Cairo Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Cairo.
Cairo has a tiered system: public hospitals for residents, private hospitals aimed at insurance-paying Egyptians, and a handful of international clinics catering to expats and travelers.
Dar Al Fouad in 6th of October City, As-Salam International Hospital in Maadi, and Cairo American Hospital in Zamalek accept overseas insurance and have English-speaking staff.
Green-cross pharmacies stay open until midnight. Pharmacists dispense many medications over the counter that require prescriptions elsewhere. Look for chains like El Ezaby or Roshdy.
Travel insurance is not legally required but strongly recommended. Hospitals request payment up-front if uninsured.
- ✓ Carry the generic name of any prescription drug; Egyptian equivalents are often available.
- ✓ Bring rehydration salts and diarrhea medication, changes in diet can upset stomachs.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpocketing in crowded markets and on packed Metro cars; bag-slashing on microbuses.
Lanes are suggestions, horns replace indicators, and pedestrians weave between cars.
Summer temperatures exceed 38 °C and humidity rises near the Nile.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
A friendly local offers to show you non-touristy things to do in Cairo and ends at a relative's perfume shop where prices are inflated.
Driver quotes 'ten' for a Giza ride, then demands ten dollars instead of ten pounds at the end.
Someone in plain clothes sells you a ticket outside the pyramid gate. The ticket is worthless.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Order rides through apps to lock in the fare. Note the license plate before entering.
- • Sit in the front car of the Metro for women-only space if traveling alone.
- • Split cash between a money belt and a dummy wallet. Keep one card locked in the hotel safe.
- • Use ATMs inside bank branches, not standalone kiosks on sidewalks.
- • Stay on well-lit streets downtown after 10 p.m.; avoid the underside of 6th of October Bridge.
- • Leave clubs with friends or a licensed taxi. Microbuses stop running around midnight.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Solo women travelers report more stares and occasional comments than threats; Egyptian women often intervene if street harassment escalates.
- → Use the women-only metro cars marked with a pink sign.
- → Sit with families in coffeehouses rather than alone at corner tables.
Same-sex relations are not criminalized under Egyptian law. But public morality statutes can be used against public displays of affection.
- → Book twin beds instead of doubles in budget hotels; high-end chains are more relaxed.
- → Avoid posting real-time location tags on dating apps. Meet in public cafés rather than private addresses.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Private hospitals in Cairo ask for credit card pre-authorization that can reach mid-range sums for overnight stays.
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