Cairo & Giza

Why Cairo & Giza works

The Pyramids of Giza — the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the largest of the three and the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, alongside the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure — have stood at the edge of the Sahara for over 4,500 years, their scale still difficult to comprehend up close: the Great Pyramid alone used an estimated 2.3 million limestone blocks, each weighing several tonnes, placed without any machinery beyond human and animal labour. The Great Sphinx, carved from a single limestone outcrop with a lion's body and (likely) Khafre's face, has lost its nose to a mixture of erosion and, according to persistent but disputed legend, deliberate damage. A short distance away, Cairo itself sprawls along the Nile, its Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square holding over 120,000 artefacts including much of Tutankhamun's treasure, though the newer Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids has taken over as the primary showcase for the boy king's full collection since opening. Islamic Cairo's medieval quarter holds the Citadel of Saladin and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, a maze of spice, gold and lantern shops trading since the 14th century. Nile dinner cruises, passing the city's bridges lit up after dark, offer a relaxed counterpoint to the pyramid plateau's midday heat and crowds — best visited at opening time, both for lighter crowds and cooler desert temperatures.

Trip Snapshot

Suitable For