Cairo is one of the most ancient city in the world and home to the the last remaining wonder of the ancient world. I have always been fascinated by Egypt’s history and seeing the great pyramids, mysterious mummies, visiting tombs of pharoes and sailing the famous river Nile were some of the bucket list experiences I ticked off my list In recent trip to Egyptian capital. Egypt is such a mystical place with so much of history and culture.
In this article I put down the list of my top favorites and picture perfect places for you to explore in Cairo.
The Great Pyramids of Giza: very obvious- right? I mean You would be mad to visit Cairo and not see the great Pyramids of Giza . The famous Pyramids are one of the most enduring architecture in the world, 3 pyramids include the great Pyramid of Giza, the pyramid of Khafre, and the pyramid of menkaure. How the pyramids were builds is still the one of the biggest mysteries in the world. You can visit and explore the pyramids by yourself or you can take a guided tour.
Tips: I highly recommend to take camel or horse ride and ask the guide to take you to the quite spot in the desert from where you can capture the pyramid in full panoramic display. Also set your alarm early to avoid the tourist chaos.
Sphinx of Giza is colossal limestone statue of reclining Sphinx , a mythical creature with body of lion and head of human. The face of Sphinx is generally believe to represent the pharaoh Khafre. There’s photo opportunity every where here, whether it’s up close or from a distance or from top of the camel or horse.
Khan al khalili market is paradise for the shoppers and photographers. You will find everything from tacky souvenirs to antiques and hand made beautiful accessories. And literally there are so many places for picture in khan al khalili market that you might get confused. After you done exploring all the unique variety of goods you can enjoy tea or coffe at one of the oldest and most famous cafes fishawi in Khan Al Khalili market.
Tips: The place is very crowded and chaotic so be mindful of your belongings and don’t forget to bargain as there are no set prices.
The Nile river cruise: Nile river is not just any ordinary river and you will know If you open up your history book. It Is one of the largest river in the world stretching all the way across Egypt down to 11 other African countries. The best way to experience the Nile is take a cruise along the iconic river, you can also dine in one of the restaurants overlooking the Nile river.
Marriot mena house: Marriot mena house is definitely the most instagramable hotel in Cairo and I can’t stress how much I enjoyed staying at marriot mena house and waking up to the magical view of pyramids.
Tip: If you planing to stay in Marriott mena house ask for the pyramid view room, it’s bit expensive than normal room but trust me it’s worth the money. My favorite spot in marriot is sultan lounge in the hotels main lobby and the main restaurant which has the perfect view of great Pyramid of Giza.
Cairo mosques: Cairo is home to significant numbers of mosques also called city of thousand minarets. There are many beautiful and historical mosques in Cairo built in the different dynastic periods. The most famous ones are Mosque- Madrasa of sultan Hassan, Mohammed Ali mosque, al Azhar mosques , mosque of ibn Tulun, and al rifai mosque. If you have enough time you can visit all the mosques as the architecture of each mosques are different. Some of the mosques are really old while some of them have modern touch.
The beautiful Manial palace located in El Manial is one of the classiest and most astonishing place in cairo. The Manial palace Has an antique museum , a garden with rare plant, a beautiful small mosque and Main residential palace. Unfortunately when I was there the main palace was closed but I was able to explore the museum and the mosque.
Tip: The Manial palace mosques architecture is really fascinating with mix of ottoman , parsian and Rococo inspired ceiling , A perfect spot for your perfect instagram pictures.
Egyptian Museum:
If you are history buff Egyptian Museum of antiquities is a must visit place, it is also known to be one of the oldest, largest and most famous museum in the world. In general I am not a museum person (yes u heard me right I hate visiting any kind museums ) but While was in Cairo I wanted to see the real mummies and to witness the first hand the remains from past was an unforgettable experience.
What are your favorite places in Cairo? Was there anything I missed? Would love to hear your suggestions in the comment!
Follow my travel and lifestyle journey on Instagram @faridaisrail
🙂 P.S Travel Safe Stay Blessed 🙂
Hi Farida
Your travels are Awe inspiring.
In each pic not sure which is prettier, the scenic beauty in the background or the angelic beauty in the scenery.