Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Cairo
- Rand Blimes
- Jun 6
- 17 min read
Updated: Jun 8
Nuts and Bolts posts give you the practical information you need, but without stripping away the humor, mishaps, and little victories that make real travel what it is. These aren’t just guides. They’re how we actually did it—mistakes, triumphs, and all.
This page has some travel tips for visiting Cairo to aid in planning your own trip. I travel mainly with my wife, and we love to simply wander and eat when we explore a new place. We were in Cairo for about two weeks total, in July and August, 2023. If your trip to Cairo is significantly longer/shorter/with a different focus, you may have a very different experience.
This happens to us all the time.
We showed up in Cairo and it was gross. Dirty. Crowded. Chaotic. Few things were where Google Maps said they’d be. The traffic was insane. Cairo was all the bad things travelers complain about—rolled into a messy bundle and set on fire.
And we loved it.
So much energy. So much history. The museums are vast enough to get lost in forever. The madrassas are massive and beautiful enough to do justice to their own history. The food? Fantastic. Koshary on every corner. Enough ful and muhammara to justify consuming all the bread in the world.
And after a week in Luxor, we were grateful for the chaos. In Cairo, we could just blend in and be left alone, walking down the street without touts hounding us every step of the way.
So welcome to Cairo: the messy, vibrant, wonderful center of modern Egypt.
Travel Tips for Visiting Cairo: Weather
Cairo is a city of extremes—sun, dust, energy, and yes, heat. Summers (June through August) are blisteringly hot, with daytime highs regularly soaring above 100°F (38°C). Add in traffic and concrete, and even the shade feels like a sauna. Unless you thrive in desert heat, summer might be rough.
That said, we visited in summer, and honestly, we didn’t think Cairo was too bad. Its heat wasn’t nearly as rough as Luxor. Still, plan to get out early and be retired to an air conditional hotel, museum or mall by high afternoon.
The sweet spot for visiting Cairo is late fall through early spring (roughly November to March). Daytime temperatures are warm but manageable—perfect for long museum visits and rooftop dinners with views. Nights can be cool, especially in January and February, so bring a light jacket.
Spring (April–May) can still be nice, but this is also when khamsin winds blow in from the desert. They kick up dust and sand, which means dry eyes, hazy photos, and a thin layer of grit on everything you own. If you visit during this time, keep your sunglasses and scarf handy, and never change camera lenses outside.
Bottom line? If you can, come in winter, when the city is at its most forgiving. Cairo is always chaotic—but at least it won’t melt your shoes. If all you can pull off is summer, well, that works too. Stay hydrated!
Getting to Cairo
For most travelers, Cairo is Egypt’s front door—and that door swings open at Cairo International Airport (CAI), a sprawling, occasionally confusing hub about 30–45 minutes from downtown (traffic willing). Immigration is usually straightforward. Most nationalities can get a visa on arrival—a simple process that requires you to buy a visa sticker (usually $25 USD) from a bank kiosk before getting in the immigration line. Yes, it’s old school. Yes, you will wonder if this line is the right one. But it generally works.
After clearing customs, you’ll run the gauntlet of taxi drivers offering “special deals.” Ignore them. If your hotel doesn’t arrange pickup, it’s far better to order an Uber (yes, it works at the airport—although it can involve a bit of hide and seek), or if you want an easy arrival, use a hotel transfer even if it’s a bit more expensive. The peace of mind can be worth it after a long flight.
If you are leaving the country through Cairo, know that security takes longer than you think it should to get through. Give yourself a bit of extra time to navigate the ridiculousness.
Cairo is the country’s main transportation hub, so it’s the jumping-off point for nearly everywhere else you’ll want to go:
To Luxor or Aswan: You can fly (fast and easy), take an overnight train (slow and romantic), or brave the long bus ride (not recommended unless you're truly on a shoestring). Trains run daily and offer a taste of old-school travel. In theory you can buy tickets online, but in practice this rarely works for those without an Egyptian phone number and credit card.
To Alexandria: Take the train—fast, affordable, and surprisingly comfortable if you spring for 1st class. We hired an Uber and driver for door-to-door ease, which worked out beautifully.
To the Sinai (Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Mount Sinai): Flights are fastest. Buses are long and bumpy but doable.
To the Red Sea coast (Hurghada, Marsa Alam): Flights are available but limited. Buses exist but are rough. Private transfers or flights from Cairo are the most reliable options.
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Bottom line: Cairo isn’t just where you start in Egypt—it’s where you’ll keep circling back to. So breathe deep, let the dust settle, and embrace it.
Getting Around Cairo
Getting around Cairo is an adventure in itself—and that’s putting it kindly. The traffic often feels like a live-action video game where lanes are suggestions, pedestrians are power-ups, and everyone’s goal is to honk as many times as possible before rounding the next corner.
Uber is your best friend. It works well in Cairo, is cheap by global standards, and spares you the stress of negotiating prices or explaining directions in Arabic. There’s also Careem, the local ride-hailing app, but we stuck with Uber and had no regrets. Just note that pickup points can be a little chaotic in busy areas. Our advice? Drop a pin a block or two away from the main chaos if you want your driver to have a fighting chance.
Taxis do exist, but unless you speak Arabic or enjoy the adrenaline rush of price haggling while weaving through traffic, we’d skip them. Drivers rarely use meters and will absolutely try to quote tourist prices.
Tuk tuks patrol the streets of Cairo. Make sure to agree on a price before you get in, but if you don't mind the lack of AC, tuk tuks are cheaper and, in many places, more common than taxis.
If you're staying downtown or in Islamic Cairo, walking is sometimes an option—but keep your eyes open. Sidewalks are rare, cars don't yield, and Google Maps isn't always accurate. But walking can also be the best way to stumble across something amazing—a hidden bakery, an old mosque, a man selling koshary from a wooden cart. Just bring comfortable shoes, a willingness to dodge traffic, and a solid sense of direction.
For our part, we usually took an Uber to a neighborhood and then connected sites in the neighborhood by foot. If you haven’t traveled much in developing countries, crossing the street will seem a bit intimidating. Just wait for a local and follow them across the first few times.
Getting around Cairo can be chaotic—but it’s the kind of chaos that grows on you. Like the city itself.
Sleeping in Cairo for the Budget Conscious Traveler
Cairo is massive, loud, chaotic—and absolutely worth it. But all that size and noise means location matters when you’re choosing where to stay. You’ll want to be close to at least some of the things you came to see, but a quiet home base can also go a long way toward preserving your sanity.
We circled through Cairo a few times, so we tried out more than one area.
Near Talaat Harb Square was our favorite for a downtown base. You’re walking distance to Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum, and just a short Uber ride from the Islamic Quarter. There’s a modern shopping district, plenty of local restaurants, and hotels at every price point. We stayed at Cairo Capital Plaza—it was perfectly serviceable and gave us easy access to a lot of the food places we’d been targeting (yes, we travel for food—don’t you?).
For our return stay, we switched things up and spent time in Zamalek. It’s as close as Cairo gets to peace and quiet. The leafy streets, calmer vibe, and abundance of good restaurants made it feel like a retreat from the rest of the city. It’s not close to most of the major sights, but that tradeoff was worth it for us. We stayed at New Star Zamalek Hotel—not exactly luxury, but the location was perfect.
What to eat in Cairo
It would take months—maybe years—to eat your way through Cairo. This sprawling, chaotic metropolis is bursting with food: humble and hearty, trendy and refined, classic and quirky. We only spent a couple of weeks total in the city, so this isn’t an exhaustive guide. But it is a passionate head start.
Let’s begin with a secret weapon: Eater. Eater has become one of our go-to resources when planning where to eat in any major city. Their curated lists usually feature 38 essential spots—though Cairo hasn’t quite made it to 38 yet, their list of 19 is a great place to start. It features everything from fine dining to street food institutions.
And now, a few of our favorites:
Downtown Cairo: Go Here Hungry
This is your carb-happy HQ. The downtown area is where you’ll find some of Cairo’s most iconic, most filling, and most accessible Egyptian food.
Abou Tarek – This is the place for your first plate of koshary, Egypt’s beloved carb-palooza: rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, tomato sauce, garlic sauce, and a punch of vinegar. Sound chaotic? It is. But it works. The place is bustling, loud, and efficient—and somehow, the staff make it feel effortless. If this is your first koshary, welcome to the club. It may seem a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, but the staff is great. Just walk in and let yourself be led . . . straight into a carb coma.
Koshary El Tahrir – Not to far away, another koshary heavyweight. Try both and declare a winner. Or don’t—just keep eating.
Fasahet Somaya – This feels like getting invited into an Egyptian home. The food is pure comfort. Show up early or wait in line, because it’s first-come-first-served.
Zamalek: Cool, Leafy, Delicious
Zamalek is Cairo’s hip island enclave. It’s young, stylish, and full of food. Here’s a handful of gems to kick things off:
Zööba – Street food gone hipster in the best possible way. Think bold flavors, funky packaging, and falafel that could probably land a modeling contract.
Yokal – Street food gone hipster in the best possible way but focused on making tiny sandwiches with big flavor. Ridiculously good.
Abou El Sid – Moody, retro charm and solid Egyptian fare in a place that feels both upscale and nostalgic.
O’s Pasta – Yes, it’s in a windowless nook. But the food is lively and colorful enough to make up for it. Big bowls of pasta. Reasonable prices. Good vibes.
Le Pacha 1901 – Here is it more about the place: it is a boat floating on the Nile, fixed to the Cairo side of Zamalek island. The place contains seven different restaurants. We ate at L’Asiatique. The food wasn’t any better than “fine”. But it was fun. Worth it for the novelty of eating on a boat on the Nile.
Other Neighborhoods, Other Delights
Zeeyara – Hands down our favorite restaurant in Cairo. Tucked upstairs in one of the world’s great neighborhoods (historic El Moez Street, within the Islamic Cairo district), it’s easy to miss—but unforgettable once found. Order the pigeon if you’re feeling bold. Everything we had was outstanding.
Khan El Khalili Restaurant & Naguib Mahfouz Café – Right in the heart of the souk, if you can find it. Seriously: navigating the market is a journey, but once you land here, it’s a beautiful break for mint lemonade and mezze. To find the place, just get as close as you can and then start asking the shop venders.
Gad – Not fancy, not expensive, just fast, filling food. Great shawarma, perfect for a quick bite after a visit to the stunning Al Azhar Mosque.
Cairo has koshary and shawarma on every corner and an infinite number of surprises hiding behind nondescript doors and staircases. You’ll never try it all, and that’s exactly the point.
Staying Healthy While Eating Adventurously in Cairo
Cairo is legendary for its food—and also, unfortunately, for making some travelers sick. But we ate all over Cairo (and Egypt) and came out just fine. Our trick? A simple, time-tested travel mantra: “Cook it, peel it, or forget it.” We stuck to hot, freshly cooked meals, peeled fruits and vegetables, and gave a hard pass to anything that looked like it had been sitting out too long.
That leaves us craving a leafy green salads by the time we get home from travels, but our stomachs thank us for it.
We also wash our hands frequently (carry sanitizer for when soap and water aren’t handy) and never drink untreated water. That includes ice—unless we are sure of the source, we skip it. On short trips (anything under six months), I even brush my teeth with treated or boiled water. Is that overkill? Maybe. But we stayed healthy in Egypt while going wild on koshary, ful, and all the grilled meats and sweets Cairo had to offer. Worth it.
A note on Tips (the Money Kind, Not Travel Advice):
Here’s the deal: in Cairo, help is never far away—and neither is the expectation of a tip. Someone will help you buy tickets. Someone will guide you through a mosque. Someone will appear out of nowhere to show you how to walk up a staircase you were already halfway up. And then they will linger. And smile. And wait. And maybe even demand.
So your day becomes a kind of game—you’re either working very hard not to let anyone help you, or you’re trying to tip every helpful human (and their cousin, and their cousin’s cousin) without running out of small bills before lunch. Neither strategy is foolproof.
You can try to wave people off. “No, thank you.” “I’m okay.” “La, shukran.” Sometimes it works. Often it doesn’t. Egyptians are persistent, kind, and deeply committed to making sure you know that yes, the tomb is in that direction, and yes, you do need to take your shoes off here. And once they’ve helped—even if you didn’t want it—you’re in tip territory.
Which brings us to the real logistical challenge: small change. You’ll need a lot of it. Tip amounts aren’t huge (10 to 20 EGP is common for minor help, more for guides), but nobody has change, and the ATM only gives you crisp hundreds. So anytime you pay for something, try to break big bills. Treat small bills like gold.
And here’s the truth: tipping can get annoying, especially when you’re just trying to have a quiet moment or take a picture without commentary. But it’s also part of the rhythm of travel here, part of the social glue. It doesn’t mean people are scamming you. It means they’re working. This is the informal economy in action, and it’s what makes a lot of Cairo run.
So tip when it feels right. Decline when you need to. Keep those 10-pound notes handy. And remember that even the guy who seemed like he was trying to hustle you might genuinely want you to have a good experience. In Cairo, everyone’s a guide, and everyone lives, at least partly, on tips.
What To Do in Cairo
Cairo is big. And messy. And beautiful. It’s also loud, slow-moving (unless it’s a truck coming right at you), and completely addictive. But don’t be fooled—you can’t just wing it in Cairo. The city does not reward spontaneity. It punishes it—with traffic jams, closed sites, and the slow erosion of your will to explore.
So, before you go, make a plan. Map out what you want to see. I divide my list into “definitely” and “maybe” sections, then pin everything on a Google Map. That includes food. Especially food. Once you see where things cluster, you can start grouping your days geographically. Cairo makes a lot more sense when seen in sections. It also helps you figure out how many days you’ll actually need in the city—which, spoiler alert, is generally one or two more than you thought.
First, Let’s Talk Pyramids (and Why You Shouldn’t See Them from Cairo)
Yes, you could technically visit the pyramids as a day trip from the city. You could also eat soup with a fork. The pyramids—whether Giza, Saqqara, or Dahshur—are far, and getting there from most parts of Cairo can be soul-sucking. Do yourself a favor: base in Giza for a night or two (or three), see the pyramids when they’re close and convenient, then move into Cairo for everything else. You’ll thank yourself. Probably out loud.
The Museums
Cairo has more museums than you could see in a lifetime. That said, you really only must see two. And one of them is mostly just for the mummies.
This place is packed—absolutely crammed—with treasures. Some of the most important artifacts in the world live here. (At this point the British Museum clears its throat to remind you who it is, waving a Union Jack at you. Just ignore it—it’ll quiet down.)
But here’s the thing: the signage is bad. Like, comically bad. Don’t show up cold. Read up a bit. Hire a guide. Better yet, do both. If you don’t already know what you’re looking at, this place will swallow you whole. I’ve written a post on what to learn before you go to Egypt, which covers things like the Egyptian gods, a crash course in hieroglyphs, and why it’s worth learning just enough to make the museums feel less like wandering a warehouse of vaguely golden things. It’s kind of a ridiculously long post, yes, but it’s faster than reading a book—and you’ll have a better time in Egypt if you learn a little bit.
One important note: this museum is being phased out. Eventually, everything is supposed to move to the shiny new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza. Check what’s open where before you go.
This is where they keep the mummies. You don’t need a long explanation—just go. You’ll find Ramesses II and his royally mummified friends laid out in glass cases like they’re just waiting for someone to say “action.” You can’t take photos here, just make memories with your eyes. And maybe your soul. Because if standing in front of the face of a person who ruled 3,000 years ago doesn’t give you goosebumps, well, you should probably send apology notes to all your history teachers.
A Few Extras, If You’ve Got Time or Obsessions:
Museum of Islamic Art – Gorgeous, quiet, underrated.
Coptic Museum – Great as a warm-up if you’re visiting Coptic Cairo.
Gayer-Anderson Museum – Right next to Ibn Tulun. Part time capsule, part fever dream of an early 20th-century collector. Fantastic in the weirdest way.
Islamic Cairo: Come for the Ancient, Stay for the Medieval
Most people come to Cairo thinking about pharaohs. But it’s the medieval city that sneaks into your heart.
Al-Muizz Street
If you only walk one street in Cairo, make it this one. Al-Muizz is a time machine—stone buildings, ornate wooden balconies, domes, arches, centuries stacked on top of each other like pancakes. Go a few hours before sunset, wander without a plan, and let yourself get pulled into whatever catches your eye. Sit on a stoop. Chat with the locals. Watch the sky change. Eat dinner at Zeeyara. By the time the sun sets, the street lights up, and the city feels like it remembers who it used to be.
Our Half-Day Tour of Islamic Cairo (a.k.a. “The Uber-Meets-Tuk Tuk-Meets-Walking Strategy”)
NOTE: most of the mosques and madrassas on this tour require a small fee to enter. This is one of my pet peeves. Charging money to enter places of worship always rubs me the wrong way. But I swallowed my peeves and just did it. These mosques and madrassas are worth it.
We tackled this in a half day with a mix of walking and Ubering. Here’s how it went.
Start here. Go early. Built in the 12th century by Saladin (yes, that Saladin), the Citadel was Cairo’s center of power for centuries. The Mosque of Muhammad Ali inside is worth the uphill climb—huge, Ottoman-style, and photogenic from every angle. The view from the courtyard is one of the best in the city. Unless it’s hazy. Which it probably is (see opening shot in this post).
After visiting the Citadel, we managed to catch a tuk tuk to our next destination.
Next door. Quiet. Regal. The last Shah of Iran is buried here, along with Egypt’s last kings. When we went, a man greeted us and showed us around—he didn’t speak English, and I know maybe three words in Arabic, but somehow it worked. Best part? He had us stand in a small domed room, called someone, and they started to chant. The acoustics made the sound bounce around like something out of a hauntingly beautiful dream. It was pure magic.
Right across the street. This one’s a giant—massive arches, huge courtyard, hanging lanterns, and about a dozen friendly cats. A young woman met us at the door and gave us a tour.
Walk to Ibn Tulun Mosque
We walked through some local neighborhoods to get here. No tourist sites, just daily life—and that’s kind of the point.
Ibn Tulun Mosque is Cairo’s oldest surviving mosque, built in the 9th century, and it’s enormous. You’ll likely have it mostly to yourself. A young woman working there gave us a full 30-minute tour in flawless English, and when I offered her a tip, she refused. Said the Ministry of Tourism paid her to help visitors understand the mosque. I was speechless. That never happens in Egypt.
Uber to Aqsunqur Mosque (Blue Mosque)
A small mosque with blue Ottoman tilework, rare for Cairo. Quiet, contemplative, and worth the stop.
Uber to Bab Zuweila
One of the old city gates—and you can climb it. The view from the top gives you a rooftop perspective of Islamic Cairo’s domes and minarets. Also a good place to reflect on just how many steps you’ve climbed today.
Founded in the 10th century, and still a functioning university. One of the oldest in the world. The white marble courtyard and surrounding prayer halls are sublime. You don’t need to stay long, but you’ll be glad you stopped.
The Bazaar (and the Tale of the Two Markets)
By this point, you’ll be dumped out somewhere near Khan el-Khalili. If you still have energy (or functioning knees), head into the bazaar.
Here’s the thing: there are two markets here—the tourist market and the local market. And whichever direction you go, everyone will tell you you’re going the wrong way. Locals will politely herd you back toward the trinkets. Vendors will ask why you're wandering toward the plastic buckets and prayer rugs. It’s like being stuck in a choose-your-own-adventure story where every path loops back on itself.
Still, it’s worth it. The alleys are tight. The energy is pure Cairo. If you’ve read Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley, you’ll feel like you’ve walked onto the set.
We poked into the bazaar a bit after our Islamic Cairo walking tour, but we were pretty tired. I actually came back twice, once early, and once in the late afternoon. There are enough photographic subjects here to keep you busy forever.
Still Not Done?
If you want more of Cairo, there’s more:
Coptic Cairo – Compact and peaceful, with early Christian churches, Roman ruins, and even a synagogue.
The Nilometer – At the south tip of Zamalek Island. An ancient tool for measuring the Nile’s flood—and therefore the tax rate. Bureaucracy never sleeps.
City of the Dead – A massive cemetery that’s also home to a living community. Best visited with a guide.
More mosques, more markets, more museums – Cairo will always outpace your plans. And that’s okay.
You won’t see it all. You’re not supposed to. But if you plan well, wander occasionally, and talk to the people who surprise you—you’ll get what you came for.
Cairo doesn’t unfold gently. It throws itself at you—loud, tangled, brilliant—and dares you to make sense of it. You’ll get dusty. You’ll get lost. You’ll sweat through your shirt and then find yourself speechless in a silent courtyard that was already old when your country was born. And somewhere between the muezzin’s call and your fifth bowl of koshary, it will start to make sense—not in a tidy way, but in a way that lingers. Because that’s what happens when the chaos becomes part of the beauty. Because travel doesn’t just show you the world. It unravels you a little too.
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