What to Wear in Egypt

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10 Egypt travel outfit tips & what to wear in Egypt for women traveling in this beautiful middle eastern country.

Traveling to a foreign country is always a really fun adventure.

Once I have figured out where we are going, what we are doing, & where we are staying, my next thought is always on what should I wear?

No one wants to stand out as a tourist, especially when it can lead to harassment for money.

And just as you wouldn’t want to wear bright & colorful outfits or gym clothes in Paris (also known as everyday attire in many places in America), you will also want to dress more conservatively when you travel in Egypt.

Before leaving I planned 5-8 blog post topics about our trip & I knew that proper travel attire would be high on the list for women who don’t want to attract a lot of attention to themselves so that they can enjoy their Egyptian adventure.

So to help you as you plan your big trip to the middle east, I made sure that everything I bought for our trip can be ordered online, mainly from Amazon & a few items from Target.

I really wanted you to be able to have affordable options as you prepare for your trip to Africa.

Throughout the post & below each image, you will find links to everything I wore in each of the pictures so that you can easily find exactly what you want for your trip!

Although Egypt is in the northeast corner of Africa, Egypt is a Middle Eastern country with 94.9% of its residents affiliating as Muslim (according to 2 polls I read).

So I decided to play it safe with my attire in Cairo & Luxor, but I did wear normal beach attire while in Hurghada.

I did a lot of research on Egypt travel attire before we left, which really helped prepare me for our trip.

For the most part, I did see many women travelers dress more conservatively throughout our trip.

On the other hand, there were some women who either didn’t do their research beforehand or they just didn’t care. 

And I’m guessing that since you are reading this you want to be prepared to dress appropriately as a tourist in this ancient civilization.

For example, I did see a woman wear shorts so short that you could see the front pockets hanging below the shorts & the backside was showing the curvature of her b-hind.

And I was shocked to see a woman wearing a bikini top in Karnak’s Temple in Luxor. 

I mean I know it’s hot & it’s a tourist location, but I can’t think of any reason to be wearing a bikini top anywhere but by the pool or at the beach while in Egypt.

You wouldn’t do that at the Louvre in Paris, why would you do that in a conservative Muslim country?

I can’t imagine the attention these women received from the locals & the disrespect for their mainly conservative culture in Egypt. 

So here is what I recommend for women who don’t want to attract too much attention when traveling throughout Egypt.

When visiting the cities & tourist attractions:

1. Dresses, skirts, shorts, or pants that are around the knee or below.

2. If wearing a loose dress or a skirt you may want to wear shorts underneath so that if the wind hits you in the worst possible way you won’t expose yourself. I wore thin long shorts once or twice for this reason.

3. Short sleeves, quarter length sleeves, or long sleeves. Not only because it is more conservative than sleeveless, but also because it protects you from getting sunburned.

4. Avoid showing cleavage. 

5. Bring a scarf to cover up your arms (if sleeveless, to protect from the sun & to be more conservative) or your head (when visiting a mosque).

6. A hat because the sun is intense.

7. Dark sunglasses so that you won’t accidentally make eye contact with a man or someone trying to sell something.

8. Closed toed shoes with good support. I preferred closed toed shoes to sandals so that sand & pebbles wouldn’t bother my feet. Also, I did encounter one hole in the ground toilet & I felt cleaner having my feet covered so that nothing splashed. Sorry if that was TMI.

While at the resort, beach, or resort pool:

9. Pretty much anything, but this really depends on if you are staying in a hostel, Airbnb, or an American resort like Marriott or Hilton. I wore both sleeveless dresses & bikinis at the resorts we stayed at during our trip.

10. Just make sure to wear a coverup, towel, or bathrobe between your hotel room & the pool/beach.

While at the resorts, I wore bikinis at the pool at the Marriott Mena House, the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa, & at the beach in Hurghada.

Yes, you will see one or two women wearing hijabs at the pool, but most women will be wearing bikinis while swimming & working on their tan. 

I hope these Egypt travel outfit tips help you as you figure out what to wear in Egypt. 

This is only the first of many blog posts focused on tips that will help you plan your grand adventure to Egypt.

Click here to read all of my tips & advice posts on Egypt.

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What outfit are you most excited about wearing?
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With love, Giusti

For the word of the Lord is right & true; 
He is faithful in all He does. 
The Lord loves righteousness & justice; 
the earth is full of His unfailing love.
Psalm 33:4-5 NIV

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