We absolutely loved our time in Cairo and are already planning to go back and explore more of this friendly and welcoming country full of history and wonderful people.  

Most people use Cairo as a jumping off point for the rest of Egypt since there is so much to explore in Alexandria, along the Nile, in Luxor and the Valley of the Kings and in Aswan but we did it as our first stop before our safari in Kenya to help us acclimate to the time zone. Some links are affiliate links.  See our disclosure.

Here's a 4 day Itinerary for Cairo

Day 1: 

Arrive, check in, enjoy the hotel's property, get a massage, swim, and then enjoy a dinner cruise on the Nile River.

Day 2:

Sakkara Pyramids - go into a pyramid here to enjoy the hieroglyphics on the walls

Stop for a handmade carpet demonstration

Visit the Giza Pyramids and get a photo with or take a ride on a camel

Enjoy a late lunch at Khufu’s Restaurant with a view of the Pyramids (make reservations in advance)

End the day at Sphinx

Return to the hotel and relax at the pool

Khan el-Khaliki bazaar in Cairo, Egypt

Day 3:

Egyptian History Museum

Lunch at Naguib Mahfouz Coffee Shop in the Khan el-Khaliki

Browse the Khan el-Khaliki bazaar 

Visit a Mosque

Day 4: 

Visit a Synagogue and church

Egyptian civilization museum

Visit a Papyrus Shop

Late Lunch at the GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum) at Zooba and enjoy the exhibits that are open

When opened, The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will be the largest museum in the world

When to Visit:

October & November and March & April are the best times to visit with milder weather.  December-February also has mild weather but this is considered peak season with larger crowds.  May-September can be extremely hot, especially in the south.  Our guide actually takes the summers off and we were her first tour of the season. 

Where to Stay:

Marriott Mena House Cairo for stunning views of the Pyramids of Giza - where we stayed and loved it

Gaia Pyramids Hotel - also nearby the pyramids 

Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza

Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence (also on the Nile)

The NIle Ritz Carlton Cairo - near the Egyptian Museum

Lunch at Khufu’s Restaurant at the Giza Pyramids with our guide Manal - book in advance

What to Book:

Nile River Dinner Cruise on the Nile Maxim

Our amazing tour guide is Manal Helmy can be reached via email at [email protected].  Plan to book months in advance (we booked her in February for the end of September).

Here's Another Guide, Mustafa Mohamed with Sun Pyramid Tours - he guided us for the Nile River Cruise Dinner but is available for other tours - Reach him on What's App +20 114 482 6963

If you want to have lunch at Khufu's Restaurant at the Giza Pyramids, book in advance.  There's also a Ladurée there  that you'll want to reserve in advance as well (and a location at the GEM).

With our guide Manal outside the Civilization Museum

Is Egypt Safe?

While Egypt was (in Sept 2024) on the Reconsider Travel List we felt 100% safe while visiting there.  Countries make it on this list for a variety of reasons (Jamaica and Guatemala are also currently on the list).

Having said that, we chose to hire a guide who would not only help us plan our itinerary, but also we would be with her while outside of the resort.  We also opted to have the same driver pick us up and take us back to the airport.  This not only gave us peace of mind but was also very affordable in Egypt and contributed to their economy, something we felt good about. We even booked the NIle River Cruise on Viator separate from her and they sent both a driver and guide to take up and pick us up from the Nile River Cruise.  The hotel had a lot of security including metal detectors and a dog that would check incoming cars and our drive and guide had to account for who they were taking and bringing to the hotel.  We even ran across a couple of roadblocks where they had to account for us being in the car.  We also wouldn't recommend renting a car while in Egypt.  The traffic is crazy and the driver waited with the car anytime we got out and I think having a driver and renting a car would come out to be equal. We wanted to share that because we think having our guide for the duration of our tours made the experience richer because there was so much that she could share with us that we otherwise would not know but also made the trip easier and more stress free. 

Do I need a VISA to visit?

If you hold a US Passport, you'll need to get a Visa to visit Egypt.  You can find the requirements and official link here but it isn't super straightforward.  We ended up using the service Atlys to get ours but we realized once we arrived that we could have gotten it at the airport and Mo, who met us could have helped us secure that, saving about $35US each. 

What to Pack for Egypt?

Here's what we packed and actually wore in Egypt and on our travel days.  We were headed to Kenya following our time in Cairo so we had to choose clothes that would be appropriate for both.  We also took advantage of the inexpensive laundry service at the hotel prior to leaving for Kenya so if you were continuing on to see more of Egypt, you could do the same.

• 4 pairs of lightweight long pants (3 pairs of olive green in different styles & one burnt orange) - you should plan to wear plans to visit the synagogue, churches, and mosques out of respect and they may be required for some of them. If you visit a pyramid you have to crawl through, you may want a pair of pants.  If you prefer long skirts, you could swap the pants out for skirts. 
• 5 shirts that covered my shoulders (like a cap sleeve shirt and button downs) in shades of tan, khaki, olive and burnt orange. Again, covering shoulders is often required for religious sites.  
•  3 pair of shoes (birkenstocks that couple double for dinner but I could wear to the pool, tennis shoes for walking around the sites, and a pair of slip on loafers for dinner)
•  bathing suit - it was nice to take advantage of the hot tub at the spa on our arrival day and the pool at the resort the other nights after a full day of sightseeing
• I took a couple of bandanas for the safari that matched my outfits that I ended up wearing as headbands to mix up my outfits
• I brought along a scarf in case I needed one to visit the mosques but found it wasn't necessary for the mosques we visited. Depending on your guide you may feel more comfortable having one with you just in case. 
• I carried crossbody bag to hold sunglasses, phone, etc and also a packable tote bag (I love my Longchamp and have had it and used it for years) so I could also throw in a water bottle and my larger camera.  Since we had a driver who waited with the car I often left it in the car when going in the sites and museums. 

Here's a link to our Amazon storefront and what we packed for Egypt. 

To hear more about our trip to Cairo, here's our podcast episode.