The 5 Best Hostels in Cairo

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My list here is designed to help you book the best hostel in Cairo for your backpacking trip to Egypt! But what is ‘best’ obviously varies by person, everyone travels differently, so to take this list a step further, I’ve organized it by different travel-styles.

1. Meramees Hostel – Best Hostel Overall

• Price: $
• Best for: Solo travellers, friend groups, and anyone looking for a bit of comfort really
• Highlights: The on-site cafe and activities they arrange from here
• Dorm (mixed): From $10/night
• Private Room: From $20/night
• Address: 32 Sabry Abo Alam Street, 00202 Cairo

The best hostel when you look at everything together is Meramees Hostel, offering everything you’re looking for and more! As the best of the Cairo hostels, Meramees offers guests a free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free luggage storage. Hosts Miguel and Ahmed are wonderful, totally on the ball and keen to help in any way they can.

More than that, they have created a brilliant hostel vibe here at Meramees and it’s no wonder this is one of the best places to stay in Egypt. At face value, Meramees is a simple youth hostel in Cairo but it is, in fact, one of the most popular. Always being full of adventurous travellers keen to experience all the city has to offer should speak for itself.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Free Breakfast: They’ll ensure you start your day with some vintage Egyptian cuisine, including traditional bread
• Book Exchange: Bring a book you’ve read, and swap it with one that’s here – a cool concept
• Air Conditioning: Don’t underestimate the Egyptian summer scorch – air con is a blessing at this time

No creaking bunk beds at Meramees, no, everyone gets their own single bed and bedside table. It’s the little touches like fresh flowers and Miguel and Ahmed’s smiling faces that make Meramees the best of the Cairo hostels. That, plus the high ceilings, wooden floorboards, large windows and French doors leading to private balconies – how romantic?! – this is a great place to stay in Cairo.

There are helpful, friendly staff at reception 24/7 and they’ve got free Cairo city maps. So feel free to ask for help to navigate this wonderful, enormous city whether you’re a solo traveller or with a crew. Meramees Hostel is within walking distance is Tahrir Square and the Nile – the perfect location for exploring the city.

2. Heritage Hostel – Best Hostel for Solo Travellers

• Price: $
• Best for: Budget Backpackers
• Highlights: The price, breakfast, and location facing the Egyptian Museum
• Dorm (mixed): From $7/night
• Private Room: From $29/night
• Address: 13 Talaat Harb st, Downtown, Cairo

Heritage Hostel faces the Egyptian Museum and is in an epic downtown location in Cairo. Solo travellers or travelling lovers looking for their own space will love the private balcony in some rooms looking out to the city. Private bathrooms are consistant in each of the rooms at Heritage Hostel, even the six-bed dorm.

It is located on one of the main streets so it’s easy to get an Uber from here to take you wherever you want to go. The flip side of this is traffic noise so it you’re a light sleeper, bring ear plugs! The staff at Heritage Hostel are wonderful, friendly and helpful, they want you to see the best of Cairo and endeavour to facilitate this.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• The value: It’s just $7 for a dorm bed AND breakfast is included. You surely can’t top that in Cairo
• The Egyptian Museum: It’s literally 200m, Usain Bolt could reach it in under 20 seconds from here
• The staff: Always friendly and happy to help

The hostel has Wi-Fi in all rooms, which I loved because I’ve stayed in some stinkers in Egypt where Wi-Fi is restricted to communal areas.

They also have balconies in all rooms here, so you can get some great views… maybe. It really depends on what side you’re on.

3. Tahrir Square Hostel – Best Cheap Hostel

• Price: $$
• Best for: Budget backpackers, and anyone looking for a good location
• Highlights: Cheap prices, a good location, and a washing machine to do your laundry
• Dorm (mixed): From $13/night
• Private Room: From $36/night
• Address: 11 Tahrir Square, Second floor, Next to KFC, Downtown, 11512 Cairo

Tahrir Square Hostel is my top pick for cheap hostels in Cairo, hostel prices are pretty budget-friendly but this is next level. Located in the heart of downtown Cairo, Tahrir Square Hostel negates the need for public transport. The Egyptian Museum is a mere two-minute walk away and Tahrir Square itself is all around you.

Cairo hostels are very generous with their free breakfast and Tahrir Square hostel is no different. Fuel up and fuck off into the mad and wonderful capital city of Egypt. There are so many places to visit in Cairo and a cacophony of things to do, including the best free activity – people-watching!

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• 24 Hour reception: Fantastic news for anyone with a late flight into Cairo
• Close to the Egyptian Museum: History on your doorstep – this is a super convenient place to stay
• Free City Maps: Definitely helps when you get lost down Cairo’s sprawling streets

There’s a washing machine at Tahrir Square Hostel so you don’t even need to pay for a laundry service. Just wash and reset yourself and be on your merry way. Take advantage of the communal kitchen to do a bit of meal prep too to save extra cash and be close to the top Cairo attractions!

The rooms at Tahrir Square Hostel vary between double or twin privates with private bathrooms and a six-bed dorm. Stay wherever feels comfortable for you, although if you’re here to get the most out of the cheap hostels, the dorm rooms cheapest. Hostel deals do come up occasionally though so don’t think you can’t ever get your own room.

4. The Australian Hostel – Best Party Hostel

• Price: $
• Best for: Social butterflies
• Highlights: Tours and airport transfers arranged here, plus the social atmosphere
• Dorm (mixed): From $8/night
• Private Room: From $19/night
• Address: 23 Abd El Khaleq Tharwat St. Down Town, 99999 Cairo

The best party hostel in Cairo is The Australian Hostel, super sociable and with a great team of staff, it goes off. To be fair, Cairo is hardly party central but this is a great place to meet new people. The hostel team will always point you in the direction of the cheapest beer and best nightclub should you ask!

Located in the heart of the downtown The Australian Hostel is the coolest hostel in Cairo if you’re looking to party Egyptian style! This epic location in old Egypt is the place to be close to the underground and nightlife in Cairo. If you’re lucky you’ll get intel on a gig at the Pyramids of Giza (!!).

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Airport transfers: You’ll have to pay extra, but they do offer airport transfers to make your life easier
• Tours available: No need to go shopping around when you can book tours directly from here
• Clean facilities: Not always the case in Egypt, so we definitely appreciated this

With a really tasty free breakfast on offer each morning, you’ll be set for whatever the day brings at The Australian Hostel. There’s a great common room to hang out in and rally the troops for another day in this great city. There’s always the opportunity to make new friends in hostels – you just gotta make a move!

The rooms here sleep up to three in the private suites which each have private bathrooms. Then there’s the mixed dorm which sleeps up to six people so book in advance if you want to stay here, it’s a pretty small hostel.

5. Madina Hostel – Best Hostel for Digital Nomads

• Price: $
• Best for: Remote workers
• Highlights: The range of common areas, and fully-equipped kitchen
• Dorm (mixed): From $10/night
• Private Room: From $28/night
• Address: 5 Kasr Al Nile street 10th floor, 11513 Cairo

Madina Hostel is the perfect place to post up in Cairo if you’ve got a bit of work to do while you’re here. Living the digital nomad life and being on the road isn’t always easy but these guys are pretty accommodating. From the three separate common areas to tuck yourself away into the free coffee on tap – it’s a pretty work-friendly environment.

That’s not to say it’s all work and no play though, Madina Hostel has a great social scene, facilitated by the friendly staff. I love setting up in a hostel with staff that are passionate about sharing their area and this place is exactly that.

Why you’ll love this hostel:

• Fully equipped communal kitchen: No need to splash the cash eating out when you can cook here, although in all fairness Cairo is very cheap…
• Three separate common areas: Great if you need a quiet workspace and one or two spots are a little noisy
• Tour and trip organisation: When I stayed here, the hostel were incredible at arranging everything

The 21 comfy beds here are spread throughout various rooms, from female-only dorms to privates. So if you’re someone who needs your own space (I feel ya!) you’re covered. Sleep well in downtown Cairo at Madina Hostel and be looked after.

There’s a laundry service and free tea and coffee all day so you can stay in and be well while you work after enjoying breakfast. Free breakfast and free coffee are all I need for a good work day and when you’re done with work, get amongst downtown Cairo. It’s on your doorstep and if you want guidance, chat with the friendly staff – they’ll happily give you tips for Egypt or organise a trip for you.

Getting Insured BEFORE Visiting Cairo

Everyone needs good hostel insurance – especially in Cairo with all those pesky camels about!

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Cairo is a sprawling metropolis with a ton of hostels, including many that, erm, aren’t very good if we’re honest… But it is at least super duper cheap, so budget backpacking in Cairo isn’t difficult. If you stick to the main areas, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be within reach of some of the most impressive sights Egypt has to offer.

Regardless of whether you’re a solo traveller, a couple, a friend group, a social butterfly, a party animal, or an introvert, there’s something for you here.

If you’re still on the fence, it’s all good, there have been a lot of options! I suggest jumping head-first into my top pick, Meramees Hostel. It’s about the cheapest hostel you can find in Cairo and it’s in an epic location.

Not everyone loves Cairo with its ruggedness and reputation for scams (and yeah, many scumbags like this will pester you), but the Egyptian history blows any negatives out the water, and makes this city a must on any budget backpacking itinerary.

If you think I’ve missed anything or have any further thoughts, hit me up in the comments!