3 Things to do in Egypt
Egypt geographically lies at the intersection among Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. As a westerner in this Islamic country, I felt very much “at home” and plan on returning.
Also very relevant: because I was a low-budget traveler, I loved traveling in Egypt.
I spent a week in Egypt and only stayed in Cairo.
How I Got There
As usual whenever I travel, I either take a United flight or search for the cheapest flight on kayak.com. I wrote an article about how I stick to flying on United as much as possible to cash out big with my miles.
For this trip, I took an Egyptair (go Star Alliance!) flight from Addis Ababa to Cairo.
1. The Pyramids of Giza
Basically the “go-to” place for Cairo. Every single “top places to visit in Egypt” that you google search must include or at least mention the Pyramids, close to the capital city. The Pyramids was an incredible experience.
Camel Riding
There’s a lot of incredible history that the tour guides went through while we were riding on a camel.
I signed up to do a tour through the hostel I stayed at. From what I remember, we didn’t pay more than $60USD (this was 2017 prices) for a 2-hour tour per person. And something I will tell myself the next time I arrive to the Pyramids and I’m shopping for souvenirs: always haggle.
2. Nile River Sunset Dinner Cruise
I signed up for a sunset dinner cruise at my hostel for $30USD because why not. I felt like I received a huge value out of traveling in Cairo in comparison to other places around the world.
Sunset Dinner Cruise
There was a buffet with Pita, shawarma, sausages, chicken, noodles, fruits and salad.
Buffet
Belly-Dancing Show on the Boat Afterwards
There was also a belly-dancing show on the boat afterwards.
3. Salah El Din Al Ayouby Citadel
When you have 15K+ google reviews with an average rating of 4.5/5.0, you’re probably a big deal.
Salah El Din Al Ayouby Citadel
We took an uber all the way here in sunny, hot weather. When we went to the top, we had the panoramic view of Cairo in the background.
Where I Stayed
I stayed at Miami Cairo Hostel.
By the way, I wrote a separate article on How I Choose Where I Stay when I Travel.
If I had more time, I would have…
Well, I only checked out Cairo. Unfortunately, I arrived at the Cairo Tower way too late, and it was already closed when I wanted to visit.
Next time, I will visit Alexandria. It’s a coastal city in the North, and it’s the second largest city in the nation.
If I’m really feeling adventurous, I would like to visit Aswan in the south as well. My friend visited there and really liked it.
I had another friend who did a tour of Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan.
Closing Remarks
There’s so much to see in Egypt. One really cool thing about the culture in Cairo that I learned is that it’s quite liberal and very tourist-friendly. I heard Lebanon was kind of like that too – that’s a country I’d like to visit soon. I don’t say this about every place I visit, but I really liked Egypt.