Cairo airport to the centre
1 h route4 stopsBest: Avoid rush hour: the trip can doubleUpdated July 2026
First, let’s clear up the most common misunderstanding: the Cairo metro does NOT reach the airport. Line 3 ends at Adly Mansour and from there you take a BRT to the terminals. The airport extension has been planned for years and isn’t built.
So the real options are three: the Mwasalat Misr coaches, a fixed-fare taxi, or the ride apps, which work very well here and spare you the argument. And one thing beats them all: Cairo traffic, which can double any estimate.
The route, stop by stop
4 STOPS- 01
The ride-hailing apps: the easiest
Ride apps work well in Cairo and are, for most travellers, the best option: the price is fixed in the app, there’s no haggling, no argument over change, and you know exactly where you’re going.
You need mobile data to order one, so sort your connection before leaving the terminal.
It’s the practical reason a local eSIM pays for itself on the first trip.
- 02
Taxi: a fixed price at arrivals
Airport taxis have a desk at arrivals with fixed fares by zone: it’s the simplest if you don’t have data yet. Agree the price before getting in and know your destination. Avoid anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a taxi: use the official desk or the marked rank. As everywhere in Egypt, the rule is to settle the price beforehand, never on arrival.
- 03
The Mwasalat Misr coach
Mwasalat Misr, the modern public operator, runs airport-to-centre routes with air-conditioned coaches, ending at Abdel Moneim Riad, by Tahrir Square. It’s the cheap option and it works well, though it takes longer and depends on traffic like everything here. If you’re travelling light and not in a hurry, it does the job.
- 04
The metro, only with a change
It can be done, but with a change: a BRT takes you from the airport to Adly Mansour, the terminus of metro Line 3, and from there the metro runs into the centre past the Stadium and Abbassia to Attaba (interchange with L2, right downtown) and Nasser (one stop from Sadat and Tahrir Square).
It’s the cheapest option by a distance and the only one that dodges the traffic, which in Cairo is no small thing. The catch: with luggage and freshly landed, the BRT plus the metro plus the change is an odyssey.
Worth it on the way out, not on the way in.
Frequently asked
Is there a metro at Cairo airport?
No: the metro doesn’t reach the terminals. The nearest station is Adly Mansour, the terminus of Line 3, and a BRT runs there from the airport. The airport extension is planned but not built.
How do you get from Cairo airport to the centre?
The easiest are the ride apps, fixed price and no haggling (you need mobile data). There are also taxis with a fixed-fare desk at arrivals, and Mwasalat Misr coaches to Abdel Moneim Riad, by Tahrir.
How long from Cairo airport to the centre?
It depends entirely on traffic, which in Cairo is among the worst in the world: the same trip can double in rush hour. Allow slack and don’t schedule tight appointments after landing.