Visas & entry
Most US, Canadian, UK, EU, Australian and New Zealand passport holders need an Egyptian visa, commonly available as an eVisa or a US$25 single-entry visa on arrival at Cairo International Airport; a passport valid for at least six months is generally required. Rules, eligible nationalities and payment arrangements change, so confirm with Egypt’s official eVisa portal or your embassy before travel.
Getting in
- Cairo International Airport: The main international and domestic gateway, in Heliopolis northeast of the center. It is the airport to use for almost every Cairo Governorate stay; allow roughly 45–90 minutes by road to Downtown or Zamalek, longer in weekday traffic.
- Sphinx International Airport: A smaller western-Cairo airport in Giza Governorate, useful only if your flight actually operates there or you are combining Cairo with the Giza sights. It is not convenient for Cairo Governorate’s historic core: expect a substantial cross-city road transfer.
- Ramses Station (Misr Station): Cairo’s principal rail hub for trains from Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan, including overnight services. It is central enough for Downtown, but use an app car rather than expecting an easy luggage walk through surrounding traffic.
Getting around
Do not rent a car for a first visit: traffic, lane discipline and parking turn short distances into work. Use the Metro for straightforward north–south journeys and app-hailed cars for cross-city trips, Old Cairo/Fustat connections and evenings; treat any cross-city road move as 45–90 minutes. Cairo Governorate is best explored from one Downtown, Garden City or Zamalek base, not by changing hotels; Heliopolis only makes sense for an early airport departure.
Money
The currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP; also LE or E£). Cards work at good hotels, larger restaurants and many formal ticket offices, but carry small cash for street food, tips, taxis and small shops; keep low-denomination notes. Tipping is routine for service and small assistance, but agree guide, driver and taxi prices—or use an app—before setting off.
Daily budget · EGP (Egyptian pounds; also written E£ or LE)
- Value
- EGP 1,800–3,500
- Mid-range
- EGP 4,500–9,000
- High-end
- EGP 14,000–30,000+
- Per-person daily estimates for 2026, excluding international flights and assuming two people share a double room.
- Value covers a basic hotel or guesthouse, street food and simple restaurants, metro plus occasional app-car rides, and roughly one paid sight per day.
- Mid-range buys a good central hotel, regular app-car use, museum entries, a mix of traditional and contemporary meals, and either a guide for one major day or a performance.
- High-end means a Nile-side luxury hotel, private driver-guide, upscale dining, drinks, spa time and premium cultural evenings.
- Hotels drive the biggest price difference; food is comparatively inexpensive. A foreign-adult ticket for major sites such as the Citadel or NMEC is around EGP 550, while metro trips are roughly EGP 10–20.
- Spend intelligently: stay central rather than saving money on a distant hotel and losing hours—and app-car fares—in traffic. Bundle nearby sights into full days; museum admissions, private guides and cars can quickly make a sightseeing day far pricier than a café-and-neighborhood day.
Eating well
- Breakfast is best handled early at a ful-and-taameya shop; order ful with aish baladi.
- Koshari is Cairo’s defining quick lunch: cheap, filling and best eaten at a busy specialist rather than in a hotel restaurant.
- Dinner starts late; 9–11pm is normal in lively districts.
- Reserve Zamalek restaurants on Thursday and Friday nights.
- In Khan el-Khalili, stop for tea, coffee and sweets, but do not assume a market-facing restaurant serves the city’s best version of every dish.
- During Ramadan, daytime food options may narrow, while post-iftar dining and dessert stops become much livelier.
- Cairo Governorate does not include the Pyramids, Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Museum or Saqqara: those are in Giza Governorate, however close they may look on a hotel map.
- Base centrally in Downtown, Garden City or Zamalek and avoid hotel-hopping. Heliopolis is practical for the airport, not for daily Historic Cairo sightseeing; Maadi and New Cairo are poor short-stay bases.
- Start Islamic Cairo and other outdoor monument days early. Heat, crowds, stairs and traffic make an overstuffed itinerary miserable even when sites are geographically close.
- Dress modestly for mosque visits, remove shoes where required, and do not enter active prayer areas at busy times. In Khan el-Khalili, expect persistent sales approaches; a firm, calm ‘la shukran’ is enough.
- During Ramadan, daytime dining options and heritage-site hours can shrink, while traffic worsens before sunset and the city becomes much livelier after iftar. Build slack into any timed plan.
- For the Northern Cemetery/City of the Dead, go with a knowledgeable local guide. It is a living and sensitive urban area, not a set for casual ‘cemetery tourism.’
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
December–February
Days are usually mild, around 19–20°C at their coolest, but evenings can feel cold near 10°C and unheated interiors are often chillier than expected.
all-day Historic Cairo walkingmuseums and major sightsfirst-time visitorscool-weather travel
This is peak sightseeing season, especially around Christmas, New Year and school holidays, so central hotels and good guides book up earlier.
March–April
Temperatures generally rise from about 23°C to 28°C, with pleasant clear days interrupted at times by dusty, hot khamsin winds.
city walkingphotographymuseum-and-neighborhood daysshoulder-season visits
Dust storms can make outdoor plans unpleasant, so keep a museum day flexible and do major walking early.
May–September
Daytime highs commonly sit around 32–35°C, and heat radiating from stone, asphalt and traffic makes the center feel hotter than the forecast.
lower hotel ratesnightlife and late diningtravelers comfortable with heatindoor museum-focused days
This is a poor season for an ambitious first visit on foot; use an early-start, long-lunch and evening-sightseeing rhythm.
October–November
October remains warm at roughly 30°C by day, while November is closer to 25°C, with increasingly pleasant evenings and generally more tolerable conditions than summer.
first visitsHistoric Cairo walkingevening Nile and neighborhood timephotography
It is a popular autumn sightseeing window, so desirable central hotels rise in price and availability tightens.
Events worth planning around
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr · Ramadan moves about 10–11 days earlier each year; Eid al-Fitr follows immediately after it. · Across Cairo Governorate
Some heritage sites may run shorter daytime hours and daytime restaurant choices narrow, while traffic becomes intense before sunset. After iftar the city is livelier and later; Eid can mean fuller transport, domestic travel and some family-run closures.
What to eat
Cairo’s defining food is urban Egyptian: ful and taameya for breakfast, koshari or hawawshi for a fast lunch, ahwa coffee or tea in the afternoon, and a late dinner. Seek the classics in their proper everyday formats—street counters, bakeries and busy local restaurants—rather than polished hotel versions.
Ful medames with aish baladiTaameya: Egypt’s fava-bean, herb-heavy green falafelKoshari: lentils, rice, pasta, chickpeas, fried onions, tomato and chili-vinegar sauceHawawshi: spiced minced meat baked in baladi breadMolokhiya with chicken, rabbit or riceMahshi and hamam mahshi (stuffed pigeon)Fiteer meshaltet, sweet or savoryUmm Ali, konafa and basbousa
Downtown Cairo: Koshari houses · Ful-and-taameya breakfast counters · Old cafés and everyday fast food
Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili: Mint tea and Turkish coffee · Grilled snacks · Sweets and late-afternoon pastry stops
Zamalek: Contemporary Egyptian cooking · More polished dining · Cocktails and late dinners
Maadi: Relaxed neighborhood restaurants · Long, unhurried dinners
Heliopolis and Korba: Bakeries · Desserts · Casual local dining away from the main tourist circuit