From Wikitravel

Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة,al-Qāhirah) is the capital of Egypt and, with a total population in excess of 16 million people, one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East (which regions it conveniently straddles) - it is also the 13th largest city in the world. Situated on the River Nile, Cairo is famous for its own history - preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city and in Old Cairo - and for the ancient, Pharaonic history of the country it represents. No trip to Cairo would be complete, for example, without a visit to the Giza Pyramids, to nearby Saqqara, or to the Egyptian Museum in the center of town. Though firmly attached to the past, Cairo is also home to a vibrant modern society.

NB: While al-Qāhirah is the official name of the city, in local speech it is typically called simply by the name of the country, Mişr (Arabic, مصر) pronounced Maşr in the local dialect.

Contents 1 Districts 2 Understand 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By train 3.3 By car 3.4 By bus 3.5 By boat 4 Get around 4.1 By metro 4.2 By taxi 4.3 By bus 5 See 6 Do 7 Learn 8 Work 9 Buy 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Contact 13.1 Mail 13.2 Internet 14 Stay safe 15 Get out

Districts

• Midan Tahrir - the very centre of the modern city: big hotels, transport nexus and the Egyptian Museum
• Downtown - the commercial heart of the modern city
• Garden City - an upmarket 'garden suburb' close to the city centre
• Midan Ramses - Cairo's main railway station and a burgeoning retail and accommodation zone
• Midan Ataba

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• Islamic Cairo - the centre of historic Cairo; the Citadel, Khan el Khalili (the main Cairo souq / market), historic mosques and medieval architecture
• Old Cairo - including Coptic Cairo and Fustat (Cairo's historical kernel), now located in the south of the modern city

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• Gezira - the southern part of the main island in the Nile; hotels, the Cairo Tower
• Zamalek - an upmarket suburb in the northern part of the main Nile island
• Giza - a sprawling western district of the city on the road to the Pyramids

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• Heliopolis - an upmarket residential and retail area close to Cairo International Airport
• Nasr City - a growing residential and retail area close to Cairo International Airport

Understand

Get in

By plane

Cairo is served by Cairo International Airport [CAI] [1], which is the hub of the Egyptian national airline, Egyptair. Many of the world's popular airlines also fly into Cairo on a regular basis, including British Airways, Air France, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.

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 or negotiate a lower price with one of the small black taxis. Make it clear to the the taxi driver that you do not want to buy carpets.

By train

Cairo's main railway station - Ramses Station (Mahattat Ramses) is located on Midan Ramses. Unsurprisingly, trains run to Cairo from most other regions and cities within Egypt.

By car

For those unfamiliar 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 constancy, but not in any official way.

By bus

By boat

Get around

The American University in Cairo has made a good map of Cairo . 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. 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. Note that in each train, the first car is reserved for women.

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, since cabbies systematically refuse to use their meters (understandably, since the official rates are completely unrealistic), prices certainly will be. 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. There are two basic tactics: 1) State a price beforehand, which may prevent ripoffs but will require you to quote slightly above the local price to get a quick nod, or 2) get in, state your destination, and pay an approximation of the local fare once you get there. 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. A rule of thumb is 3 LE for short trips, 10 LE for longer ones, where length is measured in distance or time. As an example, the cost from Zamalek to Midan Tahrir should be 3-4 LE, from Zamalek to Midan Hussein (Islamic Cairo) is 8-10 LE. From the airport to downtown Cairo is about LE 25. Cabbies usually expect more money (1 or 2 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.

In March 2006 a new fleet of 500 bright yellow taxies hit the road. They run on natural gas, and will soon add up to a total of 1500 cars. All the cars are equipped with air-condition, 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 reffered to as 'City Cabs' or Cairo Cabs' They 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. They can be reached by this number if called within Cairo: 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.

See

• Pyramids of Giza. The only remaining monuments of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is the country's most famous touristic attraction and the icon that is most associated with Egypt.
• Egyptian Museum. The world's premier collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts.
• Saqqara.
• Memphis.
• Citadel. A grand castle built by Mohamed Ali.
• Al-Azhar Mosque. One of the pillars of Islamic thought and home to the world's oldest university.
• The Coptic Museum.
• the "Hanging Church" (Church of the Virgin Mary).
• the Al Rifai & Sultan Hassan mosques (19th C & highly decorated: 14th C & beautifully austere).

Do

Ride a boat along the Nile river. Negotiate a fair price of no more than 30LE for about a half hour. A great way to relax and enjoy a night under the stars in Cairo.

Have a coffee, mint tea or Cola at El Fishawy's coffee shop in Khan el Khalili. Smoke a Shisha pipe (you simply hire them: try apple tobacco) and watch the world go by. Great cheap entertainment.

Learn

Kalimat (202) 761 8136 / 337 5814. 22, Mohamed Mahmoud Shaaban St. Mohandessin, Giza, Egypt. This is a great language school with a lot of friendly teachers and students from around the world.

Work

Buy

Withdrawing cash is relatively easy in Cairo: ATMs are conveniently located in various places throughout downtown. Moreover, the publically accessible foyers of all the five star hotels downtown (the Nile Hilton, the Seimeramis, etc.) all have secure ATMs.

• Khan El-Khalili bazaar

Eat

Do not drink tap water or eat fresh fruits and vegetables -- at least for the first few days of the visit.

Cairo has a fast-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.

For a convenient experience of Egyptian cuisine, travelers should visit one of the Felfela chain of restaurants throughout Cairo. The original (and probably the best) is located Downtown:

• Felfela - Meals LE 20-35 for two. Open 8am - midnight daily. Also has great take-away restaurant around the corner. 15 Sharia Hoda Shaarawi. 392 2751.

• GAD - Fast Food Restaurant, done Egyptian Style. Usually very busy packed with locals, but very good food at a very non-tourist price. Large restaurant located on 26th July St, just off Talaat Harb, in downtown Cairo.

• Vegetarian travelers shouldn't have too much trouble with Cairo menus, as most have a large selection of meat-free dishes. For the totally dedicated, there is only really one vegetarian restaurant in town: L'Aubergine - An ever changing selection of quality dishes. Main courses LE18-35. Open 10am - 2am daily. 5 Sayyed al-Bakry, Zamalek. 735 6550.

• The Coffee Roastery - An excellent restaurant as well as coffee shop, also has good, reasonably priced deserts. LE ~12-30. Zamalek, at the western end of 26th of July St., just before the bridge to Mohandiseen.

Drink

You should try Fakhfakhenna (a kind of fruit salad), and also Karkadeeh, sugarcane juice, mango, kharoob and Tamr hindi. Also available are green tea and red tea, which are popular in café shops.

Sleep

Garden City Hotel behind the Semiramis, Garden City. Used to be a well-run hotel owned by Italians, now just an average grimy but functional hotel. Staff don't particularly care, they know you won't be back. It has clean bedding and big rooms. Guidebooks claim Sat TV in all bedrooms - no sign of any TVs. 55EGP a night inc. breakfast. No air con.

Hotel El Hussein 5918089, Hussein Square at the Khan El-Khalili bazaar is a clean basic hotel in an interesting area. Prices from EL 45 for single rooms with shared baths on each floor to LE 75 for doubles with en suite bathroom. AC is extra, but the ceiling fans works well. Ask for a room with a balcony.

King Tut Hostel Sharia Talaat Harb, opposite McDonalds. Good, well-run hostel with private rooms available. At 40EGP a night for a private single room with AC, it's hard to find better value in Cairo. The staff are amiable and competent, though hardly conversationalists. There is a comfortable lounge. 40EGP single room, with AC and breakfast.

Mayfair Hotel 7357315, www.mayfaircairo.com, Zamalek. is a great mid-range hotel in Zamalek. The people were nice, rooms clean, prices reasonable, and atmosphere peaceful.

Dahab Hotel 5799104, mahmoujd basiony st 26, downtown cairo by midan talaat harb. This hostel was formerly well regarded by backpackers. It has now changed hands and sadly lost much of its former charm. The internet cafe has gone, as has the rooftop restaurant. Guests now seem to only stay for one night - arriving on the basis of an old guidebook and leaving the next morning. 20EGP for a single room, no AC, no breakfast.

Luna Hotel www.hotellunacairo.com Talaat Harb 27, downtown Cairo. One of the best hostels in Cairo, Hostel/Hotel Luna offers both quiet and noisy rooms (depending on the orientation towards Sharia Talaat Harb, incredibly noisy street below), for prices that soared lately, but the cleanliness of rooms is beyond comparison. If you arrive at night, prepare for long and hard discussion with Hany Moussa concerning your Egypt tours. Ignore the overpriced tours, and stick to the basics - sleep and shower!

Windsor Hotel Is a great place to stay if you want to get ripped off and made to feel uncomfortable. This place will most likely be in your guide book, but in my opinion it is past its time. The prices are well above similar hotels in Cairo.

Contact

Mail

The main post office of Cairo is located on Midan Ataba (open 7am - 7pm Sa - Th, 7am - 12 noon Fr and holidays). The poste restante office is to be found along the side street to the right of the main entrance to the post office and through the last door (open 8am - 6 pm Sa - Th, 10am - 12 noon Fr and holidays) - mail will be held for 3 weeks.

There are two kind of mail boxes for international and domestic use. They are typically found on the street in pairs, coloured red and blue. It is said that your mail will be delivered no matter which one you use.

Internet

The Internet is a rapidly growing concern in Cairo as in many other Egyptian and Middle Eastern cities. There is now a profusion of established internet cafés and venues, with many more opening for business each month. You should have absolutely no difficulty finding a suitable internet outlet for email and other services. A growing number of cafés provide wireless internet service ( Macdonalds offer a wifi for free - Consult district guides for suggested venues).

The normal price for one hour in downtown net cafes is between 3LE and 5LE:

Stay safe

You can walk around the main streets anytime you feel like roaming. It's fairly safe and you will always find lots of people around smiling and offering to help. It is preferable for women not to walk alone.

Get out

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!