Cairo & Giza itineraries

Pyramids and the GEM

Walk into the Giza desert at the 7 a.m. opening, circle all three pyramids, then spend the afternoon with Tutankhamun at the Grand Egyptian Museum next door. A felucca on the Nile at sunset, a bowl of koshary for dinner.

A Night on Tahrir

Base yourself on Tahrir Square and the museum, the metro and the Nile bridges are all on foot. Day one walks Islamic Cairo from the Citadel to Khan el-Khalili and ends with the whirling dervishes; day two is the pyramids, the Tahrir museum and Cairo Tower at sunset.

Two Nights in Zamalek

Zamalek, the island in the Nile, is about the only neighbourhood you can stroll at night. Day one is Coptic Cairo and the royal mummies, then Ibn Tulun to a sunset in Al-Azhar Park. Day two hires a car for seven pyramids across Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur. Day three is the GEM, a palace on Roda island and Cairo Tower at dusk.

Festivals & seasons

Souvenirs