How to Get Around Egypt

Getting Around

Domestic flights are the fastest way to cover Egypt's real distances -- EgyptAir and budget carriers connect Cairo with Luxor, Aswan, and the Red Sea resorts in about an hour each, a significant time saver over the alternative overland routes.

Nile cruises and sleeper trains connect Luxor and Aswan directly along the river, a classic, comfortable way to see Upper Egypt's temples in the traditional order they were built to be experienced. Trains also run along the Nile Valley and Delta more broadly, generally reliable and affordable, though slower than flying.

Within Cairo, traffic is notoriously heavy and taxis/rideshares (Uber and the local Careem) are the standard way to get around -- walking is impractical for anything beyond a single neighborhood, and the Cairo Metro, while limited, is a fast way to cross the city's worst congestion when a route lines up.

Verified against Global Affairs Canada, September 2026.

The desert has routes, not just roads

This is the rule most visitors do not expect. Travel to the oases and the deserts is advised along named roads only: Siwa via the Marsa Matruh–Siwa Road; Bahariya, Farafra and Bawati via the Oasis and Farafra–Dairut Roads; the White and Black Deserts via the Oasis Road; Marsa Matruh via the Marsa Matruh Road. Stay on main highways, avoid uncontrolled and poorly maintained roads, and stop at designated checkpoints and comply with what officers ask — there are several along the South Sinai highways.

Unexploded landmines remain a real risk in parts of the Mediterranean shore, the Western Desert, the Sinai Peninsula and the western shore of the Gulf of Suez. Known minefields are not marked by signs, though they may be enclosed by barbed wire — so treat wire in open country as a warning rather than a fence, and take local advice before going off-road at all.

Driving, and why most people do not

Road conditions are often poor and Egypt's rate of car accidents is among the highest in the world. Drivers have little regard for traffic regulations and do not give pedestrians right of way, so crossing a street needs attention. Avoid microbuses, whose driving habits the Canadian advisory singles out as hazardous. Carry an international driving permit if you do drive. Sand and dust storms in spring can blow at high speed, making driving difficult, cutting visibility enough to affect flights, and causing respiratory problems that can be fatal for some people. Heavy rain can flood low-lying areas in the north and make roads impassable.

Money, which is more cash-based than you expect

Bring US dollars in cash. They are preferred at tourist sites, some travel agents and tour operators want payment in US cash only, and the 30-day visa on arrival is itself paid in cash dollars. Major cards work in larger shops and for larger purchases, but many merchants take cash only or add a fee for card payment. A maximum of E£5,000 may be brought in or taken out, and any currency equivalent to US$10,000 or more must be declared.

Rules that carry serious penalties

Drones are strictly prohibited. Unauthorised import or use can bring lengthy jail terms and deportation, and may attract charges similar to espionage. Photography is prohibited of bridges, canals including the Suez Canal, government, police and embassy buildings and vehicles, and military personnel and installations. Exporting any antiquity, or anything over 100 years old, requires a licence. Drug penalties are strict, with capital punishment available for some offences, and drinking alcohol in the open outside licensed hotels and restaurants is prohibited.

Practicalities

A visa is required; British and many other passport holders can get an e-visa in advance or a 30-day tourist visa on arrival, and overstaying without authorisation means a fine on departure. The working week runs Sunday to Thursday, so Friday and Saturday are the weekend for offices and banks. Women, particularly foreigners, are frequently subject to staring, remarks, catcalls and touching, and the risk rises around public holidays when more men are on the streets. If you are a victim of crime, report it to the Tourist Police — usually identifiable by a distinctive arm band — or at a police station before leaving the country, and get a copy of the report, because prosecution afterwards is much harder. Emergency numbers: police 112, medical assistance 113, fire 110.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against UK Government (GOV.UK; FCDO travel advice abroad) — Egypt's overland alternatives -- bus, train and river -- all carry a recorded safety cost, which is the case for flying the long legs, Driving yourself is the wrong choice in Egypt; taxis and rideshares are the standard way around Cairo, Travel west of the Nile Valley and Delta is advised against except along named roads and the desert between them and the valley, with Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra and the White and Black Deserts each reached by one designated route, Travel west of the Nile Valley and Delta is advised against except along named roads and the desert between them and the valley, with Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra and the White and Black Deserts each reached by one designated route (September 2026).
Checked against Global Affairs Canada — The designated desert routes are the Marsa Matruh Road, the Oasis Road for the White and Black Deserts, the Marsa Matruh-Siwa Road for Siwa, and the Oasis and Farafra-Dairut Roads for Bahariya, Farafra and Bawati, Use main highways, avoid uncontrolled and poorly maintained roads, and stop at designated checkpoints, of which there are several on the South Sinai highways, Road conditions are often poor, the car accident rate is among the highest in the world, drivers disregard traffic regulations and do not give pedestrians right of way, and microbuses should be avoided, An international driving permit should be carried, The designated desert routes are the Marsa Matruh Road, the Oasis Road for the White and Black Deserts, the Marsa Matruh-Siwa Road for Siwa, and the Oasis and Farafra-Dairut Roads for Bahariya, Farafra and Bawati, Use main highways, avoid uncontrolled and poorly maintained roads, and stop at designated checkpoints, of which there are several on the South Sinai highways, Road conditions are often poor, the car accident rate is among the highest in the world, drivers disregard traffic regulations and do not give pedestrians right of way, and microbuses should be avoided, An international driving permit should be carried (September 2026).