What’s Cairo for Egyptians?
First, you need to understand What’s Cairo for Egyptians?
Great Cairo for Egyptians is “EGYPT”. It’s common for Egyptians to say “Masr” (Egypt in Arabic) instead of saying “Al-Qahira” (Cairo) when talking about the great city of Cairo. Cairo is everything for Egyptians.
In Cairo, you will find:
– More entertainment
– More sightseeing
– More food varieties
– More nightlife
How long to stay in Cairo?
In one day, you can get a glimpse of the city.. However it’s not recommended.
1 day is too short to discover what Cairo is about.
To get the best out of your time, you can consider:
3 full days … minimum
5 to 7 days will be perfect
Where to stay in Cairo?
When you book your hotel, don’t make the mistake that many people do booking a hotel far from the places you will be visiting.
Cairo is a big city… actually a huge city with more than 20 million people! Nothing is like Cairo!
Egypt is divided into 27 governorates, 2 of them make the Great City of Cairo. Geographically, Cairo governorate is on the East side of the Nile, Giza is on the west side of the Nile but for Egyptians… both are CAIRO! 6th of October CITY is Cairo, New Cairo city still Cairo!
When you choose your hotel keep in mind the distance & the traffic.
If you are mainly here for the sightseeing, then it will be best to consider somewhere near the center.
Downtown, Zamalek, Dokki, Giza, Garden City are great options.
But still some of the hotels far from the center are worth the stay for relaxation purposes.
For example: If you would like to stay in the historical hotel “Mena House”, it will be better to stay there for 1 or 2 nights then move to a hotel near the center. Most of the sightseeing in Cairo are located on the east side of the Nile, close to the center.
A common mistake solo travelers do when travelling to Cairo and our advise:
We do not recommend the hotels in front of the Sphinx. They have a great view of the pyramids… but the area around it is not suitable for walking even for normal Egyptians. There is also nothing to see beside the pyramids and you need to commute a lot in traffic to see the rest of Cairo.
If you would like to stay there for the amazing view, we suggest that you have a car arranged to pick you up and drop you off.
Also as mentioned for the Mena House, 1 or 2 nights are enough then move to a hotel near the center. Cairo traffic is really painful. You will spend at least 45 minutes to 1 hour (if not more) going anywhere in Cairo from near the pyramids.
For the traffic, same goes for remote areas like New Cairo or Maadi. It takes lots of time in traffic.
If you are here for the sightseeing and exploring Cairo, we recommend staying in the center.
Which days of the week make a huge difference?
We recommend to include Friday & Saturday (Egyptian weekend) in your visited days to Cairo.
The traffic is way less than normal days. It’s more relaxed to visit and you can go almost anywhere in no time.
However some places are not recommended on weekend as they will be busy with many Egyptians visiting like Giza Pyramids.
So we think the best way is to visit Cairo including Egyptian weekend and stay 1 to more few days before or after.
Also visiting during long holidays or long weekends is great as streets are less crowded.
But you will need to avoid few places on holidays like Downtown, parks and Giza Pyramids.
We hope you spend a wonderful time in our country.
Don’t forget to book your tours in advance so we can have availability and be able to help.
Still confused on how to plan your trip to Egypt. Check our Cairo Full day tours section for inspiration here or book a consultation session here.