Is There Uber In Egypt & Cairo In 2023? Complete Guide!
There is Uber in Egypt and Cairo in 2023. It’s easy to use, cheap, and more safe than taxis hailed off of the street.
While Uber is a great ride-hailing service in Egypt, it’s mainly only available in Cairo and Alexandria.
In other cities in Egypt, there are Uber alternatives like the app Careem available.
I traveled in Egypt for a month and explored the whole country, using Uber whenever it was available.
✔️ Uber in Egypt Quick Guide
🇪🇬 Where is it Available? You can only Uber in Cairo and Alexandria. Egypt’s local taxi app, Careem, might also work in smaller cities like Aswan and Luxor, but not as well.
✈️ Can You Take Uber from the Airport? You cannot take Uber directly from Cairo’s airport, I recommend arranging airport transfer ahead of time because the taxi drivers there are aggressive.
🚕 Is Uber Legal in Egypt? Uber is completely legal in Egypt, it’s used by locals and tourists alike.
📲 Is it Safe? Using Uber in Egypt is safer than taking traditional taxis off the street because Uber has GPS tracking. Using tracked ride-hailing services is a top safety tip for women in Egypt.
💸 Is it Cheap? Uber in Egypt is outrageously inexpensive, with many rides only costing $1-5.
💰 Do You Tip Taxi Drivers in Egypt? Egypt has a huge tipping culture – Tips, called “Baksheesh”, are expected for everything. You can tip on Uber through the app.
Is There Uber In Egypt In 2023?
There is Uber in Egypt, but it’s only currently in the major cities of Cairo and Alexandria.
If you’re in Luxor, Aswan, or Hurghada you can use the Careem app which is another ride-sharing app in Egypt that is owned by Uber.
🚨 NOTE! Ubers cannot pick you up from the airport in Cairo, and tourists (including me) are constantly getting scammed by the taxi drivers there – I recommend always booking a private shuttle service from the airport to your hotel ▶︎ Book Yours Now!
How To Use Uber In Egypt
You need an Egyptian phone number to use Uber in Egypt.
You can get an Egyptian phone number by buying a SIM card at the arrivals terminal in Cairo Airport, right before the entrance.
Do know that they’re not the most reliable. I bought a Vodaphone SIM card and data package at Cairo Airport and it didn’t start working for over two days!
My friends bought a SIM card through the Egyptian Communications company Orange, and theirs started working immediately, so I would recommend Orange over Vodaphone!
I already had the Uber app on my phone, but I actually had to delete and redownload the app to get it to work in Egypt!
💡 Tip: You’ll also need an Egyptian SIM card to access the wifi in a lot of places in Egypt, so it’s really handy to have one!
What you need to use Uber in Egypt
📱 An unlocked phone – You need an unlocked phone so you can use an Egyptian SIM card.
🇪🇬 An Egyptian SIM card and local number – You can buy these everywhere in Egypt. There are a few different communications companies in Egypt but I recommend Orange, it consistently had the best coverage while we were traveling.
💵 Cash! For some reason, Egyptian Uber doesn’t accept non-Egyptian credit and debit cards, so all of our Uber rides had to be paid for in cash.
Different Types Of Uber In Egypt
Here are all the different ways you can travel using the Uber app:
🚕 Uber Shuttle
Uber Shuttle is Uber’s answer to competing with the popular SWIVL app. You’re not calling a shuttle to you, but rather it will tell you when the next shuttle is running and from where.
Uber Shuttle is the cheapest way to get to and from Cairo Airport, at only 40 Egyptian Pounds ($2) each way from Cairo city center.
🚕 Uber Scooter
Uber Scooter is something I’ve taken in Bali, it’s basically just a guy drives up on a scooter and you hop on the back!
Uber Scooter is by far the cheapest option, but you can’t use it if you’re more than one person.
🚕 Uber X
The standard Uber X car is the most popular Uber option in Egypt.
🚕 Uber Comfort
Uber in Egypt doesn’t have a Black Car service, but this is the closest thing offered. Uber Comfort only costs a little bit more than Uber X and has roomier vehicles with only top-rated drivers.
RELATED ARTICLE 🇪🇬 Essential Egypt Travel Tips
Katie’s Top Tips For Using Uber In Egypt
✔️ The license plates will be in Arabic! So brush up on a few Arabic numbers, or memorize the shapes of the numbers so you can identify your driver.
✔️ Take a photo of your license plate (and make sure your driver sees you take a photo).
✔️ Many drivers only speak Arabic, if they have trouble finding you for pick up you can ask a local for help. Most Egyptians are more than willing to help foreigners travel in their country.
✔️ Don’t let your driver drop you off in the middle of nowhere!
✔️ Be aware that taxi drivers sometimes smoke in the car in Egypt, it’s considered normal, but it was a big Egypt culture shock for me when I arrived in the country!
Taking Uber At Cairo Airport
While you can take Uber from Cairo Airport, it’s a lot easier to take Uber to Cairo Airport when it’s time to depart than from Cairo Airport when you arrive.
The reason for this is because Ubers aren’t allowed in the airport terminal. So, if you want to take Uber you need to leave the airport and get picked up near the entrance to the parking garages.
Unless you already have an Egyptian SIM card (that’s working, mine took two days for the data to kick in!) you won’t be able to communicate with your driver once you leave the airport wifi.
It’s just very difficult to take Uber from Cairo airport and I wouldn’t recommend it, I tried to do it and wound up at the mercy of very aggressive taxi drivers.
I tried to take Uber from Cairo Airport when I arrived in Egypt and instead, I had to deal with a horde of scammy taxi drivers, which was really stressful after a long flight!
I would recommend arranging for a 🚕 Private Transfer Service from Cairo Airport to your hotel!
👉 Click here to book a private transfer service from Cairo Airport directly to your hotel!
How much is a taxi from Cairo Airport to downtown?
At the airport, the taxi drivers try to charge anywhere from 300 Egyptian Pounds ($16) to 500 Egyptian Pounds ($26) for a ride to a downtown hotel in Cairo.
By contrast, an Uber from Cairo Airport to the city should cost around 150 Egyptian Pounds ($8). But it’s hard to use Uber when you first arrive. I would recommend arranging a private driver ahead of time to pick you up at the airport.
🚨 Note! The value of the Egyptian Pound has been in freefall this year, so these prices might be the same in USD but much higher in the local currency due to inflation now.
Is Uber Safe In Egypt?
Taking Uber in Egypt is just as safe as taking Uber anywhere else in the world!
I would actually say taking an Uber is actually safer than using normal cabs. This is because Uber is tracked via GPS, there’s an option to share your ride with your emergency contacts, and safety features are built into the app in case something goes wrong.
Is Uber in Egypt safe for female travelers?
In regards to women’s safety in Egypt, I do believe Uber to be one of the safer transportation options. At least, in comparison to hailing random cabs off of the street.
When I arrived in Alexandria on one of my first days in Egypt I was all alone. A woman saw me at the bus station trying to get a taxi to my hotel and rushed up to me and actually shooed all the taxi drivers away.
She told me to only use Uber because the ride is tracked, and that makes it the safest way for women to travel.
Unfortunately, Uber is only available in Cairo and Alexandria, so you can’t always depend on it.
But, if you’re within one of those major cities I would recommend only using Uber or hiring a private driver that can take you around for a whole day instead of calling random taxis off the street.
Katie’s Safety Tips for Uber in Egypt
✅ Always take a picture of the license plate of the car you’re getting into, and make sure the driver sees that you took a picture!
✅ Ask the driver for your name before you get in the car to make sure it’s the right driver.
✅ Don’t let your Uber driver drop you off in a random spot far from your destination without a good reason.
Uber In Egypt: Prices
Uber is very affordable in Egypt! Unlike most services in Egypt, there’s no “special pricing” for foreigners on Uber, which makes it one of the cheapest ways to travel.
You can use Uber’s price estimate feature to see what you will pay before your ride.
A trip from Cairo city center to the airport is only 150 Egyptian Pounds ($8), and a trip within the city is usually only around 20 Egyptian Pounds ($1).
With fares that low, remember to tip your drivers well!
Uber Vs Taxis In Egypt
Besides the fact that I consider Ubers far safer than normal taxis due to the fact that they’re all tracked by GPS, Ubers are also just a much nicer way to travel!
I took some normal white cabs in Alexandria because my Egyptian SIM card wasn’t activated for three days and I didn’t have any data (it was very annoying) and the experience was always terrible!
With Uber, there’s a rating system in place so drivers are more conscientious.
I never had an Uber driver light up a cigarette in the middle of a trip, aggressively hit on me and my friends, or not have working seatbelts, but I had all this happen while taking cabs off the street in Egypt.
You also usually have to endlessly haggle in Egypt if you’re a foreigner trying to take a cab.
What should be a 150 EGP ($8) ride, a taxi driver will start negotiations for at 600 EGP ($30), especially if you’re at a place that gets a lot of tourists.
It’s so much easier to just call a car off Uber and hop in than to spend 10 minutes haggling with aggressive taxi drivers on the street!
Uber Vs Private Drivers In Egypt
Since Uber is only currently available in the cities of Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, you will have to hire a private driver or use local taxis if you want to do some sightseeing in cities like Luxor, Aswan, or Hurghada.
The taxi drivers you meet on the street in Egypt are scammy, I recommend arranging for a private driver ahead of time.
👉 Click here to 🚗 Book The Private Driver I Recommend for your trip to Cairo!
Uber Vs GoBus In Egypt
Uber is my favorite way to travel in Egypt for short trips, and GoBus is my favorite way to travel for longer journeys.
I took GoBuses from Cairo to Luxor, from Cairo to Alexandria, and also from Cairo to Dahab on the Red Sea. I also took the train from Luxor to Cairo, and GoBuses were much newer and cleaner than the train.
If you have it in your budget to fly, that’s also a great way to travel long distances in Egypt.
Uber Vs Careem In Egypt
Careem is the other ride-sharing app in Egypt. Careem was started in 2012 and is actually owned by Uber as of 2019. The major difference between Uber and Careem is that Careem operates in a bunch of cities in Egypt and Uber is only available in Alexandria and Cairo.
The other main difference between Uber and Careem in Egypt is that you can order food off of the Careem app, but not Uber.
Careem in Egypt is considered a “super app” that has a bunch of services besides just calling taxis. Through Careem you can order food for delivery, order your groceries, call taxis, send money, and even pay for packages to be delivered!
I would recommend downloading both Uber and Careem apps while you’re in Egypt! Uber is more popular, but Careem is available in more locations.
Cities in Egypt where Careem operates
Alexandria – Aswan – Asyut – Banha – Beni Suef – Cairo – Damietta – Fayoum – Gotham City – Hurghada – Ismailia – Luxor – Mansoura – Marsa Matruh – Menofia – Minya – Port Said – Qena – Sohag – Suez
💡 Note: Careem works in Egypt as well as other countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
Other Ride-Sharing Apps In Egypt
Recently other ride-sharing apps have popped on the scene in Egypt.
The Chinese ride-sharing company DiDi is the newest addition to the app competition in Egypt. There is also an app called SWIVL that only organizes shuttles which is very popular with Egyptians.
I was told by a friend that all the locals use the SWIVL app instead of GoBus to travel between Dahab and Cairo, so I decided to try it out. But when I showed up for my trip they told me that no foreigners were allowed!
There was nothing posted anywhere on their site about not accepting foreigners, but I was left stranded in the middle of the night because that was the last shuttle for the day. I almost missed my flight out of Egypt because of it!
Egypt gets millions of tourists every year, but it’s still a heavily restricted country with lots of rules that aren’t necessarily easy to figure out.
Which Cities In Egypt Have Uber?
At the moment Uber only exists in the cities of Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, but you can download Careem which is another ride-sharing app.
Careem is available in Cairo and Alexandria, as well as other cities popular with tourists like Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada.
Tipping Uber Drivers In Egypt
Tipping, or “Baksheesh” as it’s called in Egypt, is huge. Everyone who works in tourism expects a tip, even for things you wouldn’t usually think about tipping for.
I remember at Cairo airport the guy who did my security check wanted a tip 😂, tipping is a big deal there!
If you use ride-hailing apps in Egypt you can just give 20-50 Egyptian Pounds ($1-$2.50) for a tip at the end.
Even though tipping is expected from foreigners, I still wouldn’t tip if you have a bad experience on your ride.
5 Uber & Taxi Scams In Egypt
Scamming is a bit problem in Egypt in general, and Ubers are no exception! Here are some common Uber scams in Egypt that tourists fall for:
🚩 1. Stopping At A Shop Scam
This scam is way more common with normal taxis than Ubers since Ubers are tracked, but it still happens!
Basically, a driver stops at a gift shop, restaurant, or some other attraction mid-way through your trip and tries to get you to buy things, and then they’ll get a commission on the sale.
🚩 2. Higher Prices For Tourist Locations
This has happened to me a few times while taking Uber. Uber bases its prices off of the distance traveled, but taxi drivers are used to charging tourists extra.
So, if you’re going somewhere very touristy like the Pyramids of Giza, or the airport, your driver might say the fair is actually much more than what the app has posted.
🚩 3. The Fake Uber Scam
This scam is really common everywhere. Basically, if a taxi driver sees you standing around looking at your phone waiting for an Uber, they will pretend to be your Uber so you take their cab instead.
Ubers aren’t clearly marked in Egypt so it’s hard to tell what is an Uber and what is a normal cab.
To avoid this scam in Egypt, always ask the driver for your name before you get in the car.
I saw a girl on TikTok who fell for this scam in Egypt and she thought they were trying to kidnap her! It’s not so sinister, the cab drivers just want to make some money – but it’s a very annoying scam.
🚩 4. No Change Scam
This is another one that happens all over the world! In Egypt, I had to pay for all of my Ubers in cash since the app wasn’t accepting non-Egyptian credit cards at the time.
If the trip cost 20 Egyptian Pounds and I only had a 50-pound note, the Uber driver might refuse to make change and hope to just pocket the remainder.
The only way to avoid this scam is by carrying lots of small bills and paying for your Ubers in exact change!
🚩 5. Handing Off The Ride
This is the worst Uber scam in Egypt! There have been reports online that sometimes Uber drivers will stop on the highway or in random places and tell their (always foreign) passengers that this is as far as they can take them.
Sometimes the drivers will say that their car has stopped working, other times that this is as far as they are allowed to go – but always the driver will have a “friend” handily waiting nearby that can take the passengers the rest of the way for a very high fee.
This is a total scam. The driver is basically taking you to the middle of nowhere to extort money out of you for a second cab.
FAQs
Is Uber illegal in Egypt?
Uber is not illegal in Egypt, and it’s actually very commonly used! For some reason, Uber is illegal at Cairo airport, and can only pick up and drop passengers off outside the terminal.
Can you get Uber from Cairo Airport?
You can, but it’s very difficult and I don’t recommend it! You need to leave Cairo airport and get picked up near the entrance to the parking lots.
I recommend arranging ahead of time for a private driver to pick you up on arrival at Cairo Airport, and then you can take Uber to the airport when you depart.
Is there LYFT in Egypt?
There is no LYFT in Egypt – currently, the main ride-sharing apps are Uber and Careem, but other apps like DiDi are starting to become popular.
Will my Uber app work in Egypt?
I had to delete and redownload my Uber app once I reached Egypt to get it to work – but it’s the same Uber app I used back home!
Is there Uber in Luxor?
Uber isn’t currently in Luxor, but Luxor does have Careem, which is another ridesharing app owned by Uber.
If you plan on doing sightseeing in Luxor I recommend hiring a private driver for the day, because a lot of the popular attractions in Luxor are far away from the city center.
👉 Click here to book a guided tour of Luxor’s East and West Banks with a private driver!
Are taxis safe in Egypt?
I think that Uber is safer than taxis in Egypt because Ubers are tracked and you have the option to share your trip with your emergency contacts.
Does Uber accept credit cards in Egypt?
Uber DOES NOT accept non-Egyptian credit cards in Egypt. We had to pay for all of our trips in cash. In Egypt, they use Egyptian Pounds as their currency, which you can easily get from any ATM.
How do you get around in Egypt?
The best way to travel long distances in Egypt is by GoBus, and for trips within cities, you can use Uber in Alexandria and Cairo, or hire private drivers in cities that don’t have Uber.
How do you get around in Cairo?
By far the easiest way to get around within Cairo is by using the Uber app.
Is there Uber in Sharm el Sheikh?
There is no Uber in Sharm el Sheikh. The taxi drivers are very scammy at the resort towns on the Red Sea and I would recommend arranging a private transfer from Sharm’s airport and hiring a private driver for your sightseeing.
Conclusion
Just to recap, there is Uber in Egypt, but only in Cairo and Alexandria.
If you’re traveling outside of Cairo and Alexandria, you’ll need the other ridesharing app Careem. Careem is owned by Uber and operates in Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada, as well as other cities in Egypt.
🚨 Definitely book a ✈️ Transfer Service from Cairo airport, because the taxi drivers there are aggressive and Uber cannot pick you up from the arrivals terminal.
If you’re going sightseeing I recommend hiring a 🚗 Private Driver, as a lot of the popular tourist attractions are outside of the city and hard to get to by ridesharing apps.
Using Uber to get around in Cairo is one of my top Egypt travel tips, I thought the service worked great while we were there.
Hope this guide helps you navigate your travels in Cairo and Egypt better,
-Katie
Looking for more information on Egypt?
If you’re planning a trip to Egypt and looking for more information, consider reading some of my other posts:
- 20 Essential Egypt Travel Tips for Your First Time
- Ultimate Guide To Taking a Nile River Cruise from Aswan to Luxor
- Is Egypt Safe for Women? Honest Answer + Tips
- BEST Hotels With Pyramid Views In Cairo
- Ultimate Guide for Camping in the White Desert in Egypt
- 10 Best Day Trips from Luxor
- ULTIMATE Self-Guided Egypt Itinerary!
- Dahabiya Nile Cruises – Ultimate Guide!
- Can You Take a Nile Cruise from Cairo? Here’s How
- Egypt Travel Nightmare: Dealing With The INSANE Harassment at the Pyramids of Giza
- 10 Best Hollywood Movies About Egypt
- Complete Guide To Using Uber In Egypt
Traveling to Egypt?
Here’s a quick list of what to pack!
✔️ Water Purifier: For Egypt, I recommend having a travel purifier so you can drink the tap water wherever you go!
✔️ Sunscreen: Self-explanatory, but since I was covered up (for modesty) during most of my trip in Egypt I really just used this on my face/neck and didn’t need to use too much.
✔️ Sunhat: Necessary, the sun is so strong!!! If you don’t have room for a proper sunhat I just always pack a baseball cap in my big bag because it takes up almost no room.
✔️ Sunglasses: Self-explanatory but really necessary for visiting all the ruins!
✔️ Bugspray: Lots of mosquitos around the banks of the Nile / bodies of water in Egypt. I love these little mini applicators so I can always have it with me.
✔️ Travel Pillow: I love this travel pillow by Coop Homegoods. It’s seen me through so many overnight bus/train trips, and it packs down pretty small (but I usually just hang it on the outside of my bag with a carabiner).
✔️ Wet Wipes: Toilet paper isn’t the norm in Egypt, usually they use a Shatafa which is a type of bidet
✔️ A Travel Adaptor: I originally bought this exact adaptor for my first trip to Morocco in 2019 and it’s still going strong with 3 years of nearly daily use.
