Introduction

Egypt, land of the Pharaohs, is one of the world's most exotic destinations and an amazing place to visit with its ancient sites, natural beauty and cultural richness. The pyramids, temples and tombs of the Pharaohs have stood the test of time for thousands of years and are truly an awesome sight not to be missed.

Cairo, situated on the River Nile, is the capital of Egypt and one of the largest cities in the world with a population in excess of 16 million people. In Cairo, visitors must visit the Pyramids and Sphinx on the Giza Plateau. Don't miss the Egyptian Museum which holds the amazing treasures of King Tutankhamen. Visitors can also try out your bargaining powers in the bazaars where you will find great buys.

Travel to Cairo

Midan Tahrir is the centre of the modern city with many shops, hotels, transport and the Egyptian Museum. Gezira and Zamalek are upmarket suburbs on an island in the Nile across the bridges from Midan Tahrir. The Cairo Tower is located on this island. Giza is the western district of the city where the Giza plateau and the Pyramids are located. Sakkara is an area south of Giza with many pyramids including the famous step pyramid. Heliopolis and Nasr City are upmarket residential and retail areas close to the Airport.

Cairo International Airport (CAI) is served by Egypt Air (the national carrier and a Star Alliance member), British Airways, Air France, KLM, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines. The airport is located on the north-eastern outskirts of the city at Heliopolis.Terminal 1 ("Domestic Terminal") is used by EgyptAir for all flights, domestic and international. Terminal 2 ("New Airport") is used by all other airlines. The two terminals are 3 km apart and a free shuttle bus runs between the two every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Taxi is the easiest the way to get to the city. A taxi to downtown Cairo should be around LE 40.

Public Bus services are available to the city. Outside Terminal 1 there is an undercover bus station with buses to the downtown area. It takes about one hour to downtown and costs about 2 EGP. To travel from downtown to the airport, take a bus at the bus terminal just north of the Egyptian Museum (under the highway bridge). The buses run every 30 minutes, the journey takes about one hour and is inexpensive (about 2 Egyptian Pounds). The bus stops at Terminal 1. To get to Terminal 2 (international departures) take the free shuttle bus. There is an express bus from the airport to Alexandria every 30-60 minutes depending on the time of day.

Cairo Transport

Taxis are available everywhere and are very inexpensive by western standards. There are two types of taxi – the old ones and the new ones. The old black taxis are relics about 40 years old and look un-roadworthy. The old meters do no work and you must negotiate the fare before you get in or you will be overcharged. The new taxis have working meters but ensure the driver uses it or you will be overcharged. Hailing a taxi on the street may be cheaper than getting one from outside a five-star hotel. It is highly recommended that you carry small change so that you can give the driver the exact fare or close to it. Do not give a large note as drivers are reluctant to giving change. The traffic does not necessarily drive in defined lanes but rather weaves all over the road and fills the gaps. A three lane road in the western world would have four vehicles across in Egypt. Beware that the taxi driver may drive quite fast, erratically and very close to other vehicles.

Train services are available from Ramses Station (Cairo's main railway station) to Alexandria. The non-stop service to Alexandria takes 2 hours and 40 min. Train services to Luxor and Aswan are available at the Giza Railway Station. There is a sleeper train every night to Luxor and Aswan. The normal trains are slow, uncomfortable and take 10 hours to Luxor and 13 hours to Aswan. It is recommended to fly. Trains in Egypt are not the same standard as Europe so first class is recommended although second class is reasonably comfortable. Trains also depart to the canal cities, but buses are much faster.

Coaches to the canal cities (eg Port Said) are frequent (usually hourly) from Turgoman station, cost 20-30 LE, and takes about two hours. Coaches to Sharm al-Sheikh are frequent (usually hourly) and take approximately 8 hrs (80 LE). Some services continue to Dahab.

Metro trains run between 6am and midnight on two lines with a third line (to the airport) under construction and the fare is only 1 EGP for any trip. The Metro is one way to get to Giza to view the Pyramids, although you need to complete the trip taking a microbus at the Giza station (change to microbus for "al-haram"). Each train has two carriages reserved for women, which are located in the middle section of the train. There are no timetables as departures are very frequent.

Public Buses are very inexpensive but may be difficult for visitors to use as the driver may not understand English. One of the largest bus stations is located behind the Egyptian Museum in Midan Tahrir. It is relatively easy to take a bus from here to the airport. Taxis are a better option especially with two or more persons travelling together.

Walking around the main streets in Cairo is fairly safe except you may encounter overly friendly persons who want you to visit their shop or show you an interesting part of town. People will try to scam you or convince you that they are a Cairo tourist guide and can help you. It is best to ignore these people as they only want to take money off you. The traffic in Cairo is erratic and dangerous. It is difficult to cross the road safely and motorists will not stop for you. Women can walk around by themselves by may encounter cat-calls and admiring glances from local men.

Car rental is not recommended as the traffic is very heavy and does not necessarily follow western road rules. It is much better and relatively inexpensive to hire a car with a driver and negotiate a fixed rate for the day (or half day).

Cairo Weather

Summer in Cairo is hot, with daytime temperatures over 30C (can reach 36C in July and August). At night temperatures can reach 30C. The cooler season, between October and April has more pleasant temperatures of 16-22C during the day and 10-16C (50-60F) at night. Sun protection is important as the UV exposure risk can be extreme especially in summer. The best time to visit Cairo is during the winter from November to March, when daytime highs generally stay below 25C, with night time lows around 10C.

Cairo Attractions

Giza Pyramids and Sphinx are the last remaining wonders of the ancient world built over 4600 years ago and the country's most famous tourist attraction.

The Giza Plateau has three large pyramids - The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) is 137 m (449 ft) high and contains over 2 million blocks of stone. The Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) is slightly smaller than the Great Pyramid although just as impressive. The Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus) is the smallest of the Giza Pyramids at 62 m (203 ft) high. Climbing the Pyramids is officially forbidden and extremely dangerous as they are very steep and rough.

Solar Barque Museum is located alongside the southern face of the Great Pyramid and displays an excavated and reconstructed "solar boat", buried along with the Pharaoh for use on his daily journey with the sun across the sky.

Sphinx and the Temple of the Sphinx is the colossal human-headed lion 45 meters long, 22 meters wide and carved from a single giant block of sandstone

Pyramids Sound and Light Show is a spectacular evening show at the Giza pyramids featuring a dazzling laser display highlighting the details of the Pyramids and displaying historical scenes on the sides of the Great Pyramid. The "voice of the Sphinx" narrates the history of the Giza Plateau and its place in Egyptian history. [adult admission LE 60]

Egyptian Museum contains a magnificent collection of pharaonic treasures dating back 5000 years. Professional tourist guides are available for hire to explain the treasures of this fascinating museum.

Horse riding in the desert next to the Great Pyramids is a popular activity especially at sunrise, sunset and on moonlit nights. FB Stables on Gamal Abdul Nasser St is one of the quality stables near the Sphinx where visitors can ride for an hour or join a half day trip to Sakkara or camp overnight with a barbecue dinner. FB Stables has a great rooftop terrace with spectacular views of the Pyramids and the Sound and Light show.

Dahshur Pyramids gives an idea how the Pyramid building techniques developed in Ancient Egypt. View the Bent and Red pyramids, both older than those at Giza, as well as the remains of others in the area.

Memphis Museum is an open-air museum displaying many fascinating relics from the ancient world.

Sakkara Step Pyramid is one of the first great pyramids and is a must-see sight when visiting Cairo. It is not far from the Memphis Museum.

Health

All visitors to Egypt are recommended to carry a medication for gastro and diarrhea as it is very common. Be careful what you eat trying to avoid raw leafy vegetables, egg-based dressings like mayonnaise and minced meat. Ensure all food is thoroughly cooked. Dining in hotels and on cruise boats is generally safe. It is recommended to only drink (and brush your teeth with) bottled water which is available at all corner stores.

Communications

Your mobile phone will pick up one of the local networks but calls home may be expensive. Internet access is available in many hotels and cafes including McDonalds at reasonable prices or free. Dial-up internet access is free through landline telephone lines but with a slow connection speed.

Culture

Egypt is predominantly a Muslim country so say nothing that might be perceived as an insult to Islam or the Egyptian culture. Tourists, especially women, should wear modest clothes to avoid causing offense or attracting unwanted attention from locals. Open public displays of affection such as passionate kissing, cuddling, caressing or petting may cause offense to locals. When visiting a Mosque remove your shoes before entering and avoid walking in front of persons in prayer.

Dining

Visitors can purchase inexpensive meals at American fast food chains in Cairo, including KFC and McDonalds.

Traditional Coffee Houses are very popular serving Turkish coffee, tea and the water pipe (shisha). The Shisha is usually available in two varieties, pure tobacco and apple-flavor with other fruit varieties sometimes available. Smoking a waterpipe is no longer a male-only pastime.

Beyond Cairo

Luxor is built on the site of Egypt's ancient capital, Thebes and is a treasure trove of magnificent temples and monuments. On the East Bank of the Nile are the spectacular temples of Karnak and Luxor with their famous obelisks. On the West Bank lies the sacred burial ground of Egypt's ancient pharaohs, the Valley of the Kings.

Aswan is one of the most scenic and peaceful locations on the Nile. Here the river meanders around scattered botanical islands and rocky cataracts while traditional feluccas with graceful sails drift silently past. Visitors must explore the High Dam, the granite quarries where obelisks where carved out of the rock and the impressive Philae Temple.

Abu Simbel are the temples of Ramess II and Queen Nefertari, built more than 3000 years ago, and are among the most spectacular monuments in the world. Lake Nasser, the largest man-made lake in the world, was created in 1961 when the High Dam was constructed at Aswan. The ancient Nubian temples that stood along the Nile were threatened with submersion and a major rescue effort was launched by UNESCO. Many of these unique temples, including the most spectacular at Abu Simbel were relocated to new sites away from the rising waters of the lake.

Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 331BC, is the second largest city in Egypt located on the Mediterranean coast about 3 hours drive from Cairo. The most interesting sites for visitors are the Greco-Roman Museum, the Catacombs, Montazah Gardens, Pompey's Pillar, Fort Qaitbey, Amphitheatre and the Alexandria Library. Alexandria is well known for its seafood restaurants and beautiful coastline. Another popular attraction is the Battle Field Cemetery and Military Museum at El Alamein where the Allies fought the Germans in World War II.

Sharm al-Sheikh is a popular seaside resort town at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsular. It is accessible by regular flights from Cairo or Luxor.

Dahab is a popular seaside resort town on the south-eastern coast of the Sinai peninsular. The area is well known as a diving and snorkeling haven with excellent coral reefs and clear waters.

Mt Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery is the religious site where Moses supposedly received the Ten Commandments from God. Climb Mt Sinai at 2am to view the sunrise. Later descend to the Monastery of St Catherine, one of the oldest in the Christian world, built on the site of the "burning bush", where God supposedly spoke to Moses. The Monastery holds a rich collection of icons and an extensive library. Mt Sinai is a 3 hour drive from Sharm al-Sheikh.