Cairo Travel Guide: What’s Changed In 2026 (Giza, New Museum & More)

There are ways of romanticizing Cairo, but I want to be clear from the get-go: it is, on the whole, a rather dirty and ugly city. The suburbs in particular, which I usually witnessed from a taxi window, are absolutely littered with plastic waste. Just about everywhere the dominant colors are beige and brown, the haze of polluted air further adding to the sense of drabness. At times I felt like I was maybe somewhere in South Asia; horse-drawn carriages are sometimes still used for regular transportation. But… I say this only to set realistic expectations. Many bucket-list travellers come for the Pyramids but surely end up shocked that most of Cairo itself is not nearly as glorious. If you detect a certain negative vibe around Cairo online, this is why — along with Egypt’s broader reputation for tourist-targeted scams. If you’re looking for a beautiful holiday in a perfectly picturesque place, this isn’t it. Then again, the Ancient Egypt sites are genuinely spellbinding. And what most guides won’t yet tell you is that as of 2026, the Giza site is completely redeveloped (and now very low-stress). This, along with the stunning new Grand Egyptian Museum, makes Cairo truly a must-visit i...