Cairo is one of the world's great megacities, a seething megalopolis whose chief sightseeing appeal lies in its bazaars and medieval mosques. As beautiful as it is crazy, and as rich in historic finery as it is dilapidated, Cairo tends to be a city that travelers love and hate in equal measures. Its sheer noise, pollution, and confounding traffic are an assault on your senses, but look beyond the modern hubbub, and you'll find a history that spans centuries. Full of vigor, Cairo is where you really get a feel for Egyptian street life. No trip to Egypt is complete without a stay in the city Arabs call Umm al-Dunya (The Mother of the World). Just outside Cairo are the first of the pyramids that range across the desert, among them the unsurpassable trio at Giza, the vast necropolis of Saqqara and the pyramids at Dahshur. Besides all this, there are superb museums devoted to Ancient, Coptic and Islamic Egypt, and enough entertainment to occupy weeks of your time. The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are the must-do on everyone's Cairo and Egypt itineraries. Right on the edge of the city, on the Giza Plateau, the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx have been wowing travelers for centuries. Despite the heat, the dust, and the tourist hustle, you can't miss a trip here. The evening sound-and-light show is surprisingly entertaining.
The Great Pyramids and Sphinx and Cairo are lumped together in the Golden 200 and BucketList 1000 because the Great Pyramids and Sphinx accounts for over 2/3 of the total earned by Cairo. On its own, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx would rank as #18 in the Golden 200.
Main Attractions
* Great Pyramids - There are actually three pyramids here. The
Pyramid of Cheops (also called the Great Pyramid or Pyramid of Khufu) is the largest pyramid of the Giza group. It is the world's oldest tourist attraction - the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - and was the world's tallest attraction for 3800 years. Its interior of narrow passages can be explored, although there isn't much to see, except a plain tomb chamber with an empty sarcophagus. Farther south on the plateau is the Pyramid of Chephren, with an internal tunnel area which can be entered, and the smaller Pyramid of Mycerinus. The pyramid plateau is on the edge of Giza's suburban sprawl, 8 miles southwest of the central city. Most people arrive by taxi, but it's also accessible by an easier-than-you-think combo of taking the metro to Giza and then hopping on a local minibus that covers the last 6 miles and drops you outside the entrance. As the pyramids' area is quite sprawling though, many travelers elect to see the area by tour. One of the most popular things to do at the pyramids is a camel ride. A good option for first-time visitors is the Private Half-Day Trip to the Giza Pyramids with Camel-Riding. This includes pickup and drop-off at your hotel, a guide, lunch, and 25 minutes on a camel. Pyramids open at 08.00.
* Sphinx - Guarding the Pyramids is the lion-bodied and pharaoh-faced Sphinx; one of the ancient world's iconic monuments. It is the world's oldest known sculpture. It may pre-date the Pyramids, but no one knows when it was created or who carved it, or why. It is 240' long and 66' high, and was carved in place from its rocky knoll. The Sphinx was once painted.
* Egyptian Museum (#311) - The absolutely staggering collection of antiquities displayed in Cairo's Museum of Egyptian Antiquities makes it one of the world's great museums. You would need a lifetime to see everything on show. The collection is poorly labeled and not well set out due to limits of space (only a fraction of its holdings are on display). It also suffers with some empty cases of the artifacts that have been transferred to the GEM. There are three must-sees. You should make a beeline straight for the Tutankhamun Galleries, Room 3, to see Tut's gold death mask and sarcopahgi. The Royal Mummy Room (Rm 56) has the remains of 11 pharoahs and queens, including Ramses II. The Fayoum portraits (Room 14) are haunting in their realism and the youth of some of the subjects. Other highlights are the limestone statues of Rahotep and his wife, Nofret, and the 1,700 objects from the tomb of King Tut, including the pharaoh's lion throne (Room 35), and his fascinating wardrobe collection (Room 9). Afterwards, wander through the Egyptian jewelry collection (Room 4), which contains more bling than you'll ever see again in one lifetime. The Egyptian Museum sits right beside Midan Tahrir, the central square of Downtown Cairo. The easiest way to arrive here is to take the Cairo Metro to Sadat station and follow the exit signs to the museum
* Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) - The Giza Plateau is set to welcome another attraction when the 120-acre GEM is finally finished. When opened, it will be a state-of-the-art complex, and the biggest museum in the world devoted to exhibiting the antiquities of a single civilization. It will display a wealth of Ancient Egypt's artifacts that have never been seen by the public before. After a stop-start construction, beset with financial woes, the museum opening date has been set for 2021...maybe.
* City of the Dead - Just outside of Cairo, the City of the Dead was created in the 7th century as an Arabic cemetery. 20 million people live in Cairo, with a massive population living in abject poverty. This has forced many people into the City of the Dead. Stretching for four miles on the outskirts of Cairo, the row housing for the deceased has evolved into a deathly slum, where the dead and living coexist in morbid neighborliness.
* Khan al Khalil Bazaar - A visit to Khan el-Khalili, in the heart of Islamic Cairo, is one of the world's great shopping experiences. It is like being transported back in time to an old Arab souk. It’s a medieval maze of alleyways, where the air is thick with the scent of spices and insistent shop owners unwilling to let you pass before you examine their wares. Haggling is essential, especially for souvenirs. It was established as a shopping district in 1382 AD, and which still rings with the clang of metal workers and silversmiths. The main streets have long ago given themselves over completely to the tourist trade (with plenty of cheap papyrus pictures and plastic pyramids on display), but, after haggling over carpets, gold and fabrics, divert off the main drag into the surrounding alleyways, and the tiny stores and cluttered workshops are some of the best places to pick up traditional products in Egypt. Here, you'll find everything from antiques and gorgeous metal lampshades to locally woven textiles. Stop in at Cairo's most famous coffee shop, Fishawis, where syrupy Arabic coffee and sweet tea are dished out to tourists and local merchants alike at a rapid-fire pace. For shoppers, the main souq road is Al-Muski Street. The gold and silver workshops mostly congregate just north of this street's intersection with Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Street, while the spice market section is just to the south.
* Bab Zuwayla Gate - Of all the Islamic Cairo district's gates, the 11th-century Bab Zuwayla is the most interesting. Climb either of the gate's minarets to the top for some amazing rooftop views over Islamic Cairo. Right next door is the red-and-white stonework of the Sheikh al-Mu'ayyad Mosque, and a few steps farther away are the fascinating artisan stalls of the Street of the Tentmakers, where Egypt's bright fabric used for weddings and other special occasions is sold in bulk.
* Cairo Citadel - In a commanding location at the foot of the Mokattam Hills, Cairo's citadel was built by Saladin in 1176. The Mosque of Muhammad Ali is the most famous monument and the main reason for visiting. Nicknamed the \"Alabaster Mosque,\" its white stone and tall, disproportionately slender minarets are one of Cairo's great landmarks. The other big reason to come up here are the views across the city; head to the Gawhara Terracefor the best panorama in town. You can walk to the citadel area from Bab Zuweila, if you're feeling energetic, by heading along Khayyamiyya Street. The walk takes about 30 minutes.