A Complete Guide for Travelling to Cairo

Cairo, Egypt's capital and Africa's largest city, has long been a popular international tourist destination, owing to its rich historical and cultural heritage, as well as its convenient transportation. Every year, tourists from all over the world flock to the city to explore the mysterious Pyramids and the magnificent Sphinx. However, Cairo has more to offer. If you're thinking about visiting this popular tourist destination, keep reading for more information.

Most Popular Sights in Cairo

1. The Pyramids

The pyramids are located in the Giza Heights near Cairo, where the world's oldest and best-preserved pyramid complex, Memphis and its Necropolis - the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, is also seated. The Pyramids have gained worldwide acclaim for their exceptional building methods. Furthermore, it depicts a great culture that is profoundly ingrained in Egyptian history. At the heart of Memphis are the tombs of three pharaohs in the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt - Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura. The Pyramid of Khufu, the largest in the world, one of the Eight Wonders of the World, with a height of 146 meters (481 feet), has been exquisitely built with huge stones that fit together even without any bonding between them. At the same time, the internal structure of the Pyramid of Khufu cleverly distributes its own weight, allowing it to stand for a thousand years. The palaces and temples were surrounded by craftsmen's workshops, dockyards, and arsenals, as well as residential neighborhoods, traces of which survive. The Pyramids are the dazzling treasures of human civilization, solemn and magnificent, standing on the heights of Giza, standing in history. They are not only the crystallization of the glorious civilization of ancient Egypt but also the jewels of a brilliant human civilization.

Pyramids of Giza

2. The Sphinx

Close to the pyramids, on the banks of the Pyramids of Khafra, lies a stone statue of a sphinx, whose face is said to be a mimic of the pharaoh Khafra. The whole body of this statue is carved from a single piece of limestone and the statue is lifelike. The Great Sphinx is one of the world's greatest monuments, being 240 feet (73 meters) tall and 66 feet (20 meters) long. Because it resembles the winged Sphinx in Greek mythology, the West often called this statue as the Sphinx. In ancient Egypt, since the lion was a symbol of power, the Sphinx, sitting west to east, was a majestic figure and a guardian of the pyramids and the ancient Egyptian kings buried inside them for thousands of years.

The Great Sphinx

3. The Grand Egyptian Museum

About 2 km northwest of the magnificent Giza Pyramid complex is the newly built Grand Egyptian Museum, also known as the Giza Museum, which is perhaps the largest archaeological museum in the world. It is a museum still under construction that may open in  late-spring 2024 (The exact time is according to the official website information). It uses the triangle as its main theme, such as the pyramid-shaped main gate, when seen from a distance, you can find it ingeniously hidden in its reflective glass surface, made up of triangles in different materials that can eventually form a huge one just like the gate. Inside the museum are the precious artifacts of ancient Egypt with a number of 50,000, such as the full-size solar barque ship of Khufu, and the full tomb collection of King Tutankhamun. There are about 5,000 objects in the Tutankhamun galleries, including the golden coffin, mask and thrones representing his power, as well as the furniture, wine, sandals, and fresh linen underwear to show the ancient life, which officially gave the first exhibition at the end of 2023 with another 13,000 objects from museums in Luxor, Minya, Sohag, Assiut and so on. Housing so many treasures, no wonder the Grand Museum of Egypt. From the exciting outlook to the brilliant inside, from the glorious history to the details of ancient life, stay tuned for the Grand Egyptian Museum's grand opening!

4. The Egyptian Museum

The Egyptian Museum, located at Tahrir Square in Cairo, is a famous museum around the world. The objects in this museum are mostly from the Pharaonic period, thus the name "Pharaonic Museum". The building's architect was chosen in an international competition in 1895, the first of its type, and was won by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon. Khedive Abbas Helmy II opened the museum in 1902, and it has since become a historic icon in downtown Cairo, housing some of the world's most exquisite ancient treasures. An extensive collection of papyri, sarcophagi, and jewelry, among other objects, completes this uniquely expansive museum. So with a collection of over 300,000 relics, ranging from ancient times to imperial times, from stone tools to exquisite artifacts, I believe you can experience the glorious history and the brilliant civilization of ancient Egypt in the Egyptian Museum. As a reminder, the Egyptian Museum is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you wish to purchase night tickets, you must note that the night hours are every Thursday and Sunday from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The Egyptian Museum

5. Citadel of Saladin

The Citadel of Saladin, found on the Mokattam Mountain on the eastern edges of Cairo, was built by Saladin amid the Ayyubid tradition in 1176-1183 to guard against the Crusaders, which could be a magnificent and agent building of the gallant period of Egypt. Inside the Citadel are the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, the Military Museum and the An-Nasir Muhammad Mosque. Seated at the highest position of Saladin Citadel, the Ali Mosque is Egypt's largest mosque, with its magnificently gilded house of worship, its huge dome gleaming in the sunlight, and its luxurious interior decorated with many beautiful giant chandeliers and quartz glass, the crystal quartz glass reflecting beautifully in splashes of color when illuminated. The Mosque of Muhammed Ali is the largest mosque in Egypt with its resplendent worship hall and a large central dome glowing in the sunlight. Facing the Mosque of Muhammed Ali, the An-Nasir Muhammad Mosque has a free-standing rectangular structure and a simple facade and the arcades of the Mosque and its courtyard surrounding are consisted of marble columns with pre-Islamic Corinthian Order supporting pointed arches. One of the citadel's historically significant features is a relief depicting an Egyptian vulture that can be seen on its western wall, it is exactly recommended to visit the Citadel in the morning so that you can enjoy the beautiful sunshine.

6. Khan el-Khalili Market

Established in the 14th century and tucked away in a number of narrow alleys, the Khan El-Khalili Market in Cairo has always been an important district for cultural and economic activity. There are a great number of cultural and historic structures in Khan El-Khalili, so it's no surprise the area has been featured in many movies and literary works such as Naguib Mahfouz's novel Midaq Alley. Once you're there, you'll be steps from Muizz Street which has many examples of medieval Islamic architecture. You're also close to Al-Hussein Mosque as well as Wekalet El Ghouri and Al-Azhar market. It's like stepping back in time to medieval Cairo. Kindly remind you, if you don't want to spend several times more, please be ready to bargain at any time. Following to the Khalili showcase is the Al-Hussein Mosque, which is free to visit. It is critical to note that usually a conventional mosque and women are not permitted to enter through the most entrance as men, but through the side entrance, so it is advisable to visit the mosque at the conclusion of your visit because it is beyond any doubt to take off superb recollections. Actually, Khan el-Khali is home to exotic Arabic architecture that you can stop to admire while shopping, and when you're tired from visiting, it must be a good choice for you to take a break from Cairo's oldest and most famous coffee house, Fishawis, and enjoyed a cup of coffee specialty.

Khan el-Khalili Market

Recommended Time to Visit

Cairo mainly has summer and autumn seasons throughout the year, and the dry season in Cairo from April to October is hot, and if you are afraid of heat, please avoid this time of the year. From November to March is Cairo's autumn, Cairo at this time will give you a taste of ancient and mysterious Egypt, and the pleasant autumn will have a small amount of rain, rainfall will also take away some of the heat, Cairo at this time the climate is mild, will not make people hot, so this time period is also the peak season for Cairo tourism. It is important to note that Cairo has a wide range of daily temperatures, so it is suitable for you to prepare summer clothing as well as warm clothing in advance to avoid catching a chill.

Must-See Places in Cairo

Khan el-Khalili Market, Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum... Here is a glance of attractions that you might interest of Egypt.

One of the most seasoned Islamic cities in the world and the biggest within the Center East and the Middle easterner locale, Cairo has held the remainders of old Cairo beneath the modernization and steadily shaped a one-of-a-kind urban scene in which the old and the advanced presently coexist. The legends of the pharaohs and the dazzling pyramid design tell its antiquated stories, and at the same time, the significant Islamic culture has cleared out Cairo with a bequest of chronicled relics and social development that will live on within the memory. It is no question that these great verifiable civilizations have conveyed a precious cultural legacy to the individuals of the world. In fact, Cairo could be a city where the puzzling atmosphere is mixed with its significant history, where antiquated intelligence can be seen all over, as on the off chance that the following minute you'll appear with the thriving of a thousand a long time back. Traveling with Odynovo, you will see the best of Cairo on your tailor-made private trip.