Attention rather than danger, and it varies enormously between the resort coast and the cities.
The honest version: Egypt is a low-violence destination with a high-attention culture. Serious incidents involving tourists are rare; persistent staring, comments and unwanted conversation are common, particularly in cities and markets. The two facts sit together and both are worth knowing in advance.
The resort coast is a different world from the rest. In Hurghada, El Gouna and the hotel zones, beachwear is normal and unremarked. In Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and any town away from the sea, covered shoulders and knees and loose clothing dramatically reduce attention — not as a moral matter but as a practical one.
What works: sunglasses and not making eye contact when you would rather not engage; a firm "la', shukran" — no, thank you — repeated without further explanation; sitting in the back of taxis; and joining organised excursions rather than negotiating transport alone for long inland trips.
In Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and any town away from the sea, covered shoulders and knees and loose clothing dramatically reduce attention — not as a moral matter but as a practical one.
What helps more than anything is booking through an operator who will collect you from your hotel and return you to it. It removes the two moments — arriving somewhere unknown and getting home afterwards — where most discomfort occurs.
