2 days in Cairo

Day by day

1. Day 1: Pyramids of Giza and Great Sphinx

   Pyramids of Giza, Great Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Museum and National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, then Khan el-Khalili in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Pyramids of Giza

      You can walk around the bases, enter the Great Pyramid's narrow passages with an extra ticket, and see all three together from the panoramic viewpoint to the south-west.

   2. Late morning

      Great Sphinx

      The terrace beside Khafre's Valley Temple, built of massive granite blocks, gives the classic view with a pyramid behind.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Koshari

      Koshari restaurants across the city; Abou Tarek on Champollion Street Downtown is the best known.

   4. Afternoon

      Grand Egyptian Museum

      A colossal statue of Ramesses II stands in the atrium, a grand staircase lined with royal statues climbs to the main galleries, and the complete treasure of Tutankhamun is displayed together for the first time.

   5. Late afternoon

      National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

      Beside the Ain el-Sira lake in Fustat, NMEC tells Egypt's story from prehistory to the present, and its dimly lit Royal Mummies Hall holds the mummies of rulers such as Ramesses II and Hatshepsut, moved here in a televised parade in 2021.

   6. Evening

      Khan el-Khalili

      Come in the late afternoon and stay into the evening, when the lanes and the square by Al-Hussein Mosque are at their liveliest; bargain firmly but politely.

2. Day 2: Al-Azhar Mosque and Al-Muizz Street

   Al-Azhar Mosque, Al-Muizz Street, Al-Azhar Park and Bab Zuweila, then Felucca ride on the Nile in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Al-Azhar Mosque

      Its white marble courtyard is framed by arcades and minarets from several dynasties, and visitors are welcome outside prayer times.

   2. Late morning

      Al-Muizz Street

      The main street of the medieval Fatimid city runs from Bab al-Futuh south to Bab Zuweila, lined with some of the finest Islamic architecture anywhere: the Qalawun complex with its hospital and mausoleum, the madrasa of Barquq, ornate sabil-kuttab fountains and the Ottoman merchant's house of Bayt al-Suhaymi.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ful medames

      Street carts and ful shops in every neighbourhood, busiest early in the morning.

   4. Afternoon

      Al-Azhar Park

      Work on the park uncovered a long stretch of the 12th-century Ayyubid city wall along its edge.

   5. Late afternoon

      Bab Zuweila

      Just south, the covered Street of the Tentmakers sells hand-stitched appliqué textiles.

   6. Evening

      Felucca ride on the Nile

      Agree the price for the boat and the length of the trip before boarding, and bring your own drinks and snacks.

Before you go

• Pyramids of Giza: Tickets for the Great Pyramid's interior are limited and sold separately from plateau entry; buy them early in the day or online.
• Grand Egyptian Museum: Buy timed tickets online in advance, especially for weekends and the winter high season.

If it rains

• Swap in Egyptian Museum (Tahrir) (Downtown): A guide helps make sense of the dense galleries, which are full of pieces you won't see elsewhere.
• Swap in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo): Take Metro Line 1 to Mar Girgis station, which stops right outside, and dress modestly for the churches.
• Swap in Manial Palace (Roda Island): It is a short taxi ride from Garden City and makes a quiet break from the big sights.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–23 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Metro. Three metro lines cross the city: Line 1 links Downtown (Sadat, under Tahrir Square) with Coptic Cairo (Mar Girgis) and Maadi, Line 2 runs west across the river towards Giza but not to the pyramids, and Line 3 serves Attaba near Islamic Cairo.

More or fewer days

• One day in Cairo
• 3 days in Cairo
• 4 days in Cairo
• 5 days in Cairo
• 7 days in Cairo

Questions travellers ask