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Cairo swims best from June to August, the three months our list marks as the best for a rooftop pool. Of the four rooftop pools here, only one sells day passes. One is guests only, and two hotels don't publish who can use theirs.
Our first pick is Fairmont Nile City: the Sky Pool is on the 25th floor, the highest on our list that publishes its floor, and day passes are sold on cairo360.com. The Baron Hotel's SKY 80 is the easier one to plan around, with posted hours of 8am to sunset daily and a pool on the 8th floor.
25th-floor Sky Pool, day passes, swimming all year
Boulaq Num.1, 5-star hotel, rated 4.7 on Google (26,082 reviews)
Sample photo, not Fairmont Nile City. Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose from Montreal, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
25thfloor pool
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Not published
Season
Year-round swimming, according to the hotel
Why it's here. Book here if you want the highest pool on our list that publishes its floor, and a way in without a room. The Sky Pool is on the 25th floor, and day passes are sold on cairo360.com.
The Sky Pool sits on the SK level, the 25th floor, directly above the 24th-floor spa in Nile City Towers on the Nile Corniche. The hotel describes city lights and panoramic views below. The catch is shade: a taller neighboring building shadows the pool from about 5pm.
Best forVisitors who want a 25th-floor pool and aren't staying the night.
Skip it ifYou want a sunset swim, since the pool falls into shadow from about 5pm.
5-star hotel, rated 4.7 on Google (12,751 reviews)
Sample photo, not Kempinski Nile. PattayaPatrol, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Stay here for a rooftop pool with a bar beside it. Swimming is limited to in-house guests, until sunset, so the pool suits overnight visitors and no one else.
The pool is open-air on the roof, with views of the Nile and the Cairo skyline. It measures 10 m by 5 m and is 1.4 m deep. Sun loungers ring it, and the Rooftop Bar serves light meals, snacks, cocktails and wines by the water. The hotel doesn't publish the floor or opening hours.
Best forOvernight guests who want a Nile-view pool and a rooftop bar in one spot.
Skip it ifYou're not staying, since no non-guest access is stated.
Small rooftop pool with Nile views and a lifeguard
Qasr Ad Dobarah, 5-star hotel, rated 4.8 on Google (58,890 reviews)
Sample photo, not InterContinental Semiramis. Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. A fit for guests who want a staffed pool with Nile views, since a lifeguard is on duty. It is small at 26 square meters, and neither the floor nor the access rules are published.
The outdoor free-form pool sits on the hotel's roof on the Nile Corniche, with Nile views from the water. It measures 26 square meters. The floor isn't stated, and the Semiramis Spa and Fitness Centre overlooks it.
Best forGuests who want a lifeguarded pool and poolside snacks near the Nile.
Skip it ifYou want to swim laps or need confirmed non-guest access.
Published daily hours and Baron Empain Palace views
El-Montaza, 4-star hotel, rated 4.2 on Google (4,470 reviews)
Sample photo, not Baron Hotel. Jordiferrer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
8thfloor pool
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Choose SKY 80 for a rooftop pool with posted hours and a view of the Baron Empain Palace. It is open daily from 8am to sunset, but access rules aren't published.
The SKY 80 Pool Deck Lounge is on the 7th and 8th floors, atop the hotel in El-Montaza, Heliopolis. A long rectangular pool sits in the center of the rooftop, with sun loungers around it and city views plus the Baron Empain Palace. The SKY 80 rooftop bar is on the same two floors.
Best forStays built around a long rooftop pool with hours posted from 8am to sunset.
Skip it ifYou need confirmed non-guest access or a Nile view.
June to August is the best window for a rooftop swim in Cairo. If you want the pool to yourself on a hot day, book a room at Kempinski Nile or the Baron Hotel, where swimming runs until sunset.
Winter is cooler but not cold: average highs are 24.9°C in November, 20.5°C in December and 18.9°C in January. Pool heating is published by no hotel here. Fairmont Nile City describes its Sky Pool as a swim-all-year pool, so it is the one to check first for a winter visit. We have no event dates for Cairo, so check hotel availability before you fix your trip.
Average daily highs: November 25°C (77°F), December 21°C (69°F), January 19°C (66°F). The warmest stretch for swimming is Jun–Aug.
Hotels you might expect here, and why they're not
Several hotels people expect to find here left the list because their pools sit in gardens, on the second floor, indoors or nowhere at all.
The St. Regis Cairo. Sources place the pools in the complex centre (indoor and outdoor), not on a roof or top-floor terrace. No source mentions a rooftop pool.
Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir Cairo. The hotel's own pages place the outdoor pool and pool bar on the second floor, not on the roof or a top-floor terrace.
Marriott Mena House, Cairo. No source places the pool on the roof. Two independent sources (A-HOTEL.com and a TripAdvisor review snippet) put it in the gardens or back of the garden wing. The pool bar and Pyramids-view mentions do not indicate a rooftop.
Mazeej Balad. No source mentions a swimming pool. The hotel's site and CN Traveller describe only a rooftop restaurant or bar, which the rules classify as not-rooftop.
Royal Marshal Hotel. The hotel's own site describes an indoor swimming pool, not a rooftop pool. The only roof-pool claim is one guest comment on the homepage block, which conflicts with the hotel's own description, so the hotel's site prevails.
City View Hotel. No source mentions a swimming pool at City View Hotel, Cairo. The Expedia snippet lists a terrace, not a pool, and the rooftop-pool lists name other hotels.
Cairo rooftop pools: questions people ask
Can you swim at a Cairo rooftop pool without staying at the hotel?
One hotel allows it: Fairmont Nile City sells day passes for its 25th-floor Sky Pool, on cairo360.com. Kempinski Nile limits swimming to in-house guests. InterContinental Semiramis and the Baron Hotel don't publish their access policy, so contact the hotel before you go.
Are any Cairo rooftop pools heated or open in winter?
No hotel on our list publishes pool heating. Fairmont Nile City describes the Sky Pool as open for swimming all year. Average highs are 20.5°C in December and 18.9°C in January, so confirm conditions with the hotel.
Which Cairo hotel has the highest rooftop pool?
Fairmont Nile City, on the 25th floor. The Baron Hotel's SKY 80 is on the 8th floor. The other two hotels don't publish a floor.
What does a Cairo rooftop pool day pass cost?
The price isn't shown. Fairmont Nile City sells day passes on cairo360.com, but the listing doesn't show a price in E£. No other hotel on our list sells passes.
What are the swim hours at Cairo rooftop pools?
The Baron Hotel's SKY 80 is open daily from 8am to sunset. Kempinski Nile allows guest swimming until sunset. Fairmont Nile City and InterContinental Semiramis don't publish hours here.
