Sightseeing in Cairo

Sightseeing in Cairo is built from four blocks, and a day holds two of them. The first is the pyramids: the Giza plateau, which sits in most Cairo listings, and the line running south of it. That line starts at Memphis, where a fallen limestone Ramesses II lies under a roof of its own, passes Saqqara, about 30 km out, and ends at Dahshur, whose Bent Pyramid reopened to visitors in 2019 after decades shut. The second is the medieval city: the Citadel, begun by Saladin in 1176 and the seat of government for nearly seven centuries, then Sultan Hassan, Khan el-Khalili and Coptic Cairo. The third is the museums. The fourth is leaving town.

Cairo sightseeing tours are mostly private: a car, a guide and a hotel pick-up. The plateau alone takes four to five hours and is often sold with a camel or quad ride and lunch on a rooftop facing the pyramids. Add the Grand Egyptian Museum and the day stretches to eight hours; add Saqqara and Memphis and it runs seven to eight. The Citadel, Coptic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili fill about six. A felucca on the Nile or a drive downtown in a convertible are the short extras. Out of town, Alexandria takes about ten hours, Fayoum with the Valley of the Whales nine to twelve, and Luxor needs a flight and a very long day.

Practical. Cairo's January days average 19C with nights near 10C; July days reach 35C and the plateau has no shade, so the pyramids belong at opening and the museum in the afternoon. The Grand Egyptian Museum admits visitors by booked time slot, so fix that slot first and build the day around it. Two blocks is a full day in this traffic; three is a forced march. The price per person falls as the car fills, and a solo traveller pays the most. Entrance fees are inside some listings and extra in others, and tips for guide and driver are not included.