• Ride a felucca along the Nile River. A great way to relax and enjoy a night under the stars in Cairo. To charter your own, negotiate a fair price of no more than 20 to 30LE for about a half hour for the boat, no matter how many people are on it. Pay after your ride, or you may get much less than you bargained for! Public boats with loud Arabic music and a giggling crowd are also available for LE 2 for 1/2 hour.

• Have a coffee, mint tea or Cola at El Fishawy's coffee shop in Khan el-Khalili. Smoke a shisha water pipe (try the "double apple" flavor) and watch the world go by. Great cheap entertainment.

• When you need a break from city life, try a round of golf on the famous Mena House Golf Course overlooking the Pyramids, watch the horse racing at the Gezira Club or visit the Zoo and the Cairo Botanical Gardens.

Music and Culture

• The Culture Wheel (الساقية al-Saqia), [10]. The largest independent cultural center in Cairo, offers concerts almost every night.

• The Garden Theatre in Al-Azhar Park [11] offers a range of musical performances. The venue is also a great place for an evening stroll.

A selected list of Cairo highlights:

• Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The only remaining monuments of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is the country's most famous tourist attraction.
• Egyptian Museum, on Midan Tahrir. The world's premier collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts.
• Citadel, in Islamic Cairo. A grand castle built by Salah Al-Din. Also parts of the water pipes (Majra Al-Oyouon) are still there, these pipes used to carry the water from the Nile River to the citadel.
• Nile-meter South end of Rota island, Nile. Was used before Assuan dam was built and the level of the Nile was measured and therefore the tax rates for the farmers fixed.
• Al-Azhar Mosque. One of the pillars of Islamic thought and home to the world's oldest university.
• Ibn Tulun, close to Sayidna Zeinab. The oldest, and maybe most beautiful mosque in Cairo.
• The Coptic Museum, in Coptic Cairo.
• the "Hanging Church" (Church of the Virgin Mary), in Zabeleen Area (District of Manshiet Nasser) below Mokkatam Hills, not far away from the Citadel

See the Egypt article for visa requirements.

By plane

Cairo International Airport (IATA: CAI), [1] is well served by EgyptAir [2], the national carrier, and others such as British Airways [3], Air France [4], KLM [5], Singapore Airlines [6] and Lufthansa [7].

The airport has four public terminals and a fifth (would be the biggest) one under construction in addition to a private jet terminal, which may or may not open sometime in 2009. Terminal 1 (aka the "Old Airport" or "Domestic Terminal") is used by EgyptAir for all flights, domestic and international, while most but not all other airlines use Terminal 2 ("New Airport"). The two are 3 km apart and a free shuttle bus runs between the two every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Getting to downtown Cairo can be a pain. LE 40 is a good price by taxi, although it can be quite difficult to negotiate this price if you are not an Arabic speaker. Refuse to pay the "ticket" (airport parking fee) for the driver.

For the adventurous, catch a public bus to Midan Tahrir or Midan Ramses. Walk 5 minutes out of the terminal to the big undercover bus station, and ask a local, but don't catch the notorious (non-aircon) green buses. Rides are just under LE 2. It takes around 1 - 1.5 hours to reach downtown.

Finally, there are also direct express buses to Alexandria every 30-60 minutes; however, the buses operate only during daylight hours (4 AM-7:30 PM).

If you want to spend the night near the airport, see hotel listings in Heliopolis.

By train

Cairo's main railway station - Ramses Station (Mahattat Ramses) - is located on Midan Ramses. Trains run to Cairo from most other regions and cities within Egypt. Trains in Egypt don’t generally run on schedule, as a matter of fact they run consistently at least 15 minutes late, if not later.

Alexandria is served by a large number of departures through the day. Among the best trains are the Espani which has a morning service from Cairo at 9am. The Espani and Turbobin are the best services, driving non-stop to Alexandria and taking 2 hours and 40 min. The next best service is al-Fransawi, which stops at the major Delta cities on the road. Buy tickets one day in advance to be assured of a seat.

Going to Upper Egypt, Luxor and Aswan, the Sleeping Trains [8] leave Cairo 8 pm and arriving in Luxor 5.05 am and Aswan 8.15 am. Check the website for more departures, including one three days a week from Alexandria. It's relatively expensive at 60 USD for a bed in a double-person cabin one way. Tickets are bought at the office to your left as you enter the train station from the Metro and taxi station. The tickets are payable in US dollars only (there are no exchange offices at the train station itself), and since these are designated for tourists, you will stay in special cars guarded by armed plain-clothes policemen.

Going to Upper Egypt, the alternative to the expensive sleeper (or flying) is the ordinary trains. One of these departs at 00.30 to Luxor and Aswan and is supposed to take 10 hours to Luxor and 13 hours to Aswan.

Trains also depart to the canal cities, but buses are much faster.

By car

Don't expect to drive your own car unless you're already familiar with Cairo traffic, one shouldn't expect to drive. The traffic is, at the least, overwhelming for the common traveler. Road signs, lanes, right-of-ways, etc. are not adhered to. The driving has a consistency, but not in any official way. Parking houses or official parking spots are rare, but many places people work to look after parked cars. A small tip is expected for this service.

Getting in and out of Cairo, the roads to and from Fayoum and the desert cities in the southwest and Alexandria, Delta and Marsa Matrouh in the north-west are through the Giza and pyramids area, the road to Beni Suueif and Upper Egypt (Aswan, Luxor) is in the south, after Maadi and Helwan. North from Heliopolis are the road to the canal cities (Port Said, Ismailiyya, Suez) and Sinai. Ein al-Sukhn and Hurghada is best reached by the tolled road after New Cairo City.

By bus

See also: Cairo to Jerusalem by bus

Buses arrive to Cairo from virtually all over the country. The two main destinations are Midan Ramsis and Turgoman, but vehicles also sometimes stop at other destinations, notably abbasiya. From Midan Ramses and Turgoman it's a quick 5 LE taxi cab ride to downtown, 7-10 LE to Zamalek.

The Turgoman has, from 2007, been renovated into a new, modern indoor station, close to the older one. From Turgoman, hourly services run to the canal cities (2 hrs) and Sharm al-Sheikh. To Sharm, East Delta buses take approximately 8 hrs (80 LE). The Superjet is faster, driving non-stop without a break in approximately 6 hrs. Three of the East Delta services continue to Dahab.

Services also go to Taba and Nuweiba, leaving three times daily (including one night services) with prices comparable with the services to Sharm. It takes 6 hrs all the way to Nuweiba.

To the canal cities, Ismailiya and Suez, buses go all the time from Turgoman station, costing 20-30 LE. The travel to all destinations takes a little bit more than two hours.

Uncomfortable, but cheap, microbuses leave from Cairo to a large number of destinations. The main garages are Midan Ramsis and al-Marg metro station (for the north-east and Sinai). They are faster and might as such be an option for shorter trips, but have a terrible toll of accidents. There are also other places these buses leave from depending on your destination, ask locals. Be aware that at least for the Sinai, foreigners are prohibited to use the microbus system.

The American University in Cairo has made a good map of Cairo [9]. It is a must-have when you want to get around on your own. CAIRO A-Z from The Palm Press offers a more detailed city map in 300 pages.

By metro

Cairo has the only metro system on the African continent, and a modern and sleek one at that. While its two lines are all too limited in scope, they're a major boon in the areas they do go to and the flat fare of 1.00 pound per trip is a steal. The key interchanges are Mubarak, at Midan Ramses, and Sadat, below Midan Tahrir.

It's also a hassle free way to get to Giza to see the pyramids, although you'll need to complete the trip taking a microbus all the way (change to microbus for "al-haram" at the end stop, Giza).

Note that there are two cars of each train reserved for women. Recently the women's cars have been moved to the middle section of the train.

The metro stops running at approximately midnight and starts up again around 6am. There are no timetables, but departures are very frequent.

Plans have been made to include new routes, however, little progress seems to be made on this.

By taxi

The fleet of black-and-white taxis that ply Cairo's streets are convenient but a hassle — communication can be an issue and the meters, which are heirs from antique eras of gas prices, are not normally used. Prices are, however, not erratic, and any Cairene knows how much the driver expects depending on time and distance spent in the car, and perhaps the traffic (relative to normal Cairo levels, of course). Because of a recent 20% raise in gasoline prices, prices could be slightly higher, but still very cheap for most tourists. Additionally, it is highly recommended that you have exact change before you enter a cab; drivers are reluctant if not resistant to giving change, but if you can present them with the exact amount for the journey they will more likely accede without haggling or complaint.

Ordinary Egyptians will never state prices beforehand. Instead the correct sum is paid through the window after leaving the car. Some drivers might protest as they expect tourists to pay more than the standard rates. As a tourist it's probably best to meet these expectations as it only represents a very small increase in hard currency terms. Avoid negotiations - it takes lots of time and you end up at a price you won't like. Instead, use the "walk-away"-technique if they don't agree to your (reasonable) price. As long the driver does not leave the car, you're all right. If this happens, consult someone nearby.

As a tourist you might prefer to state a price beforehand, which may prevent ripoffs but will require you to quote slightly above the local price to get a quick nod.

Try to get a taxi on the fly instead of those loitering outside 5-star hotels and restaurants to minimize price inflation. Using a big hotel as your destination may also inflate the price. Always choose the taxi, don't let the taxi choose you.

Cabbies usually expect more money (2 or 3 LE) for ferrying more people. If you decide not to negotiate the price beforehand (this is the better method) be ready to jump ship and/or bargain hard if the cabby brings up the fare after you are in the car. They rarely accept more than 4 people to a taxi. Also add 5-7 EP driving late at night.

In March 2006 a new fleet of 500 bright yellow taxis hit the road. They run on natural gas, and will soon add up to a total of 1500 cars, all equipped with air-conditioning, meters that actually work, and credit card readers. The meter starts at 3.50 LE, and then 1 LE for every additional kilometre. The drivers are not allowed to smoke in the cars. They are referred to as 'City Cabs' or Cairo Cabs', and can be a bit more expensive (and less of an adventure) than the black-and-white cabs for short hops. However, for longer distances they are the way to go for price and comfort. From within Cairo call 0104343438 - 19155.

By bus

The large red, white and blue public buses cover the entire city and are much cheaper, but are usually crowded. However, there are the similar air-conditioned buses that charge 2 L.E. for the trip and prohibit standing on the bus. They can be found in the main squares in Cairo. Also found in main squares are the smaller mini-buses that are usually orange and white or red, white and blue. Because of problems with sexual harrasment women travellers are advised only to take the small micro-buses and buses which prohibit standing.

Apart from the main bus stations, buses can be hauled down from street-level. Buses are seldom marked with destination, instead passengers shout out their destinations and if the bus goes this place it will stop. On micro-buses, the fare starts at 25 piastre and goes up to 1 EP. Travelers unfamiliar with Cairo can ask bus drivers or passengers to let them know where there stop is. Don't be shy - even if you don't speak Arabic, simply politely blurt out the name of your destination to the bus driver or a friendly looking passenger and they will take care of you.

There are a number of major bus stations (mawqaf) throughout the city. One of the largest is conveniently located behind the Egyptian Museum in Midan Tahrir. Note that there are actually two stations - the main bus station for the city buses, and the micro-bus station behind it. Travelers who want to visit the Pyramids, for example, can catch a seat in a micro-bus for approximately 2 pounds. The micros in the last lane to the right all go to the pyramids - just ask for "haram."

There are also bus stations in Midan Ramses, under the overpass. Buses run from Ramses to Heliopolis, City Stars Mall and other destinations not covered by the Tahrir bus station.

By boat

Feluccas are great for leisurely ride down the Nile.

From the airport

The airport is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the city at Heliopolis. To get into downtown Cairo you can get a fixed-price limousine (60 EP) or negotiate a lower price with one of the small black taxis. You could negotiate down to as little as 40 EP. Back from the city a normal price would be 20-30 EP, depending on the traffic.

ATMs are conveniently located in various places throughout downtown. A more secure option are the ATMs in the five star hotels (the Nile Hilton, the Semiramis Intercontinental, etc.).

• The Khan El-Khalili bazaar is a giant souq in Islamic Cairo. The merchants here are ravenous and skilled, so don't fall for the hard sell and be prepared to haggle.

• Fair Trade Cairo in Zamalek is a great shop selling high quality crafts made by local artisans. There is Nomad that has a small, charming showroom in Zamalek, as well as Nagada and Khan Misr Taloun.

Cairo has an enormous number of restaurants, catering to most needs. 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 shisha. 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, Mohandesin or any of the other more affluent parts of town. Most guidebooks and food critics agree that Cairo is not a great culinary destination. Ingredients are often low quality, and even the "best" restaurants might serve questionable dishes. That said, there are still a few good places to eat.

For those with a greater interest in Cairo's culinary life, look for Cairo Dining, a magazine with a half-yearly update of 1000 Cairo restaurants (and places to go out) sorted by price, kind of food and area. Otlob.com delivers food from a large number of Cairo restaurants, and is also practical because it offers a list of restaurants by type of food, area, and even covers menus, conveniently all in English. Almost all but the highest quality Cairo restaurants offer delivery or takeout.

Egyptian and oriental food

Traditional Egyptian staples are available almost everywhere. In stalls and street restaurants you will find traditional dishes like foul (bean paste), taamiyya (falafel), muzagga (the Egyptian version of the Greek moussaka), kushari (macaroni, lentils, chick peas, and sometimes a tomato sauce), fatayeer (Egyptian pancakes with different fillings) and shawarma (a recent 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. Hygiene varies wildly and the best advice is to go for the most visited places. Avoid empty restaurants as the food will be less fresh. Especially downtown you can find many good kushari shops, including many outlets of the excellent Kushari Tahrir chain.

In the medium and upper price range your choice of traditional Egyptian food will be more limited. Although the situation is improving, traditionally Egyptian gastronomical experiences are still mostly restricted to private homes. Quality chain restaurants like Felfela (several outlets) and Abou Sid (Zamalek, Maadi and Doqqi) offer authentic Egyptian food. Otherwise Arabic and oriental restaurants tend to mix styles or completely go for more Lebanese-style eating, considered more stylish by rich Cairenes. The good side of this is that Cairo is blessed with many quality Lebanese outfits, from chains like Dar al-Qamar to stylish restaurant establishments. Additionally, Turkish food and restaurants catering to gulf visitors can be found.

Western and Asian food

Cairo has a growing number of Western fast food outlets available - these are, incidentally, some of the best places to see young Cairenes relaxing together, as fast food restaurants are apparently considered amongst the hippest places to hang out. McDonalds, Hardees, Pizza Hut and KFC are spread about the city. There is also a cute TGI Friday's on the Nile banks at the entrance of Maadi, serving beer but no wine. Gezira also boasts its very own Chili's. For burgers, you can also try Fuddrucker's (Maadi and Mohandesseen) or Lucille's in Ma'adi (Road n° 9) which is owned by an American woman. A funny italian place is the Mint in Mohandesseen, boasting a very stylish interior, however it's alcohol free...

Lighter meals like sandwiches and salads as well as pastries can be found in western-style bakeries and cafes. Popular chains like Cilantro and Beanos and The Marriott Bakery as well as individual outlets all offer more or less similar dishes. Most of these places also offer wireless internet. If it's more stylish international dining you're into, Cairo offers a wide variety: Italian, Chinese and Japanese outlets in addition to the ambigious continental cooking abound, especially in areas like Zamalek, Mohandesin and Dokki.

Hygiene and diet issues

For health reasons it is advisable not to drink tap water or eat unpeeled fresh fruits and vegetables -- at least for the first few days of the visit. There are few solely vegetarian options, L'aubergine in Zamalek is a good restaurant for vegetarian food. Otherwise, Egyptian cuisine is dominated by vegetable courses, but be aware of "hidden" meat in stock, sauces and the like. One should also be cautious about sushis or ice creams sold outside of main hotels. Also, if served eggs, one should be cautious to ensure that they are fully cooked (sunny side up eggs may allow certain organisms to be transmitted).

Self-catering

The Metro chain and Alfa Market in Zamalek are convenient supermarkets. Otherwise vegetables and fruit are plentiful and cheap. Bakeries like The Bakery chain sell western-style bread and pastries. Organic food is available at Sekem in Zamalek.

By far the cheapest and most satisfying option, buying from Souks and outdoor markets makes for a crash course in Arabic and haggling, not to mention that the produce is often superb! Bread can be found on nearly every corner and comes in two types - whole wheat aysh baladi and white flour aysh shami. Both are baked fresh daily and delivered by thousands of kids on bicycles to every corner of the city. Every neighborhood has a few streets dedicated to produce and other goods.

Small bakeries (furun) sell every kind of baked good imaginable - ranging from Italian style bread sticks with nigella and sesame seeds to croissants, donuts and anything with dates in it. Fresh goods from these bakeries offers a nice alternative to the standard Egyptian breakfast of beans, beans, beans.

Cairo has a wide range of drinking options from the very traditional to fashionable and modern. At the other end of the scale, almost any street in Cairo has a traditional coffee house, ´ahwe, a traditionally male institution of social life tracing many hundreds of years back in history. Besides that you'll find everything from fruit stalls to patisseriés and bakeries and modern cafés whipping up all varieties of modern European coffee. In addition to the traditional Turkish coffee and shai, tea, virtually everywhere you'll find drinks like hibiscus tea, kerkedeeh, served warm or cold depending on season, sahleb, a coconut drink usually served in winter, fakhfakhenna (a kind of fruit salad), sugarcane juice, mango and tamarind juice, Tamr hindi.

Traditional Coffee Houses

Cairo remains one of the best cities in the world to sample the traditional coffee house culture of the region. They are called maqhâ in Standard Arabic, but in the local dialect this is turned into ´ahwa. The Turkish coffee remains an invariable ingredient in any Cairene coffee house, and water pipe (shisha) and tea is even more popular. While considered "old fashioned" for a time, these places are again turning fashionable among younger crowds and even smoking a waterpipe is no longer a male-only pastime. Places vary from just a small affair--plastic chairs and tables put out on the street--to more elaborate cafes especially in upscale and tourist areas.

For many, the shisha or water pipe, is the main attraction of any visit to a Cairene coffee house. It is usually available in at least two varieties, mu´assal, pure tobacco, and tofâh, apple-flavored. Other fruit varieties are sometimes available. Coffee houses range from the more elaborately decorated to a simple counter and some plastic chairs and tables spread out in the street. Foreigners are invariably made welcome, although women might feel uncomfortable visiting coffee houses in traditional, poor areas of the city. However, in downtown and the tourist areas of Islamic Cairo single or women-only groups should not expect anything more than the ordinary hassle.

Turkish coffee (´ahwe turki) is served either sweet (helwa), medium sweet (masbout), with little sugar (sukr khafeef) or no sugar (sâda). Sweet means very sweet. Tea (shai) is served either as traditional loose tea (kûshari, not to be confused with the Cairo macaroni-rice stample kushari), known as dust tea in English, or in a tea bag. Most coffee shops usually offer fresh mint leaves to put in your tea, upon request. A range of soft drinks are usually available. Most typically you will find hibiscus tea, served warm in the winter season and hot during the warmer parts of the year.

Fruit stalls

During the hot Cairo summer, fruit stalls selling fresh juice (and occasionally fruit salads and other soft drinks) are a blessing. Basically these places sell fresh-pressed juice of whatever is in season. Typical choices include orange (bortoqâl), lemon (limon), mango (manga) and strawberry (farawla). Prices and quality depend on season and availability. These places are spread out around the city and available almost all the places tourists typically visit. Traditional coffee houses or fruit juice stalls might sell all or some of these drinks.

Modern cafes and pastry shops

Modern cafes and patisseries are spread out around the city. Typically they serve light food like sandwiches and salad in addition to espresso-based coffees and pastries. Many of these places are chains, like Cilantro, Beanos, Cinnabon, Orangette, The Bakery and Coffee Roastery. Most of these places, including all the chains mentioned above, offer wireless internet connection as well. International chains such as Costa Coffee and Starbucks are also widely available throughout Cairo.