Cairo is chaotic and unforgettable: the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili bazaar, Coptic churches and felucca rides on the Nile. Visit October to April.
Good to know
- Hire a licensed guide and driver for the pyramids and avoid touts at the gates.
- Get Egypt e-visa or visa on arrival; cash in small bills for tips.
- Drink only bottled water and eat at busy restaurants.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
The last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World; go at opening to beat heat and crowds.
Vast new museum with the complete Tutankhamun collection and a pyramid view.
Nightly narrated show with lights on the pyramids.
Medieval market of lamps, spices and silver with atmospheric coffee houses.
Hilltop green space with views of the Citadel and old city.
Egypt's national dish of lentils, rice, pasta and spicy tomato sauce.
Century-old museum of antiquities in a pink neoclassical hall.
Hilltop fortress with a city panorama and an alabaster mosque.
Hanging Church, ancient synagogue and Roman-era Babylon fortress.
Sail in a traditional wooden boat at sunset with tea or a light dinner.
Step Pyramid of Djoser and the Bent Pyramid, quieter than Giza.
Oldest mosque in Cairo with a spiral minaret and vast courtyard.