City Rating: Cairo

Population: 10’200’000

Date of visit: July 2017

Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 1/5
Safety: 3/5
Infrastructure: 2/5
Low budget factor: $$$$$/5
Total: 👍👍/5

The city in a nutshell:

Huge, dirty and hectic. Cairo, one of the largest cities in the world, is not a typical city trip-destination but a base for people visiting the pyramids. Although the city can be exhausting and intimidating, Cairo still has some good things to offer. All in all, it’s not a must see city though.

Where to stay:

Staying close to the Nile where the big hotel chains (Intercontinental, Kempinski, Four Seasons) is a good choice, especially since princes are at rock bottom and all these luxury hotels are affordable for everyone.

The Good:

The sights in Cairo are not too bad and there are some fun things to do like a Nile cruise. You can kill time by visiting downtown (which is not too special in my opinion), al-Azhar Park or the Cave Church in “Garbage City”.

The danger of terror attacks make prices rock bottom at the moment, which is a big plus. Where else can you get a room in a Kempinski hotel for a bargain?

The main attraction are the Pyramids of Gizeh of course. You can visit them alone, but booking a private tour is the better choice. Private tours are pretty cheap (10 USD for a half day tour with driver & tour guide) and the con men at the Pyramids will leave you alone.

The Bad & The Ugly:

Cairo is pretty conservative (wearing shorts is considered inappropriate), run-down and too many con artist are trying to rip you off. This starts as soon as you leave the airport after arrival and continues in the city. Almost every man approaching you on the streets wants to scam you. The best thing you can do is ignoring them and keep going. Don’t believe their lies that the place you want to go is closed right now.

The city is also very polluted and traffic jam is horrendous. It is very possible that a taxi needs 45 minutes for 5km. Nightlife is almost non-existent and there is a strict couples only-policy in nightclubs.

 

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