Travel · Getting around
Getting around Cairo: two airports, the metro, the monorail and the trains
How to get in and around the city, checked against the operators’ own websites on 28 October 2026.
Updated October 2026
Two airports
Cairo International Airport (CAI) lies north-east of the city beyond Heliopolis; Sphinx International Airport (SPX) is west of Giza, the nearer to the Pyramids and the GEM. Check which airport your airline uses.
The metro and monorail
Three metro lines cross the city; line 1 serves Sadat (Tahrir Square) and Mar Girgis (Coptic Cairo). Every train has women-only carriages. The East Nile monorail runs from the Cairo Stadium area east to the New Administrative Capital.
Ride-hailing and drivers
Uber works across the city. For a day at Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur, ask your hotel for a car with driver.
Trains up the Nile
Egyptian National Railways runs trains from Ramses Station to Alexandria and along the Nile valley; Abela runs the overnight sleeper trains to Luxor and Aswan. Buy tickets on the operators’ own sites or at the station.
Questions and answers
Which airport is nearer the Pyramids?
Sphinx International Airport (SPX), west of Giza.
Sources: cairo-airport.com, sphinxairport.com, enr.gov.eg and wataniasleepingtrains.com (checked 28 October 2026). Timetables change: always check before you travel.