3 Days in Cairo: The Perfect First-Timer's Itinerary

Cairo rewards a plan. The city is vast, the traffic is theatrical, and the sights are spread out — so three focused days beat three scattered ones. Here's an itinerary that front-loads the icons and leaves space for the city's quieter magic.

Day 1 — Giza & the Grand Egyptian Museum

Start at the Pyramids of Giza at opening time, before the heat and the buses. Give yourself two to three hours for the plateau, the Sphinx and a camel photo if you fancy one. In the afternoon, cross to the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the full Tutankhamun collection — it's enormous, so prioritise.

Book a skip-the-line Giza tour with hotel pickup; it removes the two hardest parts of the day — tickets and transport.

Day 2 — Islamic & Coptic Cairo

Spend the morning in Islamic Cairo: the Citadel of Saladin, the Alabaster Mosque, and the medieval lanes of Al-Muizz Street. After lunch, head to Coptic Cairo for the Hanging Church and the Coptic Museum, then lose an hour haggling in Khan el-Khalili bazaar over lanterns, spices and silver.

Day 3 — Old treasures & the Nile

Use your last day to go deeper or slower. Options:

1. A morning at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to see the Royal Mummies.
2. A day trip to Saqqara and Memphis for the Step Pyramid — quieter than Giza and just as moving.
3. A felucca sail at golden hour, followed by dinner in Zamalek.

Getting around

• Uber/Careem are cheap, metered and far less stressful than flagging taxis.
• The Cairo Metro is fast for north–south hops and has women-only carriages.
• Keep small cash for tips (baksheesh) — it oils almost everything.

Where to eat

Try koshari (Egypt's carb-on-carb national dish), grilled kebab in a downtown kebabgy, and fresh juice on any corner. For a view, book a Nile-side table.

Ready to build the trip? Browse things to do in Cairo and reserve the Giza morning first — it's the one slot you don't want to leave to chance.