What to See in a Day in Cairo

What if you’re on a business trip to Cairo or just passing through the city for a day? Even if you have one free day on your hands, don’t waste it in this fascinating country. Go out there, see the sights, eat some traditional Egyptian food and have an unforgettable experience!

There’s quite a lot you can do with your day in Cairo and my blog today will cater to the many different types of travellers one comes across in this world: the history lover, the music lover, the architecture enthusiast, the one who likes a bit of everything.

The Great Pyramids of Giza are of course a must on every person’s list and rightly so! Believe me when I say I got goosebumps the first time I stood in front of the Pyramids. All the history books from my schooldays came alive and I was filled with awe at the sheer perfection of this magnificent structure. That’s when I had second thoughts about completely dismissing the conspiracy theory I’d heard of earlier: that the aliens actually built the Pyramids! Jokes aside, how did humans build such a monument more than 4500 years ago with such precision and took care to align them with the magnetic North Pole and other celestial bodies?

Reaching for the skies!

The Pyramids are open to visitors from 8 A.M. onward, so the earlier you’re there the better. The entrance fee is 80 Egyptian pounds(LE) for foreigners, roughly $5 and if you want to go inside any of the Pyramids you have to pay an additional amount: 200 LE for the Great Pyramid of Khufu and 40 LE each for the 2nd or 3rd Pyramid. The moment you enter the Pyramid complex you may be hassled by the guides present there. In my opinion, it’s best to avoid them and take a tour by yourself (do some reading up on the history beforehand) or arrange for your own guide. For those who’d like to, there are camel rides available within the Pyramid complex close to the Great Pyramid. Their standard rate is 50 LE for half an hour but if you choose to hire the ride from anywhere else near the Pyramids, they will try to fleece you, so beware!

For those deeply interested in history, you could finish your tour of the Pyramids by 11 A.M. or so (assuming you were there at 8) and then head to the Egyptian museum. The museum is a treasure trove of artifacts from Egypt’s glorious past. For more details on the museum you could read one of my previous blogs on the subject : Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. You need at least 3-4 hours to have a reasonably good tour of the museum(it is immense!). They don’t allow visitors to enter beyond 4 P.M. and it remains open till 7, except on Sundays and Thursdays when the museum is open till 9. The entrance fee is 75 LE on normal days and 120 LE on Sundays and Thursdays. The Mummy Room has a separate fee of 100 LE. You have to buy a separate ticket of 50 LE for photography (Note:no photography allowed in the Mummy Room).

To admire Islamic architecture, you could head straight to the Cairo Citadel and Islamic Cairo from the Pyramids. The Citadel is a medieval fortification built by the legendary Salah al-Din between 1176 to 1183 AD to protect the city from the Crusaders. The citadel also hosts the Muhammad Ali mosque also called the Alabaster mosque which was built in the 1800s and is now the chief attraction at the Citadel. The inside of the mosque is beautifully lit with hundreds of lamps. The mosque is the highest point of the Citadel and you can get a panoramic view of Cairo from here. Entrance into the Citadel costs 60 LE.

From the Citadel, proceed to Bab el Futuh which stands at the northern end of the historic Al Muizz Street. The word ‘Bab’ means ‘gate’ in Arabic and Bab el Futuh literally translates to ‘Conquest Gate’. It is one of the three remaining gates of the old city of Cairo also called Islamic Cairo or Old Cairo. Muizz Street is a long, winding, cobble-stoned road approximately one kilometre long (feels much longer) that has an incredible number of medieval Islamic structures. If you enter at the northern end, you will first come across the Al-Hakim Mosque which I personally find one of the most peaceful places in Cairo. You can just sit there and do nothing but soak in the serenity! If you happen to be there on a quiet afternoon, you will usually find little kids playing in the distance, a few families spending some quiet time together, perhaps a girl in the corner reading her Qur’an or a schoolboy finishing up his homework.

Al-Hakim Mosque

Al-Hakim Mosque

Al Muizz street is lined with many beautiful mosques, shops selling knick-knacks and of course food; you could grab some delicious shawarma on your way. The other end of the street opens up onto the Spice Market and Khan el-Khalili which is the go-to place to buy souvenirs from Egypt. There are many interesting shops in Khan el-Khalili, although I usually always go to a store called Jordi as they have very reasonable and fixed prices. Taking a tour of Old Cairo during Ramadan is again a different kind of experience which you can read about here: Ramadan in Egypt-A walk through Old Cairo.

If you’re musically inclined and happen to be in Old Cairo on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday, do NOT miss the Tanoura show that takes place at Wekalet el-Ghouri Arts Center at 7.30 P.M. It’s usually a full house so be there early enough to get a seat. The entrance fee is 30 LE. It’s right next to Khan el-Khalili and if you ask around, someone will give you directions. It is an incredible show, especially the first half which includes mainly percussion and music. The second half introduces the whirling Dervishes which is also a spectacular sight!

Sufi music

Whirling Dervish

 

It’ll be an exhausting day but completely worth your while! You will come away feeling satiated with all the different experiences and take back fond memories of this wonderful city of Cairo.