Discover
Cairo
Quick facts
- Country: Egypt
- Currency: Egyptian Pound (EGP)
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Cairo, Egypt — one of the real routes we help travelers book flights to.
Country
Egypt
Currency
Egyptian Pound (EGP)
History
The area's history as an urban centre dates to 641 AD, when the Arab general Amr ibn al-As founded the garrison town of Fustat as Egypt's first Islamic capital following the Arab conquest. In 969 AD the Fatimid general Jawhar al-Siqilli founded a new royal city just north of Fustat, named Al-Qahira ("the Victorious") — the origin of the name Cairo — which became the seat of the Fatimid caliphate and home to Al-Azhar, founded in 970 as a mosque and university that remains one of the Islamic world's leading centres of learning. The city grew through the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, when Saladin built the Cairo Citadel in 1176, and later came under Ottoman and then British-influenced rule. Today Cairo is Egypt's capital and by far its largest city, its metropolitan area extending to the Giza Plateau and the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World.
Top Sites to Visit
Great Pyramid of Giza & Great Sphinx
The tomb of Khufu, the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, alongside the Great Sphinx — a 73-metre-long, 20-metre-high limestone statue roughly 4,500 years old, carved from a single block of rock.
Grand Egyptian Museum
Fully opened in November 2025 on the Giza Plateau, a short distance from the pyramids; the world's largest museum devoted to a single civilization, holding the complete Tutankhamun collection of 5,398 pieces displayed together for the first time.
Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square
The original antiquities museum, still open after the Grand Egyptian Museum's opening, now home to Old Kingdom pieces, the Narmer Palette and the Tanis royal treasures in its 19th-century neoclassical halls.
Khan el-Khalili
A bazaar dating to the 14th century, a maze of alleys selling spices, perfume, jewellery and metalwork, and one of Cairo's oldest commercial districts.
Cairo Citadel & Mosque of Muhammad Ali
A medieval fortress built by Saladin in 1176 on high ground below the Mokattam Hills, now home to the 19th-century Mosque of Muhammad Ali and panoramic views over the city.
Al-Azhar Mosque
Founded in 970 AD as a mosque and university, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the world and still a leading centre of Islamic scholarship.
Coptic Cairo & the Hanging Church
A walled quarter of Old Cairo built over the Roman-era Babylon Fortress, centred on the Hanging Church — suspended over the fortress's southern gate and in use as a place of worship for well over a thousand years.
Activities
Enter the inner chambers of the Great Pyramid and see the Great Sphinx up close at Giza
Tour the Tutankhamun galleries and Khufu's Boat Museum at the Grand Egyptian Museum
See the Narmer Palette and Old Kingdom collection at the original Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square
Bargain for spices, jewellery and metalwork in the alleys of Khan el-Khalili
Climb to the Cairo Citadel for views over the city and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Walk through Coptic Cairo to the Hanging Church and the Roman-era Babylon Fortress
Ride the Cairo Metro — using the designated women-only cars where relevant — to cross the city without traffic
Take a felucca sailboat ride on the Nile in the late afternoon
Conferences & Sporting Events
Cairo International Film Festival — next running 11–20 November 2026
The 47th edition of one of the Middle East and Africa's oldest film festivals, held at the Cairo Opera House with screenings, competitions and an extended-reality programme.
Travel Tips
Around the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum, men will often approach claiming to be licensed guides or "antiquities police" — politely decline unsolicited offers and book guides in advance through a reputable operator.
The Cairo Metro reserves its middle two carriages (the 4th and 5th cars of each train) for women only, a policy in place since 2007 — worth knowing whether you're using them or avoiding them.
Egyptian pounds (EGP) are the only currency accepted for everyday purchases; carry a mix of small notes (5, 10, 20 and 50 EGP) for tipping, since baksheesh is customary and widely expected in restaurants, for guides and for porters.
July and August average highs run around 34–36°C with little rain — outdoor sites like Giza and the Citadel are far more comfortable visited early morning, and many travelers prefer the cooler October–April window.
Traffic in central Cairo is heavy for most of the day; the Metro is usually the fastest way to cross the city, especially between Tahrir Square, Giza and Islamic Cairo.
Modest dress (shoulders and knees covered) is expected when entering mosques and churches such as Al-Azhar and the Hanging Church, and shoes must be removed before entering mosque prayer halls.
How you'll pay
Card via Stripe
Card or mobile money via DPO
Card or mobile money via Pesapal