For the Red Sea resort areas of Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and Sharm El Sheikh, the short answer is yes — Egypt is safe for British tourists in 2026, with normal travel precautions. The FCDO does not advise against travel to these areas. Major UK tour operators including TUI, Jet2, and easyJet Holidays operate direct flights to Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh throughout the year. Hundreds of thousands of British tourists visit without incident annually.
The longer answer requires more nuance, because Egypt is a large and varied country, and safety conditions differ significantly between the resort areas and other regions. This guide focuses specifically on the Red Sea resort areas, which represent the experience of the vast majority of British tourists.
FCDO Travel Advice for Egypt — July 2026
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises British travellers to check the current Egypt travel advice before departure. As of 2026, the FCDO advises normal travel precautions for the Red Sea resort areas. This is the same advisory level applied to popular European destinations including Turkey, Greece, and Morocco.
The FCDO does advise against travel to certain regions of Egypt — including areas near the Libyan border, parts of the Sinai Peninsula outside of Sharm El Sheikh, and areas adjacent to Sudan. These regions are not relevant to the experience of a standard Red Sea beach holiday.
Always check the FCDO website directly before travel, as advice can change. Monitoring FCDO advice is standard practice for any international travel.
Crime and Personal Safety in Hurghada
Petty crime — pickpocketing, bag snatching — exists in Hurghada as in any tourist destination. It is not a significant problem in the resort areas, which are well-policed and have a substantial tourist infrastructure investment that the Egyptian government has consistently prioritised protecting. Leaving valuables unattended on the beach is inadvisable, as it would be anywhere in the world.
Violent crime against tourists in Hurghada is extremely rare. The city’s economy depends almost entirely on tourism, and the local community and authorities have a strong shared interest in maintaining safety. British tourists have been visiting Hurghada for over thirty years and the resort has an established, stable safety record.
Health and Medical Considerations
Egypt does not require any specific vaccinations for British travellers, though the NHS recommends ensuring routine vaccinations including hepatitis A and typhoid are up to date. Tap water in Egypt should not be consumed — bottled water is cheap, widely available, and should be used for drinking and brushing teeth.
The Red Sea resort areas have private hospitals and clinics with reasonable facilities for standard medical needs. For serious medical emergencies, repatriation to the UK may be necessary. Comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.
Food safety standards in the large hotels are generally reliable. Eating at street food vendors or smaller restaurants carries slightly higher risk of gastrointestinal illness — standard food hygiene precautions apply.
Water Safety and Excursion Safety
Red Sea excursion safety depends almost entirely on the operator you choose. The Red Sea has strong currents in some areas and the marine environment carries inherent risks that require proper management. Reputable operators with twenty-five or more years of experience will conduct proper safety briefings, provide appropriate safety equipment, and employ guides who know the specific conditions of each site.
Life vests are provided on all boat trips. Snorkelling equipment should be properly fitted before entry to the water. Any reputable operator will decline to run excursions in unsafe weather conditions — this occasionally disappoints customers but is entirely appropriate. An operator who insists on running a boat trip in rough seas is cutting corners on safety.
Terrorism and Political Stability
Egypt experienced significant political instability between 2011 and 2013. Since that period, the country has been stable under centralised government. The Red Sea resort areas were largely unaffected by the political events of that period and have maintained consistent tourist operations throughout.
Terrorism remains a concern in Egypt as in many countries, and the FCDO notes this in its travel advice. However, the tourist resort areas have not been targets of significant terrorist activity in recent years, and security measures in and around major resorts are substantial.
Practical Safety Tips for British Travellers
Register your trip with the FCDO’s Travel Aware programme before departure. Purchase comprehensive travel insurance including medical evacuation. Keep a copy of your passport separately from the original. Share your itinerary with someone at home. Keep the contact details of your hotel, your excursion operator, and the British Embassy in Cairo accessible.
Exercise the same level of situational awareness you would in any unfamiliar destination. The vast majority of British tourists in Hurghada and Marsa Alam have entirely incident-free holidays. The Red Sea resorts have been welcoming British visitors for decades, and the infrastructure, service, and safety standards have improved consistently throughout that period.
Our Record Since 1998
South Coast Egypt has operated Red Sea excursions for British tourists since 1998. In that time, we have worked with tens of thousands of British families and couples. Our operational record speaks for itself: twenty-seven years of excursions without a single serious safety incident.
We take safety seriously because our reputation depends on it, and our reputation is the foundation of everything we do. Our word is contract.
Our word is contract. WhatsApp us: wa.me/201100163333 | southcoastegypt.com
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