Stories · Egypt
A weekend in Cairo
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
My first time in Cairo, I tried to see everything and mostly saw queues. Now I do it differently: a few places a day, the right ones, in the right order. Here is my 2-day thread.
Day 1 · The icons
Early in the morning, head to Al-Azhar Mosque. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.8 out of 5 across 20,976 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise go through Tiqets.
Around noon, I make my way to خان جعفر. I always pick two or three rooms rather than seeing everything. You walk out light. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
At lunchtime, stay around Cairo Governorate 4293024: a noisy room, a dish of the day, and you’ve understood everything.
After lunch, it’s Cairo. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Everyone goes; everyone is right. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
In the evening, meet me at Al-Azhar Park. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. Unmissable, and for good reason. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (41,390 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise go through Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Cairo is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 2 · The icons
In the morning, it’s Mosque of Muhammad Ali. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Everyone goes; everyone is right. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (7,633 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or go through Tiqets.
Then, head to Saladin Citadel. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.6 out of 5 across 36,797 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
For lunch, Cairo Governorate 4252360 is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, I make my way to Mosque of Ibn Tulun. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Everyone goes; everyone is right. 4.7 out of 5 across 5,336 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
As the light fades, meet me at Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. The audio guides are worth it; otherwise, follow a group and steal three anecdotes on the way. Travellers give it 4.6 out of 5 (6,360 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Cairo does the rest.
If you’re still hungry
I still have a few up my sleeve: Hanging Church, The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, Abdeen Palace Museum, Giza Necropolis and Khan el-Khalili. Your call.
My advice
Walk. Then take public transport: that is where you see the city live.
Book the busiest places the day before: queues have ruined more than one morning.
Keep a little local cash: the best addresses are often the least equipped.
There. The rest is yours: the detours, the encounters, the café that becomes your own.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
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