Cairo Travelers Recommend

Most journeys to Egypt begin and end in Cairo, but a mere 3-hour drive from the capital will bring you to Egypt’s second largest city—Alexandria. Here’s how to visit this culturally rich seaside metropolis, at once both ancient and modern, that could not feel more different from the nation’s capital.

Group Tours

For travelers on a budget, a group tour offers a wallet-friendly way to experience Alexandria while benefiting from the insight of a local guide and the intimacy of a small group. Depending on the day trip you choose, you might visit the former site of the Alexandria Lighthouse, the Roman Amphitheater, the Catacomb of Kom El-Shoqafa, the Library of Alexandria, the 15th-century Qaitbay Citadel, Pompey’s Pillar, and Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque (El Mursi Abul Elabas).

Private Tours

Booking a private full-day tour from Cairo to Alexandria means you’ll have your guide—even an Egyptologist guide, depending on the option you choose—all to yourself, freeing you up to ask as many questions as you like. An added benefit is a more flexible itinerary (and some tours are completely customizable); spend time exploring the points of interest that intrigue you and skip the ones that don’t. 

Things to Know

• Alexandria is located on the Mediterranean coast, 137 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Cairo.

• Day trips to Alexandria can last anywhere from six to 12 hours, depending on the option you choose.

• Most guided tours include hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairo.

• Choose a small-group tour or a private tour guide.

With three days in Cairo, you can cover a lot of ground, including the city's famous Egyptian Museum, the Giza Pyramids, and the ancient Ptolemaic city of Alexandria. Here's how to do it all in three days.

Day 1: Classic Cairo

Spend your first day in Cairo familiarizing yourself with the highlights of the city. Start with a tour of the Egyptian Museum, home to thousands of ancient artifacts, many of which were pulled from the tombs of old pharaohs. Book a guided tour and get whisked to the highlights you want to see, including the gold mask of King Tut himself. The museum also has a number of mummies and a gargantuan statue of King Khafre. In the afternoon, head to Coptic Cairo, aka Old Cairo. Tour its ancient churches, including the famous Hanging Church and the Coptic Museum with a guide who adds context to the neighborhood, which also includes mosques and a synagogue. Finally, join a tour of Khan el-Khalili, the most famous souk (bazaar) in the city, where you can pick up everything from food to locally made perfumes to papyrus paintings.

Day 2: Pyramids and Other Ancient Sites

Put your newfound knowledge of Egyptian history to use at the country's most famous attraction: the Giza Pyramids. Join a tour to enjoy round-trip transport to the UNESCO World Heritage Site that's home not only to the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, but also to the iconic Sphinx. Many visitors also opt to preebook a camel, horse, or quad ride in the desert sands for ease. Consider a tour that includes visits to Saqqara and Memphis, as well, for more ancient exploration. Saqqara is best known for the Pyramid of Djoser, a step pyramid dating back to the Third Dynasty. Memphis was the ancient capital of Egypt and home to all sorts of ruins, notably ancient temples. Get dropped at your hotel afterwards to freshen up before supper: A dinner cruise on the Nile is an enchanting way to end your day.

Day 3: Journey to Alexandria

Spend your final day on a day trip to Alexandria, the second-largest city in Egypt. Named for its founder, Alexander the Great, this coastal city is home to numerous important points of interest, many dating back to its heyday as the hub of Hellenistic culture. Typical tours include a visit to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the largest roman burial site in Egypt that features an interesting blend of Greco-Roman and ancient Egyptian decorative features. Other notable sights include the Roman Amphitheatre, the only one in Egypt, and the seaside Citadel. Full-day tours also often include a stop at the Modern Alexandria Library, an ode to the ancient Great Library of Alexandria, which thrived under the Ptolemaic Kingdom but later disappeared.

No trip to Egypt is complete without a visit to the Giza pyramids. Whether you’re a history buff, couple, time-crunched visitor, or budget traveler, there’s a perfect, convenient tour to Giza from Cairo that help will ensure you see these ancient desert wonders before heading home.

For the Budget Traveler

A trip to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. A small-group, full-day pyramids tour balances the benefit of a knowledgeable guide with an intimate group, so you’ll still be able to ask questions. For even better value, combine your visit to the pyramids with stops at Memphis and Sakkara as well.

For the History Buff

Few places on the planet can rival the historical significance of the Giza pyramids complex, one of the wonders of the ancient world. If history’s a passion, opt for a tour led by an Egyptologist guide who can offer even greater knowledge and insight into the archaeological wonders you’re seeing, from the Great Sphinx to ancient Memphis.

For Couples

To experience all the romance that Egypt has to offer, combine a Egyptologist tour guide–led day tour of the ancient Giza pyramids with a romantic dinner cruise down the Nile River. Feast on gourmet Egyptian fare and watch a traditional dance performance—the ultimate date night in Cairo.

For the Time-Crunched Visitor

If you have limited time in Cairo, make the most of it with a comprehensive private tour that hits all the highlights, including the pyramids and Sphinx (including a camel ride on the Giza plateau), Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, and a traditional Egyptian bazaar where you can bargain for souvenirs and gifts to take home.

The Nile, the world's longest river at 4,258 miles (6,853 kilometers), has long been the lifeblood of Egypt, and a cruise along this famous waterway ranks as a highlight of a trip to the desert country. Here are some options for exploring the waters of the Nile River.

Sightseeing Cruises

You haven’t seen Cairo until you’ve seen it from the Nile, and a river cruise affords the perfect opportunity. One of the most popular—and traditional—ways to explore these iconic waters is aboard a traditional wooden Egyptian sailboat, known as a felucca. An evening sunset sail displays Cairo in a warm evening glow, as you bob in the water, cold drink in hand. See the Cairo skyline from the water—its skyscrapers, bridges, and waterfront promenades—and catch a glimpse of day-to-day life on the banks of this famous river, as traditional fishing boats and feluccas go about their business.

Dinner Cruises

If you’re looking for a special night out, Cairo-style, book a Nile River dinner cruise. Options include an open buffet, set menu, or à la carte menu dinner, and some even feature belly dancing or tanoura (a folk dance similar to the whirling dervish) while you overlook the sparkling city lights of the Egyptian capital.

With one day in Cairo, it's possible to see much of the large city. With the proper planning, you can stop at a museum, see the pyramids, and cruise the Nile River.  Here’s how to make the most of one day in Cairo.

Morning: The Egyptian Museum

Start your day off learning about Egyptian history at the Egyptian Museum, which houses the largest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts on earth. Here you find more than 100 rooms filled with everything from treasures pilfered from ancient tombs to real mummies, as well as statues, religious items, and other archaeological artifacts. The museum is also the home of the mask of King Tutankhamen, the stunning golden funerary mask in which the young pharaoh was buried. Visit independently or maximize your time on a tour. A guide can help educate you on Egyptian history and culture, in preparation for your next stop.

Afternoon: Experience the Ancient Giza Pyramids

It’s a short drive from Cairo to the town of El Giza, home to the country’s iconic monument: The Pyramids of Giza. This UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses not only the three pyramids (Cheops, Khafre, and Menkaure), but also several smaller pyramids as well as the Great Sphinx. While at Giza, take a camel, quad, or horse ride in the surrounding desert—doing so gives you access to otherwise hard-to-reach vantage points for taking photos of the ancient collection of monuments.

Night: Cruise along the River Nile

After freshening up at your hotel, finish your evening in Cairo in style with an evening dinner cruise along the Nile River. Cruises offer views of the city's skyline from the river, and many cruise options come with the choice of set menus or a la carte choices, most with plenty of vegetarian options. Cruises generally also feature live performances with traditional folk music, tanoura dance performances (similar to whirling dervishes found in Turkey), belly dancing, or some combination of the three.

With two days in Cairo, you have time to take in top historic sites in the city and its surrounding areas, and squeeze in some shopping and live entertainment. Here’s one way to see Cairo in two days.

Day 1: A Day in the City

**Morning:**Start your morning with a visit to Old Cairo, also known as Coptic Cairo, home to many of the city’s oldest religious sites. While the area is best known for the Coptic Hanging Church, it’s also home to numerous mosques as well as the oldest synagogue in Egypt.

**Afternoon:**After lunch, head to the Egyptian Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of antiquities from Ancient Egypt. Here you find everything from ancient burial artifacts to Greco-Roman mummies, as well as the golden burial mask of the boy king Tutankhamun himself.  

**Night:**Wrap up your day with a sunset cruise aboard early-evening cruise on the Nile River aboard a felucca, a traditional Egyptian sailboat. Follow this up with a visit to the Khan el-Khalili Souk, full of busy lanes and stalls selling everything from handicrafts to Egyptian cotton items to locally made small-batch perfumes.

Day 2: Ancient Archaeology

**Morning:**Get up early and head out to the Giza Pyramids, a short jaunt from Cairo—made easier on a tour with round-trip transport. Along with the three famous pyramids, the site is home to a number of smaller pyramids and ancient sites, the most notable of which is the iconic Great Sphinx.  

**Afternoon:**Spend your afternoon exploring the ancient ruins of Memphis, Egypt’s ancient capital city—some tours include this stop with one in Giza as well as Saqqara. In Saqqara you find the step pyramid of Djoser, likely the first stone monument in the area and inspiration for construction of the Giza pyramids.

**Night:**In the evening, return to Cairo for a dinner cruise on the Nile River. Most cruises last around two hours and feature a wide variety of food and drinks, with live traditional folk music and dance along with belly dance performances.