Self-Launched Cairo City Break: Pyramids, Sphinx & Islamic Cairo

Arrive at Cairo International Airport (CAI). Skip the expensive hotel transfer and take the Cairo Metro Line 3 from the Airport station to central Cairo (roughly £0.50), or use Uber/Careem from the arrivals hall — a ride to Downtown or Zamalek typically costs £3–6 and is far cheaper than any pre-arranged private transfer. Check into your guesthouse or mid-range hotel, rest, and orient yourself. Head out for a casual evening stroll along the Corniche el-Nil or into Downtown Cairo for a street food dinner. Try a koshary (Egypt's national dish) from a local koshary restaurant — filling and costs under £1.

🚌Cairo Metro Line 3 from airport (~£0.50) or Uber/Careem (~£3–6)

🛏Dahab Hostel (Downtown Cairo) or Hotel Longchamps (Zamalek) — budget ~£18–30/night for a private room

• →Arrive at Cairo International Airport — take Uber/Careem to hotel (~£3–6) or Cairo Metro Line 3 (~£0.50)
• →Check into guesthouse or mid-range hotel (e.g. Dahab Hostel, Cairo Inn, or Hotel Longchamps in Zamalek)
• →Evening stroll along the Corniche el-Nil
• →Street food dinner — try koshary or ful medames at a local eatery (~£1–3)

The big day — the Pyramids, Sphinx and ancient necropolis. Take an Uber/Careem to the Giza Plateau (~£4–6 from central Cairo). Buy your general admission ticket at the gate (Great Pyramids complex ~£12). The Sphinx and Valley Temple are included in the main ticket. Entrance inside a pyramid is a separate optional ticket (~£5–8 — worth it for Khafre or Menkaure, quieter than Khufu). After Giza, negotiate a shared taxi or private microbus with other travellers at the plateau to continue south to Saqqara (~£3–5 shared) to see the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Finish with a visit to the ruins of Memphis, the ancient capital (~£3 entry). Have lunch at a local restaurant near the Saqqara road — ask for karkadeh (hibiscus drink) and enjoy a traditional Egyptian lunch for ~£4–6. Return to Cairo by shared taxi or Uber in the late afternoon.

🚌Uber/Careem to Giza (~£4–6), shared taxis between Saqqara/Memphis (~£3–5), Uber back (~£4–6)

🛏Same as Day 1

• →Visit the Great Pyramids of Giza — general admission ~£12
• →Visit the Sphinx and Valley Temple (included in Giza ticket)
• →Optional: entrance inside a pyramid ~£5–8 extra
• →Shared taxi south to Saqqara (~£3–5 shared per person)
• →Visit the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara — entry ~£10
• →Visit ruins of ancient Memphis — entry ~£3
• →Lunch at local restaurant near Saqqara road — try karkadeh hibiscus drink (~£4–6)
• →Return to Cairo by shared taxi or Uber (~£4–6)

Start the morning at the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities on Tahrir Square (entry ~£12, or opt for the new Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza plateau edge ~£20 for a more modern experience). The Mummies Room is an optional add-on (~£7) — highly recommended. Walk or take a short Uber to Islamic Cairo in the afternoon. Explore the Citadel of Saladin (entry ~£10) and the stunning Mosque of Muhammad Ali inside the complex — no extra charge for the mosque itself. Wind down with a wander through the labyrinthine Khan El-Khalili bazaar. Haggle for spices, papyrus, scarabs and perfume oils. Have lunch near the bazaar at a traditional ahwa (café) or a local restaurant (~£4–7). In the evening, try a shisha at a rooftop café overlooking the city.

🚌Walking and Uber/Careem between sites (~£4–6 total for the day)

🛏Same as Day 1

• →Visit Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, Tahrir Square — entry ~£12
• →Optional: Mummies Room — extra ~£7
• →Uber/taxi to Islamic Cairo (~£2–3)
• →Visit Citadel of Saladin — entry ~£10
• →Mosque of Muhammad Ali — included in Citadel ticket
• →Explore Khan El-Khalili bazaar — free to wander, budget for shopping
• →Lunch near Khan El-Khalili (~£4–7)
• →Evening shisha at a rooftop ahwa café (~£3–5)

Enjoy your included hotel breakfast before checking out. If you have time before your flight, stroll through the lively neighbourhood around your hotel, pick up last-minute souvenirs, or grab a final Egyptian breakfast — ful medames, eggs and fresh bread at a street café for under £2. Take Uber/Careem to Cairo International Airport (~£4–7). Allow at least 3 hours before departure — Cairo airport can be busy and security queues vary.

🚌Uber/Careem to Cairo International Airport (~£4–7)

• →Breakfast at hotel or local street café (~£1–3)
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping or neighbourhood stroll
• →Uber/Careem to Cairo International Airport (~£4–7)