Africa's largest city: dense, exhausting, unforgettable.
Last updated: 2026-07-17
What to know before you go.
Tourist traps, SIM cards, cash vs card, taxis and safety — the city's reality in five questions.
Seeing the pyramids at midday heat on an unhaggled camel — 8am plus a written price is the rule.
The Vodafone Egypt airport stand is practical; passport required.
A cash society; stock small notes, and expect baksheesh tipping on every service.
Uber/Careem are the saviour in Cairo; street-taxi meters never run.
Violence toward tourists is rare; the tiring part is insistent selling. Women travellers can use the metro's women's carriage.
The city's 24-hour rhythm.
Turn the dial to any hour and it tells you where you should be.
What will it cost me?
Pull the day dial; the estimated per-person cost is calculated instantly.
Figures are per-person daily USD estimates compiled from BudgetYourTrip, Numbeo and recent traveller reports. Flight/ferry tickets not included.
Insider knowledge.
Things you won't find on the first page of a search engine.
Must Do
- Go to the pyramids at 8am — 1pm heat is merciless.
- Buy GEM tickets online; the window queue is long.
- Use Uber instead of taxis — no haggling.
Avoid These
- Camel or horse rides without a written price.
- Tap water — bottled even for brushing teeth.
- Shorts in mosques and Coptic churches.
Tips
- Small change is gold; hoard 5/10/20 EGP notes — baksheesh culture is real.
- Fridays before 1pm are the quietest at the monuments.
- If invited to an iftar table in Ramadan, accept — a lovely memory.