How to Get Around Egypt - Egypt Travel

How to get around Cairo? Metro

The most efficient way to get around Cairo is by metro

(tel: +20 225748354, http://www.cairometro.gov.eg/). You can spend GEP 2 / USD 0.1 to any stop. It's not crowded and runs every five minutes from 6 am to 11:30 pm. By 2014, Cairo had three lines and 61 stations:

Line 1 or red line (New El-Marg–Helwan): reaches Maadi, Tahrir (Sadat station), Ramsis (El Shohadaa station).

Line 2 or orange line (Shubra–El Monib): reaches Cairo University, Giza, Dokki and El Sadat, El Shohada and Attaba stations.

Line 3 or green line (Attaba–El Shams Club): reaches Heliopolis (Al Ahram station) easily and soon will connect to the airport (it is said in 2019 or 2020).

Bus/Microbus/Taxi/Uber/Car Rental

Buses are very crowded in Cairo. You can use the private microbuses for certain routes (GEP 2–5 / USD 0.1–0.3), for example, from the Giza metro to the main gate of the Pyramids, and from Midan Ataba to Midan Al Hussein for Islamic Cairo. Another option is to take a taxi or call an Uber. If you have a language problem, you can ask your hotel for help. Some taxi drivers also provide guide service. Driving in Cairo is nerve-racking due to the heavy traffic and limited parking space. So it's recommended hiring a car with driver.

River Bus

Taking a river bus is so much better than a traffic jam though it's not so fast. It's a good choice if you want to visit riverside destinations, such as the historical Coptic area in Old Cairo. It runs every 15 minutes from the Maspero near downtown Cairo to Giza (30 minutes, EGP 1.50 / USD 0.1), via the Giza Zoo and Cairo University.

Cruises and feluccas sailing along the Nile River

Felucca

Feluccas also offer a slow but scenic way of sailing the Nile.

You can embark on one at Dok Dok landing stage in Garden City to Giza for the Pyramids and the Sphinx, at around EGP 60–80 (USD 3–4) for a one-hour ride.

Carriage

Although slower, horse-drawn carriages are popular for sightseeing. They can often get where taxis cannot, and the drivers usually know the area better than taxi-drivers. You can easily find them in downtown Cairo, Giza, Zamalek and along the Nile river.

 

How to get to other destinations from Cairo?

You can travel to other hot destinations from Cairo through various means of transport, and here we recommend some practical options to you:

The Luxor Temple complex

Cairo–Luxor: Taking a flight is the fastest way from Cairo to Luxor. It takes around 1 hour at USD 48–221; or spend around 10 hours and USD 3–12 taking the train.

Cairo–Aswan:

We recommend flying from Cairo to Aswan. It takes about 1.5 hours at USD 42–226.

Luxor–Edfu–Kom Ombo–Aswan: A 5D4N Nile cruise tour from Luxor to Aswan must be the highlight of your Egypt trip. You can enjoy the beautiful view of the Nile, and visit historical heritage sites and temple complexes, such as the Colossi of Memnon, Valley of the Kings and Queens, Temples of Abu Simbel, etc. If you want to take a train, it takes about 5 hours from Luxor to Aswan, at USD 2–6.

Cairo–Hurghada:

Flying from Cairo to Hurghada is the fastest option and takes around 1 hour at USD 35–290; Alternatively, you can spend about 5 hours and USD 3–30 to Hurghada by bus. Read more: A Guide to Visiting Hurghada, Egypt's Red Sea Resort Town.

Cairo–Alexandria: The fastest way from Cairo to Alexandria is by bus, within 2 hours; or it takes nearly 3 hours by train, at USD 2–6. When you arrive in Alexandria, it's convenient to hire a taxi to visit El Alamein.

You may be dazzled by the various traveling transports and still don't know which one is the best way for your itinerary. Odynovo can  customize a hassle-free Egypt tour for you, and It's you to decide where to go and stay, what to see and do. Just tell us your interests and needs, and we will offer you a tailor-made plan within 24 hours.