Public Transport in Cairo 2026 — Metro, Buses, Minibuses and Getting Around Egypt's Mega-City

Public Transport in Cairo 2026

Cairo is the Arab world's most populous city with a metro area exceeding 20 million people. The Cairo Metro is one of Africa's busiest and most developed, supplemented by CTA buses, shared taxis (service taxis/microbuses), and a growing ride-hailing sector. Traffic in Cairo is legendarily congested at all hours, making the Metro the fastest option for covered routes. This guide covers public transport in Cairo in 2026.

Cairo Metro

• 3 Metro lines (Line 1 — Helwan to New El-Marg; Line 2 — El-Mounib to Shubra El-Kheima; Line 3 — Kit Kat to Cairo Airport/Adly Mansour)
• Major interchange stations: Tahrir Square/Sadat (Lines 1 and 2), Ataba (Lines 1 and 3), Shoubra El-Kheima (Line 2 terminus)
• Line 3 now extends to Cairo International Airport (Al-Matariyya to Cairo Airport); transforming airport accessibility
• Fare: Very affordable — approximately EGP 6-10 per trip (confirm current fares; Egyptian fares have changed with recent economic adjustments)
• Women and children-only car: First car of each Metro train is reserved for women and children; widely observed

Buses and Minibuses in Cairo

• Cairo Transit Authority (CTA) operates public buses on an extensive network; large air-conditioned buses on major routes
• Microbuses (shared minibuses): Privately operated shared taxis on fixed routes; extremely cheap (EGP 2-5); no fixed stops; raise your hand and call out your destination; used widely by locals but routes can be confusing for newcomers

Ride-Hailing in Cairo

• Uber and Careem (acquired by Uber) operate extensively in Cairo; convenient, upfront-quoted fares; air-conditioned; strongly recommended for expats and visitors; significantly more comfortable than microbuses

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.