Egypt

Why Here

 To celebrate a friend's 40th Birthday— March 2018

Getting There

ORD to CAI by way of a stopover in Munich with Lufthansa

Visa

Get it on arrival to the Cairo airport, before going through customs. Look for the “Visa Window”. The cost at the time was $50 (cash only).

Money Exchange

Airport currency exchange

Airport to City

Grab a taxi, then hurry up and wait. It will likely take you nearly 1 hour to get to the city center during rush hour, which seems to run all day long. With a population of close to 10 million people, traffic is a beast. The driving theme is “organized chaos”. Driving lanes are nonexistent but somehow, someway, they make it work. I would not recommend renting a car as a foreigner.

Hotel

The Fairmont. As to be expected from the brand. Honorable mentions:

1. Security getting into the hotel is tight! Expect it every time you arrive.

2. Food and drink prices are relatively cheap

3. The hotel connects to a mall

4. There is a nightclub in the basement that stays open until almost 9am!

5. Walkability outside the hotel is essentially 0. While the Nile River is only located a several feet across the street from the hotel, it may seem miles away as you will definitely want to use a designated cross bridge to cross the intimidating street that separates you.

Things to do

Of course, the top attraction will be seeing the Pyramids. You can use your hotel concierge to help you book tours. Private tours with an English speaking guide are also relatively cheap.

Our Guided Day Tour to Giza

Stop #1- A papyrus shop. This was actually interesting to see the process from plant to paper. Of course there are many options to buy original papyrus art work.

Stop #2- The Egyptian Museum

Stop #3- Finally, the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx

Spoiler Alert: my preconceived image, was that the Pyramids are set far out, remotely, in the middle of the desert. Well the entire city of Cairo is a desert so technically, this isn’t inaccurate. But to my surprise, the region is closely surrounded by the city developments.

Stop #4- A perfumery to buy essential oils (this is a popular souvenir in Egypt). Likely won’t be the cheapest option, if your perfume stop is apart of a preplanned tour. I would wait to buy at a local market.

Guided Day Tour of Old Cairo aka Coptic Cairo and a local Egyptian Market:

Highlights included many religious sites of historical significant

1. The Hanging Church- one of the oldest churches in Egypt, the site dating back to the 3rd century AD. Currently a Coptic Orthodox Church

2. The Babylon Fortress- a former ancient fortress that encloses many of the historical Coptic sites

3. Saint Sergius and Bacchus Church- most significant as the site (the current church is built over the cave) where legend states; May, Joseph and infant Jesus rested for a months while on the run from the persecution of King Herod. Currently a Coptic Church

4. Ben Ezra Synagogue- Now a synagogue but according to legend, this is the site where baby Moses was found

5. Visiting a local market

   Markets here are a mixture of “swap meet”, which are more geared towards providing discounted clothing for the locals and your traditional open air market, with things like local spices, souvenirs, essential oils and cafes.

Guided Day Trip to Alexandria:

1. See the modern—The Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Built to commemorate the ancient Great Library of Alexandria. Not only a modern public library, it also serves as a museum, housing many antiquities.

2. Try some fresh seafood at a waterfront restaurant

3. Attempt a boat ride on the Mediterranean

4. Visit a local Mosque and curate your own walking tour

General info 

This is a muslim country, so dress and act accordingly

If I had to do over, I would stay on Geriza (the island in the Nile River). The area had more “boutique-y” hotels and a higher walkability

LGBTQ Score: Low

ADA Score: Urban City Average