Cairo International CAI
Three terminals, one long wait, plenty of tea.
Yes. The airport operates around the clock and Terminal 3 stays open with seating, some food and lounges. It is functional rather than comfortable, and the terminals are separate buildings.
Good to know
The three terminals are separate buildings; there is no continuous airside connection between all of them.
Confirm your departure terminal early and transfer while the inter-terminal services are running normally.
Decline unofficial offers of help with bags or transport and deal only with staff at official counters.
Expect activity to cluster around the late-night and pre-dawn departure banks, with a quieter stretch in between.
What to do here overnight
The moves that actually pay off between midnight and dawn.
Sleepability score
Airside vs landside
Cairo's three terminals are separate buildings connected landside by a shuttle bus and an automated people mover, with no continuous airside link between all of them. Terminal 3 handles the national carrier and most Star Alliance traffic and is by far the best equipped; Terminals 1 and 2 are older and more basic. Airside transit is possible for international-to-international connections without an Egyptian visa, and staying airside is the more comfortable choice overnight. Once you clear immigration you are landside and must be re-screened, and inter-terminal transfers eat more time than the distances suggest.
Where to sleep
Terminal 3's airside departures area is the answer if you have any choice in the matter — it has the most seating, the best lighting and the most staff presence. Seating is largely armrest-style, so genuine lying down usually means the paid options. The pay-per-use lounges give you a recliner and a shower for a fraction of a hotel rate, and there are hotels connected to or immediately beside the airport complex for a longer overnight. Landside halls stay open but are loud and busy with meeters and greeters at all hours.
Lounges, scored for sleeping
Cairo's lounges are mostly pay-per-use or card-access operations concentrated in Terminal 3, which works in your favour if you are flying economy — walk-up entry with a shower and a recliner is realistic and cheap relative to the alternatives. None run continuously through the night, so treat lounge time as the good part of your overnight rather than the whole of it.
The home-carrier lounge with showers and quiet seating; hours follow EgyptAir's departure banks.
Pay-per-use and Priority Pass access; a marked step up from Terminal 2's public seating.
Walk-up access with recliners and a shower — the practical option for economy passengers on a long connection.
Basic and small; buys a quieter seat rather than a real rest, and does not cover the whole night.
24-hour services
A handful of cafés and quick-service counters keep going through the night in Terminal 3, oriented around the late and pre-dawn departure banks; the other terminals thin out further. Tea and coffee are reliably available and reliably good. Buy water and something substantial before the quiet stretch rather than during it.
By terminal
The oldest terminal, serving mostly regional and charter traffic; open but basic, with few overnight services.
Renovated and serviceable, handling a mix of international carriers; workable overnight but thinner on facilities than Terminal 3.
The main terminal for EgyptAir and Star Alliance and the best overnight base — most seating, most food, most lounges.
Night transport
There is a metro extension serving the airport area but it does not run through the night, so overnight ground transport means a taxi or ride-hailing app. Agree the fare or use the app price rather than negotiating on the street, and use the official rank inside the terminal. The drive into central Cairo is long by day and much faster at night; for a short overnight connection, staying at the airport is the simpler choice.
Safety & solo travelers
The airport has a substantial security presence and the terminals are monitored throughout the night; personal safety inside is not a significant concern. What travelers most often run into are persistent offers of unofficial help with bags, transport or paperwork, sometimes expecting a tip. Politely decline, deal only with staff at official counters, and keep your bags secured to you while you sleep. Keep your passport on your person rather than in a bag.
Family & accessibility
Facilities for families are limited and concentrated in Terminal 3, which has nursing rooms and family restrooms. There is no play area worth planning around, and seating fills during the overnight banks. With small children a room at one of the adjacent airport hotels is the more realistic plan than a night in the concourse.
Common questions
Can you sleep in Cairo airport overnight?
Yes. The airport operates around the clock and passengers regularly wait out the night, most comfortably in Terminal 3. There is no dedicated rest area and most seating has armrests, so expect to sleep sitting up unless you buy lounge access or a hotel room.
Is Cairo International Airport open 24 hours?
Yes. Cairo runs a real overnight schedule with late-night and pre-dawn departure banks, so the terminals stay open and staffed. Concession hours vary by terminal, with Terminal 3 keeping the most open through the night.
Do I need a visa for a layover in Cairo?
If you are connecting between two international flights and stay airside, you normally do not need an Egyptian visa. Leaving the airport requires entry permission, and the rules depend on your nationality, so check the requirements before you travel rather than at the counter.
How do I get between terminals at Cairo airport?
The three terminals are separate buildings linked landside by a shuttle bus and an automated people mover. There is no continuous airside connection between all of them, so a terminal change means exiting and re-screening. Allow considerably more time than the distances suggest.
Is Cairo airport safe at night?
There is a substantial security presence and the terminals are monitored, so personal safety inside is not a significant concern. The common annoyance is persistent unofficial offers of help with bags, transport or paperwork. Decline politely, use official counters only, keep your passport on you and secure your bags while you sleep.
Where can I shower at Cairo airport?
Showers are inside the lounges rather than in public facilities, and walk-up lounge access is available without a premium ticket. If the lounge hours do not fit your connection, a day-use room at one of the adjacent airport hotels is the alternative.
Conditions change with construction and security policy. Always confirm time-sensitive details before you rely on them.