Egypt's capital and its neighbour Giza hold the pyramids and the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum and the historic districts of Islamic and Coptic Cairo. It is also where our Western Desert trips to Bahariya Oasis begin.
Best time for Cairo and Giza tours
October to April is the most comfortable season for Cairo and Giza tours, with mild days that suit long walks around the pyramids and through the old city. Summer is hot, so plan the Giza plateau for the early morning and keep the Egyptian Museum, which is indoors, for the warmer hours.
Two days is a good minimum. One day covers the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum, and the other the historic districts of Islamic and Coptic Cairo, with their mosques, churches and old markets. Add a day for the pyramids of Saqqara and Dahshur, or use Cairo as the start of a Western Desert trip to Bahariya Oasis.
Do not miss the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, the treasures of the Egyptian Museum and an evening walk through the lanes of Islamic Cairo. The pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur belong to the UNESCO site of Memphis and its Necropolis, one of the oldest listed sites in the world. Wear comfortable shoes for the sand and the stone steps, dress modestly for mosques and churches, and bring a hat and water for the plateau.
