Note: The things to do and see in Egypt are not in order based on best to worse or vice versa. I went in order to what we
did on our trip.
1. Sharm el Sheikh
If you go to Egypt then definitely book a flight to Sharm el-Sheikh. It’s on the coastal strip along the Red Sea, with warm water and has miles of beautiful beaches. This is a great relaxing break during your trip to Egypt. Some excellent places to hang out and eat in Sharm is the Little Buddha restaurant and the Camel Bar.
2 – ATV riding, Tea & a Bedouin dinner (Sharm el Sheikh)
3 – Shopping in Cairo
Check out the Festival City Mall and the InterContinental Citystars Mall. The Citystars Mall is full of a great mix of American, European and Egyptian stores. This mall has 7 floors, approx. 650 shops, a theatre, food courts (yes, more than one), restaurants/cafes and 3 hotels connected to it. The weekends are really busy, so if you still want to see the mall busy but not to a crazy extent then go on a Friday. We stayed at the InterContinental that is connected to Citystars, which made it really easy to go to the mall when ever we remembered something we wanted to buy. Also convenient to have it so close when you’ve had a long day touring Cairo and still want to feel like you’re outside getting the most of this beautiful country. If you haven’t chosen a hotel yet, I highly recommend this one.
4 – The Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza
The best way to see the Pyramids and Sphinx in Giza is by horseback riding to them. Having a guide is fun so they can teach you some history while you gaze at these wonders of the world. We went inside the great pyramid and it was definitely worth it! You may get hustled outside the Pyramids by children and men asking you to buy souvenirs. We just couldn’t resist and bought some.
5 – The Egyptian Museum
The museum is located by the famous Tahrir Square. Exhibits at the museum include a collection of King Tut’s items and an amazing display of the new kingdom royal mummies. There are no cameras allowed in the museum, so they confiscate cameras at the door and give you a ticket to get it back on your way out. If you try to take any pictures with your phone, be aware that they have some under cover workers there that look like regular people, that will catch you and ask you to delete the picture right away. Someone in our group tried taking pictures and that was the outcome.
6 – National Military Museum
When you plan your day to go to the National Military Museum, add number 7 to your list because they’re close to each other. If you love learning about the history of a country then definitely go here. There’s a lot to learn and the exhibits are beautiful.
7 – Old Mosques
Right outside the Military museum you can walk to the Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque. You will be in awe at the amazing architecture.
8 – Authentic Egyptian Food
Make dinner plans at Abou Shakra restaurant for authentic Egyptian food. The best food we had in Egypt was at this restaurant.
9 – Khan el Kahlili Market
Spend an afternoon shopping inside the Khan El–Khalili bazaar, where you can easily get lost in the, what looks like hundreds of alley ways to different parts of the bazaar, dedicated to different items. A section for jewellery, scarves, fabrics, food, souvenirs, hookahs and more. Most importantly there is so much history within these streets. The Bab al-Ghuri gate (seen below) dates back to 1503-1505.
10 – Dinner by the Nile
While you’re by the Nile, if the weather is beautiful go for a 30-45 min cruise down the Nile. But first go for brunch at Left Bank in Zamalek, followed by dinner at Seqoia. I was in love with Seqoia’s ambiance and decor. Under a big white tent, splashes of pastel and the fresh smell of the Nile, it couldn’t be a more perfect spot for dinner. The service was spot on and the food was delicious.
