Is Hurghada Safe? (& Safety Tips for Visiting Egypt)
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One of the biggest questions that we get from our travels to Hurghada is “how safe is Hurghada?”. We feel like it’s about time we tell everyone our own experiences in this incredible place. In the process we will tell you all about how we feel about Hurghada and tips for making the most of your time in Hurghada. We need to make it very clear that everyone will have their own experience within Egypt. We can only talk about what we have seen for ourselves and how it affected our stay.
First Interaction
Our first impression of the area we stayed in was that it is very well looked after. You can tell that the locals have a lot of pride in the area. It was clear from the moment we walked in the hotel that the people that worked here worked hard. Everyone we saw that was staying there seemed to be in a good mood. The only ones that seemed a little off were the people going home. This said to us said everything we needed to know about the place.
Hotel Experience
Staying at our hotel was a very nice experience and we would recommend it to anyone. We do believe that first impressions count for everything. Even though we had just arrived and went pretty much straight to our room, there was still a good aura about the place. We stayed at Labranda Royal Makadi and felt instantly at home. You can read a full review about our time at Labranda Royal Makadi in our Best Hotels in Hurghada post.
The hotel was decorated beautiful with outstanding Christmas decorations lined throughout the reception area. We spent some time in this area to get some Wi-Fi and print off some documents. There are security checks before you come into the hotel. We felt very safe knowing that no one could enter without going through checks. The staff were very approachable so if we needed anything at all we could go to them. Labranda Royal Makadi was a great choice for us to stay and we felt secure and safe the whole time.
Local People
Our first encounter with the people that worked there was very pleasant. Especially because by the time we got in the hotel employees would have been just as tired as we were. All the same, they were very nice and welcoming to us. Every time we would leave our room to go and start the day, if we saw anyone that worked there they would always greet us happily and ask us how we were.
Shops
The hotel shops have the most welcoming vibe around. Even if you’re not buying anything and just looking around. Often one of the biggest worries people have is that if they are going to a destination that is known to be pushy with tourists. Some have even experienced this at their hotels too. Even if we weren’t making any purchases, the shop staff were friendly, courteous and polite at all times. They never pushed us to make any purchases. This meant we knew that we always had a safe base to come back to. All the staff were more than happy to help out in any way they could. We always felt very welcomed and able to speak to whomever was around at the time.
Local Atmosphere
Places like Hurghada give off a very relaxing vibe that impacts everyone’s mood in the best of ways. Being in the sun, down by the beach, it is very hard to be in a bad mood so this fact alone makes your experience so much nicer. Not one moment during a day out will you feel unsafe. That being said we still wouldn’t recommend leaving your bags or valuables unattended just like anywhere else in the world.
Workers on the Beach
During our time in Hurghada we didn’t have any problems when we were out and about. We were staying close to Makadi Bay and and we personally feel that it is an incredibly safe area of Egypt to visit.
Everyone we met was friendly with us and happy to help with any questions. Some were just trying to make a living coming up to us and trying to sell whatever it was they were offering. Everyone has got to make a living so don’t be frightened to just say that you’re not interested.
However, meeting people like that was beneficial to us having our own adventures. They were selling things like diving trips and parasailing trips so we ended up doing these kind of things in Hurghada. Of course, this is one of the reasons why our trip was a lot of fun!
Finding the Best Price
Please bear in mind that in countries such as Egypt & Turkey, haggling is very common. Most of the time when you are offered a price that is usually above what the actual cost is. Don’t be frightened to haggle, this doesn’t need to be a negative experience at all. We both barter with locals in a joking manner telling them how skint we are and that we can’t afford it. Often they will come back at you with a different price. If anyone does get a little bit sharp with you haggling (and you know you’re haggling to a reasonable price) then simply say no thank you and walk away. Don’t cause any trouble or be impolite just merely say that you can’t afford it and be firm.
Going on Day Trips
We would recommend finding activities to do during the day such as quad biking and boat trips to Paradise Island. If you’re travelling as a couple then there are plenty of romantic day trips in Hurghada for you to enjoy which is one of the reasons we loved Hurghada.
Going on trips like this is a great way to see the place that you are staying in. You’ll have stories to tell when you get home instead of just sitting at the beach for a week or two. W
e know that you mostly go on holiday to chill out but after two days on the beach you’ll be looking for something to do. When doing things like that you’ll get to meet more local people and others like you on holiday with everyone feeling the same good vibes you’ll be sure to have a good time no matter who you’re with.
Whilst we were travelling, we got to go on quite a few day trips from Hurghada and we felt completely safe the whole time we were there. A few times a couple of the staff were a little flirty with Amy but it was harmless and nothing major to worry about.
Leaving the Resort
Remember what we explained about the haggling and keep your belongings with you at all times. If you are going off the resort then make sure that you have a trusted tour guide that is booked through either your hotel or through a well-recommended company online. We would say to avoid booking tours like this with anyone from the street. The reason for this is that whilst not everyone is untrustworthy, you never know what people’s intentions are. Due to this, it is best to ensure that tours are booked through a reputable company so that you know you’re not being scammed and your money is nice and safe.
Visiting Other Resorts
There are plenty of pros and cons for staying in an all-inclusive resort and it is definitely one way to keep yourself safe in Egypt. If you are visiting off your resort in Hurghada then also bear in mind the usual travel rules of researching online for common travel scams and keeping yourself safe from pickpockets. Do not follow anyone if they advise they are trying to show you something as this may also be a scam of some kind. Whilst Hurghada is generally very safe, not everyone has the best intentions so it is best to try and stick to guided tours and trusted transportation.
Traveling as a Female
Whilst Hurghada is a very safe place to visit, you may find that if you are female and in particular a blonde female that you often attract unwanted attention from men. Of course, Liam can’t speak about this but from Amy’s perspective, you will find that sometimes men come up with ‘pick up’ lines (even if you’re with your partner). Sometimes you will find that they will touch your hair and men try to flirt with you.
Often this is harmless and the best way to handle this is to politely say thank you for any compliments and walk away. Try to avoid causing a conflict in these situations especially if you’re travelling alone. As Hurghada sees a lot of tourists, you will find that this is not as frequent as in other areas of Egypt. However, make sure that you’re keeping yourself safe at all times and if you’re not a frequent traveller or confident then try to visit Egypt with a friend, partner or on a tour. No matter what happens, there is no reason you should let yourself feel too uncomfortable.
Things to do at Night
Depending on your situation when going on any holiday if it’s just you on your own or possibly with your partner or even as a family with kids there is something for everyone at night. You could go and hit the bars/nightclubs or they might have some sort of entertainment for you from live music to dancing.
There’s something for everyone to enjoy no matter what the situation is. All the entertainers are a lot of fun trying to teach you how to dance or the DJ taking any recommendations you have for music that you would like to listen to. The bars are full of nice employees that will go out of their way to help you no matter what you need plus if you’re nice to them they may make you your very own cocktail that tastes amazing! If you’ve choose an all-inclusive resort then there are usually entertainment shows at night for the kids to enjoy.
Night Life
If you’re travelling on your own then one of the most important things to remember is to not get too drunk. Whilst it is all good and fun, you tend to lose your inhibitions and won’t be able to look after yourself as much. Even if you’re travelling with friends or a partner, not drinking too much alcohol is still a good idea so that you can keep your bearings. Another thing to keep in mind is that often when you’re abroad, the alcohol is a lot stronger so your tolerance levels may be a little bit different than if you were drinking at home.
Safety When Out in Bars
Keep an eye on your drink at all times, this goes for any country you are travelling to. If you have a bottle of beer then when you are not actually drinking from it, keep your finger in the top of the bottle so that no one can put anything in your drink. You can also get different things on Amazon so that it stops your drink being spiked. Do not leave your drink alone at all even to go to the toilet and keep your eyes on it at all times. We don’t say this to scare you as this is something you should be doing no matter what country you’re visiting. Even in the UK, you still have to be careful about how much you drink and checking to ensure that no one but you touches your drink.
Where to Stay in Hurghada
As Hurghada is quite a safe destination to visit, you will want to find a beautiful place to stay to make the most of your time and relax. Below we’ve shared an interactive map which will highlight some amazing hotels in Hurghada so that you can decide for yourself on the best hotel to stay in.
So is Hurghada Safe?
In short, yes Hurghada is a safe place to come to on your holiday. In our opinion, most of Egypt is safe to visit in 2024 as long as you do your research in advance for any areas where they may be a little unrest. There are some precautions that you need to keep in mind such as keeping your drinks safe at night, being cautious when haggling and watching out for scammers and pickpockets.
However, most of this is advice that we would give you no matter the country that you are visiting. The biggest issue that most people come across in Hurghada is either from scams or pickpockets and there are lots of measures you can put in place to help prevent this.
That being said we can only tell you about our experiences. We always have in the back of our minds while traveling that nowhere in the world is 100% safe. As far as our holiday is concerned, we can honestly say that we had a very good time in Hurghada. We felt very safe going about our day doing our own thing. If you’re thinking about coming here on holiday then there is more than enough for you to do that you certainly won’t be bored!
Tips on How to Stay Safe in Egypt
Tourist Scams
Being a tourist means that you can sometimes be a target of common scams. The best thing to do is to not pay for anything unless you know that it’s legitimate. For example, if you were to go diving, make sure that they are part of PADI. This is a reputable company to ensure you’re safe when diving. By doing this you could save yourself losing out on your hard earned money for something that is a scam.
Haggling
Not all scams will leave you with no money or trick you into going somewhere that you shouldn’t be. Sometimes it’s as simple as you walked up to a local stall looking to buy something off them. They will try and get the most out of you. For instance, if you tried to buy sunglasses and they tell you it is worth £20 offer them only £10. You can then work from there. This way you will save money and wont be made to pay their full price. It’s important to not get annoyed and start shouting if you feel that you’re getting nowhere. Don’t get angry, just walk away from the situation and start again somewhere else.
Guided Tours
Guided tours are a very good way for keeping safe. It will also help you to know where is good to purchase items as you’ll have someone with you that knows the area. If needs be, they will also be able to speak on your behalf if you are struggling to get your point across because of the language barrier. It will also help when going to different places to learn their language. Just simple phrases will do. This will also show the local people you are trying and they will find it very respectful if you do so.
Group Travel
Solo travelling in Egypt is an amazing experience but even when you’re travelling solo it can be a good idea to find a group of people doing the same as you. When you have a group of people with you you are less likely to fall prey under scammers. When you are on your own you will have to ask someone to take a photo of you and some people see this as a perfect opportunity to try and get money from you. Once they have your phone they wont give it back until you pay them money. By just having a group of people, small things like this will be harder for you to get pulled into because you’ll have people there that can do your photos and vice versa.
Clothes
Sometimes your clothes that you have on may not be the best for the area that you are in. For an example, if you are going to visit a religious place, it is always best to do your research. They may have strict clothing rules such as foot wear that you can and can’t have on. This can get people caught out by scammers. They will wait outside of places like these with what you need to go inside. They’ll charge you an unbelievable amount for the stuff you need. Sometimes this is more than what the experience is even worth. It is always a good idea to make sure that if you are going somewhere that you get as much information about the place so you don’t fall into the trap.
This was just some of many ways people can try and scam you. We have devoted an article focusing mainly in Europe. Even though it is aimed at Europe, we feel it helps give people the idea for further afield. A lot of the scams that are common in Europe are still relevant in Hurghada. Make sure you check it out to know what to look out for and ways to avoid this too.
We hope we have covered everything you are looking for and have a fun time on your travels! When you’re planning your trip to Hurghada, ensure that you check when is the best time to visit Hurghada to ensure that you are visiting when the temperature and crowds are right for you.
Hurghada Resources
- Romantic Things to do in Hurghada
- Parasailing in Makadi Bay
- When is the Best Time to Visit Hurghada?
- Best Hotel in Hurghada
- Hurghada Day Trips
- Is Paradise Island Worth Visiting?
- Hurghada Tips
