cairo

Wonderguide by

Hörður Ragnarsson

What to do in Cairo

I spent a week with my girlfriend in Egypt, visiting Cairo and Luxor. We visited during Ramadan which everyone thought we were crazy to do - but in our opinion it is the best time to visit. Fewer tourists, everything still open and we even got to descend alone into one of the Geiza pyramids!

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Good hotels

I recommend splitting your stay up into two parts when in Cairo and staying at both of these hotels.

Image - Panorama Pyramids Inn
Place
Panorama Pyramids Inn
Hörður:Make this your first stop. This might not be the fanciest of Hotels, but the view from the terrace is amazing. The service is exceptional.
Image - Hotel Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah
Place
Hotel Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah
Hörður:Perfectly placed in the middle of the Nile river, this is the Hotel to stay at to be in Cairo but also get a little peace and quiet.
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Points of interest

Image - The Great Pyramid of Giza
Place
The Great Pyramid of Giza
Hörður:A no-brainer for anyone visiting Cairo.
Image - Sound and Light Theater
Place
Sound and Light Theater
Hörður:In the night the Sphinx and the Geiza pyramids are flooded with a light show and music. Amazing to watch.
Image - Al Azhar Park
Place
Al Azhar Park
Hörður:Wander in the greenest area in Cairo. It's also quite elevated so on a good day you get an amazing view over Cairo and the pyramids.
Image - Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Place
Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Hörður:A beautiful Mosque with an amazing view over Cairo.
Image - Memphis
Place
Memphis
Hörður:I recommend visiting this place. You can find trips from Cairo with private guides for a good price.
Image - Khan el-Khalili
Place
Khan el-Khalili
Hörður:A buzzling market, perfect opertunity to master the skill of haggling
Image - Egyptian Museum Cairo
Place
Egyptian Museum Cairo
Hörður:A must do. Getting a private guide to tell you about all the different things inside the museum is highly recommended.

Restaurants

We tried a few local restaurants, but came up short with good food. The best food we found was at restaurants close to the Sofitel Hotel - not local food, but good food.

Image - Le Deck - By Laurent Peugeot
Place
Le Deck - By Laurent Peugeot
Hörður:A great experience. Sit on the banks of the Nile river and have tasty food. Bit pricy but worth it.
Image - Kababgui Restaurant
Place
Kababgui Restaurant
Hörður:Nice Tandori chicken, their naan bread is also amazing!
Image - Sofitel Restaurant
Place
Sofitel Restaurant
Hörður:Didn't try the food there but they had good coctails.

Trips and experiences you should book

In Cairo it is very cheap to get a quality guide and driver. I recommend doing this because you will be safer with a local, and hearing all the history when looking at those grand monuments is invaluble.

What not to do

Image - Nile Pharaoh Cruising Restaurant[مركب فرعون النيل]
Place
Nile Pharaoh Cruising Restaurant[مركب فرعون النيل]
Hörður:Many will try to sell you an evening cruise on the Nile with dinner and a show - most of them are shit. Do your research and find a good one
Image - Travelade Image
Place
Rent & Drive
Hörður:Don't try to drive in Cairo. It is very dangerous for someone who is not used to this style of traffic. Just get a driver or taxi.

Shopping malls

Image - Mall Of Egypt
Place
Mall Of Egypt
Hörður:The best mall in Egypt. Has all the major shops, Starbucks - and yes, you can go skiing there.
Image - Mall of Arabia
Place
Mall of Arabia
Hörður:Descent size mall with plenty of shops. Not as new and nice as Mall of Egypt though.

Wonderguide map

  1. Panorama Pyramids Inn
  2. Hotel Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah
  3. The Great Pyramid of Giza
  4. Sound and Light Theater
  5. Al Azhar Park
  6. Mosque of Muhammad Ali
  7. Memphis
  8. Khan el-Khalili
  9. Egyptian Museum Cairo
  10. Le Deck - By Laurent Peugeot
  11. Kababgui Restaurant
  12. Sofitel Restaurant
  13. Nile Pharaoh Cruising Restaurant[مركب فرعون النيل]
  14. Rent & Drive
  15. Mall Of Egypt
  16. Mall of Arabia

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