Egypt was not that bad.

I just got back from Egypt after traveling independently through Cairo, Luxor and Sharm el Sheikh and honestly..it wasn't as bad as Reddit made it sound.

The scams, touts and aggressive sales tactics are absolutely true. I'm not going to pretend otherwise but after spending weeks researching, I expected it to be much worse.

First thing: safety.

I never felt physically unsafe in Egypt. I never felt threatened or in danger because of what's going on in the nearby region. As a woman, I walked around Cairo at night by myself and was fine. As far as harassment goes, people just shout Shakira and China at me (I've been through far worse in Istanbul and Marrakech). The challenges I experienced were related to annoyance, misinformation, and people redirecting my plans, not necessarily personal safety.

As others have mentioned before me, learn "la shukran" (no thank you) and get comfortable repeating it, be assertive, and match their energy. Most people will eventually leave you alone even if they don't after the first or second time.

A few practical tips:

• use the newer Visitor Center entrance at the pyramids and avoid entering through the Giza complex if possible
• Take the bus down and stay on the paved roads to avoid the camel and horse sales harassment (they're not allowed on the paved roads)
• never hand your ticket to random people who claim to work there for "help"
• Use Uber. I only had one driver cancel mid ride and demand cash twice the fare amount which was annoying. I believe InDrive is cheaper but with the whole cash thing seems like drivers will start to negotiate more
• Bring cash

What wore me down most wasn't being scammed. It was how often simple requests turned into discussions. I found myself repeatedly having to reinforce decisions that I thought had already been made. What really got on my nerves is the exhausting mental tax of having my boundaries completely ignored. I pay a driver for a specific itinerary to see the West Bank temples like Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut, but he will still actively turn into the driveway of an Alabaster shop against my will. I put a destination into Uber, and the driver tries to reroute me to another cafe instead saying it's better, forcing me to literally say, "No just take me to where I requested." Even at a shop when I was trying to use up my EGP, I explicitly told the vendor I wanted perfume, not oil, and he just handed me oil anyway because he decided it was more concentrated. It feels like people just do whatever they want, and you are forced to constantly fight and re negotiate terms and conditions in the middle of a service you already paid for. It’s not about the money; it's the sheer exhaustion of having to defend your basic boundaries over and over just to get exactly what you originally asked for.

Another big thing was misinformation and unnecessary lying. For example, just walking to the Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo and two people made up blatant lies, telling me it was closed for prayer time just to trick me into turning around and walking into their shop. It’s incredibly irritating because they won't just honestly invite you into their store, they’d rather invent a fake narrative, cause confusion and waste your time. It's frustrating because it makes you second guess every single interaction so you literally just start ignoring everyone.

Cameras and tech: they are extremely weird and aggressive about GoPros, insta360, Meta glasses, etc. Rules are totally arbitrary sometimes they allow them, sometimes they don't. Be prepared for hassle. I wish they would flat out ban or allow it so it's more transparent.

Customer service: Customer service was inconsistent and generally below what I personally expected, even at a "luxury" resort in Sharm. If you're used to paying more for highly attentive service, adjust your expectations.

My biggest tip if you are doing this independently, trying to constantly compare rates and find the cheapest price is a waste of time. Find one good driver or local guide and get their WhatsApp. It could be the person who drove you from the airport to the hotel or someone recommended by your hotel and negotiate a fair price for the day/trip, and just stick with them for the duration of your stay. It saves so much stress. Every new person I encountered introduced another round of bargaining, persuasion, explanations, and attempts to redirect my plans.

Egypt is definitely not a starter country. It can be jarring. At the end of my hot air balloon ride in Luxor, they herded us into vans like cattle because kids were coming to beg. Kids were literally hanging onto the outside of the moving van as we drove off. The poverty is very heartbreaking. Also the treatment of animals was not kind at all, unfortunately.

To sum up Egypt: Egypt rewards people who minimize negotiations wherever possible. The less time spent debating terms, the happier you'll be. All negative experiences I had in Egypt began when every conversation became a negotiation. You'll have a better time if you have a clear itinerary, used fixed prices whenever possible, establish boundaries quickly, don't engage in long back and forth discussions, and keep it moving when people try to redirect you. This is why people generally recommend going with a tour as it minimizes all this headache. I chose not to because I didn't like the itineraries offered.

All in all, despite all of this, I had an amazing time. Ancient Egypt completely lived up to the hype. Walking through the Luxor and Karnak temples, sailing on the Nile, Valley of the Kings to see King Tut's tomb, seeing his actual mask in Cairo, standing where Moses received the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, and finally seeing the pyramids in person was mind-blowing. The fact that these places are still standing after 3,000+ years is hard to wrap my head around. Few destinations in the world offer anything comparable. If you are thinking about going, don't let the horror stories scare you off. Just have some patience and raise your tolerance for hassle!