The biggest city in Africa and the Arab world, cheap Cairo holidays offer the tourist a historical and cultural experience in Egypt unlike anywhere else on the planet. With nearly 7 million people living in the city and a further 10 million in the metropolitan area, the city is an electric, hazy, chaotic explosion of noise and culture that will sweep you off your feet. There’s so much to see and do in Um ad-Dunya it’s hard to know quite where to begin. The pyramids that act as the backdrop to the city are a majestic remnant of the great Egyptian age, while the Nile is as prominent to the city’s sustenance as it was in the days of the Pharaohs. Take a cruise down the Nile, shop in one of the city’s many bazaars, visit an iconic wonder of the world and much, much more in Cairo; the pulsating birthplace of civilisation.
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An obvious choice it may be as one of the most iconic Egypt attractions, but how could you not visit the last intact Wonder of the Ancient World on your cheap Egypt holidays? The pyramid site consists of three pyramids; Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the tomb of Queen Khentkaues I and The Great Sphinx. Let the historian within you free, and appreciate the iconic architecture of the planet’s first great civilisation.
Located in the Eastern part of the city, Al-Azhar Park appears from out of nowhere amongst the built-up, smoggy hustle and bustle of downtown Cairo. The park is a collection of gardens, a lake, fountains and restored architecture, and is listed by the Project for Public Spaces as one of the world’s sixty greatest public spaces.
THE place to go for a bite to eat in Cairo, Abou Shakra has been serving since 1947 and is just as popular with the locals as it is with the tourists. Dishing up kebab plates and shwarma sandwiches, it’s the perfect place to go for both an on-the-go bite to eat and a sit down meal.
In the City of a thousand Minarets if you’re going to pick just one Mosque to visit on your cheap Cairo holidays, make it Ibn Tulun. Arguably the oldest and definitely the largest by land area, Ibn Tulun was completed in 879 AD and is recognisable by its famous spiral minaret. It is located on a small hill called Gebel Yashkur the place where Noah’s Ark ended up after the deluge, or so the local legend goes.
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The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
Unsurprisingly the world’s preeminent museum for Ancient Egyptian artefacts is located in Cairo. The Egyptian Museum, as it’s more commonly known, contains over 120,000 artefacts and most famously houses the gold mask of King Tutankhamun which, along with the pyramids, is one of the most iconic images of ancient Egypt.
Essential info
Currency: Euro
Language: Greek
Visa: N/A
Vaccinations: N/A
Dress code: N/A
Important numbers: Embassy: 020 7321 4100, 020 7569 8800
Other info: N/A