Cairo
The high-ceilinged, colour-saturated rooms at this old-school hostel are exceedingly simple but brim with old-fashioned character. All share toilets but air-con rooms have shower cubicles, and some now come with satellite TV. Owner Hisham is a fount of knowledge on all things Cairo, and when arranging tours only uses drivers who don't do 'shopping' stops.
There’s a teensy shared kitchen too and good long-stay rates.
8.12 MILES
The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids…
0.46 MILES
One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…
12.4 MILES
Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…
0.75 MILES
This museum, on the edge of Islamic Cairo, holds one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art and is Egypt's (and one of the entire Middle East's)…
1.29 MILES
Founded in AD 970 as the centrepiece of the newly created Fatimid city, Al Azhar is one of Cairo’s earlier mosques, and its sheikh is considered the…
1.14 MILES
Sharia Al Muizz, as it’s usually called, named after the Fatimid caliph who conquered Cairo in AD 969, was Cairo's grand thoroughfare, once chock-a-block…
3.02 MILES
This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…
11.89 MILES
The Mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. This grand and detailed private tomb is not only Old Kingdom art at its best but also one of…
0.03 MILES
With its beautifully restored Moorish-style facade, this building which once housed an Italian insurance company, is one of Qasr El Nil's most notable…
0.04 MILES
The rather grand facade of the Cairo Stock Exchange was built in 1928 and merges neoclassical design with art nouveau.
3. Contemporary Image Collective
0.12 MILES
This art initiative often hosts excellent temporary art and photography exhibitions; check the website to see if anything is showing while you're in town…
0.18 MILES
Downtown’s two main streets, Sharia Talaat Harb and Sharia Qasr El Nil, intersect at the roundabout of Midan Talaat Harb, where cars whizz around a statue…
0.18 MILES
This Florentine-style Roman Catholic church is a major landmark along Sharia Mohammed Farid. It dates from 1909 when Cairo was home to a sizeable Italian…
0.19 MILES
Groppi’s high point was more than 50 years ago when it was one of the most celebrated patisseries this side of the Mediterranean. It has unfortunately…
0.2 MILES
Set amid car-repair shops, Townhouse is Cairo’s most cutting-edge space, with a regular program of temporary exhibitions, often with an emphasis on video…
0.2 MILES
Off Sharia Mahmoud Bassiouni, as much a clubhouse as an exhibition space, frequented by Cairo’s art-world new and old guard.