The Complete Travel Guide to Cairo, Egypt

It’s safe to say that visiting the Pyramids of Egypt is at the top of everyone’s bucket list. Heck, it’s the type of destination that bucket lists were invented around.

Like most kids I daydreamed about ancient Egypt in school, hoping to one day experience for myself the splendor of one of the greatest achievements in human history.

There’s just something about Egypt that is so exciting and mysterious, drawing in even the least enthusiastic of travel or history buffs. The pharaohs, the hieroglyphics, the mummies, the Sphinx… it’s all fascinating.

The Sphinx and the Great Pyramid at Giza

We visited Egypt this summer on our first trip to the Middle East, following a trip to Petra in Jordan. The locals say that tourism is down 70 percent since the Arab Spring, the revolution that swept across the Middle East in 2011. While the political effects only lasted in Egypt for a few months, tourism has never fully recovered.

So is now a good time to visit Egypt? And how do you go about planning your trip? Read ahead for my top tips and insights from our time in this beautiful country.

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What to See & Do in Cairo

The Pyramids at Giza & the Sphinx

     Up close at the Great Pyramid of Khufu

Want to go inside? You’ll need an additional ticket to enter the largest of the Giza pyramids… Or you can have a similarly interesting (and claustrophobic) experience at Saqqara (read on), but it’s included in your admission price.

     
A camel ride from the panoramic viewpoint at Giza, the Sphinx

Saqqara

     

The great step pyramid of Saqqara, mastaba interior with heiroglyphics,
and inside a sarcophagus at Saqqara… Mum’s the word?

Memphis

     The Colossal Statue of Ramses II at Memphis, Statue of a Pharoah

The Sound & Light Spectacular

Ancient Egypt comes alive at the Sound & Light Spectacular

The Egyptian Museum

While the majority of the pyramids and their contents were looted over the centuries, a fair amount of what’s left now resides at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, including many findings from King Tut’s Tomb.

While many of the treasures found in the pyramids can also be found in the Louvre and the British Museum, the Egyptian Museum can be a worthwhile stop if you have the time.

The current museum is in the heart of Cairo, but the construction of a new $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum is currently underway in Giza and is set to open in early 2019.

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When to go to Cairo

High season is when you’d expect for the desert – December through March, when the temperatures are cooler and more tolerable.

However, the adventurous traveler looking to avoid crowds and pricey hotel room rates can still have an amazing experience visiting in the summer.

We traveled to Egypt at the end of July, and while it was of course very hot, it was well worth it to have our pick of tour guides, room upgrades and many sites all to ourselves.

Give yourself at least two nights to get the full experience.

Empty Saqqara in July

Traveling to Cairo

Arrival in Egypt is quite an endeavor in itself. Even for avid travelers, brace yourself for the chaos that is bound to ensue.

Direct flights from the United States run from JFK to Cairo, or you can head to Europe and catch a connecting flight through a hub city like London or Athens.

Visas

A visa is required for entry into Egypt and can be acquired at the airport upon arrival, but it’s not as simple as just waiting in line at the passport desk (we tried, unsuccessfully).

Visas are sold from the currency agencies that line the customs area before you reach passport control, and unless your Arabic is sharp you’ll be hard pressed to find a sign that indicates as much.

Be sure to carry enough cash to cover your visa fee equivalent to $25 USD. For extra fun and excitement, you cannot pay for your visa in Egyptian pounds (LE), but must use any other form of currency. Beware the nearby ATM only issues Egyptian pounds… Makes sense, right?

Pro tip: Learn from our mistakes and bypass the visa confusion all together by purchasing your Egypt e-visa prior to your arrival in the country.

    Camels at Giza, the entry visa to Egypt

The Meet & Assist

The anecdote to a smooth arrival in Cairo is utilizing a “meet and assist” service, an option many transportation companies offer to walk you through the visa and customs process.

For a small fee an airport representative will be waiting for you just outside of your gate with an identified sign, purchase the visa for you and even cut to the front of the long customs line.

They’ll also deflect the unwanted solicitors that are bound to approach you on your way out of the airport, offering a cornucopia of services or even claiming to be the driver to take you to your hotel.

The meet and assist representative will cut through the chaos and make the arrival process much less stressful. Coming from someone who prides herself in avoiding touristy hand-holding whenever possible, the service was surprisingly worthwhile.

Transportation in Cairo

While we’re normally all about using budget-friendly public transportation options, Cairo isn’t the place. Plan ahead and utilize your hotel to coordinate a shuttle or car-service.

If you’re feeling adventurous and can’t stomach paying for a car service, Uber in Cairo is also a safe and readily available option. In fact, we took one from our hotel in Giza back to the Cairo airport and experienced a smooth and affordable ride. I would recommend springing for the “black car” option, which was what we’d consider a normal Uber vehicle at home.

My advice: For your airport pick-up, arrange a car in advance through your hotel and tack on the meet and assist. The ease and peace of mind it will provide will be well worth it.

Where to Stay in Cairo

The Marriott Mena House at Giza

     
Views from the terrace restaurant, the lobby and the lobby bar at the Marriott Mena House

     
Views of the Giza Pyramids from a fourth floor room and lobby bar

Safety in Cairo

Okay, all of this sounds awesome. But is now a good time to visit Egypt, and is it even safe? We’ve received these questions many times since our visit, and the answers are yes, and yes.

We spent almost one week in Egypt and never once felt unsafe, and we were repeatedly shown kindness by most everyone that we interacted with.

We took comfort in utilizing the resources that our hotel offered for tours, meals and transportation, but now being on the other side of the trip I’d say we would have been okay venturing off without them as well.

Be sure to always check the State Department’s warnings before traveling and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to register with the local embassy in case of an emergency.

For more on the U.S. travel warning system and the STEP Program click here.

As of this writing Egypt is considered a Level 2, the same warning level as many countries in the Europe and the Caribbean. If you use common sense, be respectful and avoid the restricted areas, you’re good to go.

What to Wear in Egypt

Egypt is a Muslim country, and a fairly conservative one at that. Ladies, you’re going to want to cover up a bit.

Outside of your hotel you’ll likely feel most comfortable covering your shoulders and knees. However, we found that back at the hotel we saw women wearing everything from bikinis and jean shorts to the full-on niqab (only eyes in view).

For sightseeing days I’d recommend a lightweight cotton dress or skirt with a shirt with a wide-brimmed sunhat for shade. Sneakers are always my go-to recommendation for footwear, given that you’ll be doing a lot of walking and will want a stable shoe for trekking through the desert sand.

Keeping in dress code

My rule of thumb is to err on the side of caution when it comes to dress – even wearing the most conservative of Western attire you’re bound to receive extra attention at some point. That being said, I never felt unsafe or was harassed throughout our trip.

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Traveling from Cairo

Cairo is just the tip of the iceberg of the amazing adventures that Egypt has to offer – use it as a jumping off point for exploring the rest of the country.

After experiencing Cairo, catch a quick 40 minute flight south to the ancient city of Luxor. Here you’ll find the massive temples of Karnak and Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut… Don’t miss King Tutankhamun’s tomb, complete with Tut’s actual mummy and one of the beautiful, gold-plated sarcophagi.

Want more on Luxor? Check out my 7 Things to See & Do in Luxor, Egypt here.

     
Columns for days at Karnak Temple and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Luxor

Spend two nights in Luxor then hop on a Nile River cruise to Aswan to see the Unfinished Obelisk, the Temple of Philae and the Nubian village. Though we didn’t personally make it to Aswan, literally every local who we spoke with recommended the Nile cruise from Luxor to to Aswan and insisted we come back to experience it.

Egypt is also a great jumping off point to visiting another country in the area like Israel or Jordan. Since you’ve come this far, adding on one of those countries to your Middle East itinerary can be a great way to maximize your holiday.

Sunset at the Sphinx and Giza Pyramids

Experiencing the majestic beauty of Egypt is a once in a lifetime experience. I hope that you’ve found this guide is useful to help make the dream of visiting a reality… or at the very least transported you along for the ride!

Cheers,

Meredith

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