Cairo Holidays
Chaotic and colourful, Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Middle East, where the clamour of car horns is nearly drowned out by the haunting call to prayer. Amid the fading 19th Century glamour, donkey carts still rattle down dusty side streets lined with immense Fatimid and Mamluk monuments, while the serenity of the Nile and proximity of the Pyramids reminds visitors that this city is still known as 'the Mother of the World'.
Our cheapest holidays to Cairo
From pharaonic treasures to modern delights
For a unique perspective climb to the top of the 12th Century citadel built by Salah Al-Din and take in the view of the urban sprawl. Explore the Al-Azhar Mosque dating to AD972 and the Coptic part of the city where Roman towers still stand and churches host early Christian art. In the Maadi district wander along Road 9, which is lined with every type of restaurant from sushi to traditional Egyptian street food.
Lose yourself in Khan el-Khalili, Cairo’s big souq and discover antique shops and workshops selling leather-bound notebooks. Fortify yourself with a pigeon dish served at Farahat or call in at the equally revered El Fishawy, which has been serving hungry customers since the 18th Century.
You can equally escape the city clamour by sailing down the Nile on a traditional felucca boat. Don’t leave Cairo without sampling its unique coffee culture, best exemplified by cafes like Naguib Mahfouz, named after the Nobel-Prize-winning author – it’s a fine place to sip a Turkish coffee while people watching.
Just outside the city, wander around the City of the Dead. Cairo’s necropolis has a series of cemeteries dating back to the 7th Century. Demonstrations still take place on Tahir Square, the epicentre for recent revolutions, yet the city remains relatively safe and calm. Taxis are cheap and plentiful but, in a city plagued by traffic, the Metro can be the quickest way to get around. Many stations have impressive murals while the women-only carriages can be a boon for solo female travellers. Get your flights to Cairo today and start exploring.
Carefully selected Cairo hotels
Best hotels in Cairo for all types of traveller
We have a great selection of quality hotels in Cairo to recommend. Set at the base of the pyramids is the Marriott Mena House Cairo. This five-star hotel features an outdoor swimming pool and an indulgent spa. The Ramses Hilton is a family hotel with fine views of the Nile offering a rooftop bar and lounge, an on-site casino and a heated outdoor pool with river views. The Fairmont Nile City offers a unique rooftop area, an award-winning spa and children’s pools. You’ll never be stuck for dining options at the Hilton Cairo Heliopolis as this family hotel offers no fewer than 15 restaurants, plus there’s an energising fitness centre and two outdoor pools.
Cairo holiday FAQs
- The Pyramids of Giza are the largest of the ancient Egyptian pyramids, built over 4,500 years ago as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. The three main pyramids on the Giza plateau were built over the span of three generations by the rulers Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The Giza pyramid complex includes the Great Pyramid (also known as the Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu and built around 2580-2560 BC). It’s the oldest of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World and the only one to remain largely intact. The smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) lies a few hundred metres to the south west, and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinos) sits a few hundred metres farther south west. For an additional fee you can go inside the pyramids.
- The Great Sphinx of Giza is a giant 4,500-year-old limestone statue situated near the Great Pyramid in Giza. Measuring 240 feet long and 66 feet high, the Great Sphinx is one of the world’s largest monuments and the largest monumental sculpture in Egypt. The face of the Sphinx appears to represent the pharaoh Khafre. The sphinx’s nose has broken off and it remains unclear as to what caused this, though an archaeological study indicates this happened sometime between the 3rd and the 10th centuries AD.
- Enjoy gliding along the Nile River on board a special steamer boat for a lunchtime or dinner cruise. On your three-hour cruise you can expect to dine at an open buffet featuring Egyptian and international cuisine and to be entertained with a folklore and belly-dancing show while you cruise past Cairo’s many landmarks. It’s especially romantic by night when the city lights glimmer on the water.
- When it opens in late 2023 the Grand Egyptian Museum just outside Cairo near the Pyramids of Giza promises to be the crown jewel of Egypt and one of the world’s most important museums. Among its assemblage of 120,000 pharaonic items in its vast collections is the enormous 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II that previously adorned Ramses Square and over 4,500 artefacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun, including his death mask and countless mummies.
- The Valley of the Kings is where the pharaohs and their families were buried in elaborate tombs for over 500 years. The valley is located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the ancient city of Thebes, and contains more than 60 tombs, some of which are still unexplored. The tombs are decorated with colourful paintings and hieroglyphs depicting the lives and beliefs of the Egyptians along with their journey into the afterlife. Alongside the tomb of Tutankhamun lie those of various influential rulers including Ramses II, Seti I and Tuthmosis III.
- Often cited as the world’s greatest open-air museum, Luxor contains an awe-inspiring range of monuments and treasures of impressive grandeur recovered from the ancient city of Thebes. With a beautiful setting complete with the Nile River carving across the modern city and the West Bank necropolis, there’s an abundance of riches awaiting discovery, from the temples of Karnak and Luxor to the many temples and tombs lining the West Bank. Here you’ll find the Valley of the Kings and the exquisite tomb of Queen Nefertari among many others.
- To take in some ancient civilisation away from the tourist crowds, tour the Valley of the Queens where the wives and children of many great pharaohs were buried. There are over 90 tombs to discover, including the elaborate tomb of Queen Nefertari. It’s the prime resting place for many of the most influential queens of the 18th to 20th dynasties. Notable tombs covered by the standard admission ticket include those of Queen Titi, Prince Khaemwaset and Prince Amenherkhepshef.
- Founded in the 7th Century AD, Giza lies between the ancient cities of Heliopolis and Memphis and contains some of the world’s most significant ancient civilisations on the Giza plateau including the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Don’t miss a sound and light show when the great monuments are brought to life by a dazzling multimedia display. Beyond the pyramids, make time to visit the Valley of the Whales, an open-air museum of impressive fossils and the tranquil gardens and tapestries of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre.
- Nasr City, Cairo’s largest neighbourhood, is handy for the airport – you’ll often hear planes flying overhead. The multicultural 10th District is home to many immigrant populations covering Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, China, Malaysia and even the United States. Look out for the colourful street art around the road from Masjid al Salaam in the 8th subdistrict and the Unknown Soldier Memorial, which honours servicemen who lost their lives in the 1973 October War and is where the assassinated President Sadat is buried. There are also many falafel stands, shawarma restaurants and mosques. There are no fewer than eight shopping malls in the area, including City Star, one of Egypt’s largest, plus each district has its own souq. Some malls like Tiba Outlet Mall cater to families while others attract youngsters like the Geneina Mall with its bowling centre, billiards and nightclub.
- Twenty miles west of downtown Cairo lies 6th of October City, a sprawling green suburb alive with cultural and culinary possibilities. Don’t miss the city’s many dining plazas for gourmet food and coffee. Swing by 30 North for a Nutella Cappuccino and frequent the hipsterfied food trucks on Capital Promenade, while the upmarket Arkan Plaza offers up Olivo Pizzeria and Ovio, which is probably the city’s most popular brunch destination. Then there’s the Instagram-worthy artisanal gelateria Dara’s Ice Cream. For a true fine dining experience call in at Izakaya, which serves a high-end fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. For nightlife hit up the Cairo Jazz Club 610, which plays a rich melting pot of sounds and genres, and the likes of La Taberna and the Tap West. The area is also home to several enticing shopping malls including the Mall of Egypt with its massive skiing and sledding centre, complete with its own resident penguins.
- The chaotic heart of the city is its downtown area, modelled on the boulevards of Paris, where many of Cairo’s best hotels can be found. The main thoroughfare through Downtown is Talaat Harb Street, winding north east from Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square). The streets leading off from here are a jumble of travel agents, banks, shoe and clothing stores, malls, fast food stalls, juice bars and cafes. The main landmark is the Egyptian Museum, soon to be surpassed by its billion-dollar counterpart in Giza, but there are several cool contemporary art galleries including the Townhouse Gallery and the Mashrabia Gallery. Alongside western fast food you’ll find plenty of shawarma stands and koshary houses including popular local chains Felfela and Abou Tarek. There are many bars to enjoy, too. The northern side streets teem with seedy joints offering belly-dancing shows while you should check out the more respectable establishments such as the Odeon Palace Bar, a 24-hour rooftop bar and El Horreya, a bustling coffee shop that also serves beer.
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It's about making every single journey as special and original as you are, whatever your reason to travel. We're always here to help you feel relaxed and secure from the airport to boarding and beyond.
23kg baggage
All holidays include 23kg baggage per person.
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Using Avios - You can save money on your trip with as litle as 1,000 Avios.
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All our holiday packages are ATOL protected.
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Deposits from £60 per person and secure payment options.
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Terms and conditions
- Flight only prices are updated every 24 hours and are accurate when published. Flights at these prices are limited and may sell out quickly.
- Package vacation prices (flight + hotel or flight + car) prices are updated every 24 to 48 hours and are accurate when published and may vary upon reaching subsequent pages. Availability may be extremely limited particularly during peak periods.
- Return fares displayed are the lowest adult return prices in the cabin specified including taxes, fees and carrier charges, based on a 7-day return journey.
- Package vacation prices (flight + hotel and flight + car) shown are in USD per person based on 2 adults sharing one room or one car and prices include taxes, fees and carrier charges unless otherwise specified. Flight + car prices based on drivers aged 30-70 years.
- Additional charges will be applied for payments made using a corporate credit card.
- Advertised fares are available on ba.com. Additional charges may apply if purchased through British Airways outlets or travel agents.
- Combine and save on Vacations: Guaranteed savings are only available when booking a Flight + Hotel or Flight + Car booking including one land product, it does not apply to a ‘Customise your trip’ vacation including more than one hotel and / or car.
- Standard British Airways terms and conditions apply.
1. Vacation Sale offers can be booked online at ba.com or through the British Airways call centre from January 6, 2026 and January 22, 2026 at 23:59 EST.
2. Vacation sale offers are valid on travel between January 6, 2026 and September 30, 2026. All travel must be completed by September 30, 2026. For travel from all British Airways operating airports in the US.
3. To qualify for the up to $400 discount per booking offer certain booking requirements must be met.
4. The savings are $50, $100, $200 or $400 and apply to new Vacation Package bookings only where a minimum spend is met:
a. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $8,000 per booking can save $400 per booking.
b. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $5,000 per booking can save $200 per booking.
c. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $3,000 per booking can save $100 per booking.
d. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $1,500 per booking can save $50 per booking.
5. The savings are per booking.
6. A Vacation Package booking means any booking including round trip flights and either a hotel, car or combination of both for the duration of the travel period. Hotels/cars added to flights only after a flight has been selected or booked will not be eligible. To be eligible for savings, we invite you to choose ‘Flight + hotel’ or ‘Flight + car’ when commencing a search. Quotes in our ‘Create your trip’ booking tool will not include this offer and are discounted in a different way.
7. Flight + car Vacation Package savings are applied before any Extras (insurance waiver, car seats etc.) are added to the booking.
8. Prices advertised on ba.com include the additional discount where applicable.
9. Vacation sale lead-in prices include all airline-related taxes, fees, and carrier charges.
10. Economy flight and hotel package lead-in prices are based on 2 adults traveling on the same itinerary, round trip in Economy Class, pricing per adult person, based on 5 nights for double occupancy accommodation.
11. Economy flight and car rental package lead-in prices are based on 2 adults traveling on the same itinerary, round trip in Economy Class, pricing per adult person, based on 7 days Avis or Budget car rental in a ‘Group A Economy Manual’ car. Prices are based on drivers aged 30-70 years. (Automatic car rental available at higher prices).
12. Car rental prices do not include fees charged locally such as airport charges, additional driver, insurance, navigation aids and similar options.
13. All prices are liable to change at any time and are subject to flight, hotel and car rental availability. Availability is strictly limited.
14. Offers are valid for new bookings only, made during the promotional period. Valid only when combined with British operated flights or BA code share flights departing from a US gateway.
15. Prices are based on travel during dates and board basis stated.
16. Limited availability of flights at these prices. Individual travel dates are subject to availability. Promotional travel is subject to availability and capacity control, and availability may be limited over holidays and peak periods. The number of seats available on each flight at a particular fare may be restricted and it is possible that seats allocated to a particular fare on a particular flight may be fully booked even though seats are still available for sale at a different fare or booking class in the same cabin.
17. Deposits can only be paid for bookings created as flight + hotel or flight + car packages. All flight only, hotel, car and experience only bookings, and any hotel, car or experiences added to a flight only booking are excluded from this offer. The following deposit levels apply based on the total spend per booking:
I. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $1000-$1999 - pay from $198 deposit per booking
II. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $2000-$2499 - pay from $250 deposit per booking
III. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $2500-$2999 - pay from $300 deposit per booking
18. The deposit balance will be due 28 days prior to your departure date. The actual payment date will be displayed on the payment details page. You can pay the balance in as many instalments as you want. This allows you to spread the cost of the vacation over a longer period. You will have full flexibility of when you make the payments and how much they are, the only requirement is that you must have paid the full balance by the balance due date.
19. British Airways holidays standard terms and conditions and conditions of carriage apply. For full terms and conditions please refer to https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/legal/package-booking-terms-and-conditions
20. All travel on BA operated flights is subject to BA's General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage (see ba.com http://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/legal/british-airways/general-conditions-of-carriage) and the notice and conditions of contract contained on each ticket and itinerary. Passengers carried by code share services are subject to the ticketing carrier's conditions of carriage.
21. British Airways is not liable for the reproduction of this offer or indirect access via third party websites of these terms and where such reproduction misstates or omits any of the information or terms and conditions connected with this promotion.
22. Normal booking conditions, including amendment and cancellation charges, of a hotel purchase apply.
23. Normal booking conditions, including amendment and cancellation charges, of a car purchase apply.
24. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
25. This offer may be withdrawn or limited by British Airways without notice.
26. Other significant restrictions may apply.
We reserve the right to cancel any bookings that violate any of these terms and conditions.