Safety in Egypt

Hustlers: The main risk is the persistent "helpers" around the pyramids. They offer free gifts or to show you the best angle, then demand money aggressively.

Roads: Cairo traffic is chaos and there are almost no working lights. Cross the street by attaching yourself to a local, and never assume a car will slow down for you.

Water: Drink bottled only and brush your teeth with it too. Egyptian tap water carries bacteria that visitors have no tolerance for.

Solo women: Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees. You will attract attention regardless, but a firm "la, shukran", meaning no thank you, usually ends it quickly.

Checkpoints: There are many on the highways and at resort entrances. Keep your passport with you, because police check documents for every passenger.

Sun: Egyptian sun is deceptive because of the wind. Use factor 50+ even for walking around a city, or you will lose the first two days of your trip to burns.

Advisories: Check your own government's travel advisory before you book, particularly on the Sinai interior and the western desert.

Egypt leads the world in the density of tourist scams. Violent crime against visitors is rare, but the extraction of money runs on a conveyor belt and never stops.

Camels and horses at the pyramids. Scheme number one. A ride is offered for a token sum, but getting down again is not free: the price to mount and the price to dismount are different things. Agree in writing, with a total and a duration, and never pay in advance.

The "gift". A scarf, a papyrus or a figurine is pressed into your hand — "just a gift from Egypt". A minute later the demand for money begins, and returning the item is "impossible, you have touched it". Take nothing into your hands.

"Closed today." Outside a museum, a mosque or the pyramid enclosure, a helpful man explains the entrance is on the other side, that it is shut for prayers, or that you need a guide. The result is a trip to a perfume shop or a "papyrus factory". Check at the official ticket office.

Unmetered taxis. Meters rarely run in Cairo and Luxor. Agree the fare in advance or use an app, which removes both the price and the change from the equation.

Baksheesh. Tipping is part of the culture, but tourists are asked for it for everything: directions, an opened door, a photograph. Keep small notes separate and never produce large ones.

Banknotes. Similar colours and "no change" are a constant. Break your money in advance.

Drones are banned outright. This is the most common way to ruin your own trip: the drone is confiscated at the airport on arrival, and attempting to film from the air can end in detention. A permit is theoretically obtainable and practically not.

Medicines. Tramadol and codeine-containing products are classed as narcotics in Egypt. Foreigners have been detained over them, and cases have ended in real sentences. Carry any prescription drug with an English-language prescription and in its original packaging.

Drugs. Trafficking carries the death penalty and possession brings long sentences. No allowance is made for tourists.

Antiquities. Exporting any antiquity without a permit is a criminal, not administrative, offence. "A pebble from the Giza plateau" is taken literally by customs. Buy souvenirs only from licensed shops, with a receipt.

Photography. Military sites, bridges, airports, railway stations and police officers are off limits. Photographing people, women especially, without permission is received badly.

Social media and politics. Publicly criticising the authorities, posts included, is a criminal offence, and foreigners have been detained under these provisions.

Dress and conduct. The resort zones of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh are relaxed; in Cairo and Luxor, dress conservatively. Public displays of affection are not the custom.

Vaccinations. None mandatory; a yellow fever certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries. Hepatitis A and typhoid are advised.

Stomach. The pharaoh's revenge catches most visitors. The rules: bottled water with an intact seal, teeth brushed with it too, no salads or pre-peeled fruit outside the hotel, no ice from street vendors. All-inclusive hotels carry their own risk — salad bars standing in the heat.

Do not swim in the Nile or the canals. Fresh water here carries schistosoma, the parasite causing schistosomiasis. Infection occurs through the skin, from contact with the water alone. This applies to the Nile, irrigation canals and lakes — not to the Red Sea.

The Red Sea. Coral cuts, fire coral burns, and lionfish and scorpionfish are venomous — touch nothing. Hyperbaric chambers exist in Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab, but your insurance must cover diving as a named item.

Heat and sun. Luxor and Aswan pass 45°C in summer. The Valley of the Kings is seen at dawn. A hat and water are not negotiable.

Healthcare. Resort towns have decent private clinics oriented toward tourists, and Cairo offers more choice. Public hospitals are a last resort. Insurance is essential.

Egypt sits in the lower part of the Corruption Perceptions Index, and baksheesh permeates everything, including dealings with people in uniform.

Tourist police. Present at all major sites and in Hurghada, Sharm, Luxor and Cairo, in white or black uniforms marked Tourist Police. They respond to foreigners' complaints fairly readily — merely mentioning them often ends an argument with a trader or driver.

Checkpoints. Numerous on intercity roads, especially in Sinai and on the way to Luxor. Document checks are routine; keep your passport or a copy with you.

Extortion. A request for "something small" from a guard who "allowed" you to enter or take a photograph is ordinary. Legally you owe nothing; practically it is simpler to hand over a small note or walk away calmly.

If you are defrauded. For serious sums, the tourist police are worth approaching and genuinely investigate. For small amounts there will be no inquiry.

Group tours. In Egypt these are not just convenience but a level of security: organised groups travel agreed routes with escorts.

Emergency numbers: 122 for police, 123 for ambulance, 126 for the tourist police.