Cairo, "El-Qahira" is where I was born and raised till the age of 8 before moving to Boston.
Cairo is a city that never sleeps! It's noisy, polluted, over populated, chaotic, intense, but it holds so much history, culture, and fun. The people of Egypt are super generous, and have a great sense of humor. Egypt is also known as the "Hollywood" of the Middle East, and entertainment is a BIG deal here.
It has been a long nine years since I was in my "motherland". Last time I was in Cairo, I was single, traveling with my mom and sister. This time I was married with two kids that have never met or seen my extended family.
This trip was mainly to see and to introduce them to my family, but In between visiting family, we were able to get in some great sight seeing and visit some historic places like:
We stayed with family, but if you are not visiting family, or just need a break from the family, I would highly recommend the following:
Where to stay for the best sightseeing/accessibility: Cairo is a huge city with several neighborhoods in close proximity to the major tourist attractions. Many of these luxury hotels are set along the Nile River, while budget hotels are scattered around the city. The best places to stay is the Garden City district and Gezira Island, both are centrally located in Cairo and close to some of the major attractions, including the Egyptian Museum.
Here are some of the highly rated hotels in or around these locations:
Luxury Hotels: In the Garden City district, along the Nile River, the Kempinski Nile Hotel is a charming boutique hotel with restaurants, rooms and suites with balconies, and a beautiful pool area that overlooks the Nile River and the city. Another beauty, which is also nearby and overlooking the Nile is the Four Seasons. The Four Seasons offers some of the best views, with three heated rooftop pools, spacious rooms, suites, and multiple restaurants and a sweet spa. Down the southern end of Gezira Island, you will find the Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah, which is an elegant five-star property with outstanding service, the most incredible views over the Nile from the rooms, with great restaurants, and a cool infinity pool. Marriott Mena House, a beautiful hotel, with frequent visits from celebrities, and dignitaries. This historic, 5-star hotel offers modern luxury, which is set on base of the Pyramids (you can't get a better view)! Hotel guests can walk to one of Egypt's most popular attractions like; The Giza resort club, the Sphinx, Pyramids, Cairo University and the Egyptian Museum. Inside the hotel, guests can relax in upscale rooms with fantastic views of the pool, gardens or the Pyramids. There is an outdoor pool, 24-hour gym, spa and various restaurants.
Mid-Range Hotels: the historic Windsor Hotel was built in the late 1800s and was used as a colonial British officers club. The hotel still has and maintains an aura of olden times. The hotel is centrally located and within walking distance of several key attractions. Just a few steps away from the Egyptian Museum is the Golden Hotel, with spacious, air-conditioned rooms and free continental breakfast. In cosmopolitan Zamalek you will find Hotel Longchamps, which is a relaxing boutique hotel nestled away from the city's non stop chaos. This hotel has a great staff and sizeable rooms.
Budget Hotels: Just about all of Cairo's budget accommodations are based downtown. The Bella Luna is in the center of the action and has clean, basic rooms in town. The Osiris Hotel offers basic but comfortable rooms with some traditional style and features, as well as the Berlin Hotel, which is within walking distance to the Egyptian Museum.
Tips and Tours: How to Make the Most of Your Visit to Cairo
A sightseeing tour is a great way to see Cairo's highlights without the hassle of finding your way around, dealing with aggressive touts, and having to negotiate prices. Having a well versed tour guide, you can relax and enjoy the sights while you learn about the attractions from a qualified Egyptologist. These tours also include convenient hotel pickup and drop-off, as well as entrance to many of the sites. Below are some fun sightseeing tours that guarantee the lowest price:
Visit the Pyramids: The pyramids are the highlight of a visit to Egypt, and the Private Tour: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, Sakkara takes you to see these icons, as well as other important sites out of the city, including the World Heritage-listed ruins of ancient Egypt's capital at Memphis. Since this tour is private, you have the flexibility to tailor the timing and add an optional upgrade that includes lunch and a visit to Giza's Solar Boat Museum.
City Sights: If you've already seen the pyramids, the takes you to explore some of Cairo's other top attractions guided by an experienced Egyptologist. This full-day tour is private, so you can tailor the itinerary to suit your interests, spending more time at your favorite attractions. You can also add a visit to the Papyrus Institute.
Egypt Major Sights and Nile Cruise: Zein Nile Boat at Sanctuary Retreats is rated one of the top in luxury experience, and only has four cabins and two suites, so only available for private charters, but worth every penny! If you are looking for more of a budget/non private cruise, The seven-night Cairo and Aswan tour includes trips to the Egyptian Museum and the Giza Pyramids before whisking you down to Aswan for a Nile Cruise to Luxor, with a free day in Cairo at the end for you to check out the rest of the city's sights.
More tips & information:
Radwa Tarek Tour Guide: Email: radwa_tarek_guide@yahoo.com Website: Discovering Egypt. Very informative Tour guide, that speaks excellent English.
Besides going on guided tours, and walking around, I would highly recommend Uber (in particular UberX/Select and costs anywhere from $2-$5)
DO NOT DRINK the water (only bottled water) that includes washing your teeth, unless the hotel you're staying in has filtered water and even then I would be careful.
Downtown Katameya city center. This is a great spot during the day or at night. They have kids area where you can leave the kids and relax and one of many cafes or shop around the area. In the evening they have rows of cafes, with hookahs and food. It's a hip spot in Cairo to hang out.
Eat & Barrel- A hip rooftop bar and restaurant with great views of the Nile River.
Abo Haidar- The GOD of Shawarma! It's nothing like you had before, served on Kaiser buns, pita, or large buns....One of the best in the city!
Sayed Hanafy and Koshari Abou Tarek are two top spots for your Koshari fix (one of Egypt's dishes that you have to try)
Zooba- is a cute & quirky new spot to eat another traditional street foods like Ful & Falafel. There is a TON of places in Egypt that serve this yummy meal, but this cute spot gives you a bit more.
And last but not least the Best Kebab and Kofta that I have ever eaten would have to go to Soudi-(01289938171 or 01201000880) No other information on the web, but ask any Uber/Taxi driver and they will know where it is (it's definitely hidden, but well worth the visit), it is not in the greatest area, and it's not fancy at all, but the food is amazing.
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