Cairo ★

Getting around: Uber/Careem are the visitor standard (cheap, and they bypass taxi haggling); the metro is fastest at rush hour (women-only cars available). Don't rent a car — Cairo driving is a violent local sport.

Halal & prayer places: Halal is simply the default in Cairo — Egypt is over 90% Muslim, with more than 100,000 mosques nationwide, topped by Al-Azhar Mosque in the heart of Islamic Cairo. Any ordinary local restaurant is assumed halal without asking; the only exception is a handful of upscale hotel restaurants and bars (concentrated in Downtown, Zamalek and Maadi) that serve alcohol to foreign guests — easy to avoid or check ahead. The Friday call to prayer carries from nearly every neighborhood.

Local safety: Street hassle is at its most persistent here — aggressive vendors and unofficial 'guides' cluster at the Giza Pyramids and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, where items are pushed into your hands and payment is then demanded. Catcalling and scams are common in crowds; a firm 'no thanks' and simply ignoring works best. Stick to Downtown, Zamalek and the tourist zones.

Cost figures: Approx. 2026 prices: in-town Uber EGP 50–150, Pyramids ticket ~EGP 700 (Great Pyramid interior ~900 extra), Grand Egyptian Museum ~EGP 1,450 (foreigners), koshary meal EGP 30–70, mid-range restaurant EGP 150–400 per person.