First Time Visit to Cairo
CAIRO | EGYPT
Cairo is a great first stop, in not only Egypt but Africa. Desert dunes and pyramids are what comes to mind when most people think of Cairo and Egypt, at least that was the way it was for me before I visited. As a major metropolitan area with around 10 million inhabitants, Cairo only somewhat fits that description. While it is home to the pyramids and there are desert dunes, there is also so much more to Cairo. Some travelers skip big cities when looking for adventure, but just because Cairo is a big city remember, Egypt is a developing country so visiting Cairo can still be an adventure in and of itself and enough to push some outside their comfort zone. I would definitely recommend at least spending a couple days in Cairo.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF CAIRO
Cairo was our first stop and what a great way to get introduced to Egypt. It is a huge, sprawling metropolis but despite that we still managed to cross off most of the items on our list in just the three days that we had in Cairo. From our hotel overlooking the Nile (Intercontinental Semiramis) at the beginning of the trip we were able to get our first glimpses of the pyramids, albeit from afar. We were excited get an up-close look at them but we saved that for the end of the trip when we returned to Cairo. We split up our time in Cairo between the beginning of our Egypt trip (Cairo) and the end (Giza) which worked well for us. However, if you can see all of Cairo, including Giza, before moving on, the chronology makes a little more sense.
Overall, Cairo itself felt safe but the “tipping” culture becomes overbearing quite quickly. Everyone on the street will expect some sort of tip, even if it is just a dollar, for anything that they do for you including letting you know where something is or showing you something that you didn’t even want to see. However, a firm no or more often, multiple firms no’s will do the trick. With that being said, we did tip folks that truly did help us with things. Cairo and Egypt as a whole is not a wealthy country and while you can find nicer areas, most of the city is pretty crowded, dirty and the buildings are in disrepair. For many travelers, this coupled with the culture difference can trigger some anxiety but I think that is what makes travel so rewarding - exploring places and experiencing cultures that are different from your own.
THINGS TO SEE IN CAIRO
One of the most important things that you can do while in Cairo is to visit the museums. It is at these museums that you will learn so much about the history of the Egyptian civilization and what you are going to see as you visit the archeological sites around Egypt. At the time of writing this, a new museum is in development and should be opened soon - Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). For now, the first museum should be The Egyptian Museum (Old Cairo Museum) as it is right in the heart of Cairo and houses the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities in the world. It covers the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom and the huge collection of King Tut artifacts. It will give you that base of knowledge that you need. I also suggest hiring a guide since none of the artifacts are really marked or have much information listed on them. Guides can be hired just after you purchase your tickets - I am sure one will find you and offer their services. I don’t remember what price we paid but we hired him for one hour to show us the highlights and then we continued exploring the museum on our own. It might be worth spending a little more for an extra hour. The other museum that you should visit while in Cairo is the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). While there are lots of artifacts from more recent Egyptian times, the most important thing to see here is the hall of the Royal Mummies. You might have seen the Pharaohs Golden Parade, well this is where they were headed. The NMEC is where you will get to come up close and personal with the most important mummies (18 kings and 4 queens) that have been found. Unfortunately, there are no photos allowed in the hall of Royal Mummies.
The Khan El-Khalili Market is a must-visit when in Cairo. It is an open-air bazaar or souq that dates back to the 14th century. It is a literally maze of small streets and alleys that contain an endless amount of souvenir shops. When visiting, make sure to bring your bargaining A-game because not only is it expected, it is part of the experience. I would suggest starting with offers of around 10% of the asking price. Anything that you are looking for, you can find in this market. While you are there, make sure to visit some of the old restaurants and coffee shops for a unique experience.
Another picturesque spot is the Citadel of Cairo (Citadel of Saladin), originally built in the 12th century. Inside the citadel there are four mosques, the most famous being the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, built in the 19th century in memory of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali's oldest son, who died in 1816. There are several museums within the walls of the citadel including the Egyptian Military Museum and the Police Museum.
When in Cairo, you have to spend some time exploring the Nile River which is the lifeline of the country. One of the best ways to do that is to hire a felucca for a sunset sail. Your captain will take you up and down the Nile, pointing out the landmarks and you can even add appetizers or some drinks. Another option is to set sail on one of the riverboats for a dinner cruise. We did so on Scarabee which was docked just outside of our hotel. The cruise includes a buffet dinner and then some Egyptian entertainment like a belly dance show and Tanoura (aka whirling dervish). Getting on the river, whether on the felucca or the dinner cruise, is very affordable and should not be missed.
THINGS TO SEE IN GIZA
While the Pyramids at Giza are the most famous pyramids in Egypt, the Step Pyramid of Djoser (Step Pyramid) at Saqqara is the oldest pyramid. It was built in the 27th century BC, over 4,700 years ago! On any trip to the area, you have to take the short drive to visit this first iteration of their pyramid design. On the day that we visited, there was virtually nobody else there. It felt as if we had the place to ourselves. At this site there are also several tombs of other non-royalty that you can enter and explore. The difference that you will find in these tombs are that the carvings and paintings represent everyday life and it is amazing to see that their way of life wasn’t much different than our own. Also in the vicinity of the Step Pyramid is the Bent Pyramid which starts going up at one angle and then reduces that angle to reduce the overall height of the finished pyramid.
One of, if not the most famous site in Egypt is the Pyramids at Giza. These structures are some of the most massive structures that you will see. A perfect itinerary would include the museums in Cairo, the Step Pyramid, the Pyramids at Giza and then the southern Egypt sites. This itinerary will keep you moving through history chronologically. I would suggest visiting the Pyramids at Giza early in the day to beat the desert heat. A ticket will get you into the complex to explore the outside of the pyramids but to enter them, you will need to purchase additional tickets. We opted to purchase a ticket to go inside the Great Pyramid. Before entering the pyramid, we took a walk around the site to learn about the history of the area and to take photos. As with all of the sites that you will visit in Egypt, I highly suggest going with a guide. They will be able to provide you with the history and context of site that you wouldn’t otherwise get on your own.
After taking our silly souvenir photos, we went inside the pyramid to start our accent to the burial chamber. The current entrance was not the official entrance but an entrance that was created by explorers trying to gain access to the inside. Luckily, they were able to connect to the passageways inside and so when you enter today, you walk a short distance through a jagged tunnel created by them before entering the Grand Gallery. The Grand Gallery inside the Great Pyramid is impressive in size and climbs steeply up the pyramid before coming to a couple places that you have to crawl through before it opens up, revealing the burial chamber. The burial chamber is a giant room with just what is left of the sarcophagus inside. While being inside the Great Pyramid of Giza was definitely worth it for me, there wasn’t much to see or explore inside so it may not be for everyone. But, how often are you there and at least now I can say that I have been inside. I will warn you that it is extremely hot and humid inside with essentially no air flow. As I mentioned, it may not be for everyone but I would surely give it a try if you find yourself there.
There are quite a few smaller pyramids on the plateau that we did not visit but we did continue on to explore the remaining two major pyramids, Pyramid of Khafre and Pyramid of Mankaure, from the outside. I would also recommend visiting the panoramic viewpoint which is where a great number of photos of the pyramids are taken. From there, you are able to get a shot of all three of them lined up. Be warned, as with all sites like these in Egypt, there are lots of locals that want to sell you something or ask for money. The panoramic viewpoint is also the spot where you can hop on a camel and take a ride out into the desert to take photos and get a different perspective of the pyramids.
The final site that you can visit while at the plateau is the Sphinx. This giant statue sits at the bottom of a causeway that leads down the plateau from the Pyramid of Khafre. It is funny to note that the Sphinx stares at a Pizza Hut all day that sits just in front of it. You would never know it from all the photos that are taken of it, looking back towards the pyramids. The entire plateau is an amazing archeological site and one that you would be disappointed if you missed on a trip to Giza and/or Cairo.
The Marriott Mena House is a popular spot for tourists that are visiting the Pyramids at Giza. The hotel sits at the base of the plateau and you can get a room that has a great view of the pyramids. It is worth noting that most folks believe that the pyramids sit in the middle of the desert but they, in fact, sit right on the edge of town. The Mena House also houses the first swimming pool in Egypt. Whatever you do while in Egypt, I hope that you enjoy this unique country and are able to appreciate the incredible history that they have to offer. Let me know if I missed any must-see spots that you know about.
