Where to Stay in Cairo?
Cairo is a vast city of over eighteen million people and still growing.
With so many mouths to feed and families to accommodate the city continually expands into the surrounding desert. The Pyramids, once isolated on the sandy Giza plateau now rest on the very edge of town. And were it not for the River Nile, splitting the city like a snake, there are few visible landmarks to help orientate first time visitors.
Hotels in Cairo are spread across the city so it’s highly advisable to book a room before you arrive. You’ll find every kind of accommodation in the city from 7 star hotels to budget hostels and guest houses.
Before deciding where to stay in Cairo, it’s a good idea to first pick a district:
Giza
If you want to wake up to a view of the Pyramids (smog permitting) in the morning then this is the place to stay. Giza is not strictly part of Cairo. Formerly a village on the West bank of the Nile, Giza has expanded into a massive bustling district while Cairo has grown to engulfed it on all sides.
The Great Pyramid, the sphinx, and Cairo University are all located here. Most of the city’s other places of interest are to be found in Cairo proper.
Unless you want to spend all day every day exploring the pyramids, it's advisable to base yourself in one of the city's other districts and travel to Giza via taxi cab.
Mohandeseen
Mohandeseen is one of Cairo’s modern suburbs built in the 60s by Sadat to accommodate the city's professional classes. It still remains a centre for middle class Egyptians and although there are no historic sites here it is one of the better districts for finding high quality restaurants and cafes. It also has a number of decent mid range hotels.
It's not as hectic as other parts of the city, and is conveniently situated exactly half way between the Pyramids, and central Cairo where the Egyptian museum is located.
Central Cairo & Downtown
Downtown is the area behind the Egyptian Museum and Tahrir Square. It’s here that most of the budget accommodation is to be found as well shops, cafes, restaurants and travel agencies. It’s also one of the loudest and most congested parts of the city.
On the other side of the Egyptian museum is the River Nile. Many of central Cairo's 5 star hotels are located along it's east bank including the Ramses Hilton, the Nile Hilton and the Sheraton. If you're partial to some metropolitan madness and want to be within easy reach of the majority of the city's sites, then head downtown...
Garden City
A little further north (from central Cairo) along the East bank of the river is Garden City, one of Cairo’s greener, more wealthy districts. Don’t be surprise to see heavily armed soldiers on every corner, it’s also where all the embassies are located.
Zamalek
Zamalek is an attractive, residential district located on an island in the middle of the River Nile. It’s where a lot of foreign students and ex pats reside, and as such is home to a plethora of European style shops and café's, and a hip and happening night life. It’s a 5-10 minute taxi ride from downtown and about 20 minutes from Giza.
To find available budget accommodation:
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