Is the Cairo metro safe for tourists?

Yes. The stations are policed, bags pass through scanners at many entrances, and millions of people use the system every day. The main risk is pickpocketing in crowded carriages, so travel outside rush hour and keep valuables close.

Can I pay for Uber in cash in Cairo?

Yes. Uber, Indrive, and Careem accept both cash and cards in Cairo. If you pay in cash, carry small notes, because drivers often cannot change a 200-pound note.

Do Cairo taxi drivers speak English?

Some do, but many speak only a few words. Keep your destination written in Arabic on your phone, or show the location on a map, to avoid misunderstandings.

Is it worth renting a car to drive in Cairo?

Rarely. Lane markings are treated as suggestions, horns replace signals and parking is scarce. A ride-hailing app or a car with a local driver costs less than a rental once fuel, parking and stress are counted.

How to Get Around Cairo By Metro, Taxis & Private Drivers

How to Get Around Cairo: Metro, Uber, Taxis & Drivers

10 min read | Published: Oct 22, 2026 | Updated: Oct 22, 2026 | TRIPS IN EGYPT

Cairo stretches more than 40 km from the pyramids of Giza in the west to the new districts on the edge of the eastern desert, and more than 20 million people move through it every day. Getting around Cairo is not difficult once you know which tool fits which trip: the metro for the center, an app for most sightseeing, and a driver for the far-flung sites.

The streets that once carried camel caravans to the bazaars now carry everything from donkey carts to electric buses, often in the same lane. This guide explains the Cairo metro and its fares, the ride-hailing apps, taxis and buses, when a private driver is worth it, and the best way to reach each of the city's main sights. Here are all things you need to know about how to get around Cairo:

Discover How To Get Around Cairo at a Glance

How To Get Around Cairo at a Glance - Trips in Egypt.webp

Every way of moving around the city has a job it does well and a job it does badly. The table compares them.

Transport	Typical cost	Best for	Avoid when
Metro	EGP 10 to 20 a ride	Tahrir, Old Cairo, Ramses, Zamalek	Rush hour, with luggage
Uber, Careem, inDrive	usually under $5 across the center	Most sightseeing, evenings	Surge pricing at peak times
White taxi	metered, slightly cheaper than apps	Short hops without data	The driver refuses the meter
City bus and microbus	a few pounds	Locals who know the routes	You do not read Arabic
Private driver	about $40 to $80 a day	Giza, Saqqara, Dahshur, families	Short trips in the center

Whatever you choose, traffic sets the pace. A 5 km trip can take 10 minutes at 7 am and 45 minutes at 5 pm, so plan your longest drives for early morning or Friday, the Egyptian weekend.

The Cairo Metro: Lines, Fares and the Stations Travelers Use

The Cairo Metro, opened in 1987, was the first metro in Africa and is still the fastest way across the crowded center. Trains run about every five minutes from early morning until around midnight, a little later during Ramadan.

Three Lines Across the City

Line 1 runs north to south from El Marg to Helwan, passing through Downtown and Old Cairo. Line 2 runs from Shubra el-Kheima across the Nile to Giza. They meet at Sadat station under Tahrir Square and at Al-Shohadaa under Ramses Station.

Line 3 is the newest. It runs from Adly Mansour in the east through Heliopolis, Attaba and Nasser stations, crosses to Zamalek at Safaa Hegazy station and ends in two western branches, at Cairo University and at the Rod El Farag Corridor in Imbaba. At Adly Mansour you can change to the light rail to the New Administrative Capital, and an elevated monorail opened in May on the East Nile side, linking Nasr City to the new capital. Neither is useful for most sightseeing.

Fares and Tickets

Fares depend on how many stations you travel. Since 27 March, a ride of up to 9 stations costs EGP 10, up to 16 stations EGP 12, up to 23 stations EGP 15 and longer trips EGP 20. That is less than 40 US cents for the longest ride.

Buy a single paper or magnetic ticket at the window, pay in cash with small notes, and keep it until you exit, because you need it to pass the gate. Rechargeable cards exist, but a visitor using the metro a few times will not need one.

Women's Carriages and Rush Hour

Two carriages in the middle of each train are reserved for women, marked with signs on the platform and the doors. Women can still ride anywhere, but many find the women's cars more comfortable at busy times. Our guide to traveling to Egypt as a solo woman has more advice.

Avoid the metro from 7 to 10 am and 3 to 7 pm, when trains are packed and pickpockets are most active. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket.

The Stations Near the Sights

Station	Line	What is nearby
Sadat	1 and 2	Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum
Mar Girgis	1	Coptic Cairo and the Hanging Church
Al-Shohadaa	1 and 2	Ramses Station, for trains in Egypt
Bab El Shaariya	3	A 10-minute walk to Khan el-Khalili
Opera	2	The Cairo Opera House and the Cairo Tower
Safaa Hegazy	3	Zamalek's cafés and galleries
Giza	2	Giza city, still about 8 km from the pyramids

The metro does not reach the Giza Pyramids Complex, the Grand Egyptian Museum or the Citadel. A fourth line toward the pyramids is under construction, but until it opens, use an app or a driver for Giza.

Uber, Careem and Other Ride-Hailing Apps

For most visitors, ride-hailing apps are the simplest way to get around Cairo. Uber and Careem both work across the city, show the fare before you book and accept cards or cash. inDrive lets you name a price and accept a driver's counteroffer, which can be cheaper but takes more back-and-forth.

A typical ride across central Cairo costs less than $5, and a trip from Downtown to the pyramids usually comes in under $10 outside rush hour. Fares rise with demand, so a ride at 5 pm or after a concert can cost twice the midday price.

A few habits make every ride smoother:

Check the plate. Match the car and number with the app before you get in.
Share your trip. Both apps let you send your live location to a friend.
Sit in the back. It is normal in Cairo and gives you more room.
Pin carefully. Drivers may call in Arabic, so drop your pin at a landmark or a hotel entrance and use the in-app chat.
Have data. A local SIM with data costs a few hundred pounds at the airport and keeps the apps working.

Apps are also the easiest way to get home after an evening out. Our guide to things to do in Cairo at night covers where you might be heading.

Taxis, Buses and Microbuses

White taxis are everywhere, day and night. They have meters, and the honest way to use one is to say "el-addad, min fadlak" (the meter, please) before the car moves. If the driver says it is broken, agree on a price before you get in or wave down the next car. Round up the fare at the end; our guide to tipping in Egypt explains what is normal. The old black-and-white taxis without meters have almost disappeared.

Cairo's city buses, including the air-conditioned Mwasalat Misr fleet, are cheap and cover the whole city, but routes are shown only in Arabic and change often. The new electric Bus Rapid Transit on the Ring Road serves commuters on the city's outer edge.

Microbuses are the white minivans that carry most Cairenes to work. They have no fixed stops or printed routes, and drivers call out destinations as they pass. They cost a few pounds, but they are crowded, fast and confusing for a first-time visitor, so leave them to locals.

On the Nile, a slow public river bus runs from the Maspero dock near Tahrir, and a sunset felucca sail is more a pleasure than a way to get somewhere. You can book one through our felucca tours or combine it with the Cairo Tower by night tour.

Private Drivers and Guided Transfers

A car with a driver is the most comfortable way to get around Cairo, and for some days it is also the cheapest. A full day usually costs roughly $40 to $80 for the car, depending on the vehicle and the distance, and the driver waits at every stop.

A private driver makes the most sense:

For Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur. The pyramid fields south of Giza are spread over 30 km of countryside, and return cars are hard to find there.
For families and groups. One car for four or five people costs less per person than several app rides.
For long sightseeing days. A driver can link the Citadel, Old Cairo and the bazaar without you hailing a new car each time.
For airport runs with luggage. A pre-booked driver meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign, and our Day Trip to Pyramids from Cairo Airport goes straight from the terminal to Giza.

When you book through an agency, the car usually comes with a licensed Egyptologist guide, the entry tickets and lunch. Our Cairo day tours and excursions include private air-conditioned transport, from the Pyramids, Saqqara and Dahshur tour to the Egyptian Museum, Citadel and Old Cairo tour. For a longer stay, all our Cairo tour packages include transfers from the moment you land, and travelers on their own can look at our Egypt solo tours.

The Best Way to Reach Cairo's Main Sights

Best Way to Reach Cairo's Main Sights - Trips in Egypt.webp

Here is how to get to the places most visitors want to see, starting from Downtown or Zamalek. For ideas on what to fill your days with, see our list of things to do in Cairo.

Destination	Best way	Time from Downtown
Giza Pyramids and the GEM	App or private driver	40 to 75 min
Egyptian Museum, Tahrir	Metro to Sadat or walk	5 to 15 min
Salah El-Din Citadel	App or taxi	15 to 25 min
Khan el-Khalili and Al-Muizz Street	App, or metro to Bab El Shaariya	15 to 25 min
Coptic Cairo	Metro to Mar Girgis	15 to 20 min
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization	App or taxi	20 to 30 min
Saqqara and Dahshur	Private driver	60 to 90 min
Cairo International Airport	App or pre-booked transfer	40 to 90 min

Crossing the street. This is the skill every visitor needs. Cross at a steady pace, make eye contact with the drivers, and if in doubt, cross alongside a local. Never stop or run in the middle of the road.

Safety. Cairo is generally safe to move around, and the apps add a layer of protection with tracked, recorded trips. Our guide on whether it is safe to travel to Egypt right now covers the bigger picture, and our Cairo travel tips add more practical advice.

Timing. In summer, start sightseeing at 7 or 8 am and use the metro or an air-conditioned car through the midday heat. The best time to visit Cairo is October to April, when walking between sights is a pleasure.

Let Trips In Egypt Handle the Driving

Cairo moves at its own rhythm, loud, crowded and full of life, and half the fun of the city is watching it go by from a car window. If you would rather spend your time at the pyramids than in traffic, Trips In Egypt can arrange private drivers, guides and airport transfers for every day of your stay. Browse all our Egypt tour packages or build a tailor-made tour around your own plans.