I would like to define Cairo as a Chaotic Beauty. Egypt's capital, with over 9 million people, also one of the largest cities in Africa, the largest in the Middle East, and with over 1,000 years of history, there are over a million reasons you should visit Egypt's historic capital. Here are nine things I recommend on you doing in Cairo.
1. Pyramids of Giza
Yes, of course, the pyramids are on top of the list on what to do in Cairo. The Pyramids themselves are located west of the Nile River and actually all tombs are located west of the river. The Egyptians would make the tombs on the West Bank since that was were the sun sets (signifying death) and they would live east of the river (signifying life). Anyhow, the cost of getting in the pyramids 160 EGP for students. I went in September which is low-season for tourist, it was very apparent as the pyramids were surprisingly empty (I also assume they looked empty since the space is so large). I rode a horse around the pyramids which I was doubting on doing so but it was actually really nice since the space is so large and by horse you can get to see a lot more. I didn't do a camel because I have rode a camel before and I feel it's very uncomfortable (lol) so I went for a horse. The original price they were offering me for the horse was $60 USD I was able to lower it to $40 USD but I still think I could have gone lower to be honest. I can write in this point more about the history but I'm sure once there you will be able to learn about it so what I want to state here is that as a tourist we ALL (including me) have to be very ethical in these situations. There are a lot of animal mistreatment all thanks to tourism and there were some camels and horses that looked beaten, abused, etc. I would check out this website, Ride Egypt which seems that they take good care of the horses.
2. Saqqara and Memphis
Saqqara Pyramid is the first pyramid ever built in Egypt. You can see by the picture that the pyramid has steps rather than smooth walls like the Giza pyramids. As explained by my guide, originally the pyramid wasn't meant to be a pyramid. The first lower layer was done so that it could be looked high and tall by anyone, the problem was, the wall surrounding the pyramid was much higher. So they build the second 'step' to be seen better, and so on. In Memphis there isn't really much to see but just to pass by since it was at one point the capital of Egypt. In Saqqara you don't need more than an hour and in Memphis just driving up the main road should be fine.
3. Egyptian Museum
You need hours and hours in this place. You really don't want to miss out on this place. If you are about the hostel life, like me, I recommend staying in Holy Sheet Hostel which is just walking distance from the museum. I'd recommend having a guide here as it's so big and highly recommend buying the ticket that gives you entrance to the most important mummies. Soon the Grand Egyptian Museum, will be the largest archeological museum in the world, will open which will only be walking distance from the Giza Pyramids. Stay tuned and you might go to Egypt when this new museum opens up.
4. Citadel (Mosque of Muhammad Ali and Al-Gawhara Palace)
Located in the heart of the city center is the Islamic-era fortification that is a must when in Cairo. There are a few things in this area, I'd recommend going inside the Mosque of Muhammad and checking out the city views from there and walking around Al-Gawhara Palace. I got here by Uber and from here I went to Al-Azhar Mosque which is just 15-20 minutes from here (the traffic is intense in Cairo, be prepared for that).
5. Al-Azhar Mosque
I've visited a few Mosques by now and I think this one is one of the prettiest, it's right next to Cairos famous market, Khan el-Khalili (which is the next point) so it's nice to walk inside it for a few minutes respectfully then head out to the market.
6. Khan el-Khalili
Located just across the street of Al-Azhar Mosque is this large bazaar. If you are in Cairo for shopping this is the place to be. Warning though, it is very chaotic and as a solo-traveler I didn't like the vibe inside the main street as much, maybe it was in my head and it was totally fine. I did get a message from a close friend that had visited Cairo a few months ago and told be he felt that Cairo was a bit insecure when he walked around here. I leave it completely up to you, maybe we are being overdramatic. In the end, I walked a few meters in the market, didn't feel great about walking there, ordered an Uber, and arrived to the hostel. When you feel it you feel it, when you don't, you just don't.
7. City of the Dead
Right below to the Citadel you can see the City of the Dead which is an old Islamic cemetery. According to Atlas Obscura, it was "created as an Arabic cemetery during the conquest of Egypt, the necropolis has developed into one of Egypt’s worst slums where the dead and living coexist in morbid neighborliness." The cemetery looks like abandoned houses making it obvious that the people buried there were extremely wealthy at some point. I'd recommend just driving by here as walking around here might be a bit sketch.
8. The Hanging Church
In all honesty the Hanging Church is very much overrated. While Egypt is a primarily Muslim country, there have also always been Christians and they have their own dynamic culture. Coptic Christians are a sect similar to the Eastern Orthodox people that you find in Eastern Europe. The Hanging Church basically represents these people but the church itself isn't the greatest compared to other European churches. If you really want to see a church in Egypt go for it as it's a very popular site for tourists. I personally, don't recommend it especially if your time is short (it's a bit far from the center). All on you.
9. Eat at El Prince Restaurant
As a farewell lunch I did a fare amount of research on a typical place to eat in Cairo and found El Prince. Luckily, it was located very close to my hostel and so I went. I asked them for a typical Egyptian lunch and you can see in the picture below what that looks like. They didn't speak much English and as I didn't even look at the menu I can't really know what I actually ate. If you happen to be around grab some lunch here and I guess you can just show them the picture (lol). They were very helpful and it was very cheap as it is very local.
An extra fun fact for foodies: Make sure you try their mangos as they are everywhere. Surprisingly, Egypt is very rich in agriculture as they have to main soils, which is the black soil from the Nile and the sand from the desert. The mango comes from the desert soil and there are up to twelve different types of mangos just in Egypt.
Note: You will need around 2-3 days to do all of this. Hire a tour guide for Giza Pyramids that will also take you to Saqqara and Memphis for one day. The second you can move around with Uber around Cairo as all of the locations are close to each other.