CAIRO - 3 day city guide! (FREE)
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
💰Currency: EGP (Egyptian Pound)
You can pay for most things in Cairo with card, but you will need some small cash for tipping, since it is a really important part of culture in Egypt
🚌Getting around
Cairo has a pretty good metro system, but most people do choose to use Uber, Bolt or another app called Careem for getting around. Careem is a local app but can be useful as you can pay in cash. Traffic in Cairo can be really bad, but it's quietest in the mornings, so try and start as early as you can if you have a lot to see.
👨🏭Guides
Egypt in general is best enjoyed (in our opinion!) with a local guide. We used a local guide called Rami for much of our trip and he can be contacted here. He was, without a doubt, the best guide we’ve ever had. He approaches things with a really local style and we learned so much about Egypt through him.
📶Connectivity
You can easily get a sim card at Cairo airport with a lot of data for a very reasonable price. Just be careful that every app is included, sometimes this data does not include apps like social media
If you're a little nervous before visiting Egypt, we hope these two blog posts will be really helpful for you:
WEATHER IN CAIRO
The weather in Cairo is usually pretty hot! From April to October, you'll have pretty high temperatures, but outside of that it can get chilly, especially in the evenings, so pack a pullover to keep you warm.
WHERE TO STAY
Choose from downtown Cairo for the main attractions of the city (Islamic Cairo, the Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo and the Nile) or go with Giza for the Sphinx and Pyramids! Or a mix of both as we suggest 😍
Downtown Cairo
Downtown Cairo is a good base to explore the city. Here you’ll find the Egyptian Museum, the Cairo Tower and the Nile. It’s the closest area to Islamic Cairo you can stay in, since there are almost no hotels in Islamic Cairo itself.
💲BUDGET OPTION
This is basic but well-located, clean and comfortable. The hosts are very sweet and do a lovely breakfast with Turkish coffee in the mornings.
💲💲MIDRANGE
This is a nice hotel overlooking the Egyptian Museum, which is a very central spot in town.
💲💲💲LUXURY
The St Regis never disappoints. This one has stunning views over the Nile and is iconic in Cairo.
Giza
Like we said in our introduction, it’s worth spending a night in Giza at least at the end - two if you can spare it. This way, you can experience the Pyramids early morning (when they are quietest), BUT you can also experience the light show at night. The best of both worlds!
💲BUDGET
We would recommend to contact Rami at Rami’s Insight Tours (the link is below). He has an excellently-priced guesthouse, which is Pyramid View.
💲💲MIDRANGE
The Comfort Inn has great views of the Pyramids and really well-reviewed.
💲💲💲LUXURY
This is such a beautiful hotel with gorgeous views of the Pyramids.
Day 1 - Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian museum
Start your day around 8am with a hearty breakfast at your hotel (whichever hotel you choose!), then set off to Muhammad Ali Mosque, one of the most iconic buildings in Cairo. From here you can see views all over the city. Make sure to wear long trousers, cover your shoulders and easy-to-remove shoes.
🚗It's important to set off early, as the traffic in Cairo can make this journey very long otherwise.
✨Note: it's considered polite to tip the mosque attendants who guard the shoes a small tip (backsheesh) for their work. ✨
After lunch, you can head to the Egyptian Museum.
This is a good 3 hour+ visit, so make sure you go hydrated and ready to walk around, and get a map from the information desk.
Written information is limited, so if you prefer to know more about each exhibit, you can book a guide here. This tour also includes pick up and drop off.
Day 2 - Islamic Cairo and the NMEC
Start your day after breakfast with a coffee and some people-watching at El Fishawy cafe in Islamic Cairo, followed by a self-guided or guided tour of some beautiful mosques.
We recommend visiting Al Azhar, Ibn Tulum, Amr ibn Al As and Sultan Hassan. The mosques are beautiful but you might want a guide to explain each of them to you.
If so, you can book this tour, which will even give you time for shopping in Khan El Khalili afterwards.
The quirky Oldish cafe is great for lunch. It's only a 10 minute drive or metro away from Islamic Cairo.
This museum is smaller than the Egyptian Museum and can be enjoyed at a much slower pace, so take your time and see the fabulously preserved mummies and read their stories.
We'd suggest a stay in Giza tonight so you can enjoy the Pyramids to their fullest!
Day 3 - the Pyramids and Coptic Cairo
An early start takes you to the Pyramids for 7am, so you can get in nice and early and get some people-free photos.
The entire complex will probably take you a couple of hours, including the Sphinx and your guide can explain everything to you in detail.
We booked with Rami's Insight Tours and highly recommend using them too. The best guide we've ever had!
Your afternoon will be in Coptic Cairo, so have lunch in Old Cairo Restaurant and Cafe, and then take your pick of seeing the Hanging Church, the Coptic museum or the Cave Church.
We'd highly recommend fitting in the Cave Church if you can, as it's super interesting. In this tour, you can combine it with a trip to Manshiyat Naser, the so-called “Garbage City”.
There ends your three days in Cairo, but if you still have more time, check out this article on 10 awesome things to do!
If you loved this guide, please save it or refer it to a friend. We hope you have an amazing time in Cairo ♥
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