Cairo 7-day itinerary

Arrive at 7am at the Giza Plateau (E£540). The Great Pyramid of Khufu has stood for 4,500 years — 2.3 million stone blocks, originally cased in polished white limestone. Walk between Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure pyramids. See the Sphinx — carved from a single limestone outcrop. The panoramic viewpoint behind gives the classic shot. Optional: enter the Great Pyramid (E£800).

Walk to the Grand Egyptian Museum — the world's largest archaeological museum. Tutankhamun's golden mask, the solid gold inner sarcophagus, and 5,000+ tomb artifacts are the centrepiece. The Ramesses II colossus towers over the grand entrance. Allow 3–4 hours minimum. Lunch at the museum café overlooking the pyramids (E£200–400).

Stay at Giza for sunset — watch the pyramids turn golden then pink as the sun drops behind the Sahara. The Sound and Light Show (E£600) illuminates the pyramids and Sphinx with a narrated history. Dinner at 9 Pyramids Lounge — rooftop dining with direct pyramid views (E£300–600). Uber back to your hotel in downtown Cairo or Zamalek.

Start at the Citadel of Saladin (E£300) — the medieval fortress complex overlooking Cairo. Visit the Muhammad Ali Mosque (Alabaster Mosque) with its massive dome and twin Ottoman minarets. The panoramic terrace offers views from the pyramids to the desert beyond. Then descend through the Bab Zuweila gate area to the Street of the Tentmakers — where artisans still hand-sew the colourful appliqué fabric.

Walk Al-Muizz li-Din Allah Street — the "open-air museum" of Islamic Cairo with mosques, madrasas, and caravanserais spanning 1,000 years. Stop at Sultan Qalawun Complex and Al-Azhar Mosque (970 CE). Continue into Khan el-Khalili bazaar — haggle for copper lanterns, spices, and essential oils. Lunch at El Fishawi café (open since 1773) — mint tea, shisha, and foul medames (E£30–50).

Attend the free Al-Tannoura Egyptian Heritage Dance Troupe performance at the Al-Ghouri Complex (Wednesday and Saturday, 8:30pm) — Sufi-inspired whirling dervish dancing in a medieval caravanserai. The spinning performers in colourful skirts against the ancient stonework is mesmerising. Arrive 30 minutes early for a seat. Dinner in Islamic Cairo at a local koshari shop (E£30) or fiteer (Egyptian pizza, E£50–80).

Explore Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo) — the ancient Christian quarter. The Hanging Church (free) is built atop the Roman Babylon Fortress with a stunning inlaid ceiling and ancient icons. The Church of St. Sergius sheltered the Holy Family according to tradition. The Coptic Museum (E£200) has the world's largest collection of Coptic art spanning centuries. Ben Ezra Synagogue is one of the oldest in Egypt.

Walk through Downtown Cairo (Wust al-Balad) — once known as "Paris on the Nile." The area retains faded Belle Époque and Art Deco buildings from the 1920s–40s. Walk Talaat Harb Street past Café Riche (a literary landmark since 1908) to Tahrir Square. Lunch at Felfela — a Cairo institution since 1963 serving Egyptian classics (E£100–200). The Egyptian Museum on Tahrir (E£450) still has some important pieces.

Take a felucca (traditional Nile sailboat) at sunset from the Corniche near the Four Seasons — E£200–300/hour for the entire boat (fits 6–8 people). Drift past the Cairo skyline as the sun sets behind the pyramids. Then walk across to Zamalek island for dinner — try Abou El Sid for upscale Egyptian cuisine in a lavish interior (E£300–500) or Zooba for modern Egyptian street food (E£100–200).

Uber or private driver (E£200–300) to Saqqara. The Step Pyramid of Djoser (E£540 site entry) is the world's oldest stone building — 2,700 BCE. The recently opened interior (E£600 extra) reveals chambers with blue faience tiles. The surrounding necropolis has tombs with vivid wall paintings — the Tomb of Mereruka and the Serapeum (underground bull burials) are extraordinary.

Continue to Memphis (E£200) — see the colossal Ramesses II statue and the alabaster sphinx. Then Dahshur (E£200) — the Red Pyramid offers free interior access to the burial chamber. Descend the steep passage (50m) into the pyramid — no crowds, no extra ticket. The Bent Pyramid nearby shows how the ancient engineers corrected their angle mid-build. Lunch at a roadside restaurant — chicken and rice for E£60–80.

Return to Cairo and walk the Nile Corniche from Garden City to Zamalek at sunset. The river traffic — feluccas, river buses, and floating restaurants — against the fading light is quintessentially Cairo. Dinner at Tamarai on a Nile boat (E£300–500) or keep it local at Abou Tarek — Egypt's most famous koshari restaurant where the national dish costs E£30–50 for a heaping bowl.

Take the morning train from Cairo Ramses station to Alexandria (E£80–200 first class, 2.5 hours). Egypt's Mediterranean city was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. Start at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (E£100) — a modern tribute to the ancient Library of Alexandria with a massive tilted-disc design. The manuscript room and the Impressions of the World gallery are highlights.

Walk the Corniche along the Mediterranean — the crescent-shaped waterfront stretches for kilometres. Visit the Citadel of Qaitbay (E£200) — built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders). The fortress overlooks the harbour. Lunch at a fish restaurant — Alexandria is Egypt's seafood capital. Fish Market restaurant lets you choose your fish and have it grilled (E£200–400).

Visit the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa (E£200) — a Roman-era underground burial complex blending Egyptian, Greek, and Roman funerary art. The spiral staircase descends three levels into carved chambers. Then catch the evening train back to Cairo (last trains around 9–10pm). Have a final Alexandria coffee at a Corniche café watching the Mediterranean sunset.

For nature, take a half-day trip to Wadi Digla (E£30 entry) — a protected desert canyon 30 minutes from central Cairo with hiking trails and fossils. Or drive to Fayoum oasis (1.5 hours) for Wadi El-Rayan waterfalls and Lake Qarun. The desert landscape surrounding Cairo is surprisingly accessible and beautiful. Return to the city by lunchtime.

Join a Cairo food tour or self-guide through the city's best local food. Start at Foul El Katf in Sayeda Zeinab for the best foul in Cairo (E£10–20). Try fiteer at El Malek El Seouri — Egyptian layered pastry (E£50–100). Grab a ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel made from fava beans, E£5–10) from any street vendor. End at Mandarine Koueider for ice cream and Egyptian pastries.

Visit Cairo Tower (E£300) — the 187m lotus-shaped tower on Gezira Island with panoramic views over the city, the Nile, and the pyramids on clear evenings. The revolving restaurant at the top is overpriced but the views are spectacular. For nightlife, Zamalek has Cairo's best bars — Cairo Jazz Club for live music, or Left Bank for cocktails on the Nile (E£100–200 per cocktail).

Visit Al-Azhar Park (E£50) — a beautifully designed green space on a former rubbish dump, now one of the world's finest urban parks. Views over Islamic Cairo's minarets and the Citadel are magnificent. Wander through the Darb al-Ahmar neighbourhood below — a living medieval quarter where daily life continues among Mamluk architecture. Breakfast at a local foul cart and fresh juice from a street vendor.

Final souvenir shopping at Khan el-Khalili or the souks of Islamic Cairo. Best buys: hand-hammered copper lanterns (E£200–2,000), essential oils and perfumes (E£50–200), papyrus art from genuine papyrus workshops (beware banana leaf fakes), spices (cumin, saffron, hibiscus), and alabaster figurines from Luxor. Pack carefully — the copper lanterns are surprisingly sturdy.

Farewell dinner on a Nile cruise boat — Nile City Boat (E£500–800) or Le Pacha (a permanent floating restaurant, E£300–600). The city lights reflected on the Nile with the occasional felucca drifting past is the perfect final image. Or keep it simple — foul, ta'ameya, and fresh juice from a street corner, which captures Cairo's soul more than any fancy restaurant. Cairo Airport is 20km northeast.