CAIRO

I love it when I prove people wrong. Cairo is an understated city. I have visited it for three days and I feel that I didn’t get to know it enough. I want to go again and explore it deeper and see much more of it. The secret of this city is its charm that I can’t put into words. It has kept its heritage in its buildings and streets. You can feel its mystery while walking and going around the city.

what to do?

day 1

You can easily spend more than 3 days in Cairo but in order to see the basic, I found that 2 nights with 3 full days are just great in this beautiful city. I arrived on a morning flight and I was ready to kick the day directly. Only one thing about Cairo that you need to understand. First of all, please remember that this my personal experience and my opinion. It might or might not apply to you. I find Egypt much different than other destinations I have been to as solo traveler. For that reason, I was met from first moment by a local guide until last minute. I have even requested meet and greet at the airport which usually I never use in other airports. However, I do consider it here as a must and I would do it again.

So to start with I met my friend on first day and I did an easy orientation tour of the city. I didn’t want to run from one sightseeing to another. After I checked in, I left for a walk when I found horse carriages that are available for rent. I took one to Zamalek area.

Zamalek is full of art galleries, boutiques, museum and it has nice architectural residences. It is worth the walk so you can see its beauty at leisure.

At night, I went for a local restaurant by the Nile where feluccas were passing by entertaining people with music and food.

day 2

This is the major day to see all of the basics of the city. Don’t remove any of what will come because they’re all worth it. I have started with the new museum which is called National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Only there you can see the famous mummies. Prepare to be shocked but unfortunately photos are not allowed. I continued to old Cairo and we discovered the Coptic and Islamic sides of the city. Ended our trip at the Khan Khalili bazaar. I will be frank. You must go and see the bazaar but personally it was overwhelming because of the sellers. I literally bought nothing.

day 3

Even though you have seen the new museum, don’t miss the old one. The National Museum still contain big part of the Pharaonic civilization and you won’t get bored for sure. Also if you have your own guide, you will be informed of many important stories. Right after, I continued to the pyramids of the Giza and the Sphynx. If I say they’re huge, I might seem silly but once there, you’ll understand the real meaning of huge. Don’t go there when it is hot because it is impossible to find shaded area. Don’t miss the camel ride. As much as it looks cliché, it’s a nice experience but I’m not saying that it’s an easy one. After lunch with views of the pyramids, we came back to the hotel. We had more time to walk around Tahrir Square until our ride to the airport.