Cairo

Cairo Tours

Most tour operators offer trips to Cairo from the hotels in Taba heights. The length of the trip varies with 1, 2 and 3 day options, most of these are by bus but there is the option to fly as it is a 5 hour bus journey. THe cost of a one day trip by air is £175, and the coach cost is £80 while the overnight trip which includes stopping in a 5 star hotel in Cairo on a half board basis costs £129(Thompsons prices June 2006).

Description of overnight tour with Thompsons
If your tour is by coach it is advisable to order a breakfast box from your hotel as this is a very early start 2.45 a.m. Although there is a tour representative on the bus, your guide will not meet you until you arrive in Cairo. The first stop in Cairo will be the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (no not the boxer) the most popular islamic Mosque for tourists. (Modest dress is needed as you enter the Mosque, shoulders and knees need to be covered for men and women. However there are ladies handing out gowns at the door for those tourists that have forgot).

After the Mosque you are given a city tour of Cairo en-route to lunch by the Nile, at the well known Egyptian restaurant the Hard Rock Cafe. After lunch Cairo's Museum of antiquities is next on the agenda. Here Tutankhamuns treasures can be found together with thousands of other archaeologist discoveries.

For the shoppers amongst you, haggling is next on the agenda at Khan El Khalil, Cairo's most famous bazzar, said to the biggest in Africa. At this stage and after the early moring start you will be ready for the next stop of the hotel and have a well deserved rest. An optional night time excursion can be purchased of the Pyramid sound and light show (this is only available to those booking the overnight tour)

Day 2
After a restful night, pick up will be around 8:00 a.m for your trip to Saqqara the step Pyramid, to the see the oldest known Pyramid. Then on to the main reason most people come on this trip, the Pyramids of Giza the only wonder of the ancient world still standing today. Your morning will be taken up discovering the Pyramids and the Sphinx.

If you wish to enter one of the Pyramids a seperate ticket must be purchased at Giza on the day of the tour, however these tickets are limited.

Once again lunch is served late with traditonal Egyptian meal with chicken to die for roasted on the outdoor barbecue.

Remember

• Passports
• Comfortable shoes
• Sunhat/suncream
• Camera
• Bottled Water

Upgrades can be obtained to have your own private guide for £35 pp.

Cairo Information
Cairo is also called the administrative capital of Egypt. The official name of the Cairo is al-Qahirah. It is one of the largest cities of the world. Apart from its importance as administrative capital of Egypt, Cairo is also famous for the close proximity to nearly all pyramids in the Egypt. The Great Gaza Pyramids are situated on the edge of Cairo city. Apart from the pyramids, there are many ancient holy places of worship located either in the city premises or within in the close proximity of city. Some of the important amongst these are Temples, Christian Churches, Muslim Monuments and Tombs. The Antiquities Museum is also one of the places to visit.

Apart from its holy importance Cairo is also popular center for shopping amongst Egyptians and tourists. There are big markets providing all sorts of goods. It is one of the busiest cities of the Egypt. Cairo has all modern facilities, though it is an ancient city.

There are number of famous ancient monuments in and around Cairo City. One may not require a guide to describe the importance of these monuments as most of them have various markers and boards giving complete descriptions. Following are the places/areas to visit in Cairo.

Modern City of Cairo
Modern Cairo city is situated at the centre of the Cairo. It is surrounded by Islamic city towards east, old city towards south, and Nile River to its west. There are number of interesting tourist places. Khan-el-Khalili is the famous shopping place. You can purchase antique books, souvenirs, glass wear, watches as well as clothes from this market. You can tour the Cairo in taxies or may take a day tour according to your time, either Cairo alone or the entire Egypt. Cairo is considered good place for touring Egypt due to transport facilities available in Cairo and its proximity to other cities and places of tourist interest.

The Islamic Cairo
This part of Cairo is not considered as ancient area. But it is medieval in nature. Islamic city encompasses the medieval history from start to end.

Old Cairo
Old Cairo mainly predates the modern Cairo city to Babylon and Roman era. Some of the oldest churches in the world are situated in this area. Also, one of the oldest mosques in the world is located in this area. This is a common popular area for tourists.

Gaza Pyramids and West Bank
The great Gaza Pyramids are located on the edge of Cairo city. The west bank of Nile river is also a popular place for tourists as one can enjoy the pleasure of natural scenery of Cairo from this bank. There are number of famous restaurants and shopping malls in this area.

Heliopolis Area
Heliopolis was built in 1906. Initially this area was separate from the Cairo city. With the increase in construction now the area appears to be part of Cairo. This area is located towards north of the city. In earlier days there was building code of neo-Arabic style. Its beauty attracted many upper class families and as a result of this you see number of exotic houses in this area.

Cairo city has preserved its culture in the form of art galleries, museums, music halls. Cairo Opera house is one of the famous music halls in the Egypt. Cairo has the reputation of having grandest accommodation facilities and number of restaurants in the world.

Apart from visits to popular ancient monuments and shopping Cairo also provides opportunity for entertainment like Casinos and leisure and nightlife activities. You get an opportunity to shop from ancient unchanged bazzars like Khan-el-Khalili as well as from modern air-conditioned shopping centers in the Cairo. You can enrich your treasure of clothes, jewelry, perfumes from these markets. Some other popular products available in the markets are spices, carpets, ceramic, leather-work, glass and mashrabiva. You can enjoy the fascinating trip of camel market. All this makes the Cairo ‘shopper’s paradise’.