Self Driving in Egypt, Yes it is possible!
Updated: Sep 4
We are David & Annie, and we drove around a huge part of Egypt, taking in Cairo, Saqqara, Dahshur, Marsa Alam and Luxor, before heading back to Cairo. In this blog we will tell you all about the route we took, what the roads are like, police checkpoints, permits and what you need to have, to enable you to hire a car in Egypt. We have covered some information on videos so you can see what the roads are like, so you can make an informed decision.
Is It Safe to Drive in Egypt?
In our experience driving in Egypt can be a safe and a rewarding way to explore the country, and we found that hiring a car gave us much more freedom to travel at our own pace. However, driving in Egypt is very different from driving in the UK, the USA and Europe. You need to be prepared for busy roads, unpredictable driving, vehicles changing lanes without warning, pedestrians, horse-drawn carts, donkeys and varying road conditions. The drivers in Cairo only look forward, they don't use mirrors but they do rely on their horn!! So it's rather loud.
The roads around Cairo and Luxor can feel particularly hectic, while longer routes between tourist destinations such as Luxor and Hurghada can be much quieter and quite pleasant.
We found alot of misinformation online, If you are comfortable driving in busy cities in Europe, and you don't easily get enraged then you should be fine. Just try and avoid rush hour where the traffic goes crazy and especially don't drive at night. Some Egyptians drive without their lights onto head on traffic, and it feels like a free for all. There are roads that are not open to tourists and we cover that in our driving videos. So make sure you research your route before hand.
Some of the best advice we can give you, is to use your horn. In the West it's almost seen as rude, but in Egypt it's a form of communication, and will help other drivers know where you are.
Car rental / hire in Cairo.
When we booked our rental / hire car we used Discover Cars which is a price comparison site for the best deals, you can check out current prices here - https://www.discovercars.com/?a_aid=NearandFar
Restricted Km
Some Hire companies restrict the distance you can drive, so make sure you check what is included in your policy. For two weeks we were able to drive up to 2800km with our booking.
What documentation do you need to hire a car in Egypt?
We hired a car from Sixt at Sphyinx International Airport. On arrival we had to show our passport, drivers licence, you will also need a physical credit or debit card for the security deposit. You will also have to show your International drivers permit.
We paid $668.72 for 15 days car hire for a 7 seater car which equates to ÂŁ496 or Euros 578. It was in very good condition and we were really pleased with it. There were cheaper options for smaller cars, but we needed six seats. We had to put down a $1500 security deposit which was unblocked at the end of our trip. These prices will fluctuate over the year and the type of car booked.
Car excess insurance / Fully comprehensive insurance
This is one country that you must tripple make sure that you have excess insurance sorted out for your hire car. You can add it onto your policy when booking. We also used reducemyexcess.co.uk.
International drivers permit.
In the UK an international drivers permit costs around ÂŁ5.50. It's very easy to do through paypoint stores. In the USA head to your nearest AAA branch and you can get the permit in minutes, for around $20. If you are in Europe check online for up to date prices.
Self Driving in Egypt - Route Giza - Hurghada - Marsa Alam - Luxor - Giza.
We decided to drive a circular route around Egypt, this is adaptable so you could easily head straight to Luxor, or Hurghada which is closer than Marsa Alam, but is still on the red sea coast. This route allowed us to take in many major sights as well as having down time by the red sea coast.
Self Driving from Cairo to Hurghada and Marsa Alam
For the first leg of our Egypt road trip, we drove from Giza / Cairo to Hurghada and then on to Marsa Alam. Because our hotel was in Giza we were able to skirt around the outside of Cairo therefore missing some of the crazy traffic that Cairo is famous for. We did not need any Egyptian driving permits to drive this route. If you have a driver that is driving you as a tourist, they need a permit to ensure the safety of the passengers.
This route takes around five hours from Giza to Hurghada. It took us around 9 hours to drive from Giza to our hotel in Marsa Alam. So it is a long drive. We actually love road trips, so we loved the experience. If you are keen on snorkling and diving, you could easily just stay in Hurghada, then it would also be a shorter drive onto Luxor. With turtle swimming high on our agenda, it meant it was Marsa Alam for us.
If you would like to see what the road is like from Cairo to Hurghada, watch our video on self driving from Cairo to Hurghada / Marsa Alam. This will give you an indication on wheather self driving is for you.
Once out of Giza we were really impressed with the main roads. It looked like new dual carraigeways were being built and most of the roads were in very good condition.
Fuel Stations in Egypt:
If you’re planning a road trip in Egypt, it’s worth keeping an eye on your fuel level and filling up whenever you have the opportunity, particularly when travelling longer distances between cities. We found plenty of fuel stations in Egypt along the main routes, but they can become less frequent once you’re away from larger towns and cities. Fuel stations generally have attendants who will fill the car for you, rather than the self-service system you may be used to in the UK. It’s also a good idea to carry some Egyptian pounds for smaller purchases and to check how you are expected to pay before filling up. When we drove from Cairo to Hurghada and Marsa Alam, we made sure we had enough fuel for the longer stretches of the journey and topped up when we could.
Cost of fuel in Egypt is very cheap.
In Egypt in 2026 the cost of petrol / gas ranged from 20.75 - 24.00 Egp (equivelent of 0.36p per litre), or $0.48 in USA dollars. Diesel was around 20.50 Egp.
Our advice for an Egypt self-drive holiday is simple: don’t wait until the fuel warning light comes on — if you see a suitable fuel station and you have a long distance ahead, fill up and give yourself peace of mind.
Police Checkpoints in Egypt.
If you’re planning a road trip in Egypt or considering driving in Egypt, you’ll probably encounter police and security checkpoints along the way. These are particularly common when travelling between major cities, near tourist areas and on longer journeys through more remote parts of the country.
During our own Egypt road trip, we passed through several checkpoints and found them to be a normal part of travelling by car in Egypt. You may be asked to show your international drivers permit, passport, driving licence, car rental documents or other identification, so keep your paperwork somewhere easily accessible. Most of our checks were quick and straightforward, with officers checking our documents before allowing us to continue. If you’re driving in Egypt as a tourist, don’t be alarmed if you see a checkpoint ahead — slow down, follow any instructions from the police and be patient if you are asked to stop. It’s also worth allowing a little extra time for your journey, as you never know how long a checkpoint may take. Overall, we found the Egyptian police checkpoints to be a routine part of travelling around the country, they were very polite and not something that should put you off planning an Egypt self-drive holiday.
Speed Cameras in Egypt
When driving in Egypt, you may come across speed cameras, particularly on major roads and highways. Speed limits can vary, so keep an eye out for road signs and avoid assuming that the road is clear simply because other drivers are travelling quickly. During our Egypt road trip, we found that the driving style can be quite different from the UK, so staying alert and sticking to a sensible speed is important.
We went through one police checkpoint and they asked us to pull into the side. They rechecked their cameras and realised it was another car behind us with a similar registration that was speeding, so they let us continue our journey.
Self Driving from Marsa Alam / Hurghada to Luxor
When planning your Egypt road trip from Marsa Alam to Luxor, it can look on the map as though there are much shorter routes inland. However, don’t be tempted to simply follow the shortest route on your sat-nav. The route open to tourists takes you from Marsa Alam towards Safaga and then inland towards Qena (route 60), before continuing south towards Luxor. This does mean you double back on yourself slightly, which can be confusing when looking at the map, but it’s a straightforward and enjoyable drive. It took us six and a half hours for us to drive from our hotel in Marsa Alam to Luxor.
If you are driving from Hurghada this route is the most straightforward and takes around four hours.
Much of this route is on dual carriageway roads, and we found the road surface to be in good condition, making this section of our Egypt self-drive journey much easier than we had expected. Allow plenty of time for the journey as this road is closed overnight and only open during daylight hours. Daily access from Safaga to Qena 6:00am - 18:00.
Police checkpoint on arrival into Qena.
Watch our video on the route from Safaga to Qena for more information on fuel / gas stations, and things you need to watch out for.
Once in Luxor we quite happily drove around, Luxor is busy but not as hectic as Cairo. On the west of Cairo where all the tombs are located, there are large carparks and all the sights were really easy to access. Some may charge a small fee for parking.
On the west side, Karnak Temple has a large carpark, but at Luxor temple the carpark was smaller. We found on street parking fairly easily opposite Al Sahaby Lane resturant. This was our go to roof top resturant in Luxor as it had good views over luxor temple and a great mix of western and Egyptian food.
If you park on the street in Luxor, you will be approached to pay a parking fee. At first we were really confused, because technically it is 'free'. But they will watch your car and they will stop hassling you. We paid between 50 - 100 Egp which is from 0.75p, Euro 0.90, $1.
Parking opposite Al-Sahaby Lane resturant.
Also be aware in this area, there are a high number of carriage drivers. We really struggled with them, they were very rude and they will try and push you into taking a ride, so you do need to be quite stern, especially if you just want to go for dinner.
After Luxor you may want to go further south towards Aswan. We would have loved to have done this route, but just ran out of time.
Self Driving in Egypt - from Luxor to Cairo.
This leg of the journey takes around 7.5 - 8 hours, depending how often you stop on the way. Again it's a decent road, but there are large trucks to watch out for. Watch our video of this route, as we would have chosen a different road further towards Cairo as we were directed off onto an unfinished road.
Our main take away from this trip was to avoid traveling and driving at night as it becomes much more dangerous, with drivers making silly mistakes and driving into head on traffic down the wrong side of a motorway! So stay alert at all times. We loved driving in Egypt and will definitely do this again, we are already looking at going to Aswan!
Returning your car
We got caught out and realised you needed to valet the car on return, inside and out!. This can be done in gas / fuel stations and apparantly only costs 150 - 200 egp, equivilent to around ÂŁ3, Euro 3.5, $4 . Thankfully Sixt were really understanding of the confusion. You will need to return the car with a full tank of fuel.
Other ways to get around Cairo
If you are just staying in Cairo and not going further afield, we would recommend you use one of the driving apps such as Uber, Careem, or indrive. These work the same as at home and give you a fixed price. Cairo traffic can be extreamly stressful, so we stuck to using Uber for the main day we were in central Cairo and visiting coptic cairo and the khan el khalili bazaar.
Uber costs in Cairo -
We paid Egp 266 from Khan el Khalili bazaar to our hotel in Giza which was a drive of 21km. (the conversion rate in 2026 is around ÂŁ3.98, $5.37, Euro 4.65.) So the prices are really reasonable, but they do fluctuate depending on the current cost of fuel.
Be aware that at times there could be the odd issue. When we booked our first Uber ride it was accepted on the app, but then we had a message via whatsApp asking us for addtional cash. We declined and he cancelled the ride. We booked again with another driver, and thankfully they turned up and took us to Coptic Cairo area using the Uber fixed price.
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