Cairo rewards a plan more than most cities: where locals queue for koshary and hawawshi, how to do Giza and Islamic Cairo in the cool morning hours, which pyramids beyond Giza are nearly empty, and where the evening goes when bars are few and the cafes stay full past midnight. Each guide is a tight, opinionated list that tells you why a place matters, what to order or look at and one practical tip, and it opens in your browser as soon as you have paid.
About the Cairo City Guides
- 138 places
- 6 guides
- 13 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The six Cairo guides
Food guide
20 places
Koshary counters and hawawshi bakers, charcoal grills for a proper Egyptian dinner, old cafes for mint tea and the sweet shops Cairenes line up at.
Things to do guide
24 places
Giza and the two great museums, a walking day through Islamic Cairo, the churches of Coptic Cairo and the parks and palaces that give you a view.
Family guide
24 places
Mummies and model trains, a boat ride past ancient scenes, the few green spaces in a city of 22 million, indoor plans and food fussy eaters accept, with pushchair notes.
Nightlife guide
22 places
Old Downtown beer bars, live jazz and a whirling-dervish show, the Nile and the pyramids at dusk and cafes that stay loud long after midnight.
Day trips guide
23 places
The older pyramids at Saqqara and Dahshur, waterfalls and whale fossils in Fayoum, Alexandria by fast train and a desert monastery.
Budget guide
25 places
Mosques and churches that cost nothing, meals for under €3, cheap shows and museums, green space and the habits that stop you overpaying.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three places from the guides
Abou El Sid Restaurant
26th of July Street, Zamalek
Antiques, red and gold walls and the dishes Egyptians cook for family occasions: molokhia, stuffed pigeon and aubergine mesaka’a. The obvious choice for your first sit-down Egyptian dinner. From the food guide.
Mosque of Ibn Tulun
Sayyida Zeinab, south of the Citadel
Finished in 879 and still whole, the oldest mosque in Cairo is an enormous bare brick courtyard of rare calm. Climb the spiral minaret for the Citadel on the horizon. From the things to do guide.
Red Pyramid
Dahshur, 15 minutes south of Saqqara
Sneferu’s smooth-sided pyramid, the first true one in Egypt, sees few visitors, so the long corbelled chamber inside may be yours alone. The way in is steep and hot. From the day trips guide.
Plan your days with the guides
Day one: the Giza plateau early, while it is still cool, then the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and dinner at a charcoal grill. Day two: Islamic Cairo on foot, from the Citadel and Sultan Hassan along Al-Muizz Street to Khan el-Khalili, mint tea in the bazaar and a Tanoura show at night. For a slow day, pair the Coptic churches with the Museum of Islamic Art and finish at Al-Azhar Park at sunset, or head out to the quiet pyramids of Saqqara and Dahshur.
Cairo guides: your questions
What do the Cairo City Guides cover?
Six guides with 138 places altogether: food, things to do, family, nightlife, day trips and budget. For every place you get the area, why it is worth your time, notes on opening and one practical tip.
How do I receive the guides once I have paid?
The links show up on your order page straight after payment and in the confirmation email. They open in the browser of any phone, tablet or laptop, with no app to install and no account.
Can I use the guides offline in Cairo?
Yes. Load each guide once while you are online and it works without a connection afterwards, ticks and notes included. Only the map links need data.
What languages are the guides available in?
The guides open in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic. You can switch the language inside the guide at any time.
How much do the Cairo guides cost?
One guide is €4.99, two are €8.99, four are €15.99 and the full set of six is €19.99.
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