Cairo, located on the River Nile is the capital city of Egypt. The city is highly recognized for its star attraction: the Pyramid of Giza. Dating back to some 2000 years ago, today’s Cairo has been through many religious influences from Egyptian civilisation to Islam and Christianity. The city boasts of impressive skyscrapers, ancient landmarks and mosques. While no one forgets to remember King Tutankhamun, it gets interesting for visitors to visit the Egyptian Museum and admire his relics.
Best Time to Visit
Cairo is visited by tourists throughout the year. June to August gets hot and humid while December to February enjoys a favorable climate when hordes of tourists plan to visit the city. Cairo International Film Festival, Coptic Christmas and Eid al-Fitr are famous festivals that are celebrated here enthusiastically. Find best
hotels in Cairo at Goibibo.
Places to Visit
Grand Egyptian Mosque is one of the notable attractions in the city. The museum displays royal mummies, priceless Egyptian and Roman antiquities, artefacts of the renowned King Tutankhamun and well-kept treasures of ancient pharaohs. Giza Necropolis and the Great Sphinx that date back to the 26th century are acknowledged as history’s treasures to the modern world. At the heart of Coptic Cairo, lie Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church and the Greek Church of St. George. Cairo Citadel and Azhar Mosque are praised for the Islamic style architecture. One thing you cannot miss is the walk along the River Nile. Museum of Islamic Art is another place to acknowledge history. Khan Al-Khalili Bazaar is a sprawling market located in the city’s heart where you can shop stuff from exotic spices to shiny brassware. Not just stores selling stuff, there are also many shisha bars and cafes in this bazaar where you can stop and calm your tourists’ nerves.
Food and Restaurants
From Middle-Eastern cuisine to European and Mediterranean, visitors have a variety of options to choose from.
Koshary,
Ful Mudamas (popular breakfast),
Fattah,
Mahshi,
Fiteer Baladi (Egyptian style pizza),
Fseekh,
Kebda Sandwiches,
Hawawshi, and
Torshi (pickles) are traditional dishes of Egypt.
Baklava,
Kunafah,
Basboosa and
Om Ali are four popular desserts for sweet lovers. Koshary, Abou Tarek, Gad, Farahat, O’Pasta, Fatatri El Hussein, Zooba, Kazouza, Kebdet el Prince, Hawashi el Rafaey, Sabaya, Copenhagen, U Bistro & Bar, Revolving Restaurant, Sequoia are well-known restaurants in the city. Zamalek and downtown Cairo have plenty of bars and restaurants. There are also traditional
ahwas (coffeehouses) to sip Arabic coffee and enjoy shisha.
Transportation
Cairo International Airport (CAI) is the main airport serving the city. The city connects to several international destinations with direct and connecting flights. However, there are very less direct flights between Mumbai and Cairo but there are several connecting flights between Cairo and Indian cities.
EgyptAir provides non-stop travel to Cairo while
Oman Air,
Kuwait Airways,
Air Arabia,
Saudia Airlines and
Etihad are some airlines that provide non-stop travel from India.
Cheap flight tickets from here to other popular cities can be booked online on Goibibo. Also, flight status & other details related to flight booking & air tickets can be easily accessed on it. So for cheapest air tickets, it is recommended to book flights online. Taxis and London Cab are efficient for travel from the airport to places in the city. Cairo is a huge city and transport systems here are well-maintained. There are a number of bus services that ply between Cairo and other cities of Egypt. You can avail air-conditioned and normal buses by booking in advance or reaching the spot.
For getting around the city, Cairo Metro, local buses, microbuses, river buses and Nile taxis are affordable options. Cairo Metro covers popular attractions such as the Egyptian Museum. You can also take the river bus to reach Old Cairo. Uber and Careem are app-based cab services that efficiently take you through the city. Rental cars are available but due to clogging traffic and lack of parking places, these are not recommended.