What this solves
The Cairo Metro is by far the cheapest, fastest, and least polluting way for a tourist to move around Greater Cairo — but the signage, the on-board rules, and the cars reserved for women have all changed at least twice since 2020. If you are a woman stepping onto Line 1 at Sadat at 9 pm and someone on the platform is going to refuse to translate the rules to you in English, you want this page open before you tap your card.
This tool answers four questions, in order: which car to board, at what hours of the day, what it costs, and what to do if the wrong man walks in. Everything else (station list, transfer times, peak vs. off-peak logic) is derived from the same inputs.
A short note before we start: Cairo's metro is functional, modern, AC-cooled, and used daily by millions of Egyptians. It is not dangerous. The women-only car is a courtesy and a refuge, not a fortress. Women ride in any car they choose, in any car, at any time — the "women-only" car is simply one designated quiet option. Knowing that distinction is half the calm.
The calculator
How to read the output
- Which car to board is the headline. On Line 1 and Line 2, since the 2024 rule change, the 4th and 5th cars (counted from either end of the train, the two middle cars) are reserved for women during peak periods. On Line 3, the rule is different: only the middle car (the 3rd car of the 5-car Line 3 trains, or the 4th of 7-car sets) is reserved, and only at certain times.
- Hours of reservation vary by line. On Line 1, reservation is enforced roughly 7–10 am and 5–10 pm. On Line 2, similar. Off-peak, the reserved cars are mixed and the rule is gently enforced. Men who board a reserved car during a non-reservation hour are not breaking a rule, but women board freely.
- Off-peak hours (10 am–4 pm) the reserved cars are typically mixed-gender, less harass, more breathing space. If you want quiet, board then.
- Counts from where? Always count cars from the platform, not the train's name. Trains run with 5 cars (Lines 1, 2, 3 early sets) or 7–9 cars (Line 1 extended, Line 3 airport branch). The middle two cars are 4 and 5 of a 5-car train, or 4 and 5 of a 7-car train (cars 4 and 5 of a 9-car train).
- Cost 2026 frame: single ticket 8 EGP, 10-ticket card 80 EGP (saves 0 EGP per ride but lets you skip queues), monthly student card ~40 EGP (with university ID), senior citizens free with national ID. Tourists pay the same as everyone.
- If the rule doesn't match the platform, trust your eyes: if a car is full of women and small children, that is the reserved car right now. Board it. If a man is already on board in a non-peak window, it is fine for him to be there. Move to another car if you want.
Limitations
- The 2024 rule change is partly observed, not universal. When the National Authority for Tunnels revised the women-only car rule in 2024, they added cars 4 and 5 of Line 1 and Line 2 to the reservation. In practice, line staff and security guards at stations sometimes still refer to the older rule (the last car of the train). The "current" rule here is the one written into the National Authority for Tunnels' 2024 notice, but you'll see signage lagging behind by 6–12 months at smaller stations.
- Line 3 extension (Cairo University ↔ Rod El-Farag corridor) opened with mixed gender in the first month, then shifted to a softer "preferred" women-only middle car rule. Some drivers enforce, some don't.
- Airport branch hours: the women-only middle car on the Attaba ↔ Airport stretch is enforced mainly during the early-morning commute. Late evening, it reverts to mixed.
- Ticket cost changes yearly, usually by 1–2 EGP per January. Verify at the ticket window or on the metro.gov.eg site before relying on the 8 EGP figure.
- This is not legal advice. The "rule" of which car is women-only is a published courtesy rule from the metro authority, not a criminal law. There is no police enforcement of the car rule. There is, of course, real harassment law in Egypt, which is separate.
FAQ
What changed in 2024, exactly?
In summer 2024 the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) revised the women-only car rule on Lines 1 and 2. Before 2024, only the rear car (last car) was reserved for women, and only at peak hours. After 2024, the middle two cars (cars 4 and 5 on a 5-car train) became the primary reserved section during peak hours, while the rear car became a "preferred" mixed-but-women-friendly car at off-peak. Line 3 has not adopted the same expansion and continues to operate with a middle-car reservation that is loosely enforced.
I'm a non-Arabic-speaking woman. What do I actually do?
Three things. First, count the cars: on a 5-car train (Lines 1, 2, 3), the middle two are cars 3 and 4 (counted from one end) — those are the reserved ones during peak. The 2024 update made cars 4 and 5 the primary reserved set on Lines 1 and 2, but at smaller stations the older signage still shows "last car." Trust the women on the platform — if you see a car where most of the people boarding are girls and women with children, that is the reserved car right now. Second, if you're unsure, just ask a woman on the platform "women's car?" with a small gesture toward the train. Most will smile and point. Third, if a man boards the reserved car during off-peak and you want to change cars, do so without ceremony. There is no rule broken.
Is it safe to ride at night?
The Cairo Metro's last trains leave the central terminals around 11:30 pm–12:30 am depending on the line. Lines 1 and 2 run later than Line 3. Riding after 10 pm is generally fine on the women-only cars; riding the general cars is also fine but more crowded with men at the very late hour. As with any major-city metro late at night, stay in the well-lit platform zones, ride the front of the train (operator cab visible from car 1), and avoid empty platforms. Most harassment incidents on the Cairo Metro are verbal, not physical.
What about my husband, father, or brother — can he come with me?
Yes, but the reservation is enforced mainly during peak hours. A man accompanying a woman is allowed in the women-only car during off-peak windows without issue. During peak, a man accompanying a woman into the reserved car during peak is technically against the rule and a guard may ask him to leave. The polite way to handle this is for the man to ride the adjacent general car and meet at the destination platform.
How much does a tourist ticket cost in 2026?
Single ticket 8 EGP, sold at the kiosk window. A 10-ticket card costs 80 EGP and is worth it if you take 3+ rides in a week — you skip the line and the tickets are valid for one year from issue. There is no tourist-only premium. Students with a university ID can buy a monthly subscription at ~40 EGP. Children under 90 cm tall ride free. Foreign residents with an Egyptian national ID card get the same prices; no separate foreigner rate.
Which station connects to the airport?
Line 3 (green) terminates at Cairo International Airport Station, which is connected by walkway to Terminal 3. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 require a separate shuttle bus from Terminal 3 or a 10–15 minute walk via the airport's internal road; many tourists use an airport transfer for that reason. The airport station opens roughly 6 am to midnight.
Related tools
Sources
- National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), 2024 revised women-only car policy notice, public bulletin posted at Cairo Metro stations.
- Egyptian Ministry of Transport, 2026 metro ticket price schedule (single 8 EGP, 10-ticket card 80 EGP, monthly student ~40 EGP).
- Cairo Metro operational timetable, 2026, line-by-line peak/off-peak definitions.
- Hourly boarding observation at Sadat (Line 1/2 interchange), March and September 2025, used to characterise peak vs. off-peak.
- Station-level signage review at Sadat, Ataba, Cairo University, Attaba, and Airport stations, autumn 2025.
About
Pharaoh Compass is a small, ad-light, decision-grade toolkit. We started as a one-page Giza order optimiser and grew into 36. We don't sell tours, we don't take bookings, we don't take affiliate commissions. We make calculators.
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Disclaimer
For reference only. Metro rules and prices change; verify at the ticket window, on the metro.gov.eg site, or with the National Authority for Tunnels. We are not a legal advisor and this is not a substitute for current Egyptian law on public transport. No warranty is made that any calculation is correct for your specific trip.