For more information on visa requirements, see the Egypt article.

By car

By plane

1 Cairo International Airport (CAI IATA) (in Heliopolis, to the northeast of the city around 15 km from Cairo's city centre). The busiest airport in Africa with more than 16 million passengers per year, it is also the largest in Egypt and is the main hub for the flag carrier EgyptAir and Nile Air as well as several other airlines and the primary entry point to the country. (updated Jan 2018)

Flight connections

Cairo airport has frequent flights from other Egyptian cities, the Gulf states and Levant, and usually daily flights from the European and North African capitals. There are direct flights from Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Mumbai, New York, Washington D.C, Tokyo and Toronto but travel from the Far East or North America will usually involve a change.

The main operator is EgyptAir (the national carrier) and its Star Alliance partners Aegean, Air China, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, ITA Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines.

SkyTeam is represented by Air France, China Eastern Airlines, KLM, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, and TAROM. Oneworld by British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, and Royal Jordanian.

Other Carriers include Aeroflot, Afriqiyah Airways,

Air Algérie,

Air Montenegro,

Alexandria Airlines, AlMasria Universal Airlines, Emirates, Etihad,

Fly Baghdad,

Gulf Air,

Hainan Airlines, Iraqi Airways, Jordan Aviation, Kuwait Airways, Libyan Airlines, Neos, Nesma Airlines, Nile Air, Nordwind Airlines, Oman Air, Petroleum Air, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Rossiya Airlines, Saudia, SCAT Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Smartwings, Sudan Airways, SunExpress, Syrian Air, Tunisair, and Yemenia. There are also budget carriers Air Arabia, Air Cairo, AJet,

Eurowings,

flyadeal, flynas, Jazeera Airways, Transavia, and Vueling.

Terminals

The airport has three terminals. EgyptAir and all Star Alliance members (Lufthansa Group, Singapore Airlines, LOT, etc.) operate all flights to Terminal 3, which is integrated with Terminal 2 (British Airways, Air France, and some others) through an air bridge. Most other airlines arrive at Terminal 1, like Saudia (Terminal 1 Hall 2), and Sky Team, Oneworld, Emirates, and Etihad (Terminal 1 Hall 1). All terminals offer a reasonable variety of duty-free shops and restaurants. In Terminal 1 there are some duty-free shops opposite the gates, with more shops on the first floor. The lounges, a pub, McDonald's and coffee shops such as Starbucks are on the second floor. Terminal 3 has a central market place and food court, plus some shops and cafes along the concourses. There's not much open seating, as most seating is in the gate lounges which only open an hour before departure. This is okay when flights leave on time, but when there are delays the concourse becomes congested while lots of empty seats lie inaccessible beyond the lounge plate-glass.

A free shuttle bus runs between the terminals and to the bus station every 15-30 minutes, 24 hours a day. At Terminal 3 its stop is at the arrival level on the second island at the end of the bus lane (turn right after the exit and cross the first lane). At Terminal 1 you must leave through the main exit and turn left to get to the station. The Shuttle Bus stops are at Hall 3 in front of the AirMall and at Hall 1 at the curbside. The bus stops are not marked. Sometimes you have to change buses at the bus station due to the driver's coffee break. Taxi drivers will try to lure you at the airport by misinforming you about the free shuttle bus, but if you go outside the terminal, you will find it.

Customs

Visitors are allowed to buy duty-free articles on arrival, up to 4 extra litres of alcohol. At the checkout, a customs official will check your passport and give approval for the purchase. You can be accompanied by the person picking you up. It's fine if you expect to consume what you buy, or treat friends, but there's sometimes a racket where the local person gets you to buy up to your limit on his behalf— he'll pay you fairly for the extra.

Getting there/away

You should exchange some money in the airport — it is best to do this before going through customs. Get some change in the process (smaller than the usual LE200 notes), as taxi drivers and others will always claim to be unable to give change. ATMs for all major cards are available in the arrival halls. Visas are available before immigration, for US$25. When arriving at terminal 3, everybody immediately starts queuing to buy visas from one of the bank counters on the left side. It seems these banks often don't accept cards or even Egyptian pounds (LE), which is problematic if you arrive with limited hard currency. There's an ATM on the other side of the area in this case, as well as an exchange office that also sells visas, and accepts Egyptian pounds as currency. So just go there to buy the visa, ignoring the bank counters, and avoiding the queues.

Getting to downtown Cairo is often a pain.

By public bus

Public buses to Midan Tahrir (read the warnings about the district) or Midan Ramses runs from the airport bus station, which is connected to the terminals by the free Shuttle Bus (see above). The 356 (٣٥٦) bus is running to both in 2025. The services definitely running in 2018 are the 111 (١١١, direction Shobra, passes by Midan Ramses), and the LE8. These run every 30 minutes and take 60–120 min depending on traffic. Buses 27 (٢٧) and 400 (٤٠٠) may also run.

Once you arrive at the airport bus terminal, look for a bus by explaining where you want to go; for the downtown terminal you can say "Abdel Moneim Riad", pronounced "Adbel Moneem Riad", and someone should direct you on to a bus.

Buses from downtown to the airport run from the bus terminal Abel Moneim Riad just north of the Egyptian Museum (under the highway bridge). If the stop's not obvious, ask for the airport or in Arabic the word is "matar" (مطار).

Scheduled buses no longer run directly from the airport to Alexandria or other delta cities. Either negotiate a taxi transfer or go downtown for onward transport.

By taxi

White meter taxis are available at the terminals. Insist on using the meter. Do not accept a fixed price as this tends to be double the fare by meter. Report taxi drivers who refuse to use the meter to Airport Security or Tourist Police. Refuse to pay the "ticket" (airport parking fee) for the driver. If you are going to downtown Cairo, you may be able to share a taxi with other tourists or backpackers. Have small notes available, mostly the taxi driver will claim not to have any change, but they actually do have. Another option is to use transportation arranged by your hotel or hostel, though this service is often not complimentary.

By ride-hailing service

Most Egyptians who can afford it use Uber taxis, as they have fixed rates. From the beginning of Al-Haram (Giza area around the pyramids) to the airport costs LE200-300, depending on the time and type of car (Jan 2023). Careem is also readily available, prices might be a bit cheaper than Uber, to downtown Cairo, cost was around LE150 (November 2023). inDrive is also available.

By limousine service

There are numerous limousine services. Pick-up points are in front of the terminals (curbside). The prices are fixed depending on the destination and the car category. Category A is luxury limousines (Mercedes-Benz E-Class), Category B are Micro Buses for up to 7 passengers and Category C are mid-sized cars (e.g. Mitsubishi Lancer). London Taxis are available from Sixt as a new Category D.

By metro

There is a planned metro Line 3 extension to the airport, but construction has not started as of Jan 2023.

Returning to the airport

When returning to the airport from downtown, allow at least two hours to get here, and 3 hours from Giza, as the roads can be very congested. The new airport road connects the airport with the intersection of the Ring Road and Suez Road and has no traffic jams. If you depart on Friday morning or mid-day, the trip to the airport will be quick, as roads are deserted while people go to the mosque for Friday prayers.

Upon arriving, you must pass through a security checkpoint before you can access the ticketing & check-in area. You'll need a printout of your itinerary or ticket to show the security staff here. After checking-in you will pass through a second checkpoint (including passport control) to get airside, then there's a third just before boarding your aircraft - only then can you restock on water. Allow plenty of time for all this, as lines can be long. There is no left-luggage room at the airport.

Lodging

The airport is on the north-eastern outskirts of the city at Heliopolis. If you want to spend the night at the airport, there are three hotels available:

Novotel Cairo Airport, H0502@accor.com. (updated Mar 2017)

Le Passage (formerly Iberotel), cairo@jaz.travel.

Le Meridien Cairo Airport, Reservations.03265@lemeridien.com.

There are other lodging options in nearby Heliopolis.

Other airports

Borg el Arab (HBE IATA) near Alexandria has far fewer flights and poor ground connections.

2 Sphinx International Airport (SPX IATA). As of 2025 it is served mainly by budget airlines, including Air Arabia, Air Cairo, Condor, EasyJet, Edelweiss Air, Flydubai, Flynas, Jazeera Airways, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Pegasus Airlines, SalamAir and Wizz Air. (updated Jun 2024)

3 Capital International Airport (CCE IATA). The airport in the New Administrative Capital sees very limited flights. As of 2025 it has only seasonal charter services operated by Smartwings. (updated Jun 2025)

By train

Cairo is the hub for railways in Egypt, almost all trains start and terminate here. The governmental Egyptian National Railways (السكك الحديدية المصرية‎), often abbreviated as ENR, operates all trains. One exception is the private company Watania that operates high-end trains between Cairo, Luxor and a few other cities.

There are up to 30 departures per day from Alexandria, with the fastest trains called Specials running non-stop at 2 hr 40 min. Express trains are slightly slower at around 3 hours. These trains are clean and comfortable, air-conditioned, and with snacks available. Some will variously refer to these fast trains as "Spanish", "French" or "Turbo" because of their rolling stock.

Travelling along the Nile to and from Aswan and Luxor is very popular. At least one daytime and one overnight train per day offers superior quality and is generally recommended for tourists. Journey time is 10 hours from Luxor and another four from Aswan. Ordinary trains ply the same route, some commence in Alexandria, but they are much less comfortable with hard seats and squalid toilets. Lights stay on all night and you'll probably be woken several times for ticket checks.

Numerous 3rd and 2nd class trains operates to and from most cities in Lower Egypt and along the Mediterranean coast to and from El Alamein.

Tickets

The most common way of getting tickets is to buy them in advance at stations. However, buying tickets in advance via a booking agent or from Abela Trains assures your seat and avoids hassle at stations. Since 2022, foreigners pay a hefty premium to ride Egyptian trains, and prices are typically 10x higher than the local price. If you are on a budget, consider a bus.

Stations

Almost all mainline trains from Cairo run from the main railway station, Ramses. However, in a few years time - around 2023 - a new major station, Bashteel, will be completed. As of 2022, it is not known how it will affect the other stations.

4 Cairo Ramses railway station (محطة رمسيس) (Shohadaa (Martyrs) metro station), ☏ +20 2 2575-3555. The main railway station, also known as Misr Station (محطة مصر). Restaurants and shops are available, however there's no left luggage facility. Allow time to get through the multiple security queues. Notice that the ticket office has multiple windows for different classes and destinations, so check that you are in the correct line. Departure and arrival boards in the main concourse and on platforms scroll between Arabic and English, rather slowly. (updated Sep 2020)

5 Giza railway station (Omm El-Misryeen metro station). Not particularity near the pyramids, but Giza serves as a major hub for the city's southern parts. Most trains from Upper Egypt call here. (updated Sep 2020)

6 Cairo Bashteel railway station. New major station under construction, expected to open in 2023. (updated Mar 2023)

7 Cairo Ain Shams railway station (Ain Shams metro station). Small station where slow trains to and from Suez terminate. (updated Sep 2020)

By bus

Buses connect Cairo with the entire country. The two main stations are Midan Ramses and 8 Cairo Gateway, (formerly known as Turgoman), but vehicles also sometimes stop at other stations, notably Abbasiya. Cairo Gateway is a new, modern indoor station located approximately 500 m from the Orabi Metro Station, within the new Cairo Gateway Plaza.

Destinations:

Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez - hourly services from Cairo Gateway (2 hr)

Sharm el-Sheikh - East Delta buses take approximately 8 hr (LE80) whilSuper-jet buses take 6 hr. Some East Delta services continue to Dahab. When taking the bus to Sharm, keep your bus ticket and passport handy, as you will pass through a number of checkpoints, which require passengers to present identification and ticket. A cheaper option to get to Sharm by bus is to take a bus, a train, or a minibus to Suez and from the main bus station there, take the 11AM or the 1:20PM bus to Sharm.

Taba and Nuweiba - Buses leave Cairo Gateway four times daily (6AM, 9:30AM, 10PM and 11PM). It takes around 6 hr to get to Nuweiba.

Siwa - Direct buses leave Cairo Gateway Sunday and Wednesday nights at 7:45PM.

Uncomfortable, but cheap, micro-buses leave from Cairo to a large number of destinations. The main garages are Midan Ramsis (for Alexandria and to the delta valley) and Al-Marg metro station (for the north-east and Sinai). They are faster and might as such be an option for shorter trips, but have a terrible toll of accidents. There are also other places these buses leave from depending on your destination, ask locals. At least for the Sinai, foreigners are prohibited to use the micro-bus system.

9 High Jet Bus Station (to/from Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh) (right behind/north of the Ramses Railway Station). This is one of several High Jet stations around Cairo, but probably the one most suitably located. It covers travel to/from Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh (6-7 hr). It allows for inexpensive and convenient onward travel after getting off the train. Reserving tickets is barely necessary, considering the frequency of the buses. The buses are not that comfortable, and they have loud and annoying soap operas running in the bus the whole journey. So, it is probably not a good idea to take a night bus. (updated Jan 2018)

To Hurghada: every 2 hr between 8AM-2:30AM. From Hurghada: every 2 hr between 7AM-3AM.

To Sharm el-Sheikh: 1PM, 11:30PM, 2 AM. From Sharm el-Sheikh: 1PM, 10:30PM, 2AM.

10 Go Bus Office/Station. (updated Jan 2018)

Super-Jet Bus, ☏ +202 2266-0212. For Alexandria, Hurghada and Sinai. (updated Aug 2019)

East Delta Bus, ☏ +202 2576-2293. For Sharm el-Sheikh, Arish and Rafah. (updated Aug 2019)