What official travel advice says
Governments publish travel advice for Egypt and update it on their own schedules. Read your own government's page close to your travel date rather than relying on a summary:
- United Kingdom: FCDO travel advice for Egypt. Luxor is listed as an exception within the FCDO's advice against all but essential travel to the Western Desert, meaning the FCDO does not advise against travel to Luxor itself. The FCDO page also covers wider security risks across Egypt and advises avoiding demonstrations and large gatherings.
- United States: State Department travel advisory for Egypt. Egypt is at Level 2, "Exercise increased caution", with "Do not travel" advice for northern and middle Sinai and parts of the Western Desert. Luxor is not named in those areas.
- Germany: Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) travel and safety advice for Egypt. It warns against travel to North Sinai, the Egyptian-Israeli border area (except Taba) and remote parts of the Sahara, including the border areas with Libya and Sudan. These are regional warnings, not a warning for all of Egypt, and Luxor is not named in them. The same page says the security situation is currently stable overall, while noting that security risks apply throughout the country, so a regional warning does not mean Luxor is free of risk.
- Other countries: your foreign ministry's Egypt page.
Advice can change at short notice. Check it again in the days before you travel and while you are there.
The conflict involving Iran
Egypt is not a party to the war involving Iran that began in February 2026, and Luxor is more than 1,500 km from Iran. Egyptian airspace has stayed open and flights are operating, although disruption elsewhere in the region can still delay, reroute or cancel individual flights. Visitors and foreign residents continue to travel to and live in Egypt, Egypt has said it expects record tourist numbers in 2026, and Luxor has seen no conflict-related incidents.
In March 2026, a broad US security alert told Americans to leave several countries in the region, including Egypt. The US Embassy in Cairo then confirmed that Egypt's travel advisory was unchanged at Level 2. Check with your airline and your own government's advice close to your travel dates.
The practical risks
Heat
During the Egyptian summer, from May to September, daytime highs in Luxor average 38 to 41°C. Heat exhaustion is the most likely problem a visitor will meet. Start sightseeing at opening time, rest through the middle of the day, carry water and cover your head. See Best time to visit Luxor and What to actually pack.
Roads, motorbikes and bicycles
Traffic is busy and pedestrian crossings are informal. Cross with care, watch for motorbikes and tuk-tuks, and use a seat belt where one is fitted.
Motorbike taxis and lifts are common, but helmets are usually not available. Riding without one is a serious injury risk, and your travel insurance may not cover you. A car is the safer choice.
Cycling is a popular way to see the West Bank, but there are no cycle lanes, traffic rarely gives way to bikes, and many roads are unlit at night. Check the brakes and lights before you set off, avoid the hottest hours, and do not ride after dark.
Crime
Crime against visitors is not common. The UK government describes Egypt's crime rate as generally low and pickpocketing as rare, though there are no published crime figures for Luxor itself. Many visitors and foreign residents we have spoken to say they feel safer in Luxor, from violence and robbery and as women, than in many other places they have travelled or lived. Strong community ties and social expectations are often credited with discouraging petty crime. Ordinary precautions still apply: keep valuables out of sight, and report any crime to the tourist police on 126.
Touts and persistent selling
Around Luxor Temple, the Corniche and the souq, expect repeated offers of taxis, carriage rides, boat trips and shopping. A clear "no, thank you" and walking on usually ends it. Do not let anyone guide you to a shop or a "special" entrance you did not ask for.
Common scams
- Unagreed fares: taxis, carriages and boats without a fare agreed before the journey. Agree the price, the destination and any waiting time first.
- "It's closed today": someone tells you a site is closed and offers an alternative. Check at the official entrance.
- Unofficial guides at sites: people inside sites who offer to show you a closed area or a "secret" view for money. Restricted areas are restricted; decline. See Tipping in Luxor.
- "My cousin's shop": someone offers to take you to a relative's shop for a "special price". They almost always earn a commission, which is added to what you pay. Shop where you choose to.
- Short-changed in coins: if you pay in euros, your change may come as a stack of coins with Egyptian 1-pound coins mixed in. They look similar to euro coins but are worth far less. Count your change, or pay in Egyptian pounds.
- Romance scams: a new partner moves quickly to talk of love or marriage, then asks you to fund a business, a hotel or a property. Take your time, and before any large payment or investment, get independent legal advice. See our guide for women travelling alone.
- Ticket confusion: buy tickets only at the official ticket office or from official channels.
Money and belongings
Keep a copy of your passport separate from the original. Carry small notes for tips and fares and keep larger amounts out of sight. Use ATMs inside banks or hotels where you can.
Activities
Hot-air balloon flights are popular but not risk-free. Germany's Federal Foreign Office notes that poorly maintained equipment, including balloons, causes accidents fairly often, and the UK says some tour operators have stopped selling balloon flights. Since 2026, flights also stop each year for a government-mandated maintenance and inspection period, so check that flights are running on your dates. Check the operator and your insurance cover before booking. See hot-air balloon flights over the West Bank.
Women travelling in Luxor
Women travelling alone or together may meet unwanted comments and persistent sales approaches, more often in busy tourist streets than at the sites. It is usually verbal. Dressing with shoulders and knees covered tends to reduce attention and is respectful at religious sites. If you are harassed, go into a busy café, hotel or shop, or call the tourist police on 126. See our guide for women travelling alone.
Health
Drink bottled or filtered water, and carry any medicines you need. Travel insurance that covers medical treatment is strongly advisable. Hotels can call a doctor.
Stomach upsets are common among visitors. Choose food that is freshly cooked and served hot, and take care with salads, ice and food that has been sitting out. If you do get food poisoning, rest, drink plenty of fluids in small sips and use oral rehydration salts, which pharmacies sell. Most cases pass within a few days.
Get medical help through your hotel or a pharmacist if you cannot keep fluids down, show signs of dehydration such as dark urine or passing little urine, have blood in your stool, or still have diarrhoea after a week or vomiting after two days. Children, older people and anyone with a long-term condition are at higher risk of dehydration.
Do not swim in the Nile: bilharzia, a parasitic infection, can be caught from fresh water.
Emergency numbers in Egypt
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| Tourist police | 126 |
| Police | 122 |
| Ambulance | 123 |
Report any crime to the tourist police before you leave Egypt. Ambulances can be slow, so a taxi or hotel car to hospital may be quicker.
Where to stay and travel
Areas and transport choices change how much negotiation and heat a trip involves more than they change safety. The East Bank city centre keeps most things within walking distance; the West Bank is quieter. Compare them in Where to stay in Luxor, and see Getting around Luxor.
Review date
Reviewed in October 2026 against the UK, US and German government advice for Egypt. Official advice changes, so check it again for your own dates.
Sources
- UK FCDO, "Egypt travel advice" and "Safety and security" (gov.uk): Luxor listed as an exception within the Western Desert advice; wider security risks, crime rate and pickpocketing, demonstrations, tourist police 126.
- US State Department, "Egypt Travel Advisory", Level 2; Egypt country information, emergency numbers 122, 123 and 126; US Embassy Cairo security alert, confirming the advisory level.
- German Federal Foreign Office, "Ägypten: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise" (auswaertiges-amt.de): regional warnings, nationwide security risks, equipment accidents including balloons, bilharzia.
- Conflict involving Iran: Wego, "Egypt airspace and Cairo Airport status" (September 2026) on airspace and flights; The New Arab on the March 2026 US alert and the Embassy's clarification.
- Tourism outlook: Bloomberg, "Egypt Expects Record Tourism Numbers in 2026 Despite Iran War" (June 2026).
- Temperatures: WeatherSpark, Average Weather in Luxor (long-term averages).
- Food poisoning: NHS, "Food poisoning".
Questions
Is Luxor safe for tourists right now?+
Check your government's current travel advice for Egypt first. The UK FCDO does not advise against travel to Luxor, the US rates Egypt at Level 2 ("Exercise increased caution") without naming Luxor among its no-travel areas, and Germany's Federal Foreign Office does not include Luxor in its regional warnings, while noting security risks across the country. On the ground, the risks visitors most often meet are heat, traffic and persistent selling.
Is Luxor safe for solo female travellers?+
Many women visit alone. Expect some unwanted comments and sales approaches in busy areas, usually verbal. Modest dress, a direct "no" and, if needed, the tourist police on 126 help.
Is Luxor safe at night?+
The city centre, the Corniche and the area around Luxor Temple are busy in the evening. Anywhere in Luxor, stick to well-lit roads after dark and use a licensed taxi or hotel transport for longer journeys.
