Cairo
Capital of Egypt
Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is a city of nearly 9.8 million people. Visitors come to see ancient landmarks like the Great Pyramid of Giza and a wide array of historic mosques and museums.
What to see
The Giza plateau is the site of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx of Giza. South of the city, the site of Dahshur also features pyramids. Cairo contains significant UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Islamic Cairo, Fustat, the Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi'i, and the Al-Sayyida Nafisa Mosque. Religious and historic architecture is represented by the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the Muhammad Ali Mosque, Al-Rifa'i Mosque, Al-Azhar Mosque, Al-Hussein Mosque, Babylon Fortress, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. Other notable sites include the Abdeen Palace, the Baron Empain Palace, the City of the Dead, and the Cairo Tower. For history and artifacts, visitors frequent the Egyptian Museum, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
When to go
Cairo has hot summers and mild winters. From June through August, daily highs reach 35 °C to 36 °C with no rain, which may be intense for outdoor sightseeing. The period from November to March offers more moderate weather, with daily highs ranging from 19 °C to 25 °C. Rain is minimal throughout the year, with the highest frequency occurring between January and March, usually amounting to only a few days of light precipitation.
Getting there
Cairo International Airport is located 17 km from the city center, serving as the primary arrival point.
Top sights in Cairo
Weather by month
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 36 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high, °C | 19 | 20 | 24 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 34 | 30 | 25 | 20 |
| Average low, °C | 8 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 10 |
| Rainfall, mm | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Rainy days | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for Cairo (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.
Also worth a look
- 6th of October Panorama
- Al-Azhar Park
- Al-Gawhara Palace
- Al-Hakim Mosque
- Amr ibn al-As Mosque
- Bab Zuwayla
- Bab al-Futuh
- Bab al-Nasr
- Bayt al-Suhaymi
- Downtown Cairo
- Egyptian National Military Museum
- Garden City, Cairo
- Gayer-Anderson Museum
- Maimonides Synagogue
- Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum
- Mohandiseen
- Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan
- Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo
- Nilometer
- Qalawun complex
- Saint Barbara Church in Coptic Cairo
- Sayeda Aisha Mosque
- Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue