Africa's largest city as well as Egypt's capital and spiritual heart, Cairo could put off even the most die-hard city-lover with its traffic fumes, smog, dust, decay, noise and general chaos; it is ugly, polluted and overcrowded, sprawling for miles along either bank of the River Nile and home to around 7.8 million inhabitants. Given the sprawl and chaos, it is often difficult to get your bearings and practically impossible to get to know the city in only a few days; the best one can hope for is to get a feel for its different districts and rich history. The hub of the city centres on Tahrir Square, on the E bank of the Nile, where many of the big hotels and foreign embassies are located. To the E of this central point is the medieval Islamic quarter with an array of mosques, the Citadel and the twisting streets of the Khan el Khalili bazaar. To the S lies Old Cairo, site of a Roman tower as well as the city's oldest mosque, church and synagogue. Gezira Island in the middle of the Nile offers a little respite from the city traffic, with a more residential, less frenetic atmosphere. The outlying district of Heliopolis, near the airport, is quieter still, even relaxing by Cairo standards, having been designed originally as a garden suburb for wealthier Egyptians and expatriates. If you do not mind the long journey to and from the centre, the quietest and most pleasant place to stay is near the Pyramids at Giza, on the W side of the river. Please note: when visiting mosques, women must wear a head scarf or other covering and be "decently" attired - shorts and miniskirts will offend Islamic sensibilities. The possibility of terrorist attacks on tourists in Egypt remains; Foreign Office advisory notices offer the latest official advice and should be consulted before booking.

International history buffs, Egyptologists and the curious.

Hotels are at their most dense around the business district of Tahrir Square and Opera Square. There are further concentrations across the river in the dull but still noisy and traffic-laden W suburbs of Mohandessin and Dokki, around the airport and at Giza. If choosing a central base, it is advisable to ensure it is well soundproofed unless you are insensitive to a 24-hr cacophony of car horns. The majority of hotels have security guards and electronic alarm gates at the entrance.

The main shopping streets are near the Egyptian Museum, although most of the available goods are pretty shoddy; a visit to the giant Khan el Khalili bazaar is of more interest as far as souvenir and "atmosphere" shopping are concerned. A few modern shopping centres including Arkadia on the Corniche and an elegant mall in the Four Seasons hotel complex. Other street markets worth visiting: Wekala al Balaq for fabrics including Egyptian cotton, the tentmakers' bazaar for applique work and the camel market - for local colour rather than serious shopping!

Daytime: various city and museum tours (an English-speaking guide or good guide book is essential) taking in the Egyptian Museum (including Hall of Mummies), 590-ft-high Cairo Tower for panoramic city views, Islamic Arts Museum, 18th-century Seheimy House and the Blue Mosque, founded in 1347; Pharaonic Village, a recreation of everyday life in ancient Egypt; swimming pools, health clubs and tennis at the smarter hotels; more tennis and horse racing at Gezira Sporting Club; 9-hole golf course; Nile trips, particularly in a traditional felucca; horse riding at the Pyramids. Nightlife: broad selection of discos, piano bars and a few hotel casinos; plenty of exotic shows, live bands and belly-dancers; thrice-nightly sound-and-light show at the foot of the Sphinx (check for times of English-language performances); theatre, dance and concert performances at the Opera House.

Range of restaurants, but you have to hunt for the quality establishments if you dine outside the hotels. Varied cuisine including Lebanese, Moroccan, French, Italian, Indian, Japanese and Chinese along with traditional Egyptian. Dinner cruises along the Nile are very popular. Levels of hygiene are often poor, however, even in hotels, and it is not unusual for tourists to get stomach upsets; be wary about what and where you eat and use bottled water, even for brushing teeth.

Getting around can be difficult. Buses are not recommended because of overcrowding, hair-raising boarding practices and few printed schedules. The French-built underground (Metro) is a cheap, efficient and cleaner alternative. Taxis are metered, although the meters are rarely used, so ensure you agree the fare before setting off. It is helpful to have the name of your hotel or destination written down in Arabic. Beware: drivers tend to have a "kamikaze" streak to cope with the chaotic traffic conditions. Trains go to Luxor and Aswan and long-distance buses are also available but internal flights are the quickest and most efficient way to cover long distances.

Half day: village of Harraneya for locally made tapestries and carpets. Full day: Great Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, 10 mls from the city centre, including camel rides around the Pyramids (where many tourists get taken for a ride in more ways than one - bargain hard and do not pay more than the agreed price); antiquities at Memphis and Sakkara; Fayoum Oasis; Suez, by car or bus; port of Alexandria.

In N Egypt. 140 mls SE of Alexandria and the Mediterranean. 14 mls SW of its international airport near Heliopolis.

Bisected by the broad River Nile, the city is bounded by the fertile fields and date palms of the Nile Delta to the N and Nile Valley to the S, with desert to the SW beyond Giza.

Telephone Area Code: 2
Website: www.cairotourist.com

Airport : International
Airport Code: CAI
Flight time from ther U.K.: 5 hrs