11 Best Shopping in Cairo, Egypt

Founded by its namesake herbalist in 1939, this fantastic family-owned spice shop is one of Cairo's most renowned, with a wide selection of medicinal herbs, traditional beauty aids, essential oils, and cosmetics, mixed in with a few curiosities. The shop is about 0.2 miles (450 meters) from Bab Zuweila, and although its sign isn't in English, you should be able to find it—just look for the stuffed gazelle in the front window.

Stop by Cairo's last remaining bookbinding company, in business since 1936, for beautiful, leather-bound and gilt-decorated diaries, sketchbooks, and photo albums. All the items here are hand-crafted using skills that are rare in the 21st century.

A bib necklace inspired by a maqarnas (an intricate Islamic vaulted ceiling), a lotus cuff bracelet, or a pair of Eye of Horus earrings would make a wonderfully authentic, if pricey, Egyptian souvenir. Azza Fahmy’s statement jewelry, appropriate for both everyday wear and special occasions, has achieved worldwide recognition for its nature- and motif-inspired designs that are sometimes adorned with coral, garnet, lapis lazuli, or other semiprecious or precious stones. In addition to this Giza location, she has a store in the Four Seasons, with outlets elsewhere in Egypt as well as in Dubai, Amman, London, and Washington D.C.

The whimsical, thoughtfully curated accessories and home decor at this concept store celebrate Egypt's long history—from the ancient to the old to the contemporary. You might find Egypt’s signature old quarter incorporated into coasters (or rather, "coinsters," as they're called here) or a pouch shaped like a piece of aish baladi (Egyptian flatbread).

It's hard not to be impressed by the colorful, floor-to-ceiling displays of carpets at this store, which was founded in 1870 by a young Syrian immigrant who originally set up shop in Cairo's famous market, Khan el-Khalili. Run by the fifth generation of the same family, it's now one of the city's oldest carpet manufacturers, with a wide collection of silk, Persian Heriz, Azerbaijani Shirvan, and modern designs, as well as custom-made carpets, kilims, and tapestries. If you have the time, book the shop's two-hour tour (pick-up and drop-off service from/to anywhere in Cairo can be arranged), which walks you through the history of carpets and enables you to see craftsmen expertly weaving carpets by hand.

With the goal of promoting Egyptian craftsmanship, this boutique offers more than 1,000 products, from leather goods to home accessories, that make fantastic souvenirs. It’s the first fair trade–certified organization in Egypt, and it works with more than 2,000 artisans across the country.

At this great medieval souk, surrounded by a maze of winding streets and alleys, the air is perfumed with incense, and shopping is a chaotic but thoroughly authentic experience. Everyone, visitors and Cairenes alike, comes here to hunt for traditional items: carpets, gold, silver, clothing, spices, perfumes, waterpipes, jewelry, handicrafts, books, pottery, blown glass, leather, papyrus, pharaonic replicas—you name it.  And no one ever buys anything at first price; bargaining is the modus operandi here.

The Khan and its surrounding streets also have lots of places to eat. Look for grilled-meat restaurants on the corner of Maydan al-Husayn and Shar'a Muski and places that specialize in fiteer, Egyptian pancakes filled with everything from feta cheese to raisins, between Shar'a Muski and Shar'a al-Azhar.

It's always best to pay using cash, as credit-card purchases can incur a 3% to 6% service charge (ask before handing over your plastic). And if you run out of Egyptian pounds, the Khan has plenty of ATMs. Note that most shops are closed on Sunday and before and/or during Friday prayers (the hour around noon or 1 pm).

The Swiss expat who founded this store in the 1950s originally stocked it with used books he gathered from Europeans leaving Egypt. Subsequent owners have continued to maintain a good inventory of books in French and English as well as Arabic. It also sells prints, lithographs, and antique maps and postcards.

In the early 20th century, travel writers and photographers Rudolf Franz Lehnert and Ernst Heinrich Landrock explored North Africa, documenting scenes from Bedouin life, before making their way to and settling in Cairo, opening this bookshop in 1924. It's a wonderful place to browse: typewriters, cameras, telephones, and other vintage items are neatly organized within glass cases; the walls are hung with the duo's black-and-white photos; and the shelves are stocked with an international selection of books, many of them on Egypt's history.

Although it's tucked away on a side street and has no sign, it's worth making the effort to find this rustic shop that's full to bursting with handcrafted ceramics. It feels like it's from another era—in all the best ways. Its owner is pleasant and helpful but gives you the space to explore the vast selection of unique and colorful items on your own, browsing as long as it takes to find the perfect piece.

This gallery is on the tree-lined Shar'a Champollion (the street named after the Frenchman who broke the hieroglyphic code), and it's one of Cairo's best contemporary art galleries. The space itself is not much to look at, but the quality of work is sometimes exceptional. Be on the lookout for exhibitions by Adel al-Siwi, Mohamed Abla, Rehab al-Sadek, Hamdi Atteya, or Awad al-Shimy.