To get away from the chaos of Cairo, do as the locals do and escape to Wadi Degla on the southern outskirts of the city. Set off on a hike through the gorgeous gorges or just soak up the stunning views from the plateaus. If you’re lucky, you might cross paths with a fox or a deer, but chances are you’ll end up enjoying the silence of nature.
Wadi Degla Protectorate
Cairo
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
11.96 MILES
The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids…
8.42 MILES
One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…
9.12 MILES
Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…
7.47 MILES
This museum, on the edge of Islamic Cairo, holds one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art and is Egypt's (and one of the entire Middle East's)…
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7.35 MILES
Sharia Al Muizz, as it’s usually called, named after the Fatimid caliph who conquered Cairo in AD 969, was Cairo's grand thoroughfare, once chock-a-block…
6.81 MILES
This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…
9.09 MILES
The Mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. This grand and detailed private tomb is not only Old Kingdom art at its best but also one of…
Nearby Cairo attractions
1. National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
5.8 MILES
This megalithic new building, sitting behind a massive white-stone plaza, is intending to walk visitors through the vast breadth of Egyptian civilisation…
2. Church of St Simeon the Tanner
5.9 MILES
The Church of St Simeon the Tanner, is carved into a cave on a ridge of Muqattam Hill. Thought to be the biggest church in the Middle East, it seats 17…
6.13 MILES
Created by French-Tunisian street artist eL Seed, this mammoth mural of swirling Arabic calligraphy covers 50 buildings in Manshiyet Nasr and quotes St…
6.27 MILES
Houses a collection of carriages used by Egypt's royalty from Khedive Ismail to King Farouk. Like many of the Citadel museums though, it's often shut.
6.33 MILES
Sulieman Pasha, governor of Cairo's Janissary troops, built this small Ottoman-style mosque in the early 16th century.
6.36 MILES
South of Mohammed Ali’s mosque is the Gawhara Palace & Museum, a lame attempt to evoke 19th-century court life, but it’s most often closed. There are…
7. Mosque of An Nasir Mohammed
6.36 MILES
Dwarfed by Mohammed Ali’s mosque, this beautiful 1318 mosque is the only Mamluk work that Mohammed Ali didn’t demolish – instead, he used it as a stable…
6.37 MILES
Sprawling over a limestone spur on the city's eastern edge, the Citadel, started by Saladin in 1176 as a fortification against the Crusaders, was home to…