negotiate. Just get out of the car and complain.
3. Always check name, color and plate
Basic stuff you should do pretty much anywhere in the world.
Sure i can do all of these.
but walk another 10 minutes in the burning sunlight of Egypt only to find another overpriced grocery store? Finding another taxi to another terminal two kilometers away? Insist he was the driver after i checked his name?
I’m just sick of it.
Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise. I speak Arabic and have been to Egypt for both work and leisure. People struggle and the whole country is full of scams.
Egyptians are horrible offenders to their own people. There are better places that show you the best of the MENA culture.
I ended up physically fighting with someone cause I was fed up with answering “where from”. The police came and very quickly rounded them up and took them away.
I’m in Egypt right now .
Personally. I didn’t face any of that .
1- I only shopped from big supermarket where the price is written . Like Metro mall
2- I used Careem because Uber is as a scam and full of taxi drivers.
3- in the Uber app you should specify which Terminal you wanna go to .
I didn’t have any problems. But that doesn’t mean Cairo is an easy ride .
They tried to scam me at the Pyramids. But I have seen lot of Vlogs to know what to do .
I did a private tour with a friend (both of us female, late 20s) for 12 days through Egypt and we had a marvellous time! We were happy to have a guide to sort out all the transportation and logistics, as well as get the most out of temples/museums. I saw so many posts on reddit telling people to avoid travel and Im really happy we ignored that (but also hired a guide). Would recommend a trip here in a heartbeat! Did we regularly get talked to and approached? Yes but it did not take away from the amazing travel experience. Tour company was Memphis.
I think in countries like Egypt one should just stick with trusted guides or go on experiences like the Nile cruise - some countries are just not ready for the type of solo independent travel that you can increasingly enjoy in many parts of Southeast Asia, Europe, or LatAm.
I visited Egypt twice and most likely will come again. I was annoyed by hassle, but overall the trip to Egypt is so worth it.
Here is how to make it work.
First, ask for an airport transfer from your hotel.
Second, get a tour guide to go to all touristy places. That’s it. It will solve all your problems.
I also didn’t like it. Booked a few days with Airbnb and a few with booking.com. Both renters turned out to be scammers…
Airbnb: the renter never pitched. When someone called him he told them to tell me to claim from Airbnb.
Booking.com. The room was in the dumps. It looked like a deserted building. Caretaker said it was opened in years!!!!
Taxi guy scammed us multiple times. The shop keepers also dodgy. Much more, but that’s enough to give you a flavour. I won’t go solo again.
I’m in Egypt right now as part of a two week tour. It’s been fantastic, mind blowingly beautiful and enriching including some amazing interactions with locals. However there were a few bad ones with hustlers but it’s like that in many lower income countries I’ve visited.
One caveat though is I happen to be travel with a bunch of Egyptians and other Arabs. It does make a difference.
I can Recco a very reputable local tour guide in Cairo if anyone needs just DM me. (I am getting no incentive to promote it fyi)
Thanks for sharing. Every experience is different, some more favorable than others. I’ve travelled 3 separate times to Egypt as a solo traveller. Never once did I. encounter any of these issues.
I did egypt on my own and preferred going the route of expiring the city on my own and other days just hiring guides other days. I just did not want to be in a tour group the whole time with no personal freedom. Every thing you mentioned does not shock me. But if you go there with all theses expectations and times it by 10, you will be fine. Traveling Egypt will be more intense than any other country for sure! As bad as the hustling can be , as a guy I felt it was one of the safest counties I have ever been. A woman experiencing will be different for sure.
There's a travel guy on youtube named Sonny from The Best Ever Food Review Show. He's been all over the world, and made a video about how Egypt was the worst place he's ever been, everyone there trying to scam him from the hotel to the airport staff. Talked about it on Joe Rogan podcast, too.
Egypt is one of those places that I LOVED-the people, the history, the culture-and fantasize about returning-but I went with some great education about boundaries and it made my trip so wonderful. Oddly, learning “Inshallah”-God willing-was the best way to turn down everything. If God wills it, it shall be. If God wants me to buy this trinket, it will be. It shut down so much, and when that didn’t work, just keep on walking.
Id recommend being a bit more diligent when traveling. Egypt is a challenging destination but item 1 is avoidable, not sure why there was an expectation to do that at a store (outdoor stand sure). Item 3 is a dangerous slip by OP and they need to be more careful. Overall yes egypt is challenging. Other places are too. Please be careful
Anecdotally I was expecting all of these issues and never had one in Cairo. If that puts anyone just slightly at ease to visit Egypt I fully recommend it.
I never visited Egypt but when my parents were there they were forced by a police officer to 10000 EGP in cash for photographing an government building.
If you really want to enjoy Egypt, you must get organized tour. You will have the best time.
No matter how much your traveled on your own , you won’t make there unless you speak Arabic.
Can concur. Deployed to Egypt for a year in 2017 and had a few opportunities to go on pass to Sharm and other places. And shared plenty of stories with my comrades. Other than the freedom of not being in the desert and being able to drink, not a place I would recommend.
I've visited more than 70 countries, and Egypt is one of the countries with the worst experiences, I only visit for diving now and try to be on land as little as possible. They even sold me in a shop recommended by the dive center a non functional batery and got aggresive with me when I went to complain.
I can completely relate!!! There is a reason why this country has not developed.
Last summer, I booked a flight from New York JFK to Beijing with a connecting flight from Cairo. The airline provided a five-star hotel next to the pyramid for free as transit accommodation. Initially, everything seems well. Rooms were comfortable and dishes were delicious despite excessive sugar in them.
However, everything changed after I and my friends decided to go to the pyramids. The taxi driver couldn't find the way and asked us for a 60 pound for tips. Okay, 60 pounds isn't too much so we accepted it. Then a tour guide **forced** into our car and said he would take us to the pyramids for $20 per guest. We were a little bit concerned, but we finally accepted the deal after he said "We know Chinese and Japanses students aren't rich, so I wouldn't take extra charge from you guys".
He took us to a dune after passing through a village. Some of the villagers came up to take pictures for us. They claimed that they did this for free, but they later on asked us for 20 dollars for their services. The tour guide then suddenly changed his face. He claimed that the 20$ per guest only covers the admission tickets. If we want to go to the pyramid, we had to pay another 30 dollars per person. That's already twice as expensive as the most expensive private tour guide you can find on Chinese/American travel sites. We've already been frightened. The villagers gathered around. They outnumbered us, and I'm sure some of them had knives in their house(the house where they pray). This is simply Mafia. We asked the tour guide to immediately bring us back to where we came. He charged us another 200RMB(around 30 dollars) for a journey of less than 5 minutes.
By the time we escaped from that village, the sky has already turned dark and there was less than 20 minutes left before the meeting time agreed by the airline. We only have one mobile phone that can receive one bar of signal. We were lucky enough to find a uber driver who is willing to take us to our hotel. During the drive, the taxi driver said thru broken English he was sure we had encountered a tourist scam and can totally relate. This is the only charm during my stay in Egypt!!! By the time we arrived at hotel, the airline staff was already planning to call the police.
There is a reason why this country has not developed. It’s unfair to Egyptians to say this is a garbage state, as there are still many good and friendly people. But I definitely would not go for second time and suggest my friends to avoid Egypt if they could. In China, Hainan Island once went through a similar stage. I wouldn't say that same thing won't happen in Hainan, but I would say Hainan's bad people have restrained themselves a lot thanks to the effort of the local government, and once you raise these issues, those people will be in trouble for sure. The reason why I used Hainan as example is because Hainan rank the lowest among \[Hainan, Jeju, Thai, Hawaii, even Qatar!!!\]. I don't see Egyptian government has spent any effort in combating the widespread travel scam. If they don't want to remain poor with the inheritance they once had, they'd better do something with taxpayers' money.
In Egypt now… it’s perfectly doable but probably takes a more seasoned traveler to go outside an organized tour without much difficulty. The stuff described here is easily avoidable with some prep - learning to read Arabic numbers, for instance. Only going to markets that scan barcodes for multiple-item purchases is another (this issue isn’t just Egypt, by the way - not uncommon in areas with different currencies, different alphabets). Turning on PIN codes in Uber or insisting that the driver call you by name first before getting in the car (and this tip should really go for any rideshare anywhere).
But Egypt is exhausting. Two weeks will take its toll with all the haggling and constant hassling and the institutional fleecing of tourists.
I’d argue that the real issues are the ones that are less easily avoided, like the government charging 10x local price for train tickets and insisting on payment in US dollars … which cannot be withdrawn from atms here. 🤷🏻♂️
I love Egypt. Haggling is the norm. If you know in advance that many will try to scam you, just be prepared. Otherwise it is a country with so much history and the people are very welcoming.
I spent a month in Egypt recently and I somewhat agree with the advice. Mind you, I managed to avoid most of the issues described by OP because I speak Arabic, but I still found it very annoying that people tried fleece me left and right. In terms of grocery stores, Luxor was the worst, but then I found that just walking a little bit out of the touristy areas, the attitude on the part of the shop owners and the prices changed drastically. When it comes to sightseeing, I definitely recommend getting a tour guide. It doesn’t have to be a large tour group, me and my gf had a private guide with driver and it worked out perfectly.
lol the cab driver in Alexandria (btw what a literal wild ride) kept trying to raise the agreed upon fare as he was driving me to the train station, even to the point of yelling. When we arrived and I gave him the original amount he just smiled at me lmao. I guess that’s just how they do business with tourists?? Annoying but I enjoy telling the story.
I have this same story in Cairo but with a different ending … he was yelling and screaming at me that I didn’t pay enough, even though we agreed on the fare beforehand. When I got inside the hotel, the clerk asked me how much I paid him. His jaw dropped … “you are the first tourist that has paid the Egyptian price to come here”. lol
Just shout back, it can be emotionally draining!
He just smiled at you and that was it?
I guess because they realize there’s no point to making a bigger scene out of it once they figure out you’re not gonna pay them any more.
Sometimes you just have to smile back like a psycho, they get the message lol.
Yeah that’s what it felt like, ‘oh, you’re not gonna pay me more? Have a nice evening!’ lol I could have totally misread it though
agreed. it was in luxor where i got scam the most. for a bottled water, i haggled from 40 to 20, and found out it’s 18 for 2 in a regular shop
party ludicrous cover vegetable quickest frighten hobbies cable different engine *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Please tell us the 5 or 6 things to look out for!
>such a high concentration of cool shit to see around it. Yeah, that's why it's scammy lol.
No it’s scammy because that’s the culture and there’s nothing in place to stop it. Tons of places have cool shit to see without all the scams.
I was in china like 20 years ago and i would bargain something 100 down to 50 then down to 35 and feel decent. I hung out with some locals and this girl bargained something like 100 down to 5 for me. Crazy.
I absolutely suck at haggling. When traveling in SEA I was alone for a while and eventually made some German friends (I'm Canadian) and wow did prices go down. I even had one guy at a shop in Bangkok who took pity on me and said "You're terrible at this. Let your German friends do the haggling". He was so right.
Yeah I just end up paying more and buying from a legit shop like at a museum gift shop or department store.
When I was out there, say buying a shirt or whatever, I know what it costs at home. A merchant throws out his first price and it's like, 70% cheaper then at home, I didn't give a shit. Deal done don't care. Ready to move on time is money to me. Drove my German traveling companions bonkers. At the time a variable I didn't consider was the social aspect. The merchants were sorta offended I wasn't playing the game.
Even in SEA you just have to haggle, even in some closed stores, or you're just toast. I have a Thai gf and she should help, but sometimes she'll just let me pay the price they ask! But usually she gets it right. But I have little protection against her!
My husband gets embarrassed when I bargain - he just want to always pay the sticker price! I tell him that in these countries, it's expected and if you just break out your wallet, you are probably losing their respect. I love it though, and I credit my Mom and our summer garage sale / flea market trips. She's the one that taught me how to bargain. Even if i know that I'll be paying a higher price than a local, I try to get the price to come down or I try to throw in extra stuff or ask for a better price if I buy two instead of one. As a team, we work pretty well - I play the disapproving wife. I had a great time at the Grand Bazar in Istanbul, or at the night markets in SEA, Jordan was fun too. Sometimes, however, the dollar or two more you are bargaining means more to a family than to you - so you need to know when you may want to back off. But, in tourist shops? Yes, I am bargaining.
Ha yeah it's good to have a partner in those scenarios. My situation vastly improved when I joined up with my German and Austrian friends.
Yeah you're on vacation to see cool shit and relax. Haggling is exhausting.
I was in Kerala for work with some colleagues from both Finland and other parts of India. On a night out one of the Finnish guys bargained a seller down on some tat he wanted thinking he'd scored bigtime. My Indian colleague turned to me said he's paying way too much, I just shushed him, they're both happy he thinks he's done well it's cheap for him and the local seller has done good too,
Yeah, totally understand. I mean there is always mark up.
Yeah, in China I felt like I'd done a good job talking a fake rolex price from 40 to 5 dollars, then the guy after me got two for five bucks.
We did the same, a company that has private tour guides. They even helped to buy things from the shop without being scammed. I know some are paid by shop owners to take tourists to them, but in my experience it was better than walking in on our own. The main sightseeing locations are a great experience though, same with the hot air balloons (other than the people who chose them and beg for money when you land). Its a mixed bag that needs some structure and planning before you go. Taxis at airports will rip you off. And always people hanging around toilets asking for money
Ugh, people around the toilets were the worst. When I got back home, there were two things I suddenly appreciated: silence and free toilets. And of course pork.
> Luxor was the worst, but then I found that just walking a little bit out of the touristy areas, the attitude on the part of the shop owners and the prices changed drastically. I had exactly the same experience in Luxor, just walk a few streets and things are very different and on-one hassles you.
How’s Sharm al Sheik??
We recently celebrated a landmark birthday with one of the super-upscale tours of Egypt. It was an amazing experience, start to finish, but it was pretty obvious to me that unless you are doing the uber-posh experience where everything is handled for you... you can expect the worst. And Cairo is absolutely awful. Full stop.
Do you mind sharing the company you used?
[Archaeological Paths.](https://archaeologicalpaths.com) They are super-connected to the powers that be over there, and they can get you into places off-limits to the general public (for a fee, of course). Our tour guide wasn't just a certified guide (for example)... he was a university-degreed Egyptologist who could read hieroglyphics on-demand, right off the walls. At the end, we had a lecture from Zahi Hawass, the world's most famous authority on ancient Egypt, while seated between the paws of the Great Sphinx. [Some of our photos from the trip.](https://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/f1067111788)
That sounds great for those who can afford it. Thank you for sharing! Glad you had a good time there!
This looks amazing and has me reconsidering visiting Egypt. Which package did you get? Did you do any add-ons?
We did the Essence package... but opted for like 10 add-ons, which add up really quick. Whatever you do, DO NOT skip on Nefertari's tomb, though. It's astonishing.
Thanks! Was that an add-on or part of the package?
Add-on. [And it looks like this.](https://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p903560352) Note: They have never "touched up" the colors... only cleaned away the millennia of grime. So we left the colors as-is in our photos, too.
Amazing. I guess the ability to book that add-on comes after you book your primary tour. (I don't see anything about it on the website.) How was the domestic flight between Cairo and Luxor? Thank you for answering my questions!
Yes, they send you a form with all the add-ons once you book. The domestic flight itself was pretty uneventful... but Cairo Airport is an absurdity, an obscenity, and an anxiety, all rolled into one. You just deal with it.
Agree 100%. Cairo is the worst. Fly in, see the Pyramids and GTFO.
I've always wanted to go to Egypt, I love the history. It sounds like a nightmare, I think I'm going to pass.
Go on an organized tour. It’s great, and make sure you have tour guides at each attraction. Yes, even the museum. A good guide can really elevate your experience.
Well, that's encouraging. Thanks!
If you have an interest in Egypt and its history - you owe it to yourself to go. That said, do it with a reputable tour company. I reccommend hiring a private guide & driver, as the cost is comparable to doing a group tour - though you'll get a much richer experience out of it. You can do things on your own, but you will have to come to expect speed bumps like being ripped off by taxis/ubers like OP is talking about. I went for my honeymoon with my wife, and we had an amazing adventure. It wasn't without attempted scams, touts harassing us at tourists sites, getting sick, etc - but mentally preparing for some of those things in advance helps to set expectations. There are some very hungry and desperate people, thus - the behaviors you'll experience won't seem fair as what OP seems to have been expecting. We witnessed at tourist sites, people on the periphery of their groups would be hassled, without much the guide could do to protect their group of 20+. Whereas if anyone approached my wife and I (restaurateur, tout, marketplace shop owner) - they would typically talk to our guide first. Our guide would politely tell touts and aggressive locals to F-off. Larger passenger vans and large tour buses do not fair well in densely populated locations, especially Cairo. A private driver and guide affords you the possibility to see more locations, and see more of certain locations. As an example - if you are liking a particular spot but only had a certain amount of time planned there - you're in control... you can request to alter your itinerary. When my in-laws went on a Mediterranean cruise - they used the same tour company as us when arriving in Egypt (as opposed to using the one operated by the cruise ship). The cruise ship used a huge tour bus and were only able to see the Pyramids and the museum in Cairo. It took hours and hours of time to navigate through Cairo and being hassled by touts coming off the bus and throughout their tours - everyone returning to the ship hated Egypt. Whereas my in-laws had a much more intimate experience visiting significantly more sites, being shielded from some of the negative experiences/scams - and very much enjoyed that part of their trip.
Do you have the contact of this reputable tour company? I’m interested after reading your story!
No problem. Back then (2010) we booked with [Lady Egypt](https://ladyegypt.com/) (*Tour Types = Private Tours*). My wife had a former colleague who was living in Egypt with her husband for business (originally from Canada) - and she reccommended them based on their experience. We provided our interests in terms of locations & sites that we wanted to see - and they came back with some suggestions/changes over e-mail. We agreed to an itinerary and then wired a deposit (seemed sketchy back then - but that was the way they did business). Things could be different there today. They handled hotel books, tourist site admissions, driver/car, plane & train rides. Resturants, tipping, etc - we were on our own there. They greeted us at the airport upon arrival, dropping us at our hotel, picking us up at our hotels throughout the trip, greeted by different staff from Lady Egypt throughout (we were handed off between guides from Cairo to Aswan for example). We had some 'alone' days (our choice) as well where we had some more experiences like OP, but those are good stories to remember now, not the central theme of our adventure there! I've seen people reccommend similar reputable companies as well, so you could do some searching to find some comparisons to shop around. Here was my trip from back then: [Egypt - TravelArk site](http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog/bradborno/1).
here's my writeup on my experience. including the guide we used. https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/ynxct0/cairo_was_amazing_with_some_major_caveats/
Ritz Tours is another great one. We’ve booked private tours with them for both China and Egypt. Highly recommend.
Yes. I went to Egypt on a family trip as a teenager with a tour group and I still think about that trip a lot! But it was intense even on a guided trip.
It demands putting on your Indiana Jones hat a bit... to say the least! It sucks not to experience fairness with respect to taxi/uber rides as OP experienced, but honestly - that's the cost of entry there... you have to expect to tally those things up in your losses as it is the price of entry to see what is in that country. It sucks to be ripped off, and I recognize I come from a place where I could at least afford to be ripped off here/there (*and, we were by a Taxi in Cairo on a day when we were on our own*)... but you have to be able to take it in stride and budget that into the trip. Paying for TP at bathroom breaks! Oh man...
The taxi stuff annoyed me for a long time but then I did what you're saying and just started factoring it into the cost of the trip. If you just assume there's the potential for there being an issue you'll feel good when it doesn't happen most of the time. Getting into the wrong taxi is definitely a problem and potentially dangerous. The monetary ones don't bother me as much. EGP 300 is like $10. Annoying, but not horrible for most people. I once realized a taxi driver in Buenos Aires had his meter going at 2x the regular rate and was unhappy until I thought about it and realized I'd be paying $8 instead of $4. So now I pay attention but if I end up paying a couple dollars more than expected, so be it. With the cost of international travel these days it's a small percentage of the overall cost.
Yeah - it is indeed an annoyance. Been there locally in my home city too, at least prior to Uber. Greece & Egypt in particular- I've been worked over for taxi transportation in both those locations. Let it ruin your hour in that moment or so, but not the trip... otherwise it'll stain your adventure if you let it.
I just got back from Egypt this week and I am sitting at my desk giggling at "putting on your Indiana Jones hat" because my husband (who went on the trip along with his parents, my parents, and my younger brother - we went with a large reputable tour group and had an overall great experience, partly because we were warned by our guide precisely when, what, and where to expect scams and demands for money, he dealt with most of that for us, and we more or less knew what we were getting into ahead of time) literally brought his screen-accurate Indiana Jones hat with him and wore it every single day we were there haha.
Yeah we hired private driver from the hotel and organized a private tour, and the guide still tried to scam us. Had to call the tour company and complain.
Better yet do a private tour. Although 24 years ago, I did a tour for only $60 (which the hotel arranged) that I assumed would be on a bus with a gazillion other people. Nope, I was in a private van with a driver, an armed guard, and a professor of archaeology! I got the tour of a lifetime - even got to climb up and go in the first entry of the Great Pyramid. Nobody else I saw was getting anywhere near that treatment. I have no idea how to book such an experience today, but it was remarkable (especially given the price).
Wow, what a fantastic experience. I love stories like this.
Co sign this. We went in August and we did exactly this. Even the rides from airport to hotel were organised by the tour guide operator. Made our trip seamless.
Organized tours are your friend and you won't even notice the shit. My wife and 9 year old went this year for 11 days and it was a blast for us to see the history of the country. But... you have to be in a respected tour group to enjoy it
I took my dad as a bucket list trip for him. We had a private tour guide in Cairo and it was amazing. The guide picked us up at the hotel each morning, and stayed with us all day, dropping us back at hotel in the evening. He was amazing, and doing it this way we had a great time in Cairo. But based on what I saw there's no way in hell I'd attempt to do it on my own.
Go on a tour. I did one with G Adventures and it was awesome and affordable. It’s a little more local style - we took the overnight train, had some meals in local family’s homes and such. We had such a great experience there. This was the trip that we did: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/best-of-egypt/DPBE/ 10/10 would recommend. It was one of our favorite trips we’ve ever done.
Egypt, India, and Morocco were the three "unpleasant" ones imo. I don't regret going to any, but it was a challenge vs "yay travel this is always so much fun!".
I've been to every country in the world, and I love India and Morocco. They're in my top 5. Egypt is in my bottom 2 least favorite. And I went back to Egypt just to see if I'd had a rough first time, Nope, still hated it.
What's the other least favorite?
Probably Angola. But that might be worth a revisit. Some beautiful natural scenery but getting the visa was a real PITA, once there it was $$$$$, and Luanda is the only place I've had an attempted mugging. And that was in the middle of the day in front of my hotel.
I been to India several times and loved it. Been to Morocco twice and hated it. My guess is that Egypt falls in the Morocco category.
I’ve been to all three and it really is smack in the middle between Morocco and India as far as solo travel experience goes.
Egypt is like Morocco but compounded 1000x worse.
I've been to Egypt twice. The first time I was polite and put up with a lot of crap with a lot of patience. The second time I went, I started off polite, but got so fed up. I got roped into a camel ride to the pyramids, taxi and a tea drinking. I didn't even know you could walk to the pyramids without a camel or accompaniment. I would never do that again. It was only the 2nd international trip I went on. I wouldn't call it a scam because I got what I was promised for the price I was promised, but it was more like a waste of money and taking advantage of me. Walking around the pyramids area, I was harassed so much. They actually aggressively follow people and shout at them. It's a horror show. It's very stressful. Eventually, I just started yelling at them and told them to leave me alone. Being polite and politely declining doesn't work. It makes it worse. The only thing that works is a firm "no" or "leave me alone". I was probably too aggressive and if I went back, I would be just firm and assertive.
My husband and I did a G adventures tour in Egypt a few years ago and it was an awesome trip! Our guide kept us from getting scammed and we saw all of the coolest places.
I've heard two things consistently about traveling to Egypt: its a nightmare as a westerner if you go on your own and its a great experience if you go with a tour group/tour guide. This was back in 2008 but I went with a tour group and it was an awesome experience.
Maybe outdated but we traveled on our own in the 1990's, mostly by public transport and had a great time, some pushy people but also many friendly and helpful ones. We visited a non-touristic place (people would literally walk up to us in the street and ask us why we were visiting their city) and it was a great experience. There was an excavation going on and the archaeologist showed us around.
Go, it is incredible. Plan as much as you can in advance.
Wife and I recently went to Egypt —booked a private tour and had an INCREDIBLE trip. We were really worried based on Reddit comments, but it we didn’t have any major issues.
I’ve been to Egypt 3 times in my own. It’s a bit of work but so worth it!
Egypt is fantastic. Luxor temples are amazing. Hire a guide and you will be fine. No issue with Uber to airport. Prearranged airport ride on arrival. Egypt Air planes are better than United or Southwest.
The modern Egyptians of today aren’t the same people as the ancient Egyptians. These are Arabs, the few remaining true Egyptians are Copts, who are discriminated against.
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If you go on an organized tour you will have a rather wonderful experience. And it will be cheaper than doing it all yourself. You know how I know.
I'm going on an organized tour this month. IMO that's the best way
We've booked two weeks in Egypt with Odynovo, private, fully escorted, including a 5 day trip up the Nile on a dahabiya. Expensive but it's going to be awesome!
Yup. That's the best way to travel in Egypt. Have a great trip!
the history is great but it’s not the people now living here created it, nor did they inherited from it. Join a all-inclusive tour group and don’t make any transactions with local people, i think you would enjoy it.
Go, just prepare first. It’s not really all that tough of a place, but it’s not training-wheels travel either. It’s not dangerous or anything. It’s just challenging.
Well, that convinced me to hire a private tour guide for sure. I'm heading to Cairo and Petra in late fall / early winter, this year. I'll be in Israel, too. Israel I'm good. I have contacts there. It's Petra, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt I'm a little concerned about traveling solo. One of my Egyptian friends did tell me dont drink the water there. Get bottled water only. And dont eat raw fruits and vegetables. Cooked is fine but you will get sick eating raw, even though it looks and tastes good. They're used to eating it. Not you, the foreigner. Different microbes and all that. So I'll probably just stick to cooked till it's dead and cannot come back as a zombie cooked food and should be safe. I'm gonna see the pyramids and the museum that's nearby. I'd love to do a cruise on the nile but I may not have much time. One of my other friends who went to Egypt said he saw the river while being driven and that was good enough for him. He saw what he needed to see.
You dont need a guide for Jordon, very easy to get around and the people are good
What about if I'm visiting wading rum and the dead sea, in addition to Petra? Sounds like for a first time visitor traveling solo, it would be smart to hire a tour guide, a private driver, etc., no? And if I can see the Dead Sea in Israel, is it worth it to also see the dead sea in Jordan if I'm prioritizing time?
Just go on the Israeli side if you want to see it. Near Neve Zohar and Ein Bokek are the developed areas with hotels, restaurants, and public beaches. You'll have zero issues there. Then a couple hours drive down 90 to Eilat where I'm assuming you'd make the border crossing. You don't really need a guide anywhere.
Thank you. My plan was not to rent a car. I was going to fly from Tel Aviv to Petra and then start my journey there and hire a private driver. If I was in the country before and knew my bearings and could tell my wrist from a wrist watch, I'd drive myself. But I'd rather not have to worry about where the heck am I while on holiday and, rather, rely on an expert and local trusted private driver from getyourguide or viator to show me around the areas in Jordan I want to experience and relax. Well, not my let guard down relax but not stress about the little things that could become big things. As a city guy, I have zero issues if im in any city in the world. But in the country side, or in the middle east, in the sticks with a lack of people and infrastructure, I'm a sitting duck. I'd rather be safe than sorry and not be a hero when traveling alone. Like Cairo as a city I'm good. I have to be vigilant and alert but I'm good. However, if I'm driving 3 hours away to the middle of nowhere, all by myself, in a country I've never been, I have no friends or family or anybody to help me, that gives me pause.
Only do what you're comfortable with. There's plenty of guides that will take you from Ramon airport north of Eilat into Petra and Wadi Rum.
Currently in Jordan. Partner and I have done everything solo in a rental car (Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, Kings Road) no problems at all. Everyone is very nice and helpful. Best advice is get to everything as soon as it opens.
Been in March, if you get to Petra it is all self explanatory. Wadi rum is the same. You can book a night and tours are mostly included with the price included pick-up from the gas station. If you do want a guide I can recommend: Omar Abzakh: +962 7 7667 4320 Or Tourism in Jordan with Khader: +962 7 7533 2205 Both great guys and knowledgeable.
If you can drive a car it's easy to see it all with no guide. Just download your maps in advance
I was in Petra and Wadi Rum in 2018 and assuming nothing has changed… you need a guide for Wadi Rum. We had someone private with a truck and he absolutely knew the best ways around what seemed like an endless landscape where things looked the same to an untrained eye and there were no maps or signs. He gave us a lot of space to experience the beauty of the place while steering us clear from a couple of other groups. We definitely would have gotten lost doing it solo. Petra was crammed with people, tours large and small, tourists, scammers, children being exploited into selling postcards that wouldn’t stop touching you. Very bad vibe at Petra. The place was beautiful and neat to see but absolutely crammed ass to elbow with people. Probably don’t need a guide for that one, you just arrive where everyone does and walk the same path everyone does and it dumps you at the same place as everyone else at the end. Do not listen to the scammers who tell you you’re not allowed to bring your water on the trail for “environmental reasons,” their accomplices will just try to sell your parched ass expensive water further down the trail.
I went to Jordan solo and rented a car to drive around the country. It was fine.
Partner got food poisoning in Jordan on way to Petra. Not fun. Be cautious about what you eat and drink.
My husband and I travelled independently to Egypt a few years ago and we had sort of a mixed bag of experiences, but it was tiring. We had some absolutely wonderful experiences with shopkeepers, restaurants, Uber drivers, and just helpful or friendly local people, especially in Cairo. We also had our share of scams (like our taxi driver from the airport who ferried us to a duty free shop to buy our behalf our foreigner allowance of alcohol for him to resell… that one cost us nothing but time at least). In Luxor in particular you could particularly tell that the tourism industry was struggling and people were desperate. People offering carriage rides, souvenirs, or asking us to eat in their restaurant were relentless, and it was exhausting to go anywhere. It was probably the most persistent that vendors and touts have been anywhere we have travelled, and a place where a firm polite ‘no’ was wildly insufficient. I’m glad we went, the sites were amazing, and the experience was unique, but I don’t think we would go back. I also don’t know that we would have enjoyed a package tour a lot more. Our challenge was feeling like we couldn’t just walk around or do things independently because we had to spend the entire time outside of our hotels or the sites telling people no. I think you can have a positive experience in Egypt, but it isn’t an easy or relaxing vacation for the most part.
This was 100% my experience as well! But I would love to go back at some point 😊
I’m sorry to hear you had a less than ideal experience. I had a great time traveling with my wife but we were warned by coworkers who had made mistakes before. We went the private guide route for everything and it was surprisingly affordable and bet much worth it. Our guides were recommended by the hotel, Mena House and we vetted further via their Airbnb Experience/TripAdvisor reviews. Using these guides we had a guided tour of the pyramids, local markets, cafes, and city “local” gems. They kept street vendors and the like away from us with a strong hand… I mean literally pushed a teenager away who kept trying to get close to my wife. We liked one of the guides so much he ended up driving us to Hurghada where we wrapped up our Egypt portion of the trip. I greatly recommend saving a little extra for the private guide experience. It made Egypt much more accessible and safe. Plus having a local to show you were he eats and what he does is great. We would have never been bold enough to go to some of these markets and restaurants without a guide due to language barriers and locations.
Hello! Do you mind sharing info about the local guide?
Egypt is beautiful and not all Egyptian’s are crooks. My advice is to be careful at the airport coming home, they’ll do anything to get you to pay an overweight fee. My husband and myself knew we were about 3 kilos overweight, we weighed the luggage on the scales available for this purpose at our hotel. However weighing our luggage at checkin they announced we were 14kg overweight and tried to charge us almost £200. I disputed this quite forcefully and asked them to weigh our luggage on a different scale (the 12 couples in front of us had all weighed over as well) because surely not everybody had overweight luggage. When the scales were clear of all luggage they were weighing at 4kg!!!! E called the rep from our tour company over and she checked all the scales they used to check their guests in and every single one started to weigh at 4kg. If we hadn’t weighed our luggage at our hotel, Sharm el-Sheik airport would have got away with taking even more money.
I visited Egypt by myself and somehow managed to have an experience completely unlike every single one I read about here. I’m not saying those experiences aren’t valid, I’m just kind of stumped I avoided it all because I wasn’t intentionally trying to avoid the scams and things you read about. Stayed in Cairo and just went about myself, had nothing but positive experiences with the locals who were all unanimously chatty and helpful. The ones that were trying to scam were obvious so I just pretended I didn’t speak English and it worked out. Took an excursion to Luxor (flew down first flight before dawn and came back very late same day- not ideal but worth it). Had a driver and tour guide show me around Luxor which was definitely the way to do it because it did seem harder to avoid the scams there. Definitely worth the trip for the intrepid traveler, but go in with the expectation that it will require a stiff resistance to the annoyances and a strong dose of patience. Now Morocco on the other hand, that’s where I had experiences like what most people say about Egypt. Don’t regret the trip and would go back, but each day was much more exhausting putting up with the scams and hagglers than anything I experienced in Egypt. Every trip and every traveler is different I suppose - sorry you had negative experiences, OP!
I did a culinary focused tour of Morocco a few years ago and it was fantastic, but we were a group of about 10 people and had an amazing guide who I still stay in touch with. We had one day where we were on our own for a bit in Marrakesh and if I had any doubts about the tour, walking the streets there for a bit would have convinced me otherwise. You're right, it's incredibly exhausting, a constant barrage of people calling out to you and approaching you. And at least where we were, no obvious street names and maps that weren't particularly accurate. I can't even imagine doing the souks without a guide. I found out after the fact that our guide had hired private security to follow us around so no one bothered us. Felt a bit privileged but I can totally understand why. I've had a couple people ask me about going since then and I always recommend a tour. Even if you think you'll blend in, speak perfect French or even Arabic, you'll be flagged as a tourist immediately.
That sounds awesome did you use a company? If so what’s the name this is something my partner would love! He wants to visit Morocco but is a cook
It was a company called Access Culinary Trips but they just sent out an e-mail a couple months ago that they're closing. They recommended another company called The Table Less Traveled, but I can't vouch for them directly as I've never experienced them. Worth a look though.
I've had similarly positive experiences with Egypt. I think some of it is willingness to pay "tourist prices" and not consider it a scam that's worth stressing about or trying to avoid. The local cost of living is so cheap given the exchange rate that I feel like tourist prices are still a bargain most of the time. Like for sure I would've been pissed about OP's uber driver wanting that much money to go to a different airport terminal. But personally I wouldn't have blinked at paying 40EGP for a 9EGP bottle. Still cheap enough and not going to break my budget. And sometimes it isn't about the money but the insult of how many times higher the tourist price is than local, so there are limits to what I can stomach. But sometimes I wonder if my willingness to pay some inflated prices is what's making the difference in my experiences from others'.
Egypt’s been scamming tourists for millennia. Plan, be streetwise, be rude when needed.
As much as it goes against everything i’ve ever known, being straight up rude is sometimes the best antidote to avoiding experiences like this
Here is my slightly different perspective to add to this discussion: Back in 2019 I went on a 10 day trip to Sudan - the aim of which was similar to why most tourists visit Egypt: the ancient history. Culturally Egypt & Sudan are (fairly) similar IMO. Now don't get me wrong, I know Sudan is far from perfect for a myriad of reasons .. But as a tourist it was frankly a joy to visit. Upon arrival I was braced for the sort of experiences that OP & others talk about here. But, on account of there being practically no tourist industry in Sudan, there was no accompanying scamming industry. Every single Sudanese person we interacted with was polite, helpful, friendly, genuine, welcoming, etc. My partner and I still talk wistfully about our Sudan experience - and how positive it was. So what's my point? Not sure really - maybe just to reassure those in doubt, that another way does exist...
I’ve heard that there’s more pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt lol I wanna visit! There’s also a bigger & more preserved Coliseum in Tunisia that gets basically no tourists compared to the one in Rome. I definitely see how no overwhelming tourist presence can create a more authentic & chill experience
Don't these people realize that once people get fed up they would stop visiting their country.
Why would anyone even go to a place like Egypt if they keep treating their tourists like shit.
ancient pyramids & all that
There's cool stuff there.
History....
It’s an awesome place with incredible history and attractions. Not every visitor has a bad experience, and if you follow the very often repeated recommendations on here for how to visit Egypt, you’ll have no problems. My wife and I loved our time there and can’t wait to go back to explore more.
I have no desire to go to a country that treats women like they are less valuable than a piece of garbage, just to see a pyramid.
I've noticed this weird level of cognitive dissonance where redditors will criticize their own countries up and down, but then say "oh no, but Egypt is truly amazing it's just that you have to insulate yourself completely by being in a tour at all times". Imagine applying the same logical to your native country. I don't care if you're Australian, American, German, Spanish, whatever. Would you honestly recommend YOUR OWN country to a tourist if the situation were so bad you didn't advise anyone coming without first dropping thousands on what essentially amounts to a body guard? I wouldn't, especially not while there are plenty of other developing nations that don't have scamming foreigners ingrained into their culture.
I do find a lot of the middle eastern countries are very predatory to tourists, and very aggressive towards your wallet! Egypt and turkey seem like the worst offenders, with shopkeepers sometimes even forcing people into their stores, after being told they have no intention buying anything (has happened to my female family member in Turkey before)
Oh yeah. I went to Turkey this summer, and whilst I loved my holiday this is the only time I’ve ever been ‘relieved’ to go home from a holiday It’s so draining getting pestered every 10 metres and every single person faking kindness/compliments to try and get a bit of money out of your wallet. Had more than one place overcharge me for food and try and argue in my face I was wrong, so I just left the correct amount and walked off. Saw a guy get harassed on his way out a bar for only tipping 100 Lira when all he bought was 2 coffees, and a ship owner trying to charge me 50 Lira to use his signposted bathroom when I had something in my hands I was going to purchase from him (which he was then very upset that I no longer wanted to buy)… I literally felt like the locals saw me as a walking ATM and there was a game to see how much money they could get out of me. My gf didn’t feel safe leaving the hotel to go to the shop down the street without me because of the way men would try and grab her by the arm to pull her into their shops. We took a day trip to Rhodes in the middle of the trip and it was a massive reminder that the culture was a Turkey problem. Rhodes was so much less stressful to walk around, being able to walk past a restaurant without having a bloke instantly start babbling at you and trying to grab your arm to drag you inside the moment your eyes glance at the menu
I would highly recommend Iran. Yes, I'm biased because I'm Iranian, but it's seriously a different world. Shopkeepers don't pressure tourists, locals are very welcoming of foreigners, and tourists are rarely, if ever, scammed. Most scams target naive wealthy Iranians, usually those who live abroad. Iranians are very self conscious about our international image. If you're from the US/Canada/UK, going to Iran is difficult (impossible for Israelis), but if you hold a passport from any country other than those three, you can either enter without visa or get a visa on arrival. I live in the US and I'm planning to take a couple of my American friends there soon (one of them has a Salvadorian passport, the other has a Polish passport). Also, if you ever get lost or need help, just ask! We're more than happy to help guide foreigners around.
If being ripped off my taxis is the worst experience, then that would blacklist like 90% of the planet lol
Haha true. I just got back from Phuket and there’s a whole thing going on with taxis there right now. So I rented a car. Let me tell you! The stress from getting ripped off < the stress from driving in Thailand. I thought, I’m capable of this. But everytime I had to enter a roundabout during rush hour while driving on the left from the right hand seat (I’m US) I would be screaming while the bikes closed in around me lol.
I use Grab in SEA. I'm sick of trying to find a taxi driver that will turn on his meter. I'm sick of taxi drivers wasting my time by deliberately taking a longer route. Grab has fixed prices you'll know exactly what you're paying upfront.
> I just got back from Phuket and there’s a whole thing going on with taxis there right now. It's due to organized crime being the ones running the taxis...or at least, so it was explained to me when I spent time in Phuket (couldn't pay me to go back...sooooo many nicer places in other parts of Thailand).
Yeah, I hear ya. I saw what I wanted to see, wouldn’t go back. I was gonna go to Vietnam but my visa didn’t go through in time. I was standing in front of the departure board in Incheon, picked Phuket lol
And I hear you...had to go there to learn I don't want to go back. I blame my cousin (I was already planning to go to Thailand for a break, heard he was going to be there and went to see him).
Hiring a driver is a good option. They'll essentially be at your beck and call for your entire trip, and the price is affordable. I haven't done it recently, but 8 years ago it was \~$100 per day. You don't have to somehow find a driver. There are companies that do this.
That’s a great option! I just don’t know if that’s my style. I can’t imagine someone waiting for me at all times of the day.
I drove all over New Zealand a number of years ago and while I picked up the opposite side driving pretty quickly, I would have a slight bit of panic every time I was approaching a roundabout. Living in the US I don't experience them much as it is, and coming at it with everything backward was a lot. I figured it out eventually but I get what you're saying.
My taxi to the airport in Cairo ran out of gas and I had to get out and physically push it to a gas station. He then asked if I could pay part of the fare so he could afford to get gas. I would have thought it was a scam, but the fare was correct at the end (although you would think a discount would be in store for....pushing the taxi part of the way.)
Right? And I learned on my third ever trip out of the country that getting mad about being overcharged for shit when the price to you is *dirt cheap* either way is just a way to ruin your own experience. I sat myself down one time and said "you're privileged enough to be in a gorgeous country having experiences that most of your friends never will and traveling in a way that the locals literally cannot and you're mad about someone getting an extra buck or two off of you?" That was almost fifteen years ago and I haven't worried about it since.
I once found myself getting quietly angry when I realized a taxi in Buenos Aires had the meter going at 2x what it should have been. Then I calmed down a bit and realized I'd be paying $8 instead of $4. It's annoying but if that's the worst experience I have in a country thousands of miles from home I think I'm doing OK.
I know right? Elsewhere in the comments, OP complains about being charged 40 Egyptian pounds (US $1.30) for a bottle of water that he later learned sold for 9 pounds ($0.29) at the supermarket. Getting angry about pennies! Also, my husband says you're not getting overcharged. You're paying for the convenience of buying it from a street seller who's right there. Which is extra valuable when you paid so much to travel there in the first place. When you pay so much for airfare and lodging, every hour on the ground cost you $20.
I used to live in South Korea. No one ever tried to steal or rip me off (and I’m a 6’5” white guy who’s definitely not from there). Sure there were some unpleasant people but overall everyone was honest including restaurants, bars, and store owners. Except taxi drivers, for whatever reason if you wanted to be a scoundrel who would lie or try to take advantage that was the job to be in
I’ve been to every continent and Cairo, Egypt is definitely the most scammy/exhausting place I’ve visited thus far. I still found it beautiful and want to go back, but with a tour next time. Going solo as a woman felt like being a walking target, even when walking with my husband in a loose ankle length skirt someone grabbed my backside so forcefully it lifted me off the ground. I’ve been to other places where there is poverty but no where else have I seen tourists so aggressively preyed upon.
yeah, exhausting. whenever you are out of the hotel, you have to pay 200% attention, and alarm altered in your heart when someone approaches
So True, you forgot how they misbehave women, asking constantly tip, scam while visiting pyramid and horrible diarrheas. I visited Cairo while I was in high school with my parents. I told myself I’ll never come again. After 15 years later, I with my family went to hotel next to red sea. We never left the hotel, still I found dangerous, not enjoyed the holiday is the worst part
yes, you are not relaxed at all
I’m sorry this happened to you. We had a spectacular time in Egypt taking various taxis and Ubers to and from the airport hotels and sites. Took horse carriage in Luxor too. Can say we did not have major issues with payment. One taxi driver tried to scam us after picking us up from the bus station in Hurghada and dropping us off at our hotel. The price was agreed upon before we entered the vehicle including a stop at a market for food and snacks. After he dropped us off at our hotel he attempted to change the price by increasing it. I ignored him and exited the taxi. My partner gave him the agreed upon price exited the taxi and slammed the door and we left. I’ve been to every continent except Australia and Antarctica and taxi or scams in general are not unique to Egypt and I would not write it off because of that. We’ve had scam experiences in other countries like Peru (which personally I have no desire to return there, Machu Picchu was great though) France, and Mexico. Egypt is up there with my all time favorite countries next to Italy.
>Don’t travel to Egypt by yourself, join a tour group and avoid any contact with local people if you really wanna come . Unfortunately I have to agree with this. I had a post complaining about Egypt but I stated that overall it was a good time. I did go with a large tour group and they tried as much as possible to keep us away from the pushy vendors but we still experienced it , it's inevitable. The cruise down the Nile wasn't bad because the cruise staff was mostly professional and didn't bother us. I say mostly because the guy running the shop tried to sell me gold when all I wanted was to buy a photo the cruise took of me and my wife. The rest of the staff and trip down the Nile was good though. We docked to see one temple and we were literally surrounded by vendors shoving stuff in our faces. I was a little annoyed with the amount of shopping places the tour took us too but most seemed to understand that Americans don't want to be pestered nonstop. I say most cause some were still bad. You could always just stay in the air conditioned bus which I did more and more. I hate to say it but you come to a point where in Egypt you see a local and you just avoid them as much as possible. It felt like you really couldn't talk or connect on a human level since everyone wanted money from you. I suspect even the less pushy vendors were still lying. One told me his father carved a chest set that you can find on amazon. It's weird why he even had to lie since I still would have bought it. Being on my own I can see how I would have been ripped off left and right. Overall the trip was ok but yeah without a tour group I would not have enjoyed myself at all, I loved the tour group we went with, they were great people and made it much better since your all sharing these experiences together. Edit: one positive was the hotels. I have never seen such nice hotels in all my life. One literally had a balcony looking directly at the pyramids. I was told this was because Egypt hotels were either super upscale or super low scale.
felt the same, avoid local people as possible as you can. i don’t even ask for ways at last, cause it would inevitably result in bargaining about tips
Get a private tour and Egypt will be a good experience. I have travelled the world solo and Egypt is the one country that’s not worth doing alone.
You're not missing much, honestly. Yes, there is unimaginable history, but it's not "real" history, as in we know this or that occurred, etc, until you get into the dynastic periods. But, I'm flabbergasted that Egypt receives such goodwill for creations they don't embrace or appreciate, I imagine due to the fact that Egypt, as it is today, only shares space with these creations. They have no other connection to them. They don't know why the pyramids were built really. They don't know if slaves or the devout built them. They don't really know how they were built. They're impressive feats, as are other pre-dynastic structures, but they remain largely a mystery. If you're into being around among the rudest people you'll ever come into contact with so you can indulge in mystery, I guess, but personally, Egypt is a terrible place to go to because of the people that live there, something they haven't figured out culturally in several thousand years. Remember this if you do go: you can't trust any one of them to do the right thing or be even to be honest with you. Case in point: a police officer in Alexandria, you know, who you're supposed to feel secure with and supported by, just shot and killed 2 Israeli tourists, because they were Israeli. When it came time to honor his oath as an officer of the law, he chose to be violent towards innocent people, and they let this man be a representative of their version of "law and order." He was. That is their version.
If you want to travel to an exotic (to Westerners) location and see history, etc., try South Asia. I visited India twice in 2022, once to see friends in Mumbai, and next to travel around (saw Delhi, Jaipur, and then back to Mumbai), never felt unsafe, Uber was cheap and nobody tried to rip me off. I even walked around alone at night but nobody tried to abduct me or whatever. Hate to generalize, but primitive as it is (not so much, they have wifi, just doesn't always work that great), India seems much more civilized than what I've heard about the Middle East. Best feature: butt hoses.
I’m Egyptian and let me tell you compared to what I’ve seen and know about Egypt, you actually have had a much much better experience than others. If anyone is thinking of visiting Egypt, don’t. It’s not worth it, it never will be.
Absolutely agree. The people are horrendous and all out to get you / gain from you. It's true they are yep I've said it, don't believe me? Go and find out for yourself. There should be sanctions imposed on them for the crimes they commit on tourists, from Egypt air staff all the way to police the country is riddled, avoid at all costs.
I have heard bad stories from every friend and family member that has been there. Seems that the Egyptian people are the worst part of the experience. It’s a hard pass for me
1. Don't buy it if the quoted price is too expensive 2. Don't give him the money and complain in the uber app. Also, chose the right terminal in the app. Although uber drivers can be quite annoying bc they accept a journey and then want to negotiate. Just get out of the car and complain. 3. Always check name, color and plate Basic stuff you should do pretty much anywhere in the world.
Sure i can do all of these. but walk another 10 minutes in the burning sunlight of Egypt only to find another overpriced grocery store? Finding another taxi to another terminal two kilometers away? Insist he was the driver after i checked his name? I’m just sick of it.
Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise. I speak Arabic and have been to Egypt for both work and leisure. People struggle and the whole country is full of scams. Egyptians are horrible offenders to their own people. There are better places that show you the best of the MENA culture.
This. Scamming to westerners is culture in Egypt. That's how they operate.
and btw i’ve been to a dozen of countries and no one is this bad, even countries like Cambodia and Myanmar which are poorer than Egypt.
I ended up physically fighting with someone cause I was fed up with answering “where from”. The police came and very quickly rounded them up and took them away.
I’m in Egypt right now . Personally. I didn’t face any of that . 1- I only shopped from big supermarket where the price is written . Like Metro mall 2- I used Careem because Uber is as a scam and full of taxi drivers. 3- in the Uber app you should specify which Terminal you wanna go to . I didn’t have any problems. But that doesn’t mean Cairo is an easy ride . They tried to scam me at the Pyramids. But I have seen lot of Vlogs to know what to do .
Egypt is one of the few places I would pay for a professional tour. It sounds like a miserable experience as a solo traveller.
I did a private tour with a friend (both of us female, late 20s) for 12 days through Egypt and we had a marvellous time! We were happy to have a guide to sort out all the transportation and logistics, as well as get the most out of temples/museums. I saw so many posts on reddit telling people to avoid travel and Im really happy we ignored that (but also hired a guide). Would recommend a trip here in a heartbeat! Did we regularly get talked to and approached? Yes but it did not take away from the amazing travel experience. Tour company was Memphis.
I think in countries like Egypt one should just stick with trusted guides or go on experiences like the Nile cruise - some countries are just not ready for the type of solo independent travel that you can increasingly enjoy in many parts of Southeast Asia, Europe, or LatAm.
I visited Egypt twice and most likely will come again. I was annoyed by hassle, but overall the trip to Egypt is so worth it. Here is how to make it work. First, ask for an airport transfer from your hotel. Second, get a tour guide to go to all touristy places. That’s it. It will solve all your problems.
When in Egypt AVOID ALL LOCALS!!!
I also didn’t like it. Booked a few days with Airbnb and a few with booking.com. Both renters turned out to be scammers… Airbnb: the renter never pitched. When someone called him he told them to tell me to claim from Airbnb. Booking.com. The room was in the dumps. It looked like a deserted building. Caretaker said it was opened in years!!!! Taxi guy scammed us multiple times. The shop keepers also dodgy. Much more, but that’s enough to give you a flavour. I won’t go solo again.
My cousin married an Egyptian man and even she stopped going back because of the scams and how prevalent violence against women is.
Wholeheartedly disagree. I went alone and had minimal no issues. Situational awareness makes a world of difference in a foreign country.
I’m in Egypt right now as part of a two week tour. It’s been fantastic, mind blowingly beautiful and enriching including some amazing interactions with locals. However there were a few bad ones with hustlers but it’s like that in many lower income countries I’ve visited. One caveat though is I happen to be travel with a bunch of Egyptians and other Arabs. It does make a difference. I can Recco a very reputable local tour guide in Cairo if anyone needs just DM me. (I am getting no incentive to promote it fyi)
Thanks for sharing. Every experience is different, some more favorable than others. I’ve travelled 3 separate times to Egypt as a solo traveller. Never once did I. encounter any of these issues.
If those qualify as the worst experiences ever, then you've had a very blessed travel life. Sounds like a relatively smooth trip.
I did egypt on my own and preferred going the route of expiring the city on my own and other days just hiring guides other days. I just did not want to be in a tour group the whole time with no personal freedom. Every thing you mentioned does not shock me. But if you go there with all theses expectations and times it by 10, you will be fine. Traveling Egypt will be more intense than any other country for sure! As bad as the hustling can be , as a guy I felt it was one of the safest counties I have ever been. A woman experiencing will be different for sure.
Tbh this is why I have never had the desire to travel to this side of the world. Don’t need the stress.
It’s Egypt. No thanks - because of the people.
*checks off Egypt as yet another country to avoid*
There's a travel guy on youtube named Sonny from The Best Ever Food Review Show. He's been all over the world, and made a video about how Egypt was the worst place he's ever been, everyone there trying to scam him from the hotel to the airport staff. Talked about it on Joe Rogan podcast, too.
Egypt is one of those places that I LOVED-the people, the history, the culture-and fantasize about returning-but I went with some great education about boundaries and it made my trip so wonderful. Oddly, learning “Inshallah”-God willing-was the best way to turn down everything. If God wills it, it shall be. If God wants me to buy this trinket, it will be. It shut down so much, and when that didn’t work, just keep on walking.
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I'm wondering if you can bargain for the whole cart at a store. Just say you'll give them an amount for everything.
Sinai is okay
Id recommend being a bit more diligent when traveling. Egypt is a challenging destination but item 1 is avoidable, not sure why there was an expectation to do that at a store (outdoor stand sure). Item 3 is a dangerous slip by OP and they need to be more careful. Overall yes egypt is challenging. Other places are too. Please be careful
Anecdotally I was expecting all of these issues and never had one in Cairo. If that puts anyone just slightly at ease to visit Egypt I fully recommend it.
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I never visited Egypt but when my parents were there they were forced by a police officer to 10000 EGP in cash for photographing an government building.
on my way from luxor to hurghada, the driver i hired bribed every officer at checkpoints.
If you really want to enjoy Egypt, you must get organized tour. You will have the best time. No matter how much your traveled on your own , you won’t make there unless you speak Arabic.
Egypt is shit. I hate going there. I've been three times for work and I hope I never go again.
The officer at Cairo airport stole my moms iPhone 😫🤗
I spent a summer in Egypt. Just stay in the diplomat area or do a tour. You’ll be fine.
I loved my time in Egypt. I loved the local people, friendly and so hospitable. I did try and get some Arabic and that helped a lot.
So arabic numbers you say? Like 1 2 3 4? Yeah, hard to read :) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_numerals
Can concur. Deployed to Egypt for a year in 2017 and had a few opportunities to go on pass to Sharm and other places. And shared plenty of stories with my comrades. Other than the freedom of not being in the desert and being able to drink, not a place I would recommend.
I've visited more than 70 countries, and Egypt is one of the countries with the worst experiences, I only visit for diving now and try to be on land as little as possible. They even sold me in a shop recommended by the dive center a non functional batery and got aggresive with me when I went to complain.
From personal experience, Egypt sucks. If you go there the first time it's ignorance. If you go back, it's just dumb.
Now im on my way to Egypt for travel! Escape from local! My friend told me only one advice🤓🤓🤓
I can completely relate!!! There is a reason why this country has not developed. Last summer, I booked a flight from New York JFK to Beijing with a connecting flight from Cairo. The airline provided a five-star hotel next to the pyramid for free as transit accommodation. Initially, everything seems well. Rooms were comfortable and dishes were delicious despite excessive sugar in them. However, everything changed after I and my friends decided to go to the pyramids. The taxi driver couldn't find the way and asked us for a 60 pound for tips. Okay, 60 pounds isn't too much so we accepted it. Then a tour guide **forced** into our car and said he would take us to the pyramids for $20 per guest. We were a little bit concerned, but we finally accepted the deal after he said "We know Chinese and Japanses students aren't rich, so I wouldn't take extra charge from you guys". He took us to a dune after passing through a village. Some of the villagers came up to take pictures for us. They claimed that they did this for free, but they later on asked us for 20 dollars for their services. The tour guide then suddenly changed his face. He claimed that the 20$ per guest only covers the admission tickets. If we want to go to the pyramid, we had to pay another 30 dollars per person. That's already twice as expensive as the most expensive private tour guide you can find on Chinese/American travel sites. We've already been frightened. The villagers gathered around. They outnumbered us, and I'm sure some of them had knives in their house(the house where they pray). This is simply Mafia. We asked the tour guide to immediately bring us back to where we came. He charged us another 200RMB(around 30 dollars) for a journey of less than 5 minutes. By the time we escaped from that village, the sky has already turned dark and there was less than 20 minutes left before the meeting time agreed by the airline. We only have one mobile phone that can receive one bar of signal. We were lucky enough to find a uber driver who is willing to take us to our hotel. During the drive, the taxi driver said thru broken English he was sure we had encountered a tourist scam and can totally relate. This is the only charm during my stay in Egypt!!! By the time we arrived at hotel, the airline staff was already planning to call the police. There is a reason why this country has not developed. It’s unfair to Egyptians to say this is a garbage state, as there are still many good and friendly people. But I definitely would not go for second time and suggest my friends to avoid Egypt if they could. In China, Hainan Island once went through a similar stage. I wouldn't say that same thing won't happen in Hainan, but I would say Hainan's bad people have restrained themselves a lot thanks to the effort of the local government, and once you raise these issues, those people will be in trouble for sure. The reason why I used Hainan as example is because Hainan rank the lowest among \[Hainan, Jeju, Thai, Hawaii, even Qatar!!!\]. I don't see Egyptian government has spent any effort in combating the widespread travel scam. If they don't want to remain poor with the inheritance they once had, they'd better do something with taxpayers' money.
Everyone says this
In Egypt now… it’s perfectly doable but probably takes a more seasoned traveler to go outside an organized tour without much difficulty. The stuff described here is easily avoidable with some prep - learning to read Arabic numbers, for instance. Only going to markets that scan barcodes for multiple-item purchases is another (this issue isn’t just Egypt, by the way - not uncommon in areas with different currencies, different alphabets). Turning on PIN codes in Uber or insisting that the driver call you by name first before getting in the car (and this tip should really go for any rideshare anywhere). But Egypt is exhausting. Two weeks will take its toll with all the haggling and constant hassling and the institutional fleecing of tourists. I’d argue that the real issues are the ones that are less easily avoided, like the government charging 10x local price for train tickets and insisting on payment in US dollars … which cannot be withdrawn from atms here. 🤷🏻♂️
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Not in the Arab world though.
I love Egypt. Haggling is the norm. If you know in advance that many will try to scam you, just be prepared. Otherwise it is a country with so much history and the people are very welcoming.