Geography & Climate

Cairo’s population consists mainly of Sunni Muslims (95%), and the rest are Coptic Christians. In Cairo, as well as in all of Egypt, the two communities enjoy an easy coexistence, despite the fact that intermarriage is prohibited.

The official language of Cairo is Arabic. On the streets locals speak colloquial Egyptian Arabic, which differs from the written classical one . English and French are also quite common and are widely spoken as a second language. Communication with locals should be no problem as they are used to dealing with vast amounts of tourists. Signs are available in both Arabic and English so that shouldn't be a problem either.

Aside from visiting the Pharaonic, Islamic or Coptic Sites, there are a few essential activities one can’t miss when on a visit to Cairo. In our activities sectioned we have focused mainly on activities that are best performed in Cairo, and are not really available anywhere else. In other words we have disregarded bowling, billiards and the like in exchange for more authentic activities.

When in Cairo, you’re bound to notice feluccas sailing up and down the Nile with their huge white sails. A felucca is an ancient Egyptian traditional sailing boat. In the past they was used for both transport and trade. Today, felucca rides are reserved for tourism and entertainment. You can get a group together and rent one for 30LE an hour. You’ll find feluccas across from the Meridian Garden City Hotel, and the Helnan Shepard Hotel. These feluccas are interesting in that they are located in the heart of Cairo, and the scenery can be quiet nice in the evening. The drawback however is that the area is a bit noisy, and the feluccas have a small restricted area which they cannot leave. Another option is to take a felucca from the suburb of Maadi, 10 km south of down town. It’s a lot more peaceful there with the surrounding greenery of the Nile. Another advantage is that there is no restriction on Maadi feluccas, so they can take you on longer tours, all the way up to Helwan.

Another trade mark of Cairo is to go horse-back riding in the desert. If you take a left on Pyramids Road, about one kilometer before you reach the Pyramids, the same way you would go to the Sound and Light Show, you’ll find a large number of stables with foreign names to attract tourists. i.e. “AB Stables” and “EuroStables”. Most of the stables have really good quality horses, a lot better than the ones you’ll find right by the Pyramids. Many rich Egyptians who own horses keep them here to be looked after. The prices range from 20LE to 40LE depending on the horse and on the stable. What’s nice about this place is that it’s located at the edge of civilization, beyond it are miles and miles of pure desert, so if you like horses and are capable, you can enjoy an hour of nothing but gallop. The best time to ride is during sunset, and if you’re up to it, riding by night is ecstatic. While riding be sure to ask the guide to take you up the hill, where you can catch a superb view of the Three Pyramids and the Sphinx.

Various travel agents in Cairo organize jeep safaris into the desert, where you can escape the immense noise pollution of Cairo, and at the same time enjoy the silence and mystical beauty of the desert. If you’re not part of a tour you’ll need to access a 4x4 in order to explore the desert. A nice excursion would be to take horses from one of the stables mentioned above and have a barbecue in the desert, or maybe even arrange for spending the night. The people at the stables should know all about it. Spending a night out in the desert is an experience you shall never forget, the stars, the vast areas of sand, the silence, and to top it all off, the chilly air of the desert by night.

Fifteen Kilometers south of Giza, on the Nile bank, is Dr. Ragab’s Pharaonic Village. The village is a complete model to Egypt 4,000 years ago. Visitors are taken on wooden floaters down a canal, with Pharaonic life going on around them on both sides. Men and women in Pharaonic costumes, fishing, hunting cooking etc. Dr. Ragab’s Pharaonic village is like getting in time machine and going back 2 milleniums. Everything around you seems to be ancient, and with the tall Papyrus and Lotus plants surrounding you, you’re completely isolated from the 20th century. You get to take a tour inside typical ancient Egyptian mud brick houses, you’re presented with the entire mud- brick making process, the irrigation process as well as the hunting process. An excursion to Dr. Ragab’s village is extremely educational and well worth the 40LE entrance fee. On your way out, take a look at the papyrus galleries in the main hall.

Located on the island of Gezirah is the Cairo Tower. This 190 meter tower was constructed in 1961, and is still Cairo’s tallest structure. The tower is considered a landmark of the Cairo skyline. There’s a reliable elevator to take you to the top, where you’ll find an over-priced revolving restaurant and cafeteria. The view from the top is of course superb. You can see all of Cairo, the domes and minarets of Islamic Cairo and the silhouette of the Pyramids. Admission is for 10LE and opening hours are from 9am to midnight.

Although not really an activity, we’ll still consider Al-Ahwa as one. Al-Ahwa is the Arabic name for the traditional coffee shop. In Cairo, these coffee shops are basically everywhere. Egyptians of all ages, old as well as young, love to sit and chat on the Ahwa, with their sheesha in hand. The sheesha is the traditional water pipe, or hubbly bubbly as it is sometimes called, it is smoked with apple flavored tobacco that gives off a really tempting smell. Al-Ahwa and Sheesha smoking are an essential part of the Egyptian culture and lifestyle, not to try it would be a real misfortune. You’ll find Ahwas virtually everywhere, the more traditional ones are in Islamic Cairo, namely Al-Fishawy Café. In the suburbs of Heliopolis and Zamalek they tend to be more commercial Ahwas for the tourists as well as the Egyptian middle and upper classes, quality is a bit better and cleaner there.

Cairo, being the capital, probably has the best nightlife in all of Egypt. Apart from the clubs and bars in all five-star hotels, many discotheques and pubs exist on their own in Cairo. Recently new pubs have been opening, as well a large discotheques, so you'll have a lot to choose from. As for the traditional Cairiene outing, the belly-dance, the bottle, the table these are available in most five-star hotels, and in the casinos (casino here means nightclub and not gambling) on Al-Haram St. We must warn however that these nightclubs could be expensive, and you might not enjoy them. See going out for more info.