For years, Egypt has topped the 'places I'd never return to' threads online — a reputation built on aggressive touts, taxi scams and the gauntlet of sellers waiting at the Pyramids of Giza. One travel writer who finally gave the country a chance in 2026 found a very different picture, particularly at Giza, where site management changed hands in late 2025 and things have been cleaned up considerably.

At the Giza plateau, the changes are tangible. There's now a free shuttle bus connecting the major points of the site, so you no longer need a camel or horse to get around — animal rides are purely optional, with standardised prices and vet checks for the animals. Touts and sellers have been restricted to one designated market zone, cafes with air conditioning sit within the complex, and independent travellers report walking the entire site alone and unbothered. The old advice that you 'need a guide' simply to fend off hassle no longer holds.

Cairo has also shifted. A common thread in recent trips is that most travel content about Egypt is badly out of date — many top-ranked guides still reference security concerns from a decade ago and don't mention the new Grand Egyptian Museum at all. If you're researching, check publication dates carefully.

That said, Egypt still demands some street smarts. Taxi scams remain the biggest friction point, and the fix is to use ride apps. Uber works well in Cairo; InDrive covers some other places. Watch for one specific trick: a driver who sits still, messages you in-app and urges you to cancel and pay cash instead — often at triple the price. Cancel and rebook. At Cairo airport, one traveller was met by an impostor in the wrong car doing exactly this; refusing and rebooking solved it. Ignore any driver claiming Uber is illegal or doesn't work — it does.

Outside the apps, a simple filter helps: people who approach you unprompted are usually selling something; people you approach yourself — in restaurants, hotels, shops — tend to be genuinely warm. For markets like Cairo's bazaars, where high-pressure sales tactics are alive and well, a donation-based walking tour via GuruWalk can turn a stressful stroll into a highlight. Guides are available for Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan and Siwa too.

One honest caveat: this perspective comes from a male traveller, and Egypt's hassles hit women differently. Unwanted attention from men is a widespread complaint, and while serious crime appears rare, solo female travellers may want to seek out women's firsthand accounts before deciding between independent travel, a group tour or skipping it.

Overall verdict? If you arrived expecting 'hardcore mode', recent visitors describe more of a 'medium difficulty' destination — challenging in spots, manageable with apps and a bit of nerve, and far more rewarding than its internet reputation suggests. Beyond Cairo, the Sinai beach town of Dahab offers a notably relaxed, hassle-free vibe.