city
    North Africa

    Cairo

    Africa's mega-capital on the Nile — Giza's pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and a thousand years of Islamic Cairo in one restless city.

    Population

    22.0M

    Languages

    Arabic, English, French

    Currency

    Egyptian pound (EGP)

    Timezone

    EET (UTC+2); UTC+3 late April–late October (daylight saving, reinstated 2023)

    "al-Qahira, the Victorious — a metro ride from the last Ancient Wonder."

    Best time to visit
    October–April, with highs around 20–28°C and cool evenings (Dec–Jan nights can dip below 10°C). May–September brings highs of 33–38°C — manageable with early starts, and rates fall. Spring khamsin winds (Mar–Apr) occasionally bring dust; Ramadan evenings in Islamic Cairo are atmospheric.
    Currency
    Egyptian pound (EGP). Cairo is the most card-friendly place in Egypt — hotels, malls, chain restaurants and ride-hailing all take Visa/Mastercard — but Khan el-Khalili stalls, street food and tips are cash. ATMs everywhere; withdraw at bank-branded machines. Keep EGP 10–50 notes for baksheesh.
    Language
    Arabic (Egyptian Arabic vernacular); English common in tourism and business; French among older generations.
    Getting around
    Cairo International (CAI) is the main hub; Sphinx International (SPX), ~20 min from Giza/GEM, serves a growing list of flights. The Cairo Metro (3 lines, expanding, plus a phased monorail) is the fastest way across town — women-only cars available. Uber, Careem and inDrive are cheap and remove haggling. Trains and sleepers to Luxor/Aswan depart Ramses Station.

    About Cairo

    Cairo — al-Qahira, "the Victorious" — is Africa's largest urban area and one of the oldest continuously important cities on earth. Greater Cairo's twenty-plus million people live within sight of the Pyramids of Giza, which have stood on the city's western edge for some 4,500 years. No other capital lets you ride a metro in the morning and stand before the last Wonder of the Ancient World by noon. The city is really several cities layered together: pharaonic Memphis and Giza; Coptic Cairo, sheltering churches from Christianity's earliest centuries; Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed medieval core of mosques, madrasas and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar; and the belle-époque downtown of the 19th century. Since November 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum — the largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to one civilization — anchors the Giza plateau with Tutankhamun's complete treasures. Cairo rewards travelers who lean into its intensity: felucca sails at sunset, late-night koshari, Umm Kulthum drifting from café radios, and the call to prayer rolling across a skyline of a thousand minarets.

    Top experiences

    Grand Egyptian Museum
    100,000 artifacts, including the complete Tutankhamun collection.
    Pyramids of Giza & the Sphinx at dawn
    Before the crowds arrive.
    Khan el-Khalili bazaar
    A coffee at the centuries-old El Fishawy café.
    Al-Muizz Street & the great mosques
    Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai in Islamic Cairo.
    Coptic Cairo
    The Hanging Church, Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue.
    Citadel of Saladin
    The Muhammad Ali Mosque and skyline views.
    Sunset felucca on the Nile
    From the Corniche — Cairo's best-value hour.
    Al-Azhar Park at golden hour
    Overlooking the medieval city.

    Local tips

    • Book Grand Egyptian Museum tickets online; go at opening and do Tutankhamun's galleries first.
    • At Giza, enter via the Sphinx gate for shorter queues; ignore anyone claiming the "site is closed."
    • Cross streets like a Cairene: move steadily with a local shielding you — traffic flows around you.
    • Friday before noon is quietest for Islamic Cairo photography; Khan el-Khalili wakes late.
    • A sunset felucca from the Corniche (agree ~1 hr price first) is Cairo's best value.
    • Take Metro Line 1 to Mar Girgis for Coptic Cairo — faster than driving.

    Safety

    Cairo's tourist zones are heavily policed and violent crime against visitors is rare; the realistic issues are pickpocketing in crowds, taxi overcharging and hard-sell "guides" around Giza. Use ride-hailing (fixed fares) over street taxis, agree camel/horse prices in writing at the pyramids, and keep valuables zipped on the metro at rush hour (women-only cars available). Emergency: 122 / 123 / 126 / 112 unified.

    Frequently asked

    About Cairo

    Cairo, the City of a Thousand Minarets, is a sprawling metropolis where ancient pyramids meet bustling bazaars and the mighty Nile flows through history.

    Quick Facts

    Best Time to Visit

    October–April, with highs around 20–28°C and cool evenings (Dec–Jan nights can dip below 10°C). May–September brings highs of 33–38°C — manageable with early starts, and rates fall. Spring khamsin winds (Mar–Apr) occasionally bring dust; Ramadan evenings in Islamic Cairo are atmospheric.

    Travel Requirements & Info

    Visa

    Required (Available on arrival) — e-Visa (visa2egypt.gov.eg) or visa on arrival at Cairo (CAI) for ~50 nationalities; consular visa for many African passports

    Currency

    Egyptian pound (EGP)

    Time Zone

    EET (UTC+2); UTC+3 late Apr–late Oct (DST, reinstated 2023)

    Plug Type

    Type C/F, 220V/50Hz

    Languages

    Arabic, English, French

    Weather

    Oct–Apr, highs 20–28°C, cool evenings (Dec–Jan nights below 10°C); May–Sep 33–38°C; occasional khamsin dust Mar–Apr.

    Entry Requirements

    Egypt's national rules apply — e-visa via visa2egypt.gov.eg or visa on arrival at Cairo (CAI) for ~50 nationalities (buy the sticker at the bank counter before the immigration queue). 30 days, extendable at the Mogamma. See the Egypt country entry. Verified 2026-07-01.

    Book Grand Egyptian Museum tickets online and go at opening. Cairo is Egypt's most card-friendly city; keep small EGP notes for Khan el-Khalili, street food and baksheesh. Use ride-hailing (Uber/Careem/inDrive) over street taxis; women-only metro cars available; agree camel/horse prices in writing at Giza and ignore anyone claiming the "site is closed." Emergency 122/123/126, 112 unified. Verified 2026-07-01.

    Explore on Map

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