48 hours in Cairo
The Egyptian capital of Cairo is a city brimming with history, culture and excitement. Ancient culture merges with a modern vibrant city scene to provide an unforgettable holiday experience.
With only 48 hours to get the most from Cairo, you’ll need to know how to get around and what not to miss to get the most out of your Egypt Holidays. Highlights include the Pyramids of Giza, Old Cairo and Midan Tahir.
Getting around Cairo is fairly easy and the city offers a good choice of public transport. Cairo’s metro system was the first in Africa and offers a fast and modern service. It uses two main lines and although it doesn’t take visitors to every part of the city, it does cover some key areas.
Using the metro will cost a flat rate of 1.00 LE for each journey, which makes it a very economical way of getting around, but it is wise to buy multiple tickets at once as it can take a while to purchase tickets.
Many visitors choose to get around via taxi and if you only have a couple of days in Cairo this can be the most efficient way to see everything you want to. The best option is to go for one of the Solid White Taxis, which usually have air conditioning and meters to ensure you pay what you should.
For a real local experience, the public buses offer the cheapest form of transport, although these can be fairly crowded. Visitors looking for a more comfortable bus experience with air conditioning can pay a little more for the smarter buses.
Midan Tahir is the modern, central area of Cairo and likely to be where your hotel is, or at least where you enter the city. This area has become known as ‘Paris on the Nile’ and is also Cairo’s transport hub and therefore the best place to travel from to reach other attractions across the city.
Midan Tahir offers many luxury hotels offering the best of Egyptian Cuisine and this may be the best place to head to for your evening meal. Attractions in Midan Tahir include the fascinating Egyptian Museum.
Be sure to give yourself at least a couple of hours at the Egyptian Museum. Thought to be one of the greatest museums in the world, it is home to one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts.
To get the most from the city and to understand its past, visitors cannot afford to miss the history of Old Cairo. This area is located in south Cairo and includes historic Islamic, Jewish and Christian places of worships.
Don’t miss the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo, which displays artefacts dating from antiquity right through Roman times and the Islamic era. The area can be reached via the Metro south line from Midan Tahir to the Mar Girgis station.
However short your time in Cairo, you will probably want to include a trip to the Pyramids of Giza, the most famous of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Pyramids can be reached via metro to Giza station and from there, a taxi or short bus will take you to the site itself.
It’s best to visit the pyramids very early in the morning before it gets too hot and again, you may want to give yourself at least two or three hours here before you head back to central Cairo for lunch.
No trip to Cairo is complete without at least a small amount of time spent on the Nile. Visitors can choose to catch a Felucca ride along the Nile, which can be caught from the Four Seasons Hotel. Alternatively, you may want to dine on board the SS Nile Peking, which is thought to be the boat featured in Agatha Christie’s ‘Death on the Nile’.
Getting the most of Cairo if you only have a couple of day is easy if you just do a bit of careful planning. Decide which attractions you most want to see, and then make a note of your public transport options and which stations you need for each attraction.
As one of the very cradles of civilisation, a trip to Egypt is an unforgettable experience that will enrich your understanding of human history. Nowadays you’ll find Cairo to be a modern, buzzing city full of friendly locals, beautiful cuisine and great attractions.
Category: Egypt
