Cairo airport to your hotel: visa, SIM, cash, Uber and taxis

The short version

• Most international flights land at Cairo International Airport (CAI), on the north-eastern edge of the city, about 15 km from the centre. A growing list of low-cost and Gulf airlines use Sphinx International Airport (SPX), on the far western side of Giza.
• Sort out three things before you leave the terminal: your visa (if you did not get an e-visa), some Egyptian pounds, and a way to get online.
• For the ride, the calm options are an Uber or Careem booked in the app, the fixed-price limousine desks inside the terminal, or a transfer arranged by your hotel. Ignore anyone who approaches you inside the building offering a taxi.
• Plan on roughly 30 to 60 minutes to Downtown or Zamalek and 45 to 90 minutes or more to the pyramids, depending on traffic.

If you are still choosing a base, our page on where to stay in Cairo compares the areas.

Cairo International Airport: which terminal

Cairo airport has three passenger terminals. Terminal 3, the newest and largest, is the hub for EgyptAir and its Star Alliance partners and also handles domestic flights. Terminal 2 works as one complex with Terminal 3 and the two are linked by a walkway; Terminal 1 is the oldest and handles many other international airlines. A free shuttle bus links all the terminals and stops at the airport bus station (Wikipedia and Wego, July 2026). Your booking or the airline's app will tell you the terminal; it matters mainly for where your driver should wait.

Step 1: the visa

If you do not already have an e-visa, the visa is bought before passport control. As of October 2026, according to the UK Foreign Office:

• The paper visa on arrival costs US$30 in cash at the kiosks before immigration, valid for up to 30 days.
• Since 1 August 2026, Cairo airport also offers a digital visa on arrival for US$36 (including a US$6 service fee), paid by card at self-service machines or through the visa-on-arrival portal.
• You do not need an agent; agents in the hall often charge more.

Who needs what, and the e-visa option, are explained in Egypt visa for tourists.

Step 2: cash and ATMs

You will need pounds for tips and, if you take one, a taxi. There are currency exchange counters in the arrivals hall, and most taxis expect cash in Egyptian pounds (as reported by The Traveler, August 2026). Bank ATMs give a better rate than most exchange desks; when the screen offers to convert into your home currency, decline and choose pounds. Withdraw enough for a few days and break the big notes early. More in money, tipping and haggling.

Step 3: SIM card or eSIM

A data connection makes the ride apps work and lets your hotel reach you. Egypt has four mobile networks: Vodafone, Orange, e& (Etisalat) and WE. As of July 2026, Bento lists Vodafone's tourist prepaid plan at about EGP 505 for 30 GB over 28 days, sold at official carrier counters at the airport or in town; you need your passport, and the SIM and your phone's IMEI are registered. Bento also notes that voice and video calls inside common messaging apps may be blocked on local SIMs, while text chat works.

Two things to know:

• Phone registration. Under rules introduced in late September 2025, a foreign phone used with a local SIM is recorded automatically and can be used for 90 days; after that it must be registered and taxed or it is blocked (BuddySIM, summarising the regulator's rules). For a normal holiday this does not matter, but frequent visitors should keep it in mind.
• eSIM. A travel eSIM, bought and installed before you fly, avoids the queue at the counter. It usually costs more per gigabyte than a local SIM, so it suits short trips best.

Step 4: the ride to your hotel

Uber and Careem

Both apps work at Cairo airport, with signposted pickup zones just outside arrivals. Wego (July 2026) puts a typical fare to central Cairo at about EGP 150–300, higher at peak times; The Traveler (August 2026) gives an example of EGP 200–230 for a 40 to 60-minute ride to Downtown. Pickup spots are not always obvious: at Terminals 2 and 3 drivers often wait a short walk from the main doors or near the car park, so follow the car icon in the app and message the driver. If a driver asks you to cancel the trip and pay cash instead, say no.

Limousine desks and white taxis

• The airport limousine desks inside each terminal sell rides at fixed prices by destination and vehicle type. As of August 2026, The Traveler gives roughly EGP 200–400 to central hotels for up to three people.
• White taxis wait at an organised rank outside. They are supposed to use the meter; The Traveler gives roughly EGP 180–280 to Downtown. Agree that the meter will be used, or agree a fare in pounds, before your bags go in the boot.

Prices change with fuel costs and the exchange rate, so treat all these numbers as a guide as of mid-2026.

Hotel transfers

A hotel transfer costs more but removes every decision after a long flight, and the driver usually meets you with a sign in arrivals. It is the best choice for late-night arrivals, large families and anyone staying near the pyramids. Send your flight number and terminal to the hotel and ask where the driver will stand.

Bus and metro

There is no metro to the terminals: Line 3 ends at Adly Mansour, and a bus rapid transit line links it with the airport (Wego, July 2026). Public buses leave from the airport bus station, reached by the free inter-terminal shuttle, towards Tahrir Square and Abbasia for EGP 5–15, but allow 50 to 75 minutes or more and expect crowds. With luggage, a car is far simpler.

Typical times from Cairo airport

The pyramids figures come from Uncharted Lens, which also lists Uber or Careem at about EGP 300–500 and pre-booked transfers at about US$25–45 (figures published in 2025; check in the app). Weekday rush hours are roughly 7–10 am and 4–8 pm.

Sleeping near the airport

If you land after midnight or fly out at dawn, a night in Heliopolis or Nasr City saves a long drive. Le Passage Cairo Hotel and Aqmar Nasr City are two hotels in this guide in that area. If you are heading straight to the pyramids, a hotel such as Marriott Mena House or Tiye Pyramids puts you next to the site, while Kempinski Nile or Cairo Marriott Zamalek are examples of a central base.

Sphinx International Airport (SPX)

Sphinx airport lies on the Cairo–Alexandria desert road on the western side of Giza, next to Cairo West air base. As of October 2026, Wikipedia's airline list includes easyJet (Milan, Paris and seasonal routes such as London Luton, Manchester and Nice), Wizz Air (London Luton, Rome), Pegasus (Istanbul), Edelweiss (seasonal Zurich), and several Gulf and Saudi airlines. Routes change often, so check with the airline.

For travellers staying near the pyramids or the Grand Egyptian Museum, Sphinx avoids crossing the whole city. It is a small airport with fewer services than Cairo International, so pre-arrange your transfer or check that a ride app shows cars before you land, and have pounds ready.

Common airport tricks

• A man in plain clothes with a lanyard offers an "official taxi" inside the terminal and quotes US$50 or more. Official desks stay behind their counters.
• A fare agreed as "300" becomes 300 dollars or euros at the hotel. Say "pounds" and write the number on your phone.
• A flat "night fare" far above the day rate. Use the app or the limousine desk instead.

More of these, calmly explained, in common scams in Egypt.

Before you land

1. Decide on e-visa or visa on arrival, and carry clean US dollar notes if you will pay cash.
2. Install Uber or Careem at home and add a card.
3. Send your flight number and terminal to the hotel, or book its transfer.
4. Note your hotel's address in Arabic as well as English.
5. If you are flying on to Luxor or Aswan, see Cairo to Luxor and Aswan; for arriving in the south directly, see getting there.