Exploring Cairo And Giza In Egypt

Much To See Exploring Cairo And Giza In Egypt

We found much to see and do exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt. Our plans brought us to Cairo a few days before our Viking Cruises Egypt trip. After we visited the Grand Egyptian Museum and explored on our own for a few days, we joined Viking Cruises and explored more of the area around Cairo and Giza. We enjoyed a close up look at the Giza Pyramids, wandered around the Saqqara Step Pyramid complex and visited the Cairo Citadel too.

This was our 3rd attempt to get to Cairo and we were so glad we did. Instability in the region caused us to cancel 2 prior visits. So we enjoyed this longer luxury stay in Cairo.

Luxury Starts To Our Cairo Visit

We planned 3 nights in Cairo before starting our Viking Egypt tour. As Marriott Bonvoy Elite members, we used upgrade certificates and upgraded our St Regis Cairo stay to an amazing St Regis Suite. The suite had a large living and dining area with lots of room to enjoy. Our room looked out over the Nile River for great views day and night.

The public spaces were beautiful and luxurious. One day we even took time and enjoyed the large pool area. We loved the unique St Regis tradition of sabrage. Whenever we visited a St Regis we planned to enjoy this amazing treat. And at the St Regis Cairo, they even let David try his hand at successfully sabering the champagne bottle top off.

Our 3 night stay at the St Regis Cairo set a very high bar for luxury and service. Leaving the St Regis, we moved down the Nile River a bit to the Fairmont Nile City Hotel booked as part of our Viking Egypt tour. We got a nice room when we arrived but certainly did not get an upgraded experience. But still another luxury start for exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt.

A Full Day At The Grand Egyptian Museum

We knew our Viking Egypt tour included a part day at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). But the Grand Egyptian Museum was high on the list of things to do and we wanted enough time to really explore. So we bought tickets and we explored the Grand Egyptian Museum on our own when we first arrived in Cairo. 

We took our time up and down the Grand Staircase. And we wandered into all of the exhibit galleries. The exhibit dedicated to the boy king Tutankhamun’s intact tomb displayed over 5,000 artifacts. Before we left, we wandered through the separate building that housed the Khufu Solar Boat. 

We took our time and saw the things we were interested in when we visited the Grand Egyptian Museum on our own. When we went back with Viking, we split off the from group early and returned to a few areas we wanted to explore more. The Grand Egyptian Museum was definitely a highlight when exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt. We got a great introduction to Egyptian history that proved helpful when we toured the Egyptian temples on our Nile River cruise. 

Marvelled At The Pyramids At Giza

We knew the pyramids of Giza were were something we needed to see in Cairo. The three royal pyramids were built as tombs the for pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure around 2600–2500 BC. While images of the pyramids set them in vast open spaces. We knew that in fact the pyramids were close to the city limits. It was generally thought that the pyramids were built by slaves. But we learned that archaeological excavations in nearby towns showed a permanent and seasonal workforce of paid or conscripted Egyptian citizens.

When we visited the Grand Egyptian Museum, we got our first glimpse of the pyramids. Future construction at the museum will build a pathway directly to the pyramids. On that day, after our museum visit we went to the Marriott Mena House. We knew this was a great spot for lunch with an even closer view of the pyramids.

Once we joined the Viking Egypt tour, our afternoon excursion took us for a close up view of the pyramids. We stopped at a panoramic viewpoint. And rode camels for a short walk with the pyramids in the background. From there we moved to a spot closer to the pyramids and explored around the base.

The final stop we made at the Giza pyramid site was at the Great Sphinx. This 4,500-year-old colossal statue was carved from a single piece of limestone bedrock. The huge statue (240 feet long and 66 feet tall) combined a lion’s body with a pharaoh’s head symbolizing royal power.

Our visit to the pyramids and Great Sphinx is a “must do” stop when exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt.

Visiting The Saqqara Step Pyramid And Tombs

We visited the a vast ancient burial ground of Saqqara located outside of Cairo. While we visited to explore the Saqqara Step Pyramid of Djoser, we found so much more at this site. We explored several of the burial chambers belonging to ancient nobles and found remarkably preserved wall reliefs and colour. But we could not possible visit everything on one half day visit.

Our first stop was at the underground burial chamber of King Teti. We crouched down at the entrance and crab walked along a narrow inclined walk. This was a challenge for some people. The walk in proved more exciting than what we found inside.

Next we visited the Tomb of Kagemni – standing straight up. This was a well-preserved tomb with multiple rooms and amazing colourful reliefs that depicted Kagemni’s life, religious rituals, and beliefs.

As our final stop, we moved to the complex housing the Saqqara Step Pyramid of Djose. Walking through the entrance we wandered along a long hall of columns. 

Exiting we got a close up view of the Step Pyramid of Djose built around 2650 BC by the royal architect Imhotep. It was the first and oldest pyramid and was the start of large-scale stone construction in Egypt. The Saqqara Step Pyramid was built before the Giza Pyramids. Having visited the Giza Pyramids this site showed us the evolution of Pyramid building in Egypt’s Old Kingdom period. We saw several other structures around the site. And a small group of camels that posed for a price for pictures.

Sadly on our visit to Saqqara, we did not visit inside the Tomb of Mereruka. This was the largest and most famous non-royal tomb from Egypt’s Old Kingdom built for the powerful Vizier Mereruka around 2340 BC. The inside featured over 30 intricately decorated chambers filled with vivid, colourful reliefs of daily life. But we knew we needed much more time to see all of Saqqara when exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt. But this first view of the temples and tombs of Egypt was a preview of the temples on the Nile River we explored later on this trip.

Education And Shopping When Exploring Cairo And Giza In Egypt

After our visit to Saqqara, we stopped at the Sultan Carpet School. This school for young children taught them how to make carpets. We got a good demonstration of the technique for tying knots and learned about the different quality levels for good carpets. 

Finishing in the showroom we found a vast array of rugs for sale in all sizes and all quality levels. We browsed but did not buy as we outfitted our new home with rugs recently. But many people bought rugs! This was just one of the many shopping opportunities on our Viking Cruises Egypt trip.

We found lots of great local shopping opportunities.  But shopping was not high on our list of activities when exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt.

Walking Around The Cairo Citadel And Mohamed Ali Mosque

After our morning trip to Saqqara, we visited the Cairo Citadel (or Citadel of Saladin). This medieval walled fortress was recognized as a great example of Islamic military architecture and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We saw the citadel located high on a hill as we approached. We walked along the walls and entered through one of the gates. The Cairo Citadel site included four museums, three magnificent mosques and the newly opened medieval towers.

But we went into the Cairo Citadel primarily to explore the Mohamed Ali Mosque. This mosque was modelled after the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul. When we visited Istanbul later in the year, we planned to see this other mosque. Most of the mosque was built with limestone. But the lower parts of the Mosque and the forecourt were built with alabaster. As such, this mosque was sometimes referred to as the Alabaster Mosque.

We visited the stunning Grand Mosque in Muscat and the massive Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. So we knew that the interior of the mosque would be beautiful. When we entered the Mohamed Ali Mosque we found a vast largely empty space. In the centre we looked up and admired the massive domed roof. The main dome was surrounded by four smaller domes. Egyptian marble or alabaster and gilding decorated the walls of the mosque. 

Before we left the mosque we stopped at the decorative tomb of Mohamed Ali. After visiting inside, we wandered around the courtyard for a panoramic view of Cairo

Exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt we were glad we visited the Cairo Citadel and the Mohamed Ali Mosque. This gave us a very different perspective.

Short Luxury Stays Before We Left Cairo

After our Viking Nile River cruise, we returned to Cairo from Luxor. The first night our Viking hotel was at the IntercontinentIal Cairo Citystars. We were delighted that our Ambassador status with IHG Rewards got us an amazing upgrade to a large suite with Concierge Lounge access. Since David was injured on our Nile River cruise, we were unable to explore much. So it was amazing to enjoy a luxury stop at the Intercontinental.

Since we had a very early flight out of Cairo (4 a.m.), we moved from the Intercontinental to the Le Meridien Cairo Airport hotel. This hotel was directly connected to the International terminal at the airport so it made a very early wake-up a bit easier. Our upgrade at Le Meridien with our Marriott Bonvoy status was stunning. The massive suite was beautiful. Lounge access provided a snack for us before we headed to bed very early. 

But we found the customer service at Le Meridien even more outstanding. Leaving the hotel at 1 a.m. we were escorted to the airport. David was moved in a wheelchair and our luggage went on a cart. The hotel escort got us through security and fully checked into our flight before the Lufthansia staff took over. This was above and beyond what we expected but a welcome treat when exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt.

Enjoying Egyptian Tasty Treats

We enjoyed the local tastes of Egypt on our stay in Cairo. Our luxury hotel stays often started with a tasty collection of local treats as a welcome amenity.

The hotels provided large buffet spreads that met the needs of a wide variety of guests. While there was a good selection of traditional breakfast fare, David often went in search of authentic local treats. And often he was rewarded by the staff and chefs with hot freshly made local delicacies. 

We often seek out Afternoon Tea when we travelled. The Fairmont Nile City offered a good Afternoon Tea offering at an amazingly reasonable price. On our stay at the IntercontinentIal Cairo Citystars we had another tasty Afternoon Tea treat. And one afternoon, David even got to try authentic Turkish coffee!

While we ate a selection of Egyptian meals, we also found a great selection of international foods on our visit to Cairo. Homemade pasta, a selection of seafood and a tasty Asian dinner ensured we ate well every day.

Great food was never hard to find when exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt.

A Great Visit Exploring Cairo And Giza In Egypt

We enjoyed our time exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt. It was great we had enough time to really explore the Grand Egyptian Museum. Visiting the Giza pyramids for the first time was a true treat. The Saqqara Step Pyramid offered a very different pyramid experience. And visit the Cairo Citadel offered a different look at Cairo. 

But we knew there was more to see in Cairo. Viking offered a tour of Coptic Cairo or a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization as extra paid excursions when we returned to Cairo after our Nile River cruise. We knew we wanted a little down time before our long trip back to Vancouver in Canada so did not book these tours in advance. David’s injury meant we would have cancelled even if we pre-booked them!

Did you enjoy exploring Cairo and Giza in Egypt? What did we miss that we should do on a return visit?

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