City guide · Egypt
Cairo
Pyramids at the edge of a twenty-million-person metropolis
October–April
Egyptian Pound (EGP)
Arabic (English widely spoken in hotels and tourist areas)
Africa
The guides
The best of Cairo, by category
Cairo layers 5,000 years of history along the Nile: the Giza pyramids on its western edge, a medieval core of mosques and bazaars, and a belle-epoque downtown. With the Grand Egyptian Museum now fully open beside the pyramids, the city has its biggest new draw in a century.
The shortlist
If you only have time for the best
The single highest-rated picks across every category in Cairo.
Hotels
See all 6- 1
Marriott Mena House
Giza
4.7★15,000+ reviews
- 2
Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
Garden City
4.7★10,000+ reviews - 3
The Nile Ritz-Carlton
Downtown
4.7★7,500+ reviews
Restaurants
See all 6- 1
Abou El Sid
Zamalek
4.5★5,000+ reviews - 2
Koshary Abou Tarek
Downtown
4.5★25,000+ reviews - 3
Felfela
Downtown
4.5★10,000+ reviews
Bars
See all 6- 1
Cairo Jazz Club
Agouza
4.5★3,000+ reviews - 2
Crimson Bar & Grill
Zamalek
4.5★2,000+ reviews - 3
El Fishawy
Khan el-Khalili
4.5★15,000+ reviews
Attractions
See all 6- 1
Pyramids of Giza
Giza Plateau
4.7★50,000+ reviews - 2
Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza
4.8★15,000+ reviews
- 3
The Egyptian Museum
Downtown
4.6★25,000+ reviews
Where to base yourself
Cairo neighborhoods, decoded
Pick your area first — it shapes everything else about the trip.
Zamalek
Leafy island sophisticationGezira Island's northern half holds embassies, mid-century apartment blocks, galleries, and Cairo's densest cluster of good restaurants. It is the easiest soft landing for first-time visitors.
Downtown (Wust el-Balad)
Faded belle-epoque grandeurKhedive Ismail's 1870s 'Paris on the Nile' grid of ornate facades, century-old cafes, and the Egyptian Museum. Street life runs loud and late, and art spaces now colonize the upper floors.
Islamic Cairo
Living medieval cityThe thousand-year-old quarter around al-Azhar holds Khan el-Khalili, al-Muizz Street, and hundreds of listed monuments. Come for the mosques and madrasas, stay for the workshops and tea houses.
Maadi
Green riverside calmA leafy southern district of villas, international schools, and the Nile corniche's most walkable stretch. Its Road 9 strip is lined with casual restaurants and cafes.
Beyond the city
Day trips worth the ride
Saqqara & Dahshur
45 min by carThe Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world's oldest monumental stone building, plus the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur, which you can often enter nearly alone.
Alexandria
2.5 hr by trainEgypt's Mediterranean second city: the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Qaitbay citadel on the ancient lighthouse site, and seafood lunches along the corniche.
Fayoum Oasis
2 hr by carDesert lakes and waterfalls at Wadi El Rayan, the pottery village of Tunis, and the fossilized whale skeletons of UNESCO-listed Wadi al-Hitan.
Eat like a local
What to order in Cairo
Koshary
Egypt's carb-on-carb national dish: rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas under spiced tomato sauce and crispy fried onions.
Try it at: Koshary Abou Tarek, Downtown
Ta'ameya
Egypt's falafel, made from split fava beans and fresh herbs so it fries up emerald-green inside.
Try it at: Felfela, Downtown
Molokhia
A garlicky soup of finely chopped jute leaves, ladled over rice and classically paired with chicken or rabbit.
Try it at: Abou El Sid, Zamalek
Om Ali
Egypt's bread pudding of flaky pastry baked with milk, nuts, and raisins until blistered on top.
Try it at: El Malky, multiple branches
Good to know
Cairo essentials, answered
Three full days covers the essentials: one for Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, one for Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili, and one for the Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, and a sunset felucca ride. Add a fourth day for the Saqqara and Dahshur pyramids.
