Cairo is a massive city – it is the capital of Egypt and more than 16 million people call it home – so visitors can expect a mix of fascinating history and modern city chaos. As with most large cities, this is a place that is made up of smaller cities or districts, some of which will likely not even be interesting to outsiders, and some of which will be tourist central. There are a couple of districts in particular where you will find most of the cheap hotels in Cairo.
While most of your time as a tourist will likely be spent visiting the historic sites in Islamic Cairo, chances are good that you will be staying in one of the cheap hotels in Cairo located outside this area. The modern downtown area is full of hotels and very central, and the area around the train station is also becoming known for having more hotel choices. The good news is that you can get around easily in Cairo using the city’s metro or buses, or hire a taxi if you like.
From a homebase in one of the cheap hotels in Cairo, you can not only visit the city’s major attractions – things like the amazing Egyptian Museum, the Al-Azhar Mosque, the Coptic Museum, and the Citadel in the Islamic city – but you can also take a day-trip into the nearby desert to see the Great Pyramids of Giza up close and personal. You can see some of them from parts of Cairo (and may even have such a view from your hotel!), but there is nothing like getting up close to them and really seeing how huge they are.
Some of the cheap hotels in Cairo you might want to check out are Talisman Hotel (downtown, boutique hotel, 22 rooms & 2 suites, indivudally decorated, private bathrooms, international TV channels, A/C, internet access, on-site dining, tea & refreshments included with price), Berlin Hotel (downtown, rooms have balconies, A/C, laundry service, TV in all rooms, internet access available), May Fair Hotel (Zamalek area, close to downtown, satellite TV, free WiFi on the terrace, private bathrooms in most rooms, free breakfast), and Windsor Hotel (downtown, hotel built in 1901, 55 rooms, free WiFi in lounge, free parking, on-site restaurant, TVs in rooms, private bathrooms in rooms).