Discover Cairo
Hotels, halal food, prayer spaces, things to do, and itineraries in Cairo.
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Must-see attractions in Cairo
From headline landmarks and heritage icons to parks, waterfronts, and major museums, discover 18 standout sights to build into your time in the city.
There is no doubt that Cairo will alarm your senses, and this can either be a good or bad thing. Cairo's allure stands tall with the Pyramids of Giza, which is the only surviving wonder of the Seven Wonders of the World. Additionally, its fascinating winding streets, oriental bazaars, and Islamic architecture can easily seduce any tourist. Yet, this seduction turns sour when experiencing Cairo's dirt, pollution, and crowd. Such contrasts may be too raw for the tourist that wants everything presented in a packaged platter. But for the intrepid soul, discovering Cairo can become a time-traveling experience that may lead to self-discovery and se
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Muslim travel planner
Plan a Muslim-friendly trip in Cairo
Halal restaurants in Cairo
Cairo’s food scene is part of the city experience. Choose from 8 restaurants and food districts with location notes and planning tips.
cairoAqua
This upscale surf and turf restaurant offers a fusion cuisine that includes dishes ranging anywhere from pan-seared salmon pagoda to the traditional lobster thermidor to steak and to the finger-licking Buffalo wings. Vegetarian dishes are also served.
cairoMoghul Room
Famed as the best Indian restaurant in Cairo, the Moghul Room offers quality food with a serene dining atmosphere that is backed with soft, live Indian music. The food offered is North Indian cuisine that emphasizes tandoori and vegetarian dishes. The Moghul Room is located in the Mena House Oberoi Hotel located across from the pyramids.
cairoAbu el-Sid
The Abu el-Sid is Cairo's best Egyptian restaurant and bar. The food is traditional and appetizing and brings in a mixed crowd of locals, tourists, and travelers on business. The decor is stylish mix of hanging lamps, large cushions, and brass tables. If you want to taste local food, this is the one place that will have you coming back for more.
cairoRevolving Restaurant
The Grand Hyatt hotel's Revolving Restaurant is the tallest restaurant in Cairo and the only dining venue which offers a rotating 360 degree of the city (it makes a full circle every 75 minutes) that includes catching sights of the pyramids and Nile River. Besides its superb decor, the restaurant also offers delicious French dishes.
cairoDa Mario
If you want to escape Egyptian cuisine for a moment, then head over to Da Mario (located in the Hilton) and try its fabulously authentic Italian cuisine. Dishes are delicious and served in a generous quantity. The service is also very efficient. Located near the Egyptian,Museum, Da Mario is also a good choice you are feeling hungry after seeing some Islamic art.
cairoKhan El-Khalili Restaurant & Naguib Mahfouz Coffee Shop
The Khan El-Khali Restaurant & Naguib Mahfouz Coffee Shop offers its diners something most restaurants lack; personality. This restaurant has a distinct and charming local attitude that is matched with sumptuous Egyptian food. The coffee shop, which is named after Egypt's Nobel prize-winning novelist, is great for a quick snack if you want to take a mini-break from shopping at the bazaar. The clientele at this inexpensive hot spot includes local artists and intellectuals.
Cairo masjids and Muslim travel
Landmark masjids and prayer-aware notes for visitors planning salah, family movement, and halal-friendly days.
Sultan Hassan Masjid
The Madrassa of Sultan Hassan Mosque is a masterpiece of Mamluk architecture and one of the largest in the world. It was commissioned in 1356AD by Sultan Hassan bin Mohammad bin Qalaoun for the purpose of establishing a school and mosque that would cater to the four branches of Sunni Islam: Shafi, maliki, Hanafi, and Hanbali.
Ibn Tulun Mosque
The Ibn Tulun Mosque is the top mosque to visit when in Cairo. This mosque, which is the largest and oldest in Cairo, was completed in 879 and still stands mostly intact. It was built using mud-brick and wood and covers 2.4 hectares (six acres). The mosque was built under the command of Ahmad ibn Tulun, who was the governor of Egypt from 868-884.
El Hadad Stationery
13 Ashmala St., Egypt 02 24995330
El Nour Mosque
ة, Al Waili, Egypt 02 24828735
Where to stay in Cairo
Choose where to stay by trip style, from landmark luxury and family bases to central, airport, and neighborhood-led stays.
cairoGrand Hyatt
Located near the airport and business district, the Grand Hyatt is located on the banks of the Nile with views of the river and city. This hotel comes with 714 rooms and suites along with a spa, pool, gym, business center, shopping mall with a cinema, and 12 eateries.
cairoInterContinental Cairo Semiramis
This luxury hotel is perfectly situated near all the main tourist attractions in Cairo. This is also the place in Cairo to hold weddings, anniversaries, and other special occasions. The Semiramis InterContinental also provides a buzzing atmosphere with people (other than guests) frequently going into the lobby cafe to chat or have a sit down dinner at its Lebanese restaurant. Moreover, the rooms are large and comfortable and many have great views of the Nile and feluccas (sail boats).
cairoThe Four Seasons
The Four Seasons on Corniche el Nil is the newer of the two Four Seasons hotels in Cairo. This luxury accommodation has 365 rooms, including 77 suites, and offers clear views of either the Nile or citadel.
cairoInterContinental Cairo Citystars
InterContinental Cairo Citystars is part of the Middle East’s largest retail and entertainment complex giving guests direct access to 550 stores and an indoor theme park. The hotel is ideally located seven minutes from Cairo International Airport, 10 minutes from Cairo International Conference Centre and 30 minutes from downtown Cairo.Named Cairo’s best business hotel by Business Traveller Magazine, it is also close to free time destinations such as the Egyptian Museum, Sakkara and the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx. Rooms are expensive but exemplar service and chic decor make it worth it.
cairoCairo Marriott Hotel
Marriott Cairo Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino, located in the city's Zamalek area, is the perfect place for weekend getaways, vacations and business travel. Located 45 minutes away from Cairo International Airport, this 20 storey building has spectacular views of the Nile and six acres of palace gardens. There are a total of 977 updated rooms, 111 elegant suites, 15 restaurants, a world-class casino and more than 35,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space.
History and today in Cairo
Read the city today, its history, residents, culture, and character before planning your route.
Fast Facts
Location:: Egypt, North Africa; Country Dialing Code:: 20; City Dialing Code :: 02
City Information
When to Go
When to Go
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General Visa Info
There are three types of Egyptian visas:
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Currency and Exchange Rates
The currency in Cairo is the Egyptian pound ("gunaih" in Arabic). Egyptian notes are divided into piastres and pounds. Piastre notes come in 5, 10, 25, and 50; Piastre notes come in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. Silver coins are hardly used (they come in 5, 10, 20, and 25), so don't expect to handle these much. If you are expecting change of a silver coin, you probably will receive gum or candy as compensation and not the coin.
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Public Holidays
Egyptian National Public Holidays
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Annual Temperature
Average monthly high & low temperature in celsius
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Cairo Today
There is no doubt that Cairo will alarm your senses, and this can either be a good or bad thing. Cairo's allure stands tall with the Pyramids of Giza, which is the only surviving wonder of the Seven Wonders of the World. Additionally, its fascinating winding streets, oriental bazaars, and Islamic architecture can easily seduce any tourist. Yet, this seduction turns sour when experiencing Cairo's dirt, pollution, and crowd. Such contrasts may be too raw for the tourist that wants everything presented in a packaged platter. But for the intrepid soul, discovering Cairo can become a time-traveling experience that may lead to self-discovery and self-assurance.
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Cairo History
Though it was ‘only’ founded in 969 under the Fatimid Caliphate, Cairo and the surrounding region has been a focal point of Egypt for thousands of years due to its position at the apex of the Nile Delta. The city is located just a few kilometers from the ancient capital of Memphis and the first Islamic capital at Fustat.
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Shopping in Cairo
Explore 6 shopping stops, from malls, markets, and book bazaars to fashion streets and souvenir finds.
cairoStars Center
Stars Center is a luxury mall located within CItyStars, an integrated urban development project that includes 3 international hotels (Intercontinental, Holiday Inn, and Crowne Plaza), a shopping and entertainment center, a medical center, and office and residential towers.
cairoRamses Hilton Mall
If you want to buy some general items, try the Ramses Hilton Mall. This mall sells casual clothes, shoes, home items, and jewelry. On the top floor you'll find a cinema and billiards.
cairoKhan al-Khalili
The Khan al-Kahlili market is a fun experience for both shopping and people gazing. The hustle of the vendors is unrelenting, and the awe of the foreigners and nonchalant attitude of the locals is so contrasting and real, that you'll want to spend more time here than allotted.
cairoEgypt Crafts Center
The Egypt Crafts Center is a great place to buy regional items. Some of these items include hand-made paper from Mugattam, Bedouin beadwork and rugs, embroidery from Sinai, and Egyptian shawls.
cairoNomad
To buy jewelry and traditional Bedouin items, the hidden Nomad shop is the place to go to. Some items include Yemeni silver jewelry, Egyptian baskets, and elaborate tablecloths and cushion covers, and some dresses. This place is so undercover that you need to ring the doorbell to enter.
Signature sights in Cairo
A curated pick of the city's standout sights, led by the strongest editorial recommendations.
Festivals and events in Cairo
Plan around 11 festival seasons, public events, Ramadan/Eid periods, book fairs, art cycles, and winter food activity.
cairoCairo Book Fair
Book lovers are in for a treat at the Cairo Book Fair. Considered the largest event of its kind in the Middle East, this fair is held at the Nasr City International Fair Grounds, usually in late January. Millions of books covering every conceivable topic are featured and many are sold at substantial discounts. Though most books are in Arabic, there are also pavilions featuring English, French and Italian titles, as well as computer software. The fair is also considered a platform for prominent Arab writers and thinkers who give lectures and hold discussions.
cairoAshura
Taking place on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar at El-Hussein Mosque, Ashura celebrates the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed who was killed in 680AD during the battle of Karbala.
cairoFlora Egypt Fair
Flora Eypt Fair is an annual international exhibition of fresh cut flowers and ornamaental plants. The fair provides a meeting ground for those interested in all aspects of horticulture, from marketing to future trends. It is a gateway for exhibitors to introduce their products in the European and Middle East market. Some additional activities during the Fair include seminars, field visits to some model farms, 'Best booth presentation' competition, and flower arrangement courses by Dutch experts. This fair is organized by the Egyptian Flower Council under the patronage of various Ministries.
cairoFestival at Abu Simbel
Twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, thousands gather to watch as the sun passes over the face of the Ramsis II statue at the Pharaonic temples of Abu Simbel.
cairoAl Nitaq Festival
Held every year at venues throughout Cairo, Al Nitaq is a popular cultural festival that celebrates a huge variety of artistic disciplines, from poetry to music and art.
Cairo tours and experiences
Heritage walks, food crawls, coastal trips, museum circuits, family days, and guided ideas for an easier day out.
The Irhal city file
Cairo travel guide sections
Focused sections for articles, directories, maps, and trip planning.
