Solo Female In Egypt
Most people, when I told them I was heading to Egypt as a solo female traveler, to them I sounded a bit insane. For me, Egypt was definitely a destination out of my comfort zone to travel alone, call it the fear of the unknown or just a completely different culture from where I was used to traveling. It is by far the most conservative countries that I’ve ever traveled to and one that is known to be a very male dominate. I had read a ton of negative travel stories online about how traveling here for females can be scary at times, but I knew there had to be more than what I was reading online, I needed to form my own opinion.
Today marks one month of me exploring this incredibly diverse country and after seeing over 5 cities and meeting tons of unique humans, I can whole heartedly say that this country is absolutely amazing. As always, I try to be a smart traveler, but it’s also about the people you meet in each country. I 100% don’t think I would’ve had the same experience in Egypt as I’ve had, due to the amazing friends I’ve made here.
The first contact and friend I made here in Egypt was a local content creator based in Cairo named Ahmed. I had originally DM’ed him on instagram to ask about the drone laws in Egypt because I was concerned about bringing my drone and he had a viral video of him with a drone over the pyramids. I had seen all over the internet that the rules were insanely strict and to leave my drone at home, alas, this was true haha. We sent a few messages back and forth and he offered to let me stay in his families airbnb during my stay as well as take me around to a few sites around Cairo/Giza. As weird as that sounds, for likeminded travelers, it’s completely normal for people to offer up their homes for free or for fellow travelers to show strangers around their home towns.
First stop: Cairo
I arrived at the airport and Ahmed was there waiting for me as he had offered me a ride from the airport the week before! We drove to his families airbnb which was super cute and in the center of Cairo right along the Nile River. Keep in mind when staying in Cairo, the traffic is chaotic and loud. Be prepared to hear loud horns and sirens day in and day out.
Over the course of the next few days he showed me all the incredible places around town included Khalili Market, a ton of the best local eateries around town including Prince and Shoby restaurants and of course and epic ride around the Pyramids of Giza. Not only that, but he introduced me to a ton of fellow content creators and travelers which was so amazing!
Khalili Market is super cool to visit, but be ready for absolute chaos. Crowds, traffic and if you are a female prepare for an insane amount of cat calling. It’s best to not interact or give any attention to the cat calling because the more you interact, the more intense it will get! But you should definitely stop by and check out this maze of a market! When shopping around be sure to bargain for almost everything, my rule of thumb is that the price is typically half the price of the initial amount they offer you. If you’re looking for a place to have a bit of a break from the chaos, enjoy a Turkish coffee or tea with mint at the oldest coffee shop in Khalili Market called El-Fishawy
Also, when visiting the Pyramids, be prepared to be bombarded with tour guides and people offering to give you horse and camel rides. We paid 300LE ($10 USD) total for 2 of us to ride horses around the Pyramids. After the horse ride they put us on camels acting as if it was part of what we paid but as soon as we hopped off, they asked for a few more hundred LE. I 100% refused to pay it as they basically scammed us into it. Not only that, but the pyramids are 100% doable without a guide so I would suggest not paying for one!
All in all, Cairo was amazing, but a bit chaotic for me! A few tips to remember when visiting Cairo:
Be sure to be mindful of the dress code. Women should be covered up for the most part (Legs, mid drift, chest, etc).
Uber is your friend. It is the cheapest way to get around town and also helps avoid getting scammed by the taxis.
If you’re looking for a food delivery service similar to go-jek or uber eats, Talabat is the way to go!
If you are a digital nomad looking for a great place to work, 30 North was my absolute favorite cafe! They are a bit on the expensive side with super western prices, but the vibe and the wifi and great!
I didn’t experience much of the nightlife besides a place called Cairo Jazz. Although a pretty small place, you can find tourist and locals enjoying great music, cocktails and dancing! Beware, smoking inside is super popular here so if you don’t smoke, that may be a bit of an issue. Stay till the lights come on if you wanna know where the after party will be;)
As for the duration of your stay, I stayed a week here but if you are on a time crunch, the main sights can easily be seen in a day or 2.
If you’re looking for a solid tour of the Pyramids to the Museums with a guide, I highly suggest THIS ONE.
Second Stop: Aswan
Want to feel like you’ve really been taken back in time to ancient Egypt? Head to Aswan! This beautiful city still seems to be very much into their traditional numbian roots. I stayed at Anakato Hotel, but when booking online be sure to know when Anakato you are booking as they have 3 locations. I stayed in this city for 4 nights and feel that it was more than enough time to see all the major sights including:
Elephante Island
Philae Temple
Tomb of the Nobles
Mafia Island (Here you can drink traditional Numbian coffee and try sand boarding!
There are many tour guides around Aswan to choose from when it comes to doing day tours to the locations listed above but you can 100% do these on your own if you’d like. Anakato the hotel organized an incredible tour for me that took me to all the above in 1 day!
Make sure if you have the time, to take the trip to Abu Simbel. Yes it’s a 6 hour travel time round trip but it’s 100% worth it!! Most people said I was lucky to have it to myself basically because it’s usually overcrowded with tourist. What an incredible site. You can find tours from places like Bob Marley’s hostel for $30 as a group tour or pay $100 for a private car like I did! Be aware though, most of these tours only allow you to stay and explore the temples for 1.5 hours so once your get there, manage your time wisely because both temples are absolutely incredible!
For this be sure to ask your hotels for pricing and to organize a driver for you. Some hotels may try to take a cut for booking tours for you so be sure to pay around $100 or less for a private driver or $30 for a group tour.
Transit from Aswan to Luxor
There are plenty of options to travel from Aswan to Luxor whether you’d like to save time by flying, go the slower route by public bus, or make most of your transit by doing a tour. You can do this by a group tour or private car which I chose a private car which was 100% worth it in my eyes! I was able to stop at 2 of the most incredible temples Kom Ombo and Edfu, that were completely deserted by tourist and both are a MUST see on your way to Luxor. Not only will you be seeing some incredible temples, but you’ll be chopping up you 3.5 hour transit so it won't feel like such a tedious drive!
Third Stop: Luxor
Oddly enough, with so many people reaching out to me telling me I have to visit Luxor, I was expecting a lot more from this city! I think I was a bit spoiled from seeing Abu Simbel, Edfu and all the incredible temples before I had arrived in Luxor. Although I’m also a tourist, I usually get anxious in super touristy and overcrowded areas which almost every temple was in Luxor. There are temples in both East and West banks of Luxor which there are a number of tours that you can find that will stop at each one of these in one day alone. Check out a really incredible tour, that I highly recommend to see both the East and West bank in a day as well as the hot air balloons for sunrise: CLICK HERE.
Fourth Stop: Hamata, Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam is known for being one of the most beautiful dive destinations in Egypt. It has thriving underwater life and a lush reef throughout the entire coast. There are a ton of options for transportation including flights, busses and private cars. I took a private car as I wasn’t going to the main city of Marsa Alam, I was heading about 1.5 south to a town called Hamata. This sleepy town, is pretty deserted/isolated for the most part so from what I saw, the only reason you’d go down there is for a boat/overnight cruise. I was lucky enough to be recommended to a company that actually happens to be Egypts first live aboard, overnight Sailboat experience called Aziab. One this excursion there was the option of doing a 3 night or 6 night sailing cruise and I seriously regret not staying the full 6!
On this excursion every day we sailed to a new location where we’d freedive in the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea. I was pretty unfortunate when it came to the weather being super windy and it being winter time but that did not stop me haha! The trip was absolutely incredible especially considering the elements we were dealing with. Included with the price was 3 meals a day and freediving in some of the most incredible waters I’ve ever seen! No matter how windy or cold, I jumped in everyday and our last day there, we swam and played with a pod of over 80 wild spinner dolphins!! Honestly, these dolphins were the most interactive dolphins I've ever encountered in my life. Such an incredible experience and one well worthy of the trek down to Hamata. I will 100% be doing this sailing trip again, not only was it an incredible trip, the owners and staff were absolutely amazing! I felt like a part of their family literally the first day.
Fifth Stop: Dahab
Also known as a freediving meca, this sleepy beach down is the perfect place to escape the chaos of the bustling cities around Egypt! Dahab offers the perfect place to sunbath, learn to dive or even hike through the canyons of Sinai! As soon as I arrived in Dahab it was filled with non-stop adventure. Me and 4 friends took a tour through the mountains in a 4x4 that cost $150 USD for the entire day. The tour included a driver who took us to a ton of different locations around the Sinai deserts and canyons where we were able to stop, explore and hike wherever we wanted. Let me tell you, this place made me feel so small in the best way and honestly took my breath away! I feel like 1 day was far from enough time to explore this beautiful place so if you aren’t on a time crunch, take a few days to explore!
If you are interested in freediving or scuba this is probably one of the cheapest places in the world to do this so I highly suggest you try it during your time in Dahab. The beach strip is lined with shops so search online for reviews and take your pick because the shops are a dime a dozen out here!
One of the major highlights of my time here in Dahab was the bbq in the desert/canyons that I did with my friends! There was around 10 of us and for $60 total a local taxi drove us out into the middle of a secluded canyon, started a campfire, heated up some tea and cooked us dinner! We listened to music and danced the night away under the trillions of stars! This was not a tour but something that was organized between friends that I was so lucky to be invited to.
As for nightlife, you won’t find much of that here! The closest thing to a party would be Coral Coast, a beach front bar that offers cold beers and pretty decent music. Here you can find people drinking, dancing or just lounging around the tables chatting.
Everyday Cafe offers live music throughout the week with great food and vibes but is an alcohol free zone!
Another really cute event that happens every Tuesday is open mic night! Here you can express your creativity through art, song, poetry or however you’d like, to a very open minded group of people.
Final Thoughts On Egypt
Overall, I think Egypt is probably one of the most interesting countries I’ve ever traveled solo to. There’s so much history behind this country that can be seen and physically walked through throughout this entire country. Not even that but the way of life and culture is still so traditional here which is super interesting to me. Hearing so many points of views that are so foreign to mine is so interesting to hear and experience. Things that are so small to me, like the clothing I wear, is super important to people here and to their culture and religion.
Another thing is to bargain for everything, literally down to cabs and tours but this is very normal for most countries I’ve traveled to around Southeast Asia so I was well prepped for this! Most locals will know you’re a tourist and will attempt to take advantage of this. Cairo is the only place with Uber so when you’re in other cities, be sure to ask hotels for correct pricing for transportation. When buying things like clothing or souvenirs, remember prices are usually half of what they initially offer you!
Without the friends I’ve made here, I’m not sure if I would’ve had the same experience of Egypt as I have had here. I’ve met some really amazing fellow travelers who have showed me their beautiful home country of Egypt in a way that I definitely wouldn’t have experienced on my own. This stems back to the subject I always talk about, how the people in a country truly do make the country! Building connections and friendships with people while traveling is one of the highlights of exploring a new country and can truly show you a completely different perspective of their culture and what the country is really about! If you’ve never traveled a country as a solo female before I would suggest definitely starting somewhere like Southeast Asia not Egypt. Without the friends i’ve made here I can definitely see this country being a bit intimidating for a first time solo female traveler, I would definitely say Egypt is for the more seasoned solo female traveler.
Overall, I do think this has been one of the greatest adventures I’ve ever had in a country & Egypt is not to be overlooked when planning your next destination around the world!
However, if you are a solo traveler looking to explore Egypt but are nervous to do it alone, my Group Trips are the perfect option for you. You’ll get the opportunity to join the adventure of a lifetime exploring Egypt with other likeminded solo travelers & myself. Click the link below for more info!