Cairo
Discover Cairo
Cairo (pronounced KY-roh; Arabic: القاهرة al-Qāhirah) is the capital of Egypt (until the New Administrative Capital is completed) and, with a total population of Greater Cairo metropolitan area in excess of 16 million people, one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East (the regions which it conveniently straddles). It is also the 19th largest city in the world, and among the world's most densely populated cities. On the Nile river, Cairo is famous for its own history, preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city and Coptic sites in Old Cairo — with historic Cairo inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Egyptian Museum in the city centre is a must see, with its countless Ancient Egyptian artefacts, as is shopping at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. No trip to Cairo would be complete without a visit to the Giza Pyramids and to the nearby Saqqara Pyramid Complex, where visitors will see Egypt's first step pyramid built by the architect Imhotep for the third dynasty pharaoh Djoser.
What to Experience in Cairo
Taste of Cairo...
Cairo has an enormous number of restaurants, catering to most needs. Ironically though, one may want to avoid any restaurants listed in popular guidebooks. Egyptian restaurants have a habit of after being listed, cooking up a special English menu with vastly inflated prices. That said, cheap food can be found everywhere in street restaurants and snack stalls. The top notch restaurants are often, but not always, found in hotels and Nile boats. The borders between restaurants and cafes are not crystal-clear in the Egyptian capital. In many places it is perfectly acceptable to just have a drink or sheesha. Medium and high-range outlets might have a minimum charge. Cheaper restaurants will normally not serve alcohol as well as some more expensive outlets. In general, downtown is good for budget eating, while for higher quality eating you should head to Zamalek, Mohandiseen or any of the other more affluent parts of town. Traditional Egyptian staples are available almost everywhere. In stalls and street restaurants you will find traditional dishes like fūl (bean paste), falāfel, moussaka, koshari (rice, macaroni, lentils, chick peas and tomato sauce), feTīr (pancakes with different fillings) and shawarma (an import from Lebanon and Syria — pieces of roasted meat usually wrapped in bread). Cheaper places will only serve up vegetables and maybe beef hot dogs or corned beef. Eggs, fried potatoes and salads are also usually available.
Climate
The best time to visit Cairo is during the winter from November to March, when daytime highs mostly stay below 26°C (79°F), with night time lows around 10°C (50°F) with occasional rain showers clearing the air, but still, you do not need an umbrella, even the rainiest months of the year rarely top 10 mm (0.4 in). If visiting during winter, be aware that not all buildings are equipped with heaters, including some hotels and hostels. Visitors should always pack a few warm jumpers (sweaters) and a warm jacket for evening wear. In Cairo, in indoor buildings without air-conditioning, temperatures are about 15°C (59°F) in the coldest winter days and about 34°C (93°F) in the hottest summer days. The brief spring from March to May can be pleasant as long as there are no sand storms, but summer temperatures, on the other hand, can reach a searing 38°C (100°F).
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Nov – Marbest time to visit Cairo is during the winter from November to March, when daytime highs mostly stay below 26°C (79°F), with night time lows around 10°C (50°F) with occasional rain showers clearing the air, but still, you do not need an umbrella, even the rainiest months of the year rarely top 10 mm (0....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsCairo airport has frequent flights from other Egyptian cities, the Gulf states and Levant, and usually daily flights from the European and North African capitals. There are direct flights from Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Mumbai, New York, Washington D.C, Tokyo and Toronto but travel from the Far East or North America will usually involve a change. The main operator is EgyptAir (the national carrier) and its Star Alliance partners Aegean, Air China, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, ITA Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines. SkyTeam is represented by Air France, China Eastern Airlines, KLM, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, and TAROM. Oneworld by British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, and Royal Jordanian....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You will find that it's useful to have several maps handy if you are looking to get around Cairo on your own. Spellings of street and place names can vary from map to map and from map to actual location, and not every street will appear on every map. Cairo is home to Africa's first and most expansive metro system. While Cairo's metro system is modern and sleek, the three lines are all too limited in scope. The rolling stock is modern on line 3 (and sometimes 2) with AC. And line 3 (the most recent one) is operated by RATP Dev, a subsidiary of RATP, the French operator of the Paris metro. As of October 2024, a single trip ticket ranges from LE8-20, depending on the number of stations covered: It is a crowded subway, but no more than Tokyo, Paris or London. If you are used to the metro in big cities and/or can deal with the crowding (be extra careful to avoid pickpocketing), it is the best way of avoiding traffic jams while travelling.
Where to Stay
Cairo has a tremendous range of accommodation, from low-rent budget hotels downtown to five-star palaces along the Nile. See individual district articles for hotel listings. You can also stay in an accommodation in Giza directly at an entrance to the pyramid area. Many of these accommodations have a pyramid view. The main post office of Cairo is on Midan Ataba (open Sa-Th 7AM-7PM, F and holidays 7AM-noon). The poste restante office is to be found along the side street to the right of the main entrance to the post office and through the last door (open Sa-Th 8AM-6PM, F and holidays 10AM-noon) - mail will be held for 3 weeks. Always use the register mail facility to post anything valuable or important. It takes longer but each step of the journey is recorded, as many letters do not arrive at their destinations when using regular mail service.
Money & Budget
ATMs are found in various places throughout downtown. A more secure option are the ATMs in the five star hotels. There also are numerous places that handle currency exchange, or you can try any major bank such as HSBC or Commercial International Bank. Foreign currencies can also be exchanged for Egyptian pound in all the Egyptian banks like Banque Misr, National Bank of Egypt, Banque de Caire, Arab African Bank, the United Bank, or the large branches of Bureau de Change. Many merchants will try to scam you out of as much as they possibly can. A particularly common trick are the papyrus museums. They come in many different flavours, but they often call themselves galleries, museums or workshops.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Scams against tourists are almost a national sport, though they're usually obvious. A good rule of thumb is that if someone approaches you on the street, they're trying to scam you. Don't talk to them. Common scams are: During politically-calm times, you can walk around the main streets anytime you feel like roaming. It is fairly safe and you will always find lots of people around smiling and offering to help. Women alone can expect to be the target of an excessive amount of catcalling, but it rarely goes beyond that. Around the more touristy locations there is an abundance of 'helpful' people, but be careful who you go with and under no circumstance let anyone push or guide you anywhere that you do not want to go! If you get lost look for the security and police officers. Many speak some English, and most know their local area very well as well as the tourist spots. Crossing streets is another major challenge in Cairo.
Glimpses of Cairo
The Mosque of Rifai and Sultan Hassan is truly an architectural miracle
person walking near The Great Sphinx
white and blue boat on water near city buildings during daytime
ferries along the city river banks near bridge with crossing cars
Khan el Khalili, Cairo, Egypt.
Just passing by Cairo, while landing. I slept most of the flight Beirut-Cairo but I woke up just in time to face 4000 years of history.
Cairo🇪🇬
people walking on brown sand near pyramid during daytime
@dascalvisual
city skyline during night time
The Mosque of Rifai and Sultan Hassan is truly an architectural miracle
person walking near The Great Sphinx
white and blue boat on water near city buildings during daytime