Where to stay in Cairo: a neighbourhood guide
Cairo is a very large city, and where you stay decides a lot: how long your drives are, what is outside your door and how quiet your evenings are. This guide covers the best-known parts of Cairo to stay in, all great locations: what each is like, who it suits, and, where Lemon Spaces has apartments, what they cost a night.
The counts and prices on this page come from our apartments on the site today, and change with them.
At a glance
| Area | Suits | Our spaces | From (per night) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zamalek | A central base on the Nile | 35 | $78 |
| Downtown | The city at full volume | 9 | $110 |
| Garden City | Quiet streets by the centre | 2 | $160 |
| Maadi | Green and calm, good for families | 44 | $45 |
| Heliopolis | Close to the airport | 1 | $109 |
| New Cairo | Space, compounds and AUC | 19 | $77 |
Zamalek
Zamalek is the northern half of Gezira, an island in the Nile in the middle of Cairo. Its tree-lined streets hold embassies, galleries, cafés and restaurants, with the river on both sides and Downtown a bridge away.
Suits: First visits to Cairo, couples, and anyone who wants a central base they can walk from.
35 spaces from $78 a night · 1 to 3 bedrooms · Iconia · 3 with a Nile view See the 35 spaces in Zamalek
Downtown
Downtown, Wust El Balad, is the centre of Cairo: Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum, streets of grand buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, old cafés, bookshops and shops. It is busy and loud by day and stays lively late into the night.
Suits: Travellers who want to be in the middle of things and walk to the sights of the centre.
9 spaces from $110 a night · 2 to 3 bedrooms · Layal See the 9 spaces in Downtown
Garden City
Garden City lies between Tahrir Square and the Nile, just south of Downtown. Laid out in the early 20th century with curving streets, it has villas, gardens and several embassies, and is much quieter than the centre next to it.
Suits: Those who want calm streets with the centre on foot.
2 spaces from $160 a night · 2 to 3 bedrooms · 2 with a Nile view See the 2 spaces in Garden City
Maadi
Maadi is south of the centre on the Nile's east bank: leafy streets, villas and gardens, and a long-established community of families and foreign residents. Line 1 of the Cairo Metro runs through it to Downtown.
Suits: Families, longer stays, and anyone who prefers a green, calmer neighbourhood.
44 spaces from $45 a night · studios to 3 bedrooms · Villa Attouta, Canal House See the 44 spaces in Maadi
Heliopolis
Heliopolis, in the north-east, was built in the early 20th century by the Belgian industrialist Baron Édouard Empain, whose palace still stands there. Its arcaded avenues and the Korba district are close to Cairo International Airport.
Suits: Stays before or after a flight, and business in eastern Cairo.
1 space from $109 a night · 2 bedrooms · Al-Korba See the space in Heliopolis
New Cairo
New Cairo is a newer city east of Cairo, in the same governorate: wide roads, gated compounds, malls and business parks, and the campus of the American University in Cairo. It is roomier and quieter than the old city, and you will drive to most places.
Suits: Families, business in New Cairo, visitors to the American University, and longer stays.
19 spaces from $77 a night · 1 to 3 bedrooms · The Village, Lakeview, Galleria See the 19 spaces in New Cairo
Getting around Cairo
Cairo International Airport is in the north-east of the city, beyond Heliopolis. Across Cairo, traffic decides how long a journey takes more than distance does, so allow extra time at rush hour.
Ride-hailing apps work across the city, and Metro Line 1 links Maadi with Downtown. Ask us about an airport pick-up when you book.
How to choose
For a first visit and the sights of the centre, choose Zamalek, Downtown or Garden City. For a calmer, greener stay with family, Maadi. For an early flight, Heliopolis. For business in the east of the city, or a long stay with room to spare, New Cairo.