Egypt's sprawling capital — home to the Pyramids of Giza and five thousand years of history.
Cairo tours put the whole sweep of Egyptian history within a single city. On the Giza plateau at the capital's western edge stand the last of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world — the Great Pyramid, its two companions and the Great Sphinx. A short drive away, the Grand Egyptian Museum opened fully in November 2025 and now displays the complete treasures of Tutankhamun for the first time.
Beyond the pharaohs, Cairo is a living medieval city. Its historic core — often called the City of a Thousand Minarets — folds together the Citadel of Saladin, great mosques, Coptic churches and the labyrinth of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. This is the natural starting point for almost any trip to Egypt, and the base for day trips to Giza, Saqqara and Memphis.
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From the last standing wonder of the ancient world to a medieval city of minarets, these are the sights at the heart of a Cairo trip.
The three pyramids and the Great Sphinx sit on a plateau on the western edge of the city — the only ancient wonder still standing.
The world's largest museum devoted to a single civilisation, beside the pyramids. Fully open since November 2025, it holds the complete Tutankhamun collection.
The historic museum on Tahrir Square still shows a vast collection of antiquities; the royal mummies now rest at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.
The medieval fortress crowning the city, with the alabaster mosque and long views across the rooftops.
A bazaar founded in the 14th century, threaded through streets of historic mosques and madrasas.
The old Christian quarter, with the Hanging Church and lanes linked by tradition to the Holy Family's time in Egypt.
Explore the city
Ancient and medieval Egypt sit side by side here. A few days let you move from the pyramids to the museums to the old city and the river.
Museums
Cairo now has two great museums. The historic Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, opened in 1902, still holds a staggering collection of antiquities.
Out at Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum opened fully on 1 November 2025 — the largest museum of a single civilisation anywhere, and the first place to show the complete Tutankhamun collection together.
Old Cairo
The Khan el-Khalili bazaar has traded since the 14th century, a warren of lanes selling spices, lamps, silver and coffee.
Around it stands historic Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed quarter of mosques and madrasas that gave the city its old nickname, the City of a Thousand Minarets.
The river
The Nile threads right through Cairo, broad and busy, splitting around the leafy island of Zamalek.
An evening felucca sail or a dinner cruise is the calmest way to see the city, with the lights of some twenty million people along both banks.
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Plan your visit
Cairo is at its best from October to April, when warm, dry days make long hours at the pyramids and in the old city comfortable.
Summer, from June to August, is hot and hazy but perfectly doable with early starts and midday breaks. Spring and autumn bring the most pleasant weather and the clearest skies.
Getting around
Cairo International Airport is Egypt's principal gateway, with direct flights from across Europe, the Gulf, Africa and beyond.
The city is also the hub of Egypt's rail network — sleeper and day trains run south to Luxor and Aswan, and fast services north to Alexandria.
