Cairo, Egypt
Top places to visit in Cairo
6 places worth your time in Cairo, with what each is actually like and when to go.
Last updated 2026-08-08
1. Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
Photo: en:User:Hajor · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
The last surviving wonder of the ancient world, on the edge of the city rather than deep in desert as photographs imply.
Where: GizaMap: Open in Maps Best time: At opening, around 08:00, before both heat and crowdsWatch out Camel and horse handlers quote a low price for a ride up, then demand a much larger sum to bring you back down. Agree the return leg explicitly, or walk.
2. Grand Egyptian Museum
Photo: George Wang · Pexels License · source
The vast new museum beside the plateau, holding the complete Tutankhamun collection together for the first time.
Where: GizaMap: Open in Maps Tip: Allow at least half a day. The Tutankhamun galleries alone take over an hour.
3. Khan el-Khalili
Photo: Muhamad Guruh Budi Hartono · Pexels License · source
A souk since the fourteenth century — copper, glass, spice and perfume — with the historic El Fishawy café at its centre.
Where: Islamic CairoMap: Open in Maps Tip: Bargaining is expected; opening prices are several times the close.
4. Saqqara and the Step Pyramid
Photo: Dee Willi · Pexels License · source
Djoser's stepped pyramid, the oldest large stone building anywhere, in a necropolis older than Giza.
5. Islamic Cairo and the Citadel
Photo: AXP Photography · Pexels License · source
Saladin's citadel and the Muhammad Ali Mosque above a dense medieval quarter of madrasas and minarets.
Map: Open in Maps Best time: Late afternoon for the view over the city
6. Coptic Cairo
Photo: HoudaBelabd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue and Saints Sergius and Bacchus in the old Roman fortress quarter.
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