Welcome to Cairo

Cairo is chaos at its most magnificent, infuriating and beautiful. From above, the distorted roar of the muezzins' call to prayer echoes out from duelling minarets. Below, car horns bellow tuneless symphonies amid avenues of faded 19th-century grandeur while donkey carts rattle down dusty lanes lined with colossal Fatimid and Mamluk monuments.

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This mega-city's constant buzz and noise is a product of its 22-or-so million inhabitants simultaneously crushing Cairo's infrastructure under their collective weight and lifting its spirits up with their exceptional humour. Your nerves will jangle, your snot will run black from the smog and touts will hound you at every turn, but it's a small price to pay to tap into the energy of the place Egyptians call Umm Ad Dunya – the Mother of the World.

Blow your nose, crack a joke and look through the dirt to see the city's true colours. If you love Cairo, it will definitely love you back.

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Top experiences in Cairo

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We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.

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Starting at $36.39

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Cairo activities

$19.20 Transfers & Ground Transport

Cairo Airport Private Arrival Transfer

Travel from Cairo International Airport to your Cairo City or Giza Plateau hotel. Alternatively this transfer is available from Cairo train station to Cairo Airport. Transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When making a booking, you will need to advise your arrival details and your Cairo City or Giza Plateau hotel details. Your transfer will be confirmed instantaneously and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver. Price is per person, based on 8 adults per car/vehicle.
$94.50 Day Trips & Excursions

Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, Sakkara

The Giza Plateau is only around 30 minutes from Cairo, where your qualified Egyptologist guide will provide a fascinating introduction to each of the three pyramids: Cheops, Khafre and Menakaure. You will have free time to enter one of the pyramids (additional cost), though your guide is not permitted to enter with you, or take a camel ride (additional cost). After visiting the pyramids, you'll continue across the plateau for a photo opportunity of the three pyramids rising from the sands, with the Cairo skyline in the background. A short drive to the city side of the plateau finds you standing at the feet of the Sphinx, for thousands of years the enigmatic symbol of Egypt. Also in Giza you may visit the Solar Boat Museum (optional), home to the remarkably well preserved funerary boat of Khufu. Your next stop is Sakkara, home of Egypt's oldest pyramid, built in 2650 B.C. Your guide will provide a brief history of the famous Step Pyramid and you'll have free time to walk around. Your final stop is Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. Here you will see artifacts from many of the great rulers of Egypt, including the fallen statue of Ramses II. You will also have the chance to visit a Papyrus Institute to see how the famous artwork is made.
$19.20 Transfers & Ground Transport

Cairo Airport Private Departure Transfer

Travel from your Cairo City or Giza Plateau hotel to Cairo International Airport . Transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When making a booking, you will need to advise your departure details and your Cairo City or Giza Plateau hotel details. Your transfer will be confirmed instantaneously and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver. Price is per person, based on 8 adults per car/vehicle.
$42 Cultural & Theme Tours

Private Tour: Giza Pyramids and Sphinx

On the Giza plateau, the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx date back over 3,000 years. While there are actually over 100 pyramids in Egypt, the Pyramids of Giza are by far the most famous and are the last of the original Seven Wonders of the World. Your qualified Egyptologist guide will provide a fascinating introduction to each of the three pyramids: Cheops, Khafre and Menakaure. You will have free time to enter one of the pyramids (additional cost), although your guide is not permitted to enter with you.After visiting the pyramids, you'll then continue across the plateau for a photo opportunity of the three pyramids rising from the sands, with the Cairo skyline in the background.A short drive to the city side of the plateau finds you standing at the feet of the Sphinx, for thousands of years the enigmatic symbol of Egypt. The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a king, and is surrounded in mystery, including the unanswered questions: who built it and why.In addition you will have the chance to visit a Papyrus Institute to see how this famous artwork is made. If you do not want to include this visit, just inform your guide on the day.
$78.75 Cultural & Theme Tours

Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili Private Tour

Your private 6-8 hour tour begins with a fascinating introduction to each of the three Giza pyramids: Cheops, Khafre and Menakaure. You will have free time to enter one of the pyramids (additional cost), though your guide is not permitted to enter with you. A short drive to the city side of the plateau finds you standing at the feet of the Sphinx, the enigmatic symbol of Egypt. Also in Giza you may visit the Solar Boat Museum (optional), home to the remarkably well preserved funerary boat of Khufu. Cairo's famous Egyptian Museum houses 165,000 Egyptian artifacts, but the priceless treasures of King Tutankhamun are the highlight. His six gilded coffins dominate the main hall, while his magnificent death mask is the star attraction. Your guide will introduce you to the museum's most important pieces before you have free time to explore at your leisure. Continuing to Khan el Khalili bazaar, you'll enjoy free time to stroll through the maze of streets and bargain for a souvenir of your trip to Egypt. During the day you will also have the chance to visit a Papyrus Institute to see how the famous artwork is made.
$14.30 Day Trips & Excursions

Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Saqqara from Cairo

At 8am you will be picked up from your hotel in either Cairo or Giza by your tour guide to start your full-day tour visiting the Giza Pyramids,  Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos. After seeing the famous pyramids and getting lots of photos, visit the Valley Temple. The place where the priests mummified the dead body of King Chephren owner of the second pyramid at Giza Plateau. This is the place where you can have a close-up look at the Sphinx, the legendary guardian that stands by the huge funeral complex with its lion body and the head of King Chephren. There is Opportunity to visit the Pyramids from inside or having Camel ride around the pyramids but it would be Subject of extra charge  30 minutes Camel ride would cost 10 $ per person and 1 hour ride by 20$ each  continue your day tour to Saqqara, located only 16.7 miles (27 kilometers) southwest from Cairo. Visit the Step Pyramid, built for King Djoser, it is considered an important part in the process of the pyramid evolution, which were made from the simple mastaba to its widely known form. Then continue your day tour to Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, where the colossal statue of Ramses II and the great Alabaster Sphinx date back to 3100 B.C. Your tour finishes with drop off at your hotel.
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