Things To Do In Cairo, Egypt
Last year we visited Egypt, just after covid restrictions when the countries started to reopen for travel. Now it seems a bit surrealistic the image of empty airports that we observed, completely empty ticket windows to see the Pyramids and being able to get inside them without standing any line. In today’s post I want to share some highlights of our trip and I hope that these tips will be useful for you to plan your trip to Egypt.
Cairo is a stunning city of contrasts, palaces, mosques, museums, pyramids… It is a place that combines different cultures. The atmosphere of Cairo cannot be expressed in words, it needs to be experienced. There is an expression: “He who has not been to Cairo has not been to Egypt.” And indeed it is! To see the life of Egypt from the inside, you must definitely visit its capital.
Our first nights we stayed in Radisson Blu hotel – great location and facilities at affordable price! There was a spectacular view from the room over the Nile river. In order to get threre from the airport, we rented a car, however, I don’t recommend you to drive in Cairo on your own, unless you are a very experience driver. Traffic rules almost don’t existent, and there is a big chance to end up in an accident.
Nearby the hotel we found lots of nice restaurants and cafes located on the embankment:
The food there is normally a fusion between various arabic dishes and European cuisine:
Inside the hotel there were some great places to eat as well, however in my opinion they put too much effort for them to look like an Oriental fairy tale, so it lacked a little bit of authenticity and true spirit of Cairo.
The interiors were a great inspiration:
Pyramids
The first thing we planned was a visit to famous Pyramids. Drive from our hotel took approximately 1 hour – that’s approximately what you will spend, if you stay in the center of Cairo.
At the head of the pyramids of Giza you will find their ancient guardian – the Sphinx. It is the largest monolithic sculpture. Its height reaches 20 meters and its length is 72 meters. In addition, it is also one of the most mysterious sculptures, because the secret of the Sphinx has not yet been fully solved. The Sphinx is a creature with a female head, the paws and body of a lion, the wings of an eagle and the tail of a bull.
Don’t miss the opportunity to get inside one of the pyramids. We were very lucky to do it with no other people around – you especially appreciate it when you crawl on a a narrow wooden ladder to get to the heart of the pyramid. A really memorable experience!
And of course making funny photos on the Pyramids background is also a must! The guides already know all the tricks so all what you need to do is to follow the instructions.
On the same day we also visited new Grand Egyptian Museum, where 22 mummies were transported earlier in the lavish, multimillion-dollar spectacle. Not only we were able to see the mummies, but also learn so much about Ancient Egyptian culture and traditions.
It is really fascinating to see how developed was their society and how many things were invented back then that we still use nowadays. Since we opened our jewelry shop in Marbella, I was really interested to see their dresses and jewels – what a great inspiration!
Sharm El Sheikh
Cairo is a very very busy city, if you are not used to it, you will get tired very easily from the abundance of people, noises, smells, impressions. If you have time, I recommend to combine it with several days outside the city. We took a trip to Sharm el Sheikh, where we stayed several days in one of the Red Sea resorts. If you like diving and snorkeling, this is one of the best places to be. In order to get to Sharm el Sheikh we rented a car, and it took approximately 6 hours through the desert to get to the destination. Despite the numerous security checks by the military, it was a very enjoyable and interesting trip. The quality of the road is very good, so it is a very relaxing and peaceful experience.
Although the house reef in our hotel was spectacular, we also decided to take a one day excursion to the famous Ras Mohammed National Park. During this trip we were able to swim in the pristine blue waters of Red Sea, snorkle along the beautiful coral reefs and observe lots of colorful fishes and turtles. And at the end of excursion – delicious lunch on the boat!
When we returned to Cairo, we still had a couple of days to enjoy its main tourist attractions.
Khan el-Khalili Bazaar
The main Cairo market is a very lively place, with a very unique, authentic atmosphere. The crooked narrow streets and arches of the Khan al-Khalili bazaar still remember the Middle Ages, when houses were built here for traders from the desert. Today it is an ideal place for those who need to bring souvenirs from Cairo. From local tinsmiths, shoemakers and tailors, you can buy a thing that was made before your eyes. And in the Khan al-Khalili bazaar there is a huge selection of inexpensive spices and sweets. Tastings and bargaining are welcome!
Old Cairo
The Old City of Cairo, or the Coptic Quarter, is a historically Christian place. Cairo was founded in 969, but people settled here much earlier. In this part of the city, you can still look at the ancient fortress of Babylon of Egypt, where the Copts hid during the time of religious persecution, and learn more about the history of these lands in the Coptic Museum.
Other interesting architectural sights of the Coptic Quarter are the Hanging Church (Holy Virgin Mary), the Church of Abu Serga, the Church of St. George with a grotto, where the Holy Family took refuge during the trip to Egypt, the former Greek monastery and the Ben-Ezra synagogue.
Have you been to Cairo? Did you like it? Looking forward to your comments!
