The questions never really change. Is it safe? How many days do I need? Do I need a visa, and is my card going to work? After enough trips to Cairo I’ve heard the same dozen worries from friends, readers, and the nervous couple next to me on the EgyptAir flight — so here’s the Cairo travel FAQ I wish someone had handed me, with straight answers and 2026 prices, not hedging.

Where a question deserves a proper deep-dive, I’ll point you to the right guide. If you’re starting cold, read the complete guide to visiting Cairo first and come back here for the rapid-fire stuff. Already booked? The Cairo travel checklist will catch anything you’ve forgotten.

Is Cairo safe to visit right now?

Yes — and I say that as someone who’s wandered Khan el-Khalili after dark and taken the metro at rush hour. The honest version: violent crime against tourists is genuinely rare, and the tourist zones (Giza, Zamalek, Downtown, Coptic and Islamic Cairo, Maadi) are heavily policed because the entire economy leans on you showing up. What you’ll actually deal with is hustle — persistent vendors, “free” guides who aren’t, taxi drivers who suddenly can’t find the meter. Annoying, not dangerous.

Use the same street sense you’d use in any big city. Watch your bag in crowds, agree prices before you commit to anything, and call an Uber instead of flagging a taxi. For the full picture — neighbourhood by neighbourhood, plus what the current advisories actually say — read our 2026 Cairo safety guide.

Is Cairo safe for solo female travellers?

Solo women visit Cairo every single day, and most have a great time. The catch is that street harassment — staring, comments, the occasional follow — is common. It’s almost never physical, but it’s wearing. Dress on the modest side, wear sunglasses and headphones when you want to be left alone, take Uber rather than street cabs, and use the women-only metro carriages (look for the pink signs) when you’re riding alone. Trust your gut and you’ll be fine.

What are the classic Cairo scams?

The greatest hits: the man at the Pyramids who “just wants to help” and then demands a tip; the camel handler who quotes one price and triples it once you’re up; taxi meters that are mysteriously broken; and papyrus or perfume shops that turn the hard sell into an art form. None of it is sinister — it’s commerce. Settle on a number before anything starts, get camel and horse prices in writing, and lean on Uber or Careem so you never have to haggle over a fare at all.

How many days do I need in Cairo?

Three full days is the floor — enough for Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo, and Khan el-Khalili without sprinting. Four or five is the sweet spot, leaving room for Saqqara, Coptic Cairo, or a slow afternoon on the Nile. Most people fold Cairo into a bigger Egypt trip: a few days here, then a Nile cruise out of Luxor, maybe the Red Sea.

Can you do it in a weekend? Technically. You’ll see the Pyramids and the museum and not much else, and you’ll be wrecked. If you genuinely only have two days, our first-timer’s planning guide has a tight itinerary that wastes no time.

Visas and entry: what do I actually need?

Do I need a visa for Egypt?

Almost certainly yes. Citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most of the EU all need a tourist visa. The cleanest route is the official e-Visa at visa2egypt.gov.eg — and note the 2026 price change: it’s now $30 USD for single-entry (up from $25 earlier this year), or $65 for multi-entry. Apply at least a week out; approval usually lands within about three business days. Visa-on-arrival at Cairo airport also works and now costs the same $30, paid in cash at the bank windows before passport control.

One trap worth flagging: only use the real government portal. There’s a swarm of look-alike sites charging triple for the same thing.

Visa type	2026 cost	Stay / validity
e-Visa, single entry	$30 USD	Up to 30 days; valid 3 months
e-Visa, multiple entry	$65 USD	30 days per entry; valid 6 months
Visa on arrival (CAI)	$30 USD cash	Up to 30 days, single entry

How much passport validity do I need?

Six months beyond your arrival date, plus a blank page for the stamp. Boarding agents enforce this hard — if your passport is cutting it close, renew before you book anything else.

Do I need proof of onward travel and a hotel?

Yes. Egypt’s entry system wants a confirmed return or onward ticket and a hotel booking. Screenshot both before you fly; nobody wants to be hunting for a PDF at the immigration desk.

Can I bring a drone?

No. Drones are banned, customs will seize them on arrival, and you won’t get yours back. Same goes for satellite phones. Leave them home.

Money: cards, cash, and what a day costs

What’s the currency, and how far does it go?

The Egyptian pound (EGP, often written LE). It’s been a moving target for a couple of years — as of June 2026 you’re looking at roughly 49 to 50 pounds to the US dollar, but check the live rate before you travel because it shifts. The practical upshot: Cairo is cheap by Western standards, especially for food and transport.

Can I just use my card in Cairo?

Increasingly, yes — but bring cash too. Hotels, bigger restaurants, supermarkets, and chain shops all take cards. And here’s the big 2026 shift: the major monuments have gone card-only. The Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum no longer take cash at the gate, so a working Visa or Mastercard isn’t optional, it’s required. Meanwhile Khan el-Khalili stalls, street food, small cafés, and most taxis are still cash-only. You need both.

Should I bring dollars or get pounds?

Bring a couple hundred US dollars in clean, post-2009 bills as a backstop, then pull Egyptian pounds from a proper bank ATM once you land — CIB, NBE, and QNB are reliable. Skip the airport exchange counters; their rates are noticeably worse than the ATMs sitting right next to them.

How much should I budget per day?

Rough brackets: backpackers can do $40–60 a day, mid-range travellers land around $80–150, and if you want five-star hotels and private guides, $250 and up. Cheap eats and ride-share keep the floor low; hotels and guided tours are where it climbs.

Is tipping expected?

Very much so — baksheesh is part of daily life here, not an afterthought. Tip 10–15% at sit-down restaurants (even when a service charge is printed), a few pounds for porters and bathroom attendants, around $5 per person for a half-day guide, and $10–15 per person per day on a Nile cruise. The trick is carrying a stack of small bills, because nobody ever has change.

When should I go?

Aim for spring or autumn. March, April, October, and November are the genuine sweet spots — warm days, pleasant evenings, no melting. December and January are cooler and busiest (and pricier). Summer is the gamble: June through August routinely tops 95°F (35°C) and often pushes past 100°F (38°C). You can still do summer if you sightsee at dawn and hide in air-conditioned museums by midday — but it’s not most people’s idea of fun.

Should I avoid Ramadan?

Not necessarily, but go in with eyes open. Sites stay open on shorter hours, some restaurants close during daylight, and the city runs at a different rhythm — sleepier by day, electric after sunset, when the iftar crowds spill into the streets. If you want every restaurant open and normal schedules, plan around it. If you want atmosphere, few things beat Cairo during Ramadan.

Can I drink the tap water?

No. Bottled water for drinking and even for brushing your teeth. Restaurants and hotels in tourist areas cook with treated water, but the tap is a stomach risk you don’t want to test. A 1.5-litre bottle runs about 15–25 EGP at a supermarket — cheap insurance. Better still, pack a filter bottle (LifeStraw, Grayl) and cut the plastic.

Will I get sick anyway?

Maybe, mildly. A fair share of first-timers catch a day or two of traveller’s tummy — locals half-jokingly call it Pharaoh’s Revenge. Stack the odds in your favour: bottled water only, skip raw salads and informal ice for the first 48 hours, eat where it’s busy, and pack loperamide plus oral rehydration salts. You’ll likely be fine; if not, you’ll be glad you brought the kit.

Do I need vaccinations?

None are mandatory for most travellers. The usual recommendations are hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and a tetanus booster — a yellow-fever certificate only matters if you’re arriving from a yellow-fever country. See a travel clinic six to eight weeks ahead so anything you do need has time to work.

How do I get around Cairo?

From the airport to my hotel?

Three solid options: arrange a hotel pickup ($15–30), open Uber or Careem (both work at the airport and cost a fraction of that), or take an official airport taxi after agreeing the fare up front. Walk past the touts in arrivals — the loudest offers are the worst ones.

Should I rent a car?

No. Cairo traffic is its own contact sport, lane markings are decorative, and Egypt’s road-accident rate is among the world’s highest. If you want a car at your disposal, hire a driver for the day ($40–80) and let someone who knows the chaos handle it.

Are Uber and Careem any good?

They’re the single best thing about getting around Cairo. Both work exactly like back home, most cross-town trips cost $2–6, and you skip the entire haggling ritual. DiDi runs here too. For first-timers, ride-share is the answer to about 80% of your transport questions.

Is the metro worth using?

For the right trips, absolutely — it’s fast, air-conditioned, and almost comically cheap, and it dodges the traffic entirely. Buy a ticket at the station, use the women-only carriages if you prefer, and keep an eye on your bag when it’s packed. Our Cairo transport guide breaks down the lines, the apps, and when each option actually makes sense.

The Pyramids and the museum: how do I do them right?

Do I need to book Pyramids tickets ahead?

You can still buy at the gate, but remember — it’s card-only now, so bring a working card and a backup. If you want to go inside the Great Pyramid, grab that combo ticket when you arrive (numbers are capped daily). Show up at opening, around 8 AM, for cooler air, thinner crowds, and far better light. Late afternoon, roughly 3–4 PM, is the runner-up window.

Should I hire a guide?

For a first visit, yes. A licensed Egyptologist turns a pile of old stones into a story and shields you from the freelance “guides” circling the site. Book through your hotel or a platform like GetYourGuide or Viator; reckon on $40–80 per person for a half-day.

Is the Grand Egyptian Museum open?

Yes — fully. After years of delays it opened in late 2025, and as of 2026 every gallery is running, including the complete Tutankhamun collection shown together for the first time since 1922. It sits right by the Giza plateau, so you can pair it with the Pyramids. Book a timed-entry ticket in advance through the official GEM site; it’s enormous, so give it half a day minimum.

Is Khan el-Khalili a tourist trap?

Both, honestly. Prices are inflated and the sales pressure is real — but it’s also a 600-year-old working souk, and walking it at dusk is pure Cairo. Go late afternoon, haggle without guilt, and don’t buy from the first few shops you see. Stop for mint tea at El Fishawy and just watch the place move.

What should I wear, and what about culture?

Do I have to cover up?

Modest dress is the norm and it’ll make your trip smoother — cover shoulders and knees in public, and women should carry a scarf for mosque visits. Loose linen and cotton beat tight clothing on every front: it’s more respectful and far cooler in the heat. You don’t need to be buttoned to the neck; just read the room.

Can I visit mosques?

Most of the major ones welcome non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times. Take off your shoes, dress modestly, women cover their hair, and drop a few pounds for the shoe-keeper. It’s one of the quieter pleasures of the city.

Is English widely spoken?

In tourist areas, hotels, and the ride-share apps, yes. Beyond that it’s Arabic, and a handful of words go a surprisingly long way — shukran (thank you), la, shukran (no, thanks), bekam? (how much?). Locals warm up fast when you try.

Can I drink alcohol in Cairo?

Yes, within reason. Licensed hotels, bars, restaurants, and Drinkies shops all serve it; Stella and Sakara are the local beers and the Egyptian wines are perfectly drinkable. Public drinking is illegal and frowned upon, so keep it indoors, and expect service to thin out during Ramadan. It’s a Muslim-majority city — alcohol is available, not central.

Where should I stay?

For a first trip, Zamalek is the easy win — a green island in the Nile, walkable, safe, stacked with good restaurants. Downtown is grittier and more atmospheric if that’s your thing, and Giza makes sense if you want the Pyramids framed in your hotel window. Airbnb works but quality is a lottery, so stick to Superhosts with plenty of reviews. Our full where to stay in Cairo guide compares the neighbourhoods and the standout hotels in each.

A few more quick answers

• SIM or eSIM? Either. An eSIM (Airalo, Holafly) is the least hassle; otherwise grab a Vodafone or Orange SIM at the airport for $8–15.
• Plug type? 220V, European two-pin (Type C and F). A universal adapter covers it.
• Time zone? Eastern European Time (UTC+2), shifting to UTC+3 with daylight saving roughly late April to October.
• Emergency numbers? 122 police, 123 ambulance, 180 tourist police. Save your embassy and insurance lines too.
• Day trips? Saqqara and Dahshur are 30–45 minutes south, Alexandria about 2.5 hours by car or train.

Still got questions?

That covers the dozen things almost everyone asks before a first trip to Cairo. If you want to go deeper, three guides do most of the heavy lifting: the first-time visitor’s guide for on-the-ground tactics, the pre-trip checklist so nothing slips, and the current safety guide for the latest conditions. Cairo throws a curveball at every visitor — that’s half the reason it’s worth the trip.