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Cairo is full to the brim with restaurants, cafes, ahwas, malls and cinemas, which is where we locals spend 95% of our going out leisure time. But there’s actually a lot more to Cairo than just food, coffee and blockbuster movies -- you just need to know the right places to look. So if you’re in the mood to go down a more cultural route for your next night out, these nine venues might have just what you’re looking for. 1. Zawya Arthouse Cinema Location: Downtown Go for: independent films and other movies not aired in Egypt’s mainstream cinemas Zawya opened its doors in 2014 in Cairo’s historic Cinema Odeon and is touted as Egypt’s first ‘arthouse cinema’. Different than the rest of Egypt’s cinemas which are heavy on Hollywood and Sobky movies, Zawya prides itself on airing independent films, both Egyptian and international, alongside documentaries, short films and experimental work, most of which never see the light of day in Egypt’s mainstream cinemas. Besides regular screenings, Zawya also helps promote local and Arab filmmakers through events, discussions and masterclasses. Make sure you also check out their film festivals and ‘spotlight’ artist events (for example, they recently had a night dedicated to Youssef Chahine’s short films). 2. Room Art Space & Cafe Location: Garden City & New Cairo Go for: live music (jazz, tribute bands, folkloric music), karaoke, open mic nights This cafe and performance art venue “offers professionals and aspiring artists -as well as lovers of the arts- a space to create, collaborate, perform and share ideas over freshly brewed coffee.” Room have almost daily live events, varying from stand-up comedy to live music to film screenings in both English and Arabic. 3. Darb 1718 Location: Old Cairo (behind the Hanging Church and Amr Ibn Aas mosque) Go for: artisanal workshops and live events Founded in 2008, this non-profit organization is a contemporary art and culture center in the heart of Old Cairo. Darb 1718 offers art exhibition spaces, theater, dance and concert stages, an outdoor cinema, gardens and rooftops and even an artist residency to accommodate international artists. Artisanal workshops offered: pottery, leather wallet making, Arabic calligraphy, vintage photo album making, sketching, mosaics, film editing, soap making and much more. 4. Cairo Opera House Location: Zamalek Go for: live performances Undoubtedly the most famous on the list, the Cairo Opera House has been the bastion of cultural events in the capital for decades now. It has several different halls and theatres for all sorts of performances, and in any given month you’ll find a packed schedule: choir, ballet, opera, flamenco, ensemble groups, folkloric music, orchestra, Egyptian modern dance, instrumental soloists, poetry and much more. Check their website for their full schedule. 5. Townhouse Gallery Location: Downtown Go for: art exhibitions and Rawabet Theatre Probably the most popular gallery and visual art space in Cairo, Townhouse is a non-profit organization that strives (and succeeds) to be more than just a standard gallery. Besides hosting visual art, they also have Townhouse Library and Rawabet Theatre, a space for independent performing artists of all disciplines, as well as international residencies for artists, writers and filmmakers. Most recently Townhouse also opened SAWA Shop, where you can buy Egyptian handicrafts and old books, magazines and art publications. 6. El Sawy Culture Wheel (El Sakia) Location: Zamalek Go for: live performances & puppet theatre A Zamalek staple for over 15 years, this performing arts space right on the Nile has been the launching pad for some of Egypt’s favorite contemporary bands when they were first starting out. Their monthly calendar is almost always full with musical performances, poetry, theatre, seminars and their famous puppet theatre. 7. Makan (Egyptian Center for Culture & Arts) Location: Garden City Go for: Traditional and folkloric Egyptian music Makan’s main mission is to preserve the traditional Egyptian folk music that has been marginalized over the years due to the predominance of commercialized international music and its influence on contemporary Egyptian artists. Makan is now one of the few spaces in Egypt where you can attend a ‘Zar’; a folkloric performance with rhythmic dance and drumming, which is in essence a complex healing ritual led by women, but which has been shunned by mainstream Egyptian culture for supposedly being an exorcism ritual. It’s at the risk of dying out completely, which is what makes having a place like Makan so important. They also have Sufi music, ‘mawawil’ (rural songs from the Nile Delta), Nubian and Sudanese heritage music and a medley of other talented Egyptian performers. 8. Wekalet el Ghouri Location: Old Cairo Go for: the tanoura show Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday Wekalet el Ghouri Art Centre is host to the famous whirling dervish show -- also known as the tanoura show, or the Sufi dancing show. A great option for tourists (and locals!) to really get immersed in the Old Cairo feel (Wekalet el Ghouri is in the Khan el Khalili and Moez street area). The show is about two hours long, and high energy from start to finish. The show starts at 7 pm, and tickets are first come, first served (starting 6 pm). There’s usually a crowd so make sure you get there early. 9. MASQ - Maq'ad of Sultan Qaitbay Location: City of the Dead Go for: art exhibitions, concerts, bazaars, walking tours exploring City of the Dead MASQ is a cultural hub based in a renovated 15th century Mamluk monument, the maq'ad of Sultan Qaitbay, in Cairo's City of the Dead. The City of the Dead is a medieval Muslim necropolis in Old Cairo, also known as the Desert of the Mamluks, and what makes this necropolis so interesting is that besides the centuries-old architecture and tombs, a modern-day community lives and works among the dead. MASQ holds regular events to promote the heritage of this little-understood area as well benefit and develop the struggling neighborhood community. You might also like: Vintage Cairo - 17 of the Oldest Restaurants, Cafes & Bars in the City

Zamalek is known for being the best Cairo neighborhood for bars, pubs and nightlife in general - with the added bonus that most places are in walking distance from one another, ideal for bar-hopping. Because there are so many options to choose from when it comes to Zamalek bars, we focused on 7 of our favorite places to grab a drink on the island, from upscale restobars and vintage pubs to little outdoor pizza bars. Local tip: at all of the below places you can bring your own bottle of hard liquor or wine for a corkage fee. Pier 88 Pier 88 sits on the upper level of a docked boat in Zamalek overlooking the Nile, and during the day it’s one of those quietly sophisticated bar & restaurants, complete with an open kitchen and drinks overlooking the water. Honestly? It’s pricey but worth it. At night it gets more of a nightlife feel to it, and reservations are recommended. On weekend nights the music gets turned up and there’s occasionally dancing by the tables (we don’t recommend eating when the dancing gets started, because you won’t find much room to wield your knife and fork). To reserve: 01208111140 Crimson This chic rooftop restobar resides on top of the Riverside building on a quiet Nile-facing street with a great view. Its open terrace overlooks the Nile, with an impressive bar and beautiful interior design. They have great food and creative cocktails, but we warn you -- this place is not cheap! Reservations recommended. To reserve: 01275055555 Pub 28 Pub 28 is one of Zamalek’s oldest and most-loved pubs, and with good reason. It’s small, cozy, warm and offers the best sangria in the city. Expect to see a lot of 50+ Egyptians sharing a laugh over their beers -- they’ve been regulars for decades. They have a good menu of Egyptian mezze, but warning: it gets smokey and crowded sometimes which isn’t always pleasant while eating. L’Aubergine L’Aubergine is another long-time heavy hitter in the Cairo bar scene. What’s awesome about them is they also serve great food, so it’s a good option if you want to kick back with a beer but also want some food in your system. It’s two floors, the bottom being dedicated to more brightly-lit tables for dinner and drinks, and upstairs at the bar it’s darker, with high tables and louder music. Another thing we love about L’Aubergine is the casual-ness of it -- you don’t need to worry about suffering the night away in heels or dressing to impress. To reserve: 02 24174095 Aperitivo Another swanky spot, great for either dinner and drinks in their seated restaurant section or to socialize at their bar. We love their decor, with walls dedicated to vintage hardcover books and other antique-looking pieces, and their signature crystal globe chandeliers. They have an extensive list of cocktails (several pages long) and they also do different cocktails and shots of the day, so make sure to ask the bartender for his personal recommendation. To reserve: 01222132357 Olivo This little pizzeria has a small indoor area with high tables and a bar, and they've recently added an outdoor patio. Olivo is the perfect place to go if you want to grab pizza and a beer in a casual setting (make sure to try their sangria as well!). Because it's small it fills up quickly, so a reservation is a good idea for evenings. They also open earlyish (1:30 pm), so it's a good spot if you're looking for a daytime drink. To reserve: 0102 644 4475 La Terrace On the top floor of the President Hotel is La Terrace, a restobar that's part full-on restaurant (they serve breakfast all the way to late night dinner) and part drinking destination, with a large menu of wines and imported liquor. Although La Terrace is technically on the roof, it's not open air, which makes it a good choice on summer days because while you're surrounded by windows, they're closed and the AC is on, so you can enjoy the sun without roasting alive. During winter they also have comfy couches surrounding a (faux) fireplace. You might also like: 7 Hidden Gem Restaurants in Zamalek

One of the greatest existential questions of all time: why dine indoors when you can dine outdoors? Well, for most places, that is – Cairo is a tad different and the reasons for staying indoors are numerous: the heat, the noise, crowds. You get the idea. But what about when the weather is nice? Nights in Cairo weather-wise are always pleasant, and what if we could guarantee you’d be away from the noise and the crowds of Cairo streets? So just for you, because you asked nicely, we put together a list of our very favorite open-air restaurants where you can enjoy a breeze, eat and drink well, and kick back and relax. Read more: 9 Best Rooftop Bars in Cairo Read more: 7 Best Restaurants with Pyramid Views The Smokery Location: New Cairo Overlooking the green expanse of the golf course in Katameya Heights, The Smokery is hard to beat when it comes to open-air dinner and drinks with a view in New Cairo. They serve a variety of upscale international dishes, with everything from sliders to seabass quinoa to sushi. The Smokery in Palm Hills (6 October) is an equally ideal destination if you’re looking to enjoy a breeze and some greenery but on the west side of town. For reservations and more info: The Smokery’s FB. Read more: 10 Best Restaurants for Dinner & Drinks in New Cairo 2. Villa Belle Epoque Location: Maadi This converted villa-turned-boutique hotel is hidden down one of Maadi’s little leafy streets, making it the perfect spot for when you want to eat or drink alfresco but still in relative privacy. Villa Belle Epoque’s restaurant serves its meals next to their small pool, surrounded by trees and flowers. For reservations and more info: Villa Belle Epoque’s FB. Read more: 7 Boutique Hotels To Stay at in Egypt for a More Unique, Personalized Trip 3. Crimson Location: Zamalek Crimson is an open-air rooftop restaurant and bar in Zamalek and has some of the best Nile views in the city. It's a great spot to go get dinner and drinks, or just a beer or cocktail at the bar. Their cocktail list is impressive, but warning - they're expensive! Their food is good as well, landing them also on our list of best Cairo restaurants for locals and tourists alike. For reservations and more info: Crimson’s FB. Read more: 7 Best Bars, Pubs & Restobars in Zamalek 4. 139 Pavilion Location: Pyramids This open-air restaurant in the iconic Marriott Mena House hotel is a breath of fresh air from the crowds and bustle of Giza. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner fountain-side, surrounded by flowers and greenery and, you know, THE PYRAMIDS. What a view! There’s an a la carte menu, but also the option of an all-you-can-eat buffet. At night you lose some of the Pyramids view because they’re not always lit up, but there’s something peaceful and serene in the darkness. For reservation and more info: Marriott Mena House website. 5. Cafelluca Location: the middle of the Nile lol It doesn’t get much more open-air than a felucca in the middle of the Nile! Cafelluca is a set menu ‘restaurant’ that you can book for breakfast, lunch or dinner while sailing down the Nile. It takes a minimum of six people (special rates are also offered if you want to do a romantic one-on-one dinner instead), and they have pick-up branches in Maadi, Zamalek, Dokki, Four Seasons First Residence and Mamsha Ahl Misr. For their menu, prices and to book: Cafelluca website. 6. Andrea Mariouteya Location: 6 October City On the west side of the city and looking for an outdoor brunch, lunch or dinner? Then Andrea Mariouteya is one of the best. Besides the fact that their position high up on the New Giza plateau gives you great city views, but Andrea Mariouteya has been serving up some of our favorite grilled chicken and meat for decades now (you can read more at Vintage Cairo: 17 Oldest Restaurants, Bars & Cafes in the City). For reservations and more info: Andrea Mariouteya’s FB. 7. Kebabgy Oriental Grill Location: Zamalek Another great grill restaurant, but this time Nile-side. Kebabgy is on the outdoor terrace of the Sofitel Gezirah (one of our favorite hotels in Cairo), and has been a staunch favorite since 1985 - back when the Sofitel used to be the Sheraton! And make sure to try their fresh baladi bread that’s baked in a clay oven right on spot. Local tip: on weekend nights they have a live ‘takht’ performance (a Middle Eastern instrumental ensemble) from 6 pm to 10 pm. For reservations and more info: Sofitel Gezirah’s website. You may also like: 7 Best Nile View Restaurants in Cairo

When you think of Egypt, ‘tropical’ isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind. Desert, maybe. Sandy, sure. But tropical? It’s true though: the Red Sea is the world’s northernmost tropical sea, and Egypt has the soft white sand beaches, warm waters and abundant coral and marine life to prove it. (There’s a reason we’re one of the best diving destinations in the world!) So next time you’re in Egypt’s Red Sea Riviera (that should really be on your to-do list by the way) hop on a boat and check out these stunning, remote tropical islands. They’re not well known, even by locals, so you won’t have to worry about crowds interfering with your ‘#TropicalParadise’ moment. You might also like: 8 Best Egyptian Beach Holiday Destinations 1. Giftun Islands Location: Hurghada These two islands are Giftun El Kabeer (Big Giftun) and Giftun el Sagheer (Little Giftun), but Big Giftun is the one where the real action is at because it’s home to beach havens Mahmya and Orange Bay. These daytime destinations offer beach restaurants, bars and water activities as well as bathrooms and showers for those who’ve spent a long day diving or snorkeling and want to kick back and relax. You might also like: Hurghada, Egypt: A Local's Guide For First-Timers 2. Qulaan Islands Location: Wadi El Gemal National Park Qulaan Islands are an archipelago of four islands in a protected bay in the Wadi El Gemal National Park in Egypt’s Deep South, in the Hamata area. These empty, remote islands are known for their mangrove trees and ecosystem built around the mangroves; marine life flourishes under the trees and it’s a great bird-watching spot. You can take a boat from the Hamata marina and spend a few hours picnicking, swimming and snorkeling on the islands. 3. Pharaoh’s Island Location: Taba Also known as Coral Island due to the adjacent reef, Pharaoh’s Island is in the Gulf of Aqaba and is on the ‘Tentative List’ of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites (for our article on Egypt’s seven World Heritage Sites, head here). Back in the Middle Ages, the Christian Crusaders built a citadel on the island to protect the route between Cairo and Damascus. It was later taken over by Salah El Din (leader of the Islamic Ayyubid Dynasty) in 1170, and although the citadel passed hands afterwards, it’s still known until today as Salah El Deen’s Castle. Today the island is a popular diving and tourist attraction for Taba visitors. 4. White Island Location: Ras Mohamed National Park Around 10 km from Sharm el Sheikh, in the protected Ras Mohamed marine park, is a white sandbar island called (for obvious reasons) White Island. This plateau is where the waters from the Gulf of Suez meet the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea, and sitting on the island you can see Africa to your left and Asia to your right. It's a great spot for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing and you can easily reach it by boat from Sharm or Ras Mohamed. 5. Tawila Island Location: El Gouna Located 24 km off the coast of El Gouna, Tawila Island is an uninhabited island popular with kitesurfers and those looking to spend the day on a pristine white sand beach. Tawila has zero amenities so you need to bring your own food, drinks and equipment (but please make sure to leave the beaches as pristine as you found them!). You can arrange for a boat to take you on a day trip to Tawila and back from El Gouna. Local tip: a resort is being built on Tawila (its first ever development!) so try to visit while it's still empty. 6. Zabargad/St. John’s Island Location: Elba National Park Ever wondered about the stretch of the Red Sea between Marsa Alam and Sudan? It’s known as the Deep South, where the tiny coastal towns/villages of Hamata and Wadi Lahami are, right before you reach the Shalateen and Halayeb protected areas. Thanks to national parks like Elba, this pristine stretch of Red Sea is completely untouched and unspoiled. Zabargad (St. John’s in English) is a group of islands known not only for its diving, but for being geologically unique -- it’s believed to be uplifted mantle. Topaz was also found on the island back in Ptolemaic times. 7. Shadwan Island Location: Northeast of El Gouna One of the largest islands in the Red Sea, Shadwan used to be an Egyptian military base and was the target of an Israeli heliborne raid in 1970. Most buildings were demolished except the Shadwan Lighthouse, which was built in 1889, and until today the island remains empty save for divers, fishers and other Red Sea Riviera tourists. You might also like to read: 9 World-Class Beaches in Egypt

We have two relatively safe assumptions to make: a) most of the world knows about the Great Pyramids of Giza and b) most of the world has very little idea about the 100+ other pyramids that Egypt is home to. Yup, when they started calling Egypt the Land of the Pyramids, they really weren’t kidding (not very sure who ‘they’ are but that’s besides the point). All of these pyramids are thousands of years old, and are tombs to different pharaohs and their consorts. (Read: 8 Best Ancient Egyptian Tomb Sites in Modern Egypt) And while no one is trying to compete with the Giza Pyramids’ majesty, there are a few lesser-known pyramids that are most definitely worth a visit. 1. The Step Pyramid Pharaoh: Djoser Built: ~2670 BC (almost 4,700 years old) Necropolis: Saqqara Starting off with the next most-recognizable pyramid after the ones at the Giza plateau. This beauty is the oldest Egyptian pyramid to date -- ‘The Step Pyramid’ is thought of as the initial prototype for the later smooth-sided pyramids. The architect was Djoser’s vizier Imhotep, thought of now as the founding father of Egyptian pyramids, and the design is six mastabas of decreasing size atop one another. Mastabas were how pharaohs and other Egyptian royalty and VIPs were buried before the invention of the pyramids -- mastabas were rectangular, flat-roofed tombs. While there are other pyramids at the Saqqara necropolis, Djoser is by far the jewel in Saqqara’s crown. Read more: Saqqara, Egypt - A Local's Guide to Visiting the Step Pyramid of Djoser & the Saqqara Tombs 2. The Red Pyramid Pharaoh: Sneferu Built: ~2585 BC (around 4,600 years ago) Necropolis: Dahshur Not very far from the Giza and Saqqara pyramids you’ll find the necropolis of Dahshur, home to three different pyramids on this list. Read more: Dahshur Pyramids - A Local's Guide The Red Pyramid received its moniker due to its reddish hue, although it wasn’t always red. The entire pyramid used to be encased in white limestone, which you can still see at the base. The white limestone was actually stripped from the pyramid in the Middle Ages (can you believe it?) to construct buildings in Cairo. The layer underneath was red limestone, which you can see until today. The Red Pyramid is believed to be the first successful attempt at creating a smooth-sided pyramid, and was Pharaoh Sneferu’s third pyramid. 3. The Bent Pyramid Pharaoh: Sneferu Built: ~2600 BC (around 4,600 years ago) Necropolis: Dahshur Another of Sneferu’s Dahshur pyramids, the Bent Pyramid was built right before the Red Pyramid. Archaeologists believe that the Bent Pyramid represents a transitional form between the step pyramid and smooth-sided pyramid. The ‘bent’ appearance is due to its base having a 54 degree inclination, but the top section having a narrower 43 degree angle. There are different theories as to why it was built this way: one was that as the builders reached the top, the top section started to show instability, so they narrowed the angle. Another theory is that they anticipated Sneferu’s death approaching, so they wanted to finish his pyramid as soon as possible. A third theory is that they were trying to avoid the same colossal disaster that occured with Sneferu’s first pyramid, the Meidum pyramid (below), which collapsed mid-construction. 4. The Black Pyramid Pharaoh: Amenemhat III Built: ~1860 AD (around 3,800 years ago) Necropolis: Dahshur This pyramid, while technically ruined, is still definitely worth seeing when you head to Dahshur to see the Red and Bent pyramids, just because it looks so different and vaguely creepy. The Black Pyramid is believed to be the first pyramid in Egypt that was intended to house both the pharaoh and his queens. It’s called the Black Pyramid due to is “dark, decaying appearance”. It collapsed partially due to it being made out of mudbrick instead of traditional stone (although it was encased in limestone), and partially due to its low elevation allowing Nile water to seep into the walls, ending with the structure cracking and sinking into the clay ground. 5. Meidum Pyramid Pharaoh: Sneferu Built: ~2600 BC (around 4,600 years ago) Necropolis: Meidum Meidum is believed to be the second oldest pyramid, after the step pyramid of Djoser. It was Sneferu’s first attempt at building a pyramid and unfortunately not a successful one -- the top collapsed pre-completion. Archaeologists have a theory that the pyramid’s architect was trying to implement Imhotep’s step pyramid design (as seen in the step pyramid of Djoser), but tried to modify the original design halfway through. 6. Fayoum Pyramids Pyramids: Hawara and El Lahun Pharaohs: Amenemhat III (Hawara pyramid) and Senusret II (Lahun pyramid) Built: ~1860 AB (Hawara) and ~1897 BC (El Lahun) This entry is a two-for-one. Not many people, including Egyptian locals, know that not only is Fayoum Egypt’s oldest city (and one of the world’s oldest), but is also home to several pyramids (the nearby Meidum pyramid, while in Beni Suef, is usually part of the Fayoum pyramid tour as well). While Hawara and El Lahun were built at two different times for two different pharaohs, they were both made of mudbrick with limestone casing, and the casing was stripped off of both pyramids, leading to their final deterioration. 7. Abusir Pyramids Pharaohs: Niuserre, Neferirkare Kakai & Sahure Built: 5th Dynasty (around 4,500 years ago) If the above listing was a two-for-one, then this is your lucky day, because Abusir is a three-for-one. Technically, Abusir is home to fourteen pyramids, but only three of them are considered the “major” pyramids of Abusir. They were styled after the Great Pyramids of Giza, but due to their lower-quality local limestone casing, they haven’t stood the test of time as well as their predecessors. Theories around why the construction of these pyramids was inferior to those of the Giza plateau vary from a declining economy to the decrease of the absolute power of Pharaoh. Interesting local tip: there are two pyramids in North Sudan, built when a Kushite (Nubian) pharaoh ruled Egypt. While these pyramids are geographically in Sudan, they are historically considered Egyptian. You might also like: Ancient Egypt Bucket List - 20 Must-See Ancient Egyptian Sites

Fact #1: Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the east, plus two gulfs. Fact #2: we have around 360 days of sunshine a year and swimmable water temperatures year-round. When you add those two facts together, you equate for pretty ideal beaches. Call us biased, but we’ve travelled around the world and we’re convinced that some of Egypt’s beaches can easily compete -- and even win-- against other world-famous beaches. Don’t believe us? Visit them yourself! Disclaimer: we’re obviously not including all famous Egyptian beaches (we can hear other Egyptians now: “Where’s Gouna! Where’s Ain El Sokhna! Where’s Ras Shitan!”); we included the ones that we think offer the most when it comes to color and quality of water, soft white sand, picturesque views and overall beach experience. For the best beach vacations (hotels, restaurants, activities, etc.), read our 8 Best Egyptian Beach Holiday Destinations. North Coast Location: Egypt’s north Mediterranean coast, west of Alexandria Best time to go: June through September How to get there: Car or bus Egypt’s North Coast, called Sahel el Shamali in Arabic (Sahel for short), stretches out for hundreds of kilometers on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast and has arguably some of the most pristine white sand beaches in the region. Now obviously 1,000 km of coast is a lot, but it’s currently comprised mainly of private residential beach compounds with a few sporadic hotels, so it’s mainly the summer playground of moneyed locals. Recently though more tourism development has taken root, so those who don’t own beach homes can still enjoy Egypt’s (hands down) best summer beaches. Giftun Islands Location: Red Sea off of Hurghada Best time to go: April through to November How to get there: by boat from Hurghada or El Gouna, which are reached by car/bus/plane Off the coast of Hurghada are the two Giftun Islands in the Red Sea: Giftun El Kabeer (Big Giftun) and Giftun el Sagheer (Little Giftun). While both are surrounded by equally dazzling clear azure water, Big Giftun is the one where the real action is at because it’s home to beach havens Mahmya and Orange Bay. These daytime destinations offer beach restaurants, bars and water activities as well as bathrooms and showers for those who’ve spent a long day diving or snorkeling and want to kick back and relax. For more tropical islands in Egypt, head here. Wadi El Gemal National Park Location: Red Sea coast south of Marsa Alam Best time to go: year-round, but it gets a tiny bit chilly in winter and very hot in summer How to get there: drive down from Marsa Alam, which is best reached by plane Wadi el Gemal (Valley of the Camels) is an Egyptian national park that encompasses both desert and sea. The biodiversity of its large mammals, reptiles, birds, plants and untouched marine life make it unlike anywhere else in Egypt -- and its coastal area alone is home to 450 species of coral and over 1,200 species of fish. For a small entrance fee, you can spend the day on the coastal beaches of the park, with the comfort of a local guide nearby (the park is massive!). Most visitors spend the night in nearby lodges or in Marsa Alam, and then enjoy the day on the untouched beaches of the national park. Read more: 10 Best Things To Do in Marsa Alam Marsa Matrouh Location: Mediterranean Sea coast, 240 km west of Alexandria Best time to go: June through September How to get there: car/bus from Cairo or Alexandria Marsa Matrouh is a small port city to the west of the North Coast we talked about above. Unlike the North Coast, Marsa Matrouh is an actual coastal city with year-round inhabitants and not just seasonal private residences. If you want to experience Egypt’s Mediterranean Sea but don’t want to deal with exclusive compounds or ridiculously high hotel prices, Marsa Matrouh offers equally beautiful beaches, albeit in a more crowded and less chi-chi atmosphere. Local tip: if you’re in Marsa Matrouh, it might be a good idea to also spend a few days in Siwa Oasis to the south. It’s about a 4.5 hour car trip, which sounds like a lot, but imagine tacking on the extra 5 hours it would take to get from Cairo to Marsa Matrouh, PLUS the 4.5 hours from there to Siwa (via Marsa Matrouh is the safest and easiest route to Siwa). Ras Um Sid Location: Sharm el Sheikh Best time to go: spring and fall (summer too if you can handle the heat) How to get there: fly to Sharm el Sheikh (or drive, but we prefer to fly) While all of Sharm el Sheikh is a resort beach-goer’s dream, the beach at Ras Um Sid takes the cake in our personal opinion. While it's home to several hotels, you can also access the beach via entrance ticket. Besides having umbrellas, sunbeds, a restaurant, bar, shisha and spectacular views, it’s also one of the best beaches in Egypt for snorkeling -- swimmers sometimes see more marine life than divers do! For the best diving destinations in Egypt, head here. Read more: 12 Best Things to Do in Sharm el Sheikh Sahl Hasheesh Location: About 20 km south of Hurghada Best time to go: April through to November How to get there: Drive or fly to Hurghada airport This resort town was built on a bay in the Red Sea south of Hurghada back in the 1990s, and is known for its beautiful stretch of coastline and long boardwalk. It’s home to some of the most highly ranked beach resorts in the country, such as Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh and Baron Palace. Another claim to fame that Sahl Hasheesh has is its man-made sunken city -- a partially submerged city that acts like a reef and attracts both marine life and snorkelers galore. Blue Lagoon Location: north of Dahab Best time to go: year-round How to get there: hiking, by camel or by boat from Dahab The Blue Lagoon is a beautiful but remote beach camp spot north of both Dahab and the Ras Abu Galum national park. It's very bare bones -- huts on the beach and no electricity, so perfect for unplugging. Daily activities range from windsurfing, snorkeling, swimming, kitesurfing, hiking, sunbathing, reading or just relaxing by the beach. At night you can watch for shooting stars by the fire and revel in the fact that there’s no one else for miles around. Because it’s so remote, you can only get there by either hiking/camel from Dahab (for the more adventurous) or by boat. Qulaan Islands Location: in the Red Sea off of Wadi El Gemal National Park Best time to go: year-round, but it gets a tiny bit chilly in winter and very hot in summer How to get there: boat from Hamata harbor Qulaan Islands are an archipelago of four islands in a protected bay in the Wadi El Gemal National Park area that we talked about above. These empty, remote islands are known for their mangrove trees and ecosystem built around the mangroves; marine life flourishes under the trees and it’s a great bird-watching spot. You can take a boat from the Hamata marina and spend a few hours picnicking, swimming and snorkeling on the islands. Somabay Location: 45 km south of Hurghada Best time to go: April through to November How to get there: driving or via Hurghada Airport A peninsula jutting into the Red Sea, Somabay is another small resort town similar to Sahl Hasheesh. Because it’s surrounded by the sea on three sides, Somabay is famous for its water sports, especially kitesurfing and windsurfing due to the ideal wind conditions. Somabay is home to only 5 beach resorts, so it’s a good place to go if you want to avoid the crowds found in other popular Red Sea Riviera destinations (Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh, etc). You might also like: 8 Best Egyptian Beach Holiday Destinations

When you think of Egypt, you probably picture… sand. Like, lots of it. And while there is indeed a lot of sand (we’re a desert nation, after all), what we locals know and are eager to share with visitors are all the different (and aesthetically pleasing) sides of Egypt there are. Whether you favor sea views, cityscapes, river scenes or stark desert beauty, we’ve put together a list of the most stunning (and Instagram-able) views in the country. 1. Castle Zaman (Taba/Nuweiba) Perched on a cliff midway between the Sinai towns of Taba and Nuweiba, overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba, is this restaurant and day-use spot. Castle Zaman is famous for its slow-cooked “castle food” -- platters of meat, seafood and fresh vegetables cooked for hours with local spices, dates and figs. Guests can pass the time by swimming in their pool overlooking the sea or by exploring the castle. Read more about Taba and Nuweiba here: Egypt's Red Sea Riviera: Where To Stay 2. Farsha Mountain Lounge (Sharm El Sheikh) Farsha is a mountain lounge, restaurant and bar in the Red Sea town of Sharm el Sheikh, serving up both comfortable seating in a colorful Bedouin style and spectacular views. The vibe is chill, different than Sharm’s usual party scene, and guests can kick back with a local beer and shisha while enjoying the warm sea breeze. 3. Marriott Mena House (Cairo) With the best pyramids view of any hotel in Egypt, the Mena House started out as a royal lodge for the Khedive Ismail for when he or his guests wanted to rest after hunting in the desert or spending time at the pyramids. It was then sold to a British couple in 1869 and turned into a hotel in 1887. You can read more in our article 11 Historical Hotels in Egypt You Can Still Stay At Today. Today you can enjoy your breakfast or take a swim in the pool with the Pyramids of Giza as a very, *very* distinct backdrop. For a list of Cairo's best hotels that are deemed tried and true by locals, head here. And this is our detailed local's guide about everything you need to know before visiting the Pyramids of Giza. 4. Agiba Beach (Marsa Matrouh) While the whole of the North coast in Egypt offers awesome Mediterranean Sea views and white sand beaches, one of the most distinctly memorable spots is Agiba Beach near the coastal town of Marsa Matrouh. Agiba translates to ‘a wonder’ in Arabic, and this little cove is accessible only through a sandy path down from the clifftop. For more breathtaking beaches, read our article 9 World-Class Beaches in Egypt. 5. Hot Air Balloon (Luxor) This one might be a little unexpected, but it’s absolutely legit -- the best way to see the ancient city of Thebes and its necropolis (now modern-day Luxor), is from above. In the early morning hours, you can gently float over the ancient city and see where the Nile’s blues and greens fade into the desert, and the open-air temple complexes like Luxor Temple and Karnak. Read: 12 Most Impressive Ancient Egyptian Temples Still Standing Today 6. Sofitel Gezirah (Cairo) This hotel has the happy real estate of the tip of the island of Zamalek in Cairo, surrounded by the Nile. The pool and a handful of their restaurants are all right on the water, framed by Cairo’s sprawling cityscape. It’s especially beautiful at night with all the lights reflecting on the water (also get ready for some pimped out passing feluccas and their upbeat Arabic music. 7. Mt. Sinai Summit (Sinai Peninsula) If you’re into hiking, then the trek up to the summit of Mount Sinai (known as ‘Gebel Moussa’ in Arabic) is a must. Actually, even if you aren’t into hiking, you have the option of climbing the mountain old-school on the back of a camel. Mount Sinai is considered holy by the Abrahamic religions, because it’s where it’s believed that Moses encountered the Burning Bush and received the Tablets of Law. Even for non-believers, Mount Sinai is known as being a spiritual and cleansing spot. For more camping spots in Egypt, head here. 8. Old Cataract Hotel (Aswan) Across from Elephantine Island on the Nile, this 19th century Victorian palace is now a hotel with some of the best views Aswan has to offer. The juxtaposition between the Victorian architecture and the ancient river and sand dunes of Aswan is definitely worth a visit, and has been visited by notable names from Princess Diana to Winston Churchill. Our full local's city guide to Aswan is here. 9. Dahab Promenade (Dahab) The small Red Sea town of Dahab is known as divers’ paradise, pulling in people from all over the world who are interested in diving and snorkeling. The town has adopted a bohemian, laid-back vibe with a melting-pot of different nationalities and languages, who all share the joint interest of sea and sun. Dahab’s promenade is comprised of a series of open-air, seaside restaurants, bars and cafes, all with stunning views of the Red Sea and Sinai mountains. 10. White Desert (Farafra) Egypt’s Western desert at Farafra is a pristine, stark wilderness where you can camp, do Jeep safaris, sandboard, immerse yourself in natural hot springs and see the Milky Way and an infinite amount of stars at night. The massive white chalk formations in the White Desert are some of the coolest natural wonders in Egypt (and very “gram-able”). Here are some other of the best places to camp in Egypt. 11. Stanley Bridge (Alexandria) This iconic bridge in the ancient seaside city of Alexandria overlooks the Mediterranean Sea on one side and a small beach on the other, and in front and back is Alexandria’s cityscape and Corniche. While it’s not the most peaceful or quiet of spots -- cars will be zipping past -- we recommend taking a walk down the bridge either early Friday morning or late at night for some of the best views Alexandria has to offer. Read: 2 Day Itinerary for Alexandria, Egypt 12. Mahmya (Hurghada) This Red Sea island is about an hour’s boat ride from the Hurghada port, and has one of the clearest water beaches in Egypt. Boats are easily rented from the port, and on the island itself is a restaurant, private beach and bar -- a great day trip if you’re in Hurghada. For more tropical islands in Egypt, head here. You might also like: 7 Restaurants with the Best Views of the Pyramids of Giza

Listen, Egypt is a country with a 7,000 year old civilization, 5,000+ year old modern cities, 1,000+ year old mosques, and some of the oldest functional monasteries in the world. And while our hotels might not be quite that old, they bear witness to many decades of modern Egyptian history -- and are still around to tell the tale. 1. Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino Location: Zamalek, Cairo Established: 1869 Original name: Palace Al Gezirah This modern-day Zamalek favorite was built by Khedive Ismail over 150 years ago to be a guest palace for foreign royalty and other VIPs visiting during the Suez Canal’s inauguration celebrations. Khedive Ismail decided to design the palace in the neoclassical style which was popular in Europe at the time. He signed on Austrian architect Julius Franz (later known as Franz Bey) and French architect De Curel Del Rosso, who had also designed the Abdeen Palace (for more awesome Cairo museums you need to check out, read our article here). The interiors were done by German architect Carl von Diebitsch. Interesting story: the building’s own architect, Franz Bey, a man apparently not known for his modesty, said the Palace Al Gezirah was “the most beautiful building of modern Arabic style in its category”. Its first royal guests, the Prince and Princess of Wales, called the palace “uselessly extravagant” (lol). The palace operated as the exclusive Gezirah Palace Hotel until it was seized by the government in 1879 for unpaid debt and acquired by the Egyptian Hotels Company. It was later nationalized in 1969 during the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser, and became the Omar Khayyam hotel, later to be taken over by Marriott International in the 1970s. They were the ones who undertook the project of adding two large Nile-facing towers to the palace. The Cairo Marriott that stands today is still the same palace that housed Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, and hosted the wedding of Khedive Ismail’s son which lasted for 40 days; many of the original artwork and furniture can be found in the hotel’s reception rooms and lounges. Cairo Marriott's website. 2. Marriott Mena House Location: Giza Plateau, Greater Cairo Established: 1869 Original name: Mena House Family Hotel 1869 must have been a busy year for Khedive Ismail, because not only did he build the Gezirah Palace we spoke about above, but he also created the hunting lodge at the foot of the Pyramids which would later become the famous Mena House hotel. When Empress Eugenie came to Cairo for the Suez Canal inauguration, it wasn’t enough that Khedive Ismail built a whole guest palace for her and other royalty to stay at; he also built a road that led from Cairo to the Great Pyramids of Giza, and built a royal hunting lodge for her to rest and have lunch at during her Pyramids trip. The hunting lodge was then bought by a wealthy English couple on their honeymoon, Frederick and Jessie Head, because Frederick thought the air there to be beneficial (one living in modern-day Cairo can only laugh and/or cry at the irony). The couple enlarged the lodge into an estate and named it Mena House, after the first pharaoh of Egypt. After Frederick died, the house was bought by another English couple and turned into a hotel in 1887 --- the “Mena House Family Hotel”. A swimming pool was added a few years later, becoming the first swimming pool in Egypt. The hotel changed hands several times throughout the years before its management was acquired by the Marriott. Interesting story: tons of famous politicians, celebrities and royalty stayed at the Mena House over the years, including Frank Sinatra, who performed at a charity event at the Pyramids in 1979 and sang “Strangers on the Nile”. Marriott Mena House's website. 3. Sofitel Winter Palace Location: Luxor Established: 1886/1907 Original name: Winter Palace Hotel Interesting story: so, the official hotel website for the Sofitel Winter Palace states that the hotel opened in 1886, and they went so far as to literally name one of their restaurants ‘1886’ -- talk about doubling down. But apparently, according to historians, that’s false -- the hotel actually opened its doors in 1907, according to, among other things, the announcement of its opening in the Egyptian Gazette newspaper in 1907. Today’s modern management might have gotten its founding date confused with the Luxor Hotel, another historic hotel that used to be right next to the Winter Palace. Oops. The Winter Palace Hotel was created by Cairo hoteliers in collaboration with Thomas Cook and Sons, and its construction was done by an Italian company. In January 1907, they celebrated its inauguration by a picnic at the Valley of the Kings. What really put the Winter Palace on the map was Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Reporters, foreign press and interested visitors from all over the world poured into Luxor and the Winter Palace was used as Carter’s newsroom to keep everyone up to speed on the discovery. Sofitel Winter Palace's website. 4. Windsor Hotel Location: Downtown Cairo Established: 1893 Original name: Hotel Windsor-Maison Suisse **Editor's note: Sad news -- the Windsor has recently permanently closed. We'll keep this listing though for those who are interested in its history. RIP Windsor. The Windsor in Downtown Cairo was built back in 1893 as part of a baths complex for the royal family, and its architecture is very reminiscent of the interior courtyards of the caravanserai Wekalet el Ghouri in Old Cairo, next to Khan el Khalili. People call it ‘colonial-era neo-Mamluk architecture’ which is a mouthful, but there you go. Windsor was mainly known for being a British Officers Club during the First World War, and little had changed decor-wise since those days, albeit much older and more faded. Until recently, their vintage ‘Barrel Lounge’ was popular with Downtown bar-hoppers -- it got its name due to the seats being made of old wooden barrels. After its stint as the British Officers Club, Windsor was bought by a Swiss hotelier with plans to make it an annex of the world-famous Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo (RIP). It was named the Hotel Windsor-Maison Suisse until it was taken over in 1962 by the Doss family. Interesting story: the Windsor’s manually-operated wooden elevator (which is still in use today) was the oldest elevator in Egypt and one of the oldest operating elevators of its type in the world. Windsor Hotel's website. 5. Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel Location: Aswan Established: 1899 Original name: Cataract Hotel This world-famous hotel was built in 1899 by Thomas Cook and Sons, after the Cairo-Aswan railway was built in 1898 and there was a sudden influx of visitors and and not enough hotels. They bought nine feddans from the government and hired architect Henri Favarger, the same architect who designed the Mena House. It was an instant hit and quickly garnered a lot of famous guests over the years, including Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. It became literally the stuff of ‘legends’ as its current name suggests, when Agatha Christie used it as the backdrop for her famous novel, Death on the Nile. The 1978 movie they made out of the book was shot there too (so was the famous Egyptian series ‘Grand Hotel’). Interesting story: when the construction workers were leveling the ground to build the hotel, they came across 200 mummies buried there. The sad part is that they destroyed them with their shovels. Sofitel Legend Old Cataract's website. A full city guide to Aswan is here. 6. Paradise Inn Le Metropole Location: Alexandria Established: 1902 Original name: Le Metropole Even though the hotel Le Metropole was built in the early 20th century by Greek and Italian architects, the history regarding the piece of land where the hotel was built is *much* older. Like, around 2,000 years older! Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt who probably needs no introduction, built the Caesareum of Alexandria, a temple to honor her lover Julius Caesar. After her suicide, Roman emperor Augustus turned the Caesareum into his own cult temple, and brought over two obelisks from Heliopolis to adorn the exterior. Even though it was Augustus who had brought them over, they became known as ‘Cleopatra’s Needles’. The temple later became a church in the 4th century AD, and was destroyed in 912 AD. Cleopatra’s Needles were given away in an economic and political move by Khedive Mohammed Ali in 1879 -- one obelisk now stands in Central Park, NYC, and the other on the Thames embankment in London. The hotel that was built where the obelisks once stood is none other than Le Metropole, and instead of the Caesareum, there’s now a statue of Saad Zaghloul, a nationalist leader. The hotel today is dated but still carries a lot of its original turn of the 20th century charm, as well as original paintings and antiques. Interesting story: the Greek-Alexandrian poet Constantine Cavafy, who was one of the most prominent poets of the 1920s and 1930s, spent the last 25 years of his life in Le Metropole, writing poems. A suite in his name remains there until today. Paradise Inn Le Metropole's website. 7. Paradise Inn Windsor Palace Location: Alexandria Established: 1906 Original name: Windsor Palace This classic Alexandrian hotel is not at all related to the Windsor Hotel of Downtown Cairo -- apparently we just really like the name around here. When it was built in 1906, it was named after John Windsor, one of the ten partners in the new hotel. They thought 'Windsor Palace’ sounded aristocratic, which is the vibe they were aiming for. The Windsor Palace was in quite the enviable location back 100 years ago -- it was close to the Ramleh train station and Alexandria’s old port harbor, as well as the shopping district and seaside promenades. Since it was right on the Mediterranean Sea, it was definitely more of a ‘resort hotel’ back in the day than it is now. Like Le Metropole and The Windsor in Cairo, the current hotel that stands today has seen much better days, but holds on to its original paintings, antiques and choice furnishings, to give modern guests a feel of what the hotel was like back in its golden days. Paradise Inn Windsor Palace's website. 8. Semiramis Intercontinental Location: Garden City, Cairo Established: 1907 Original name: Semiramis If you want to get technical, the Semiramis Intercontinental that stands today isn’t the same Semiramis that was built in 1907 -- that one got demolished in 1976 to make way for the current, modern hotel. But it’s the same location and bears the same name, so we’re going to consider it historical just the same. The Semiramis was built by Swiss hoteliers and named for an ancient queen of Babylon, and was actually the very first hotel built on the Nile in Cairo -- most others were built in the Ezbakiya area or Downtown Cairo. It was four floors and had views of the pyramids, the Citadel, the Moqattam Hills, and obviously the Nile (this was before there was even a Nile Corniche!). The Semiramis was nicknamed ‘the queen of the Nile’. Interesting story: T.E. Lawrence (you know, Lawrence of Arabia) stayed there in 1921 and wrote to his mother that the Semiramis was “very expensive and luxurious: horrible place: makes me Bolshevik.” Rupyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, also stayed at the Semiramis several times, and wrote “The Swiss are the only people who have taken the trouble to master the art of hotel-keeping. Consequently, in the things that really matter – beds, baths, and victuals –they control Egypt”. Semiramis Intercontinental's website. 9. Steigenberger Cecil Hotel Location: Alexandria Established: 1929 Original name: Cecil Hotel The Cecil Hotel was originally a ‘romantic’ colonial-style hotel opened by a Jewish French-Egyptian family, the Metzgers, on the same square near the sea where Cleopatra’s Needles were (yes, the Cecil and Le Metropole are neighbors). It was extremely popular in its heyday and hosted everyone from Umm Kalthoum to Josephine Baker and Al Capone. During World War II, it was used as headquarters for British Intelligence (not so romantic anymore, we guess). The Metzger family were expelled from the country in 1957, and 50 years later in 2007 won a court case over ownership of the Cecil Hotel, which they then sold to the Egyptian government. Interesting story: the Cecil Hotel is written about in Naguib Mahfouz’s famous novel Miramar, as well as Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandria Quartet. Steigenberger Cecil Hotel's website. 10. Helnan Auberge Location: Fayoum Established: 1937 Original name: Auberge du Lac Fayoum, about an hour and a half from Cairo, has always been known as a great nature retreat and break from the city. And that was probably what King Farouk had in mind when he built a hunting and fishing lodge in Fayoum in 1937. The lodge, which was built on the shores of Lake Qarun, was used as a base for his hunting expeditions and parties, and King Farouk built an old port there as well. The lodge later became the Auberge du Lac Hotel, and the old port still stands. And while the hotel was always popular with hunting and fishing aficionados, it also was the setting for important political meetings, such as King Abdel Aziz Ibn Saud and Winston Churchill in 1945. Interesting story: the Auberge was also the darling of the Egyptian film industry back in the day, and many Egyptian black-and-white (and regular) movies were shot there, like هذا هو الحب (That’s Love) in 1958, شمس لا تغيب (A Sun That Never Sets) in 1959, سر امرأة (A Woman’s Secret) in 1960, ست البنات (The Girl of All Girls) in 1961, and الكل عاوز يحب (Everyone Wants Love) in 1975, among many others. Helnan, a Scandinavian hotel group, took over Auberge du Lac in the 1980s and renamed it Helnan Auberge. Helnan Auberge's website. 11. Helnan Palestine Hotel Location: Alexandria Established: 1964 Original name: Palestine Hotel This hotel located in the former royal palace of El Montaza in Alexandria was built in 6 months in 1964 under orders from President Gamal Abdel Nasser. He wanted to build a hotel specifically to house all the Arab royalty, heads of state and dignitaries who were flying to Alexandria to attend the second ever Arab League Summit, and needless to say, he wanted to provide the very best in luxury, comfort and views; he handpicked the location of the hotel himself. It was at this summit that they formally approved the establishment of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (hence the name of the hotel). El Montaza is 350 acres of gardens on the Mediterranean Sea, and was the summer palace of King Farouk; its ownership was transferred to the government in 1952. Helnan took over the Palestine Hotel’s management in 1987. Interesting story: for the 2002 opening of the new Library of Alexandria, or Bibliotheca Alexandrina, presidents, royalty and celebrities flew in to attend and stayed at the Helnan Palestine, including Jacques Chirac, Sofia the Queen of Spain, and Rania the Queen of Jordan. Helnan Palestine's website. Interested in more modern historical spots in Egypt? Check out these 14 Egyptian dessert shops and patisseries more than 50 years old.

Before booking a hotel, hostel or apartment, make sure you have an idea of the area first. Cairo is a sprawling city, and like you probably noticed in other big cities, not all neighborhoods were created equal. Obviously it’s beyond important to stay in an area that you a) feel comfortable in, and b) isn’t five million miles away from points of interest. A lot of tourists love to walk around a new city, and while Cairo does have some awesome spots to take a stroll, that’s not the case for all neighborhoods, so it’s important to have a general gist of where you want to book your hotel or apartment. Below we listed the neighborhoods in order of most recommended: 1. Zamalek An island in the middle of the Nile river, Zamalek is home to some of the most beautiful views in Cairo. It’s also host to most of the city’s embassies, and thus has plenty of security on the street, which makes it great for walking around and feeling super secure. Zamalek is also known for being Cairo’s nightlife hub, with plenty of bars, restaurants and shisha joints. It’s our local favorite neighborhood mainly because it’s pretty damn hard to go wrong with Zamalek -- it's in central Cairo, which means any site/destination, whether the airport in east Cairo or the Pyramids of Giza in west Cairo, isn't too far. Recommended for: solo travelers (including solo women), couples and families Stay in Zamalek if you want: nightlife and lots of places to eat/hang out, and a safe neighborhood to walk around in Read: 7 Hidden Gem Restaurants in Zamalek Read: 7 Best Bars, Pubs & Restobars in Zamalek Read: 8 Best Cafes in Zamalek for Coffee, Work or Just to Chill 2. Maadi Maadi is known as the green oasis in Cairo (greenery is a scarcity in Cairo, and you’ll find locals speaking of trees, grass and parks in hushed, adoring tones), a favored neighborhood by expats. Old Maadi, Maadi Sarayat and Degla are all known for their leafy streets and refuge from the chaotic Cairo traffic. While not as much of a nightlife spot as Zamalek, Maadi’s Road 9 is full to the brim with restaurants, shops, cafes and a bar or two, and Degla has a lot of little good hole-in-the-wall type restaurants. Recommended for: Airbnb, solo travelers (including solo women), couples and families Stay in Maadi if you want: greenery and to be slightly away from the hustle & bustle of central Cairo, a good walking neighborhood as well Read: 12 Chill Places to Have Dinner & Drinks in Maadi Read: 10 Best Breakfast, Brunch and Bakeries in Maadi 3. Garden City Perched on the right bank of the Nile, Garden City used to be home to Egypt’s elite, and some of the beautiful architecture still stands today, albeit slightly worse for wear. Garden City also hosts some of Cairo’s nicest hotels, and while it’s not home itself to many restaurants or bars outside of the hotels, Garden City is in walking distance of Zamalek. It's central Cairo, so not too far from any point of interest in the city. Recommended for: solo travelers (including solo women), couples, families and business trips Stay in Garden City if: you want to stay in a nice hotel with spectacular Nile views 4. Heliopolis Heliopolis is a good area to stay in if you need to be close to the airport. There’s a quaint little area called Korba which is nice to walk around in, and Heliopolis has its fair share of restaurants and bars. There's also a large mall called City Stars if you need to shop for any reason. The one con is that with the usual Cairo traffic, it will take a while to get to the city center and even longer to get to the Pyramids. Recommended for: solo travelers (including solo women), couples, families and business trips Stay in Heliopolis if: you want to be close to the airport Read: Nightlife in Heliopolis, Cairo: 10 Best Restaurants, Bars & Pubs 5. New Cairo (also known as Tagamo'a el Khames) This Eastern suburb in Cairo is a kinda far from the usual sightseeing spots, but it’s calmer and less chaotic than central Cairo and closer to the airport. You’ll find here Cairo Festival City, a huge mall full of stores, restaurants, shisha cafes and cinemas, as well as a bunch of other commercial centers hosting a slew of restaurants and cafes. Also home to the American University in Cairo. New Cairo is all recently built, so it's definitely not where you should stay if you want to experience Egyptian heritage, culture or history. Also cars/cabs needed to get around -- New Cairo is massive. Recommended for: couples and families. It might be a bit far for solo travelers from where the culture/action is Stay in New Cairo if: you want space and to be away from Central Cairo Read: 9 Best Restobars for Dinner & Drinks in New Cairo 6. 6th of October City/Sheikh Zayed The Western equivalent of New Cairo. This Cairo suburb is home to Mall of Egypt, Mall of Arabia, and other commercial centers full of restaurants and stores. 6th of October City/Sheikh Zayed might be the most sensible area to stay in should the main focus of your Cairo trip be the Great Pyramids of Giza and/or the Saqqara pyramids; it’s considerably closer traffic-wise than our other recommended Cairo neighborhoods. It is however the furthest Cairo neighborhood from the airport. Cars/cabs needed; this is another place that will be hard to get around on foot unless you’re masochistic. Recommended for: couples and families Stay in 6th of October City/Sheikh Zayed if: you’re going to dedicate most of your time to the Giza, Saqqara, Dahshur or Memphis sites Read: 12 Best Bars, Pubs and Restobars in Sheikh Zayed and 6th October City 7. Downtown Downtown is a bit (and by a bit we mean a lot) chaotic, so we recommend it for those who are adventurous and looking for a real slice of Cairo life. Shop after shop after shop line the old streets of Downtown, and at night sidewalk shisha cafes dominate the landscape alongside the bright fluorescent lights of the countless window displays. It’s crowded and not always the best walking location for solo female travelers, but has a quirky charm. Most of Cairo’s notable hostels are in Downtown. It’s also the closest neighborhood to the Cairo Museum, Khan el Khalili and Islamic and Coptic Cairo. Recommended for: backpackers Stay in Downtown if: you want to stay in a cheap hostel and experience “real” Cairo Read: 10 Best Restaurants in Downtown, Cairo Read: Best Bars & Nightlife in Downtown Cairo *Not* recommended neighborhoods: · Haram (Pyramids area) While in theory it might seem like a smart idea to stay near the Pyramids, unless you plan to stay in a nearby 5 star hotel (like the Mena House or Steigenberger) and not leave it except to go to the Pyramids, then don’t stay here. The area isn’t the safest and it’s a long drive to get to the action and activities of Central Cairo. · Mohandiseen Think super crowded, super hectic, and just not worth it. Dokki is a slightly better area of Mohandiseen. · Manial While it does have Nile views, Manial doesn’t offer much else and isn’t the most pleasant for tourists, especially solo women. · Nasr City Another crowded, congested area in Cairo that’s not worth staying in. Local recommendation: if you’re staying in a hotel, then aim for a Zamalek or Garden City one; if you’re looking for a hostel, hit up Downtown, and if you’re Airbnbing it, Zamalek and Maadi have some good options. You can check out our full recommended hotel list right here. You may also like: Top 10 Things to Do in Cairo, Egypt

While Egypt is well-known for being the land of the pharaohs and pyramids, not many people (including locals) realize just how old some of Egypt’s fully-modern cities are. So the next time you’re in one of these places listed below, try to ignore the cars zipping past and the blaring TVs for a moment, and soak in the fact that you’re standing in the same Ancient Egyptian city that stood on that very same spot more than 5,000 years ago. 1. Fayoum (7,000+ years old) Ancient Egyptian name: Shedet Greek name: Crocodilopolis While the ancient Egyptian city of Shedet (modern-day Fayoum) is around 6,000 years old, archaeologists have found evidence of hunter and gatherer societies based in Fayoum from the Epipalaeolithic age. Shedet was called Crocodilopolis by the Greeks due to it being the main cult center of the crocodile god Sobek. Modern-day Fayoum is also home to a few lesser-known pyramids than those found at the Giza plateau. 2. El Qoseir (~5,000 years old) Greek name: Leucus Limen The small modern Red Sea city of El Qoseir has been populated for about 5,000 years, and the ancient Greeks called it “Leucus Limen”, which translates to ‘white port’ or ‘white harbor’. El Qoseir was used as a starting point for many ancient expeditions into foreign lands, the most famous one being Hatshepsut’s expedition to Punt (believed to be modern-day Ethiopia) in 1493 AD to buy ebony, ivory, exotic animals and frankincense and myrrh. This expedition was recorded in her mortuary temple at Deir el Bahari, that still stands in modern-day Luxor. 3. Rashid/Rosetta (~5,000 years old) Ancient Egyptian name: Khito Greek name: Bolbitine This modern-day Mediterranean port city is known for being where the world-famous Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799, allowing Egyptologists to decipher the then-impenetrable hieroglyphics for the first time. Rashid/Rosetta was inhabited throughout all of Ancient Egyptian history, and named ‘Khito’, which meant ‘populace’, during Menas’ (Mena in Arabic) rule. During Ptolemaic times, Khito was renamed to Bolbitine, which was one of the seven mouths of the Nile according to Herodotus. 4. Ain Shams (~5,000 - 6,000 years old) Ancient Egyptian name: Iunu Greek name: Heliopolis While technically Ain Shams is now part of modern-day Cairo, the original city Iunu is one of Ancient Egypt’s oldest cities, occupied since the Predynastic times (Menas or Mena is considered the first pharaoh and marks the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period around 5,000 years ago). Iunu/Heliopolis was known to be a cult center for the sun god Atum, who was then identified as Ra and then Horus. It also became famous for being a learning center during the Greek times, before it was eclipsed by Alexandria around 2,000 years ago. The name Heliopolis lives on as Cairo’s eastern suburb, near the original city of Ain Shams/Iunu. 5. Elephantine in Aswan (more than 5,000 years old) Ancient Egyptian name: Abu Greek name: Elephantine This island in modern-day Aswan used to be the Ancient Egyptian city of Abu, which translated to ‘elephant’. The first temple built on the island was around 3,200 BC (around 5,200 years ago), and it was a temple for Satet, a goddess personified as the Nile inundation. Elephantine was also known in the Ancient Egyptian religion as being the home of Khnum, the ram god who watched over and controlled the Nile waters. Around 3,500 years ago Elephantine became a fort that marked the southern border of Egypt. Read: 12 Most Interesting Things To See & Do in Aswan, Egypt 6. Luxor (~ 5,200 years old) Ancient Egyptian name: Waset Greek name: Thebes Probably the most famous ancient city in the world, Luxor’s Ancient Egyptian name, Waset, meant ‘city of the scepter of the pharaohs’. Waset was first inhabited around 3,200 BC and was a small trading post while the Ancient Egyptian capital and royal residence at the time was Memphis. Its proximity to Nubia and the Eastern desert made Waset/Thebes a growingly-important trading center, and became the official capital of Ancient Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdoms. Waset/Thebes was built on both banks of the Nile, and until this day is known for its necropolises. Read: 10 Best Things To Do in Luxor, Egypt - As Told By Locals 7. Assyut (more than ~5,100 years old) Ancient Egyptian name: Zawty Greek name: Lykopolis Ancient Assyut was the capital of the 13th Nome of Upper Egypt (a nome was a territorial division in Ancient Egypt) around 5,100 years ago. Its importance declined after a conflict with the more southern nomes, ending with Thebes as the victor. While there are no awe-inspiring ruins left in Assyut like there are in Luxor, there remains a necropolis with tombs and their accompanying treasures, and mummies of wolves were also found. You might also like: 12 Most Impressive Ancient Egyptian Temples Still Standing Today

The past couple of years have been... a lot, to say the least. But there's no use crying over covid-spilled milk, and things are definitely taking a turn for the better. Not only is Egypt completely open again, but we've been making headlines as one of THE countries to visit in 2022. Headlines where? Oh here are just a few: Recently TripAdvisor not only named Cairo as their #2 Trending Destination in the World for 2022, but Hurghada in their Top 10 Most Popular Destinations in the World for 2022! And that's besides Egypt having secured 13 spots, yes 13, in Scuba Travel’s World’s Top 100 Dive Sites in 2022. Oh and let's not forget Egypt being on the list for Lonely Planet's Top 10 Countries in 2022. So as you can see, it's been pretty much agreed across the board that Egypt is the place to see in 2022, for myriad reasons. And let us locals add 22 of our own personal reasons to the list! 1. It’s very affordable for tourists. If you're coming from abroad, you might notice right away that certain things are WAY cheaper in Egypt than back home. For example, an Uber from the airport to Downtown Cairo will cost you around $10 - for an hour long ride! And a stay in a five star hotel in Egypt is going to run you *considerably* less than what a stay in a five star hotel in Europe for example will run you. Hot air balloon in Luxor? That'll set you back less than $50. You get the idea! Read: Cairo on a Budget: 10 Cheap Ways to Enjoy the City Read: Cairo Sightseeing For Free: 10 Awesome Sites That Don't Cost Anything To Visit 2. Year-round sunny beaches. Home to both the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, Egypt has beaches that can easily compete with some of the best in the world. Even in winter months, it’s never too cold to sit on the Red Sea’s white sand beaches and soak up the sun. Read: 9 World-Class Beaches in Egypt Read: 7 Tropical Islands You Won't Believe Are In Egypt 3. Our world-famous museums. The Grand Egyptian Museum will be hopefully be opening its doors in late 2022; when opened, it'll be the biggest archaeological museum in the world. It’ll also be home to the full Tutankhamun collection, with pieces on public display for the first time ever. But don't let the delay get you down -- you can check out our other world-famous museums, like Cairo Museum in Midan Tahrir -- the museum’s collections exceed over 120,000 pieces, from the pre-historic era to the Roman-Greco period. Or the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, with its Royal Mummy Gallery. There's also Karnak Temple in Luxor, which is considered the biggest open-air museum in the world. Read: 9 Museums In Cairo You Need To Visit At Least Once Read: 7 Important Egyptian Museums To Truly Understand Egypt's History 4. Natural treatments and climatic physiotherapy. The secret is out: Egypt is one of the best destinations in the world when it comes to therapeutic tourism -- those seeking natural treatment for various ailments, or seeking physical and spiritual cleansing. Egypt is home to more than 1,300 natural springs, and their clay and minerals help treat bone, skin and digestive diseases. The 365 days of sunshine and dry climate in places like Aswan help respiratory and rheumatoid diseases. The sea and treatments like ‘sand baths’ are proven to help with skin diseases like psoriasis. Read: Natural Therapy in Egypt - 7 Types of Natural Healing and Climatic Therapy You Can't Find Elsewhere 5. The last standing Ancient Wonder of the World. The Great Pyramid of Giza (known as either Khufu or Cheops) is literally the last existing Ancient Wonder of the World. At around 4500 years old, it’s kind of crazy that you can get so up and close to it, but indeed you can. Its surrounding pyramids and Sphinx are no less impressive, and it’s truly worth being on every single human’s bucket list. Read: Visiting the Pyramids of Giza - A Local's Guide to Everything You Need to Know 6. A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan. When was the last time you went on a cruise? Or better yet, when was the last time you went on a cruise that had regular stops to dock and see thousands-of-years-old monuments, tombs and artifacts? These five star, luxury cruises range from 3 to 5 nights, and are both affordable and an awesome option for all ages and families with young kids. You’ll sail down the river in Ancient Upper Egypt and see sights like the Luxor Temple (the world’s largest outdoor museum), Karnak Temple and Philae Temple (the last place where the Ancient Egyptian religion was practiced). 7. Camping in the Sahara Desert. Egypt’s Western desert is a pristine, stark wilderness where you can camp, do Jeep safaris, sandboard, immerse yourself in natural hot springs and see the Milky Way and an infinite amount of stars at night. White chalk formations like in the White Desert area of the Egyptian Sahara are some of the coolest natural wonders (and very “gram-able”). Read: Camping in Egypt: 7 Beautiful and Remote Places To Camp 8. Disconnecting from the world at an Egyptian ecolodge. If peace of mind is your end goal, then Egypt’s ecolodges are what you should be looking into for 2022. Whether you choose an ecolodge at a desert oasis, or next to the Red Sea, or at the very edge of the Great Sand Sea, you’re guaranteed to disconnect from your super plugged-in world; many of these places don’t even have electricity. Perfect for those who want to disconnect, eat fresh, get back in tune with nature and leave as small a carbon footprint as possible. 9. Scuba diving in some of the world’s very best dive spots. Egypt's Red Sea scored a total of 13 spots in Scuba Travel’s World’s Top 100 Dive Sites in 2022 - what more can we say? Notable Egyptian dive sites mentioned: Shark Reef, Daedalus Reef, Little Brother, Thistlegorm and Blue Hole. Read: 7 Best Diving Destinations in Egypt’s Red Sea for Divers of All Levels 10. Religious significance for the three Abrahamic religions -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism. While the Ancient Egyptian religion is what usually takes center stage when people think of Egypt, the country is of extreme significance to the Abrahamic religions as well. In Egypt you can climb to the summit of Mount Sinai, where it’s believed that Moses encountered the Burning Bush and received the 10 Commandments. You can also follow the journey of the Holy Family (Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Joseph) from the Sinai peninsula into mainland Egypt and back again. If you’re interested in more modern historical religious sites, Islamic and Coptic Cairo are home to centuries-old mosques, churches, and the Ben Ezra synagogue. Read: 9 Egyptian Churches, Cathedrals and Monasteries You Need to Visit at Least Once Read: 10 Most Beautiful Mosques in Egypt 11. Ancient whale fossils in the desert, anyone? Wadi el Hitan (Whale Valley) in Fayoum, Egypt, is home to something very strange and very cool -- whale fossils, but not your average whale; these whales had hind legs. According to UNESCO (Wadi el Hitan is an official UNESCO Heritage Site): “These fossils represent one of the major stories of evolution: the emergence of the whale as an ocean-going mammal from a previous life as a land-based animal. This is the most important site in the world for the demonstration of this stage of evolution.” Read: 7 Egyptian UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Which Ones You MUST See 12. Medical and dental tourism. If you need tests done, dental work or a medical consultation and don’t feel like going through thousands of dollars and weeks of waiting for an appointment in your home country, then Egypt is a great alternative. The medical sector in Egypt has excellent doctors, and the vast majority speak English so you don’t have to worry about the language barrier. You can get an appointment with a dentist or specialized doctor of your choice in just a matter of days, and the consultation will cost you between 300-600 EGP ($19-$38), and the follow-up is free. Blood tests and other scanning are similarly affordable. 13. Kitesurfing. Kitesurfing is the world’s fastest-growing water sport, and not many know that Egypt is a treasure trove for both beginner and advanced kitesurfers alike. According to Kitesurfing Holidays, Egypt has 3 different placings in the 10 best spots in the world to learn to kitesurf (Soma Bay, Hamata and El Gouna). Our local tip is to add to those places Ras Sedr and Dahab, also on the Red Sea. Read: 7 Extreme Adventure Experiences in Egypt for Adrenaline Junkies 14. 10,000 year old rock art. If you thought the pharaohs’ tombs were about as Ancient as Egypt’s history gets, think again. In the caves of the Gilf Kebir plateau in the remote Southwest Egyptian Sahara desert, Neolithic cliff paintings (pictographs) and rock carvings (petroglyphs) were found, depicting the daily life of those who dwelled there around 10,000 years ago. The most famous of those caves are the Cave of the Swimmers and the Cave of the Beasts. 15. That boat life. We already talked about 5 star Nile cruises, but what about the rest of what Egypt has to offer when it comes to boating? Whether it’s something easy and quick, like an hour’s sail in of the famous Nile feluccas (little sailboats popular in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan), or a fishing boat in the Red Sea, or a glass-bottom boat (awesome family alternative to snorkeling), or even powerboats that you can rent out for reasonable prices in Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, the options of enjoying Egypt from the water are endless. Read: 25 Fun Things To Do In Hurghada and El Gouna 16. The crazy beauty of the remaining temples, monuments, tombs and artifacts of the Ancient Egyptian civilization. This, like the Pyramids, is really kind of a no-brainer. The fact that you can literally walk into temples and tombs thousands of years old, and see the original art and hieroglyphics is really kind of mind-boggling. Sites like the Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Dendera, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Abu Simbel, Temple of Hatshepsut, Philae Temple and many others are always *so* much more interesting than anything you might have ever read about them. Read: Ancient Egypt Bucket List: 20 Must-See Ancient Egyptian Sites 17. The ability to have a super diverse vacation, all in relatively easy reach of each other, in the same country. Whether you’re looking for a beach vacation, a journey into ancient history, a diving adventure, a mental, physical and emotional retreat, a city jaunt or a commune with nature, Egypt delivers all, in just a few short days. It’s not all sand and pyramids --although that would be pretty cool too-- which is what a lot of visitors fail to realize, and thus cheat themselves out of some of the best beaches in the world or some amazing retreats. 18. The views, oh, the views. We're just going to leave this here. Read: 12 Places To Go For The Most Beautiful Views in Egypt 19. Egyptian food <3 Egyptian cuisine might not be super widespread internationally, but for us Egyptians, it's a national treasure. Our famous fuul, taameya (Egyptian falafel) and koshary are all cheap, nutritious and even vegan-friendly. And if you're a meat lover, our grills just can't be beat. Read: 12 Local Egyptian Foods You Need To Try 20. Egypt is a great winter destination. It’s a million degrees below zero, and you don’t think you’ll ever see a not-gray sky again. This is where Egypt comes in -- even in the dead of winter, the sun is always shining and the skies are always blue. Read: 7 Reasons Why Winter Is Actually One Of The Best Times To Go To Egypt 21. Egypt's historical hotels. With certain hotels over 150 years old (and still serving up 5 star luxury), in Egypt you don't just SEE history, you can also choose to sleep in it. These hotels range from khedival palaces in Cairo to nods to Alexandria's seaside belle epoque to Agatha's Nile-side inspiration down in Aswan - in Egypt you don't need to stay at another cookie-cutter hotel. Read: 11 Historical Hotels in Egypt You Can Still Stay At Today 22. Moez Street and Khan el Khalili. A lot gets said about Ancient Egypt, but what about Medieval Egypt? Take a walk down Moez Street and its adjacent bazaar Khan el Khalili in the evening and you'll feel like you're in A Thousands and One Nights - with a large dash of modern Egypt, that is. This fascinating area dates back to 14th century AD and is one of our very favorite places in all of Cairo. Also the best place to souvenir shop! Read: El Moez Street in Old Cairo - A Detailed Local's Guide Read: Khan el Khalili - An Egyptian Local's Guide So there you have it, 22 reasons why Egypt should most definitely be on your list of places to visit in 2022. And don't forget to check out our locally-created itineraries -- they're full of details and insider information that you won't find elsewhere on the internet; it's like having your own local friend in Egypt who'll steer you in the right direction. Happy travels!

Who doesn’t love to sit outside with a drink when the weather is nice, especially when you’re high up enough above the city to catch a breeze? Cairo may be congested and chaotic at ground level, but up on a rooftop it’s a completely different story. So in no particular order, we give you some of our favorite rooftop bars in Cairo. Covid update: any shisha mentioned is pre-covid. We're hopeful that it's just a matter of time until shisha is brought back, but as of this moment shisha still hasn't been reinstated in all of these places. Estro Location: Maadi Also known as the ‘Sicilian Rooftop’, this restobar is found on the 9th floor of the Royal Maadi Hotel. Opened by the same owners of Frank &Co, Maadi’s favorite tapas bar, Estro offers up Italian food with a view (especially if you go before sunset). Reservations needed. Local tip: on especially clear days, you can see three different pyramid necropolises: the pyramids of Giza, the Step Pyramid of Saqqara,and the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur. Address: Royal Maadi Hotel, Road 18, Maadi Crimson Location: Zamalek Opening hours: 8 am - 2 am This chic rooftop restobar resides on top of the Riverside building on a quiet Nile-facing street on the upscale island of Zamalek. Its open terrace overlooks the Nile, with an impressive bar and beautiful interior design. They have great food and creative cocktails, but we warn you -- this place is not cheap! Reservations recommended for weekends. Address: 16 Kamal Al Tawil, Zamalek Sachi Park St. Location: Sheikh Zayed The original Sachi in Heliopolis has been a staple of Cairo fine dining and nightlife for over a decade now, so it was only a matter of time before they brought their famous Mediterranean fusion, sushi menu and cocktail list to the west of the Cairo. And that they did, with the added benefit of Sachi Park St. having an open-air rooftop alongside their indoor dining area. Reservations needed, you can call them on 01278666185. Carlton Hotel Roof Garden Location: Downtown Opening hours: 5 pm - 2 am On top of the dated 3 star Carlton Hotel in Downtown Cairo is a surprisingly nice and breezy rooftop. The hotel has been open since 1935 and definitely hasn’t taken any steps into the 21st century (the interiors seem stuck somewhere in the 1980s), but the rooftop is simple and straightforward. They serve local beer and wine and shisha (pre-covid), and at night you can see the High Court of Justice building lit up. Address: 21 26th July St., Downtown Rooftop Zamalek Location: Zamalek Opening hours: Noon - 1 am Literally called Rooftop Zamalek, this bar sits on top of a shabby 1 star hotel in, you guessed it, Zamalek. This place is the absolute opposite of fancy, but has fantastic Nile views (although they recently put up some annoying netting on one side to apparently stop bottles from falling on the Russian consulate below, lol). Try to go during the day or before sunset to nab one of the netting-free Nile view tables before it gets crowded. Address: 21 Mahmoud Sidky, Zamalek Roof Garden Karvin Location: Heliopolis If you’re on the eastern side of Cairo and looking for a rooftop, then Karvin is always a good choice. On top of the 3 star Karvin Hotel in Heliopolis, this rooftop’s real claim to fame is the hotel’s Indian restaurant, Massala, which is excellent (it’s even opened another branch in the Mivida compound in New Cairo!). They deliver up to the rooftop so you can chase your Indian meal with a beer and a shisha (pre-covid). A downside though is that this rooftop is more enclosed than the others on the list, so you don’t get as much of a breeze (although this makes it an ideal rooftop in winter). Address: 11 Mohammed Ebeid, Almazah, Heliopolis Kempinski Roof Location: Garden City Opening hours: 6 pm - 2 am On the Kempinski’s 11th floor roof is their pool, surrounded by a few tables that offer awesome panoramic views of the Nile. While only hotel guests can use the pool, anyone can have a drink, shisha (pre-covid) or sandwiches and small plates off their rooftop menu. Note: if you're not a guest at the hotel, the roof is only accessible after 6 pm. For more of our favorite hotels in Cairo, head here. Address: 12 Ahmed Ragheb, Qasr El Nil, Garden City Odeon Palace Bar Location: Downtown Opening hours: 24/7 The only 24/7 rooftop bar on this list, Odeon has been a Downtown Cairo staple for decades now. Popular with Cairo’s artistic and cinematic crowd, as well as foreigners, it’s always an interesting mix of people. The view may not be able to compete with the Nile or Pyramids, but it has its own quirky charm. They serve local alcohol and shisha (once again, pre-covid), as well as a few dubious food offerings (stick to something safe, like fries). Address: 29 Street 21, Downtown Minglings Location: Heliopolis Opening hours: 5 pm - 1 am Located on the roof of the 1920 Boutique Hotel (that's the actual name of the hotel) is the indoor/outdoor rooftop bar Minglings. That same hotel is known for housing some of the best bars in Heliopolis, with Minglings being its newest addition. They have your usual drinks plus cocktails, pitchers and 'comfort food with a twist'. Address: 58 Beirut St., Heliopolis Looking for more nightlife inspiration? Check out our favorite bars, pubs and clubs in Cairo.

Khan El Khalili, the sprawling market/bazaar/souq in the heart of Old Cairo, is a massive hodgepodge of old and new, from beautiful centuries-old Islamic architecture to cheap made-in-China Ramadan lanterns with Mo Salah’s face on them. And while it’s indeed a tourist attraction, most of Khan El Khalili’s patrons are Egyptian locals, so the market is bustling at almost all hours of the day and night, in all seasons. Now, first things first: before we get into the nitty-gritty, let us just tell you one thing first: Khan el Khalili is *a lot*. Whether it’s a lot in a positive way or a lot in a negative way really depends on the eye of the beholder. It’s crowded, chaotic and loud, which can either be fun or overwhelming, but in most cases, usually a mix of both. Brief History of Khan El Khalili In the 14th century, the then-Sultan Barquq’s (his mosque is one of the 10 most beautiful mosques in Egypt) Master of Stables, Jaharkas El Khalili, built a large caravanserai (khan) where Khan El Khalili now stands -- it was essentially a building that housed merchants and their different goods. In later years, other sultans added their own khans/wekalas (another word for caravanserai) until the whole area became a center for trade, both local and foreign, in the late 15th century. Khan El Khalili today is an integral part of Old Cairo, and the architecture and surrounding areas like Moez Street are reason enough to go (a UN study found that Moez Street has the highest concentration of medieval Islamic architectural treasures in the world). This area, called Historic Cairo, is one of Egypt's seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Read our detailed local's guide to Moez Street here. You may also like: Cairo's City of the Dead - A Local's Guide Today’s Khan El Khalili: What to expect Imagine a labyrinth of tiny alleys stuffed to the brim with shops and vendors peddling all kinds of treasures and all kinds of crap. You’ll find everything from great quality gold and silver jewelry and painstakingly intricate Egyptian handcrafts to plastic bob-headed dogs (who buys those things, anyway?) and everything in between. It’s the best place in Egypt to buy a gift for someone (or, you know, a gift for yourself) and to stock up on kitschy cheap souvenirs for everyone back home in the office. There are also weekly whirling dervish shows and other cultural/folkloric events. Getting There Khan El Khalili is in the heart of Old Islamic Cairo, and you can get there easily by either cab or Uber (expect a lot of traffic in this area though). Another way of getting there is taking the metro and getting off at the Ataba stop, but then it’s another 20 minutes or so walk from there and not the most pleasant, especially for women, so you’ve been warned. The easiest, most direct entrance is at the Al-Hussein Square where the Al-Hussein Mosque is, so if you just tell your cab driver to drop you off there or plug it into your Uber destination, you should be able to orient yourself quickly once there. Buying/Bargaining If we were to list all the different and sometimes very random things you can buy in Khan el Khalili, we’d be here all night. Suffice to say they have something for everyone, so budget in a couple hours at least to roam around and shop. Shop owners and other touts will call out to you all sorts of things, including the always popular “How can I take your money today?”. Some are a bit pushy, but if you’re politely firm in your refusal of whatever it is they’re trying to push on you, they’ll keep it moving pretty quickly. There are also people who roam around trying to sell you trinkets, mugs with names on them (but not yours), henna tattoos, leopard-print lingerie (don’t ask), used books and essentially anything a person can carry around. In the case of buying anything from either a shop or a roaming trinket hawker, feel free to bargain. If bargaining isn’t your sharpest skill, then just think of what amount of money you feel you would be ok spending on whatever you’re negotiating over and stick to that. Also don’t be afraid to turn around and leave if the price they’re asking for is too much -- they sometimes try to guilt you into paying their price by quickly wrapping up the item as if you already bought it even before you settle on a price. If you ever feel like the shopkeeper is being too pushy, then just leave. Don’t let anyone intimidate you into buying something you don’t want. Types of people you’ll find there Besides the vendors and shopkeepers, you’ll also find random ‘performers’, and we’re using the term loosely. From loud (very loud) singers to tabla drummers, these energetic people wander the alleys and will unabashedly ask for a ‘tip’ from anyone who seems to be enjoying their performance. Sadly, a fact of life in Egypt is that you’ll see beggars, including children, and Khan El Khalili is no different. Roaming food vendors -- we like these guys. Indulge in some Egyptian street snacks like roasted peanuts, baked sweet potatoes or termes (lupin beans) while you shop. Egyptian locals. While this might seem a bit ‘duh’, for the many visitors to Cairo who spend most of their time at tourists spots and their hotels, this is one of the few times that you can really immerse yourself with Egyptian locals. Most locals in Khan El Khalili are busy going about buying this-and-that from so-and-so, herding their kids through the crowds, negotiating prices in booming voices, or laughing, talking and smoking (probably a combination of the three) in one of the various cafes. Just random fun weirdos. People-watching in Khan El Khalili is a cross between the circus, New York City, and 1001 Arabian Nights. Cafes and Restaurants Khan El Khalili has quite a few restaurants and cafes, but don’t bother looking for anything that looks familiar -- the fare here is decidedly Egyptian. Naguib Mahfouz is the most famous restaurant and cafe in the market due to its being run by the Oberoi hotel group -- they have consistently good food and swankier surroundings then most (ok, all) other restaurants in the area. On weekends and other high traffic times there might be a wait though, and it’s pricier than other cafes in Khan El Khalili. For more restaurants in Cairo recommended for both tourists and locals alike, head here. El Fishawy is another extremely famous cafe, due to its being open for more than 200 years. Expect to be squeezed into any open chair they have in the alley, even if you end up sharing a table with a stranger, because this place gets crowded, fast. Stop here for a shisha or a quick drink, and we do mean quick, because the waiters will try to hustle you out as soon as you’re finished drinking. A good spot for people watching. Read: Vintage Cairo - 17 of the Oldest Restaurants, Cafes & Bars in the City In the outer square, overlooking Al-Hussein mosque, you’ll find a bunch more restaurants and cafes. Local tip: if you’re a meat lover, try the kebab and kofta from El Dahhan, followed by rice pudding for dessert at El Malky. Do not and we repeat ~do not~ expect anything fancy -- if chaos and questionable hygiene standards put a damper on your appetite, then maybe stick to Naguib Mahfouz cafe (or skip eating in Khan El Khalili in general). Safety The good news is, Khan El Khalili is a lot of bark and no bite -- meaning, it looks crowded and chaotic (and is), but there is very little actual danger posed to tourists. Just use normal common sense and keep your bags close and money/valuables zipped somewhere safe. There are also touristic police (both in uniform and in plain clothes) roaming the alleys at all hours, so if for any reason you run into any trouble, just head in their direction. Leaving Leaving is as straightforward as arriving -- head to the main square next to Al-Hussein mosque, where you’ll find one big entrance/exit. There are a bunch of cabs there (be sure to either agree on a price before you hop in, or make sure the meter is running) and it’s also an easy location for an Uber to pick you up from. You might also like: Moez Street in Old Cairo: A Detailed Local's Guide Coptic Cairo - A Detailed Local's Guide Happy shopping!

Cairo might be known as the city of a thousand minarets, but old mosques and Pyramids aren’t all that Cairo has to offer when it comes to history. Coptic Cairo, also known as mogama’ el adyan (Interfaith Complex), is an area unlike any other in Egypt. It’s part of ‘Old Cairo’, the original city center for centuries - and Coptic Cairo, with its fortress, churches and synagogue, predates the actual founding of Cairo by the Muslim Fatimids in 969 AD. You may also like: El Moez Street - A Detailed Local’s Guide Coptic Cairo is known as the stronghold of Christianity in Old Cairo, home to places of worship that date back to the time when the pharaonic religions of Ancient Egypt had died out and Islam had not yet arrived. Some of Egypt’s earliest churches remain standing in Coptic Egypt to this day - some dating back to the 4th century AD. It’s also believed that the Holy Family lived here for a short period during their flight into Egypt to escape Herod. What does Coptic mean exactly? Coptic refers to Coptic Orthodox Christians, the largest Christian denomination in Egypt and the Middle East as a whole. The Coptic language directly evolved from the Demotic Egyptian language, which was the last language of the Ancient Egyptians. It’s believed the word ‘Copt’ originated from the Ancient Egyptian word Hwt-Ka-Ptah, which means the “House of the God Ptah”. Later, the Greeks used the word ‘Aigyptos’ for Egypt, while Egyptian Coptic Christians used the Coptic term ‘Kyptos’. Originally, the word ‘Copt’ referred to all Egyptians, but then became associated solely with Coptic Christians after the Islamic conquest of Egypt in 639 AD. How To Get There Coptic Cairo is in a congested area of central Cairo, but easily accessible by Uber or car. It’s also one of the very few tourist spots in Cairo that has its own metro stop, called Mar Girgis. So if you wanted to try the metro in Cairo, this might be a good spot to do it. Otherwise if you’re going by car, then just plug in ‘Mar Girgis’ into your Google Maps and it’ll take you straight to the entrance of the complex. What To Expect Coptic Cairo is a relatively enclosed complex, meaning there’s a distinct entrance/exit, heavily monitored by tourism police. Once you enter the complex, it’s all pedestrian, with the remains of the fortress and the big churches on the main path, and the older, smaller churches deeper in the complex, accessed via small alleys. The Coptic cemeteries are towards the back. Local tip: to avoid crowds, try to visit on a weekday morning, the earlier the better. Domestic tourists that live outside of Cairo tend to visit on the weekends, making it more crowded than usual. Also keep in mind that a few of the churches inside are still operational, and there’s a rec center and wedding hall that go about their usual business, so it’s not *just* a tourist spot. Coptic Cairo Opening Hours & Entrance Fees The churches: 8 am - 4 pm Entrance fee: free Coptic Museum: 9 am - 5 pm Entrance fee: 100 EGP for non-Egyptians + 20 EGP for an audio guide (optional) The main things to see in Coptic Cairo: Babylon Fortress One of the first things you’ll see when you enter Coptic Cairo is the ruins of the Babylon Fortress, built on an old Ancient Egyptian town of the same name. Although named after Babylon in Mesopotamia, the fortress was actually built by the Romans around 100 AD, during the Ptolemic era of Ancient Egypt. It was built where a canal connected the Nile to the Red Sea and served as a marker between Upper and Lower Egypt. It was captured by the Arab conquest in 641 AD. Church of St. George (Mar Girgis) Established: 10th century One of the few round churches built in Egypt, St. George’s is built on top of an ancient Roman tower that connects to the monastery below. The interior of the church is known for its stained glass and rich woodwork. St. George’s is one of the only still-active churches in the Coptic Cairo area, and is considered the principal Greek Orthodox church in Egypt. Visitors of all religions are welcome any time, except to the monastery, which is closed to the public. The “Hanging Church” - Coptic Church of St. Virgin Mary Established: 690 AD It got the name of ‘Hanging Church’ (or ‘Suspended Church’ in Arabic, ‘El Moallaqa’) because of its location above the fortress gatehouse. When it was first built, the pillars of the gatehouse would have been easily seen, creating the ‘hanging’ effect of the church, but now are buried due to the rise of the ground over the past 1300 years. The church is believed to be the first basilica style church built in Egypt, and houses 110 icons, most made of ebony and some inlaid with ivory, the oldest and holiest dating back to the 8th century. Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga) Established: 4th century The Abu Serga church is believed to be not only the oldest church in Egypt, but built on the spot where the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary, and infant Jesus Christ) stopped and rested towards the end of their journey to Egypt. The spot is now the crypt of the church, 10 meters deep. It’s also believed that they might have lived here while Joseph was working at the Babylon Fortress. Abu Serga is also of importance because it’s where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected, the first being Patriarch Isaac in 681 AD. Ben Ezra Synagogue Established: 882 AD Originally a Coptic Church (it’s actually situated right behind the Hanging Church), Abraham Ben Ezra from Jerusalem bought the church and converted it to a synagogue. It’s believed to be the spot where the baby Moses was found. The synagogue went through a series of renovations over the centuries, with the current structure dating back to 1892. It’s built in the style of a basilica, with two floors: the first floor dedicated to men, and the 2nd dedicated to women. Due to the huge decline in the Jewish community in Cairo, the synagogue now functions as a museum and a tourist attraction as opposed to an operating place of worship. Church of St. Barbara Established: 5th century The Church of St. Barbara the Martyr is another extremely old church, that was complete with priceless relics that exist until today (although many of them have been moved to the Coptic Museum). Although the church itself has been rebuilt and restored several times, items from the original church are believed to date back to the 5th or even 4th century. Coptic Museum Known as the best place to learn about Coptic history in Egypt, this museum hosts over 1,600 pieces, dating back to the early days of Coptic Christianity in the 3rd and 4th century AD. This museum is known for its bibles written in the 11th and 13th centuries in both Arabic and the Coptic language on deerskin, as well as Christian writings on papyrus dating back to the 6th century. Other collections of note: its icon display, as well as pottery, glass, metal, wooden and textile collections. For more really interesting museums to check out in Cairo, head here. Do I need a guide for Coptic Cairo? Honestly? Not really. Unless you’re really into details. In our humble opinion, Coptic Cairo is more of a place to walk around, appreciate the centuries-old art and architecture and soak up the spirit of the place without getting bogged down with tour guides or tour groups. But obviously to each their own, some people appreciate places more when they know exactly what they’re looking at and the story behind it, so up to you! Where to eat/drink in Coptic Cairo There aren’t any restaurants in the complex besides a cafeteria of sorts, and little kiosks and mini-markets that sell soft drinks and snacks, so don’t plan on eating there. In general the greater area of Old Cairo doesn’t offer the most when it comes to restaurants, so plan to eat before/after visiting the area. General local tips Coptic Cairo is very close to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (well, close for Cairo, about 10 minutes by car), so it makes sense logistic-wise to visit these two spots on the same day if you’re planning to see both while in Cairo If you’re still hankering to see more Coptic churches, a really gorgeous one is the Cave Church (Monastery of St. Simon the Tanner), which is carved into the Moqattam mountain The little alleys of Coptic Cairo have all sorts of books, postcards and other souvenirs, so budget in a little time to browse Enjoy! Liked this detailed Coptic Cairo guide? Here are a few more for other popular spots in Cairo: Guide to the Pyramids of Giza Guide to Moez Street Guide to Khan el Khalili

Sequoia, Cairo’s hands-down favorite Nile-side restaurant for over a decade shut down in late 2018 (alongside neighboring Left Bank and Mirai) to cries of dismay from local Cairenes. Open in its place is Biota, which is... not Sequoia. They don't serve alcohol and the vibe is, uh, different. The view is obviously still the same, but Sequoia it is not. So where should you take your foreign friends if you want that elusive mix of Nile view, drinks, good food and shisha? Obviously no place will tick off all the boxes like Sequoia, but one must make do with what one has, so try out these venues next time you need to wine and dine your foreign friends: 1. La Palmeraie Location: Sofitel Gezirah, Zamalek Cuisine: Moroccan Serves alcohol: yes Serves shisha: yes While Sequoia was on the northernmost tip of Zamalek, the Sofitel Gezirah is on the southernmost tip -- which guarantees even better views, if you can believe it. Sofitel has several restaurants lining the Nile on its outdoor terrace -- Kebabgy (see below), Le Deck, Casa Mia and La Palmeraie. La Palmeraie crosses off all the boxes that Sequoia did -- fantastic view, alcohol, shisha and food. The cuisine is Moroccan as opposed to Egyptian or more generic Middle Eastern, but hey, we have to take what we can get. Pros: on weekend nights they actually have a belly dancer and an Arabic singer, so that’s a huge added plus with the foreign crowd (gets loud though). Cons: it’s in the Sofitel, so it’s expensive. And make sure you take a cab or an Uber to get there, unless you want to pay 200 EGP for parking in the hotel parking lot. 2. Carlo’s Location: Le Pacha 1901 Boat, Zamalek Cuisine: International (Egyptian, Lebanese, Italian, Indian, Japanese) Serves alcohol: yes Serves shisha: yes Food-wise, this place is an excellent choice. Carlo’s has some of the consistently best food in Cairo, which is why it’s one of our forerunners in our 10 Best Restaurants in Cairo list. They have a really good assortment of trademark Egyptian dishes (their roz meammar bel hamam -- a creamy baked rice dish with either pigeon or chicken is a crowd favorite), so your foreign friends will be able to try different kinds of Egyptian dishes and you can rest assured that no one will be suffering from possible food poisoning later. It’s on the outdoor terrace of the Le Pacha 1901 boat, so you get a nice breeze during warm months and it’s covered for the colder ones. Pros: excellent food (better than Sequoia’s) and you can bring your own alcohol bottles for a corkage fee if you don’t want to drink wine or beer. Good quality shisha too. Cons: there’s sadly not much of a Nile view except for very specific tables, even though the boat itself is on the Nile. Also the huge TV screen and other small screens dotting the vicinity takes away a little from the ambience. 3. Pane Vino Location: Semiramis Intercontinental, Garden City Cuisine: Italian Serves alcohol: yes Serves shisha: yes This Italian restaurant in the Semiramis actually has a little-known outdoor terrace that overlooks the Nile, complete with shisha, on the 2nd floor of the hotel so you’re above the cacophony of the Corniche but still close to the water. The menu is full of Italian classics by their resident Italian chef, and they have an extensive wine list from all over the world. They also have TV screens for matches and offer shisha. The indoor section of the restaurant is a bit more upscale-looking, but without shisha. Pros: good food and view. Cons: the crowd there can sometimes be... a tad sketchy. Along the lines of 'lonely' hotel guests looking for a companion for the night. But honestly it's fine, and not even all the time. Also, other possible cons: there are no Egyptian options on the menu if that's what your foreign friends are looking for, and hotel prices (and that includes parking!). 4. Rooftop Zamalek Location: Nile Zamalek Hotel, Zamalek Cuisine: we don’t recommend it Serves alcohol: yes Serves shisha: yes This entry is pretty different from the rest of the list, mainly because it’s a solely a shisha-drinks-and-view destination, NOT a place you’d go for dinner. Like, ever. Rooftop Zamalek has literally *the* best Nile view on the island, although the hotel it’s built on is… well… not the best of anything, and that’s us being kind. If you overlook the shoddy, vaguely creepy hotel, we promise you that your foreign friends will freak out (in a good way) when they see the view on the top, whether during the day or at night (both are equally impressive). Rooftop as a whole is a casual, kick-back-with-a-beer place, and tourists usually love it. Pros: affordable prices and awesome sweeping views of the Nile. Cons: the hotel itself (including the bathrooms) and lack of decent food. Head here for more of the best rooftop bars in Cairo. 5. Crimson Location: Zamalek Cuisine: International Serves alcohol: yes Serves shisha: no Crimson is actually Sequoia’s neighbor, so if you miss Sequoia’s specific view, then head a few buildings down on Abu Feda to Crimson. Crimson is a rooftop restaurant with an open terrace overlooking the Nile, with an impressive bar and beautiful interior design. While it sadly doesn’t have shisha, it does have decent food and great-tasting cocktails (warning though: they are NOT cheap!). If you want to bring your foreign friends to a Nile-side place for breakfast/lunch/dinner and cocktails, and they don’t care too much about shisha, then this is the place for you. Pros: they're open early (8 am) for those who want a daytime destination. Cons: prices! 6. The Roof Kempinski Location: Nile Kempinski, Garden City Cuisine: International (tapas, sushi & sandwiches) Serves alcohol: yes Serves shisha: yes If you and your foreign friends want a more upscale (way more upscale) version of Rooftop Zamalek, then head over to The Roof, on the 11th floor of the Kempinski. Seated next to the hotel’s small pool, you get a bird’s eye view of the Nile while having a shisha and a drink. They also serve food, but it’s more of the light-bite, poolside variety of food -- tapas, sushi, sandwiches and other small plates. Pros: as you can see in the picture, it’s really beautiful. Cons: once again, same issue as the other hotel venues -- prices prices prices. 7. Kebabgy Oriental Grill Location: Sofitel Gezirah, Zamalek Cuisine: Middle Eastern grill Serves alcohol: yes Serves shisha: yes Situated in Sofitel Gezirah’s outdoor terrace (opposite site of La Palmeraie), is Kebabgy, home of lots and lots of meat. This Nile-side restaurant serves up all different kinds of Egyptian and Middle Eastern grilled dishes -- kebab and kofta, grilled lamb, grilled chicken, shish tawouk, shish kebab, grilled pigeon, you name it. They also have a variety of hot and cold mezze. This is definitely more of a eat-til-you-drop destination than Sequoia, but Kebabgy does also serve drinks to chase the grilled meat down with. Pros: it’s a hearty, dig-in kind of restaurant for your carnivorous foreign friends. Cons: you’ll spend the rest of the day smelling like something grilled (the smoke there is pretty potent), and there aren’t many menu options for non-meat lovers. Plus, as usual, it’s expensive. So to wrap this up; although we are still mourning Sequoia (RIP), Cairo still has a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to wining and dining your foreign friends. You might also like: 12 Local Egyptian Foods You Need To Try