Cairo

Orientation

Cairo, the largest city in Africa, is said to contain more people per square kilometer than anywhere else. Visitors to Cairo can see people everywhere. Pedestrians usually stroll between lines of motorists.

City Facts

• Cairo Population : 10,772,000 (Source: UN Population Division 2000 estimate)
• Egypt Population : 68,119,000 (Source: UN Population Division 2000 estimate)
• Currency : Egyptian Pound (EGP)
• Time Zone : GMT + 2, Eastern Standard Time +7, Pacific Standard Time +10
• Language : Arabic
  

Weather Forecast

Climate

Cairo is warm throughout the year, with temperatures ranging between 20 degree Celsius and 36 degree Celsius. It is a little bit cold at night during March and April. A hot sandstorm named "Khamsin" blows intermittently from February to April, but not more than eight hours each time.

Travel Tips

Arts and Events

In Cairo, most of the holidays are set to celebrate religious occasions. Amongst those, Muslim festivals are the most important. If you are looking for unique Cairo experience, you cannot afford to miss the Nitaq Festival, which attracts poetry, music, theater and art to Cairo every year.

Dining

Traditional and international cuisines are widely available in Cairo. Many traditional Egyptian dishes, prepared with local ingredients, are originated from the North America's recipes. "Hummus", "tahini", "tabullah" and "shish kabab" are very common in the restaurant menus of most cities. Most daily dishes in Cairo are meat free. No matter what you eat, either traditional cuisine or international dishes, always remember to try the famous sweet and sticky Egyptian dessert.

Tipping Advice

Tipping in Egypt is called Baksheesh. Since wages are commonly low in Cairo, people in Cairo, including attendants at Cairo's historical building, taxi and camel drivers, baggage handlers and tour assistants etc, always expect Baksheesh from those who can afford it. The tip from one to two US dollars is a suitable amount for each service. However, in restaurants and hotels, a tip ranging between ten and fifteen percent of the bill is normal.

Transportation

During the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, flight delay is very common in Cairo's airport, which becomes extremely busy at that time. Cairo is also well-connected by comprehensive networks of road, rail and air.

Arriving by Air

Cairo is served by the Cairo International Airport (CAI).

Getting Around Cairo

Visitors are not recommended to drive themselves at Cairo and public transport is the easiest way to travel around the city. Taxi in Cairo is famous for its good and safe service, but visitors are recommended to compromise the fare with the taxi driver before the journey.

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