Egypt Things to Do

Most journeys to Egypt begin and end in chaotic Cairo. The capital city is the gateway to the lower Nile and the launching point for tours of the country’s premier attraction — the pyramids at Giza. Cairo itself has plenty to offer, but it is the sites surrounding the city that draw most tourists to Egypt. Here are some of the best day trips away from the bustling metropolis.

As Egypt is a Muslim country, it does not celebrate New Year’s Eve on December 31. However, as Cairo is a tourist Mecca, western bars and restaurants–especially hotels and restaurants–will.

Part of Egypt’s Natural Cultural Center in the country’s capital, the Cairo Opera House is the home stage for most of Egypt’s finest musical groups. Located on Gezira Island on the Nile River, this institution is the setting for numerous regionally important music festivals, most notably the annual Arab Music Festival, which presents distinctive music from all over the Arab world for fans of the genre.

The city of Suez is located where the canal of the same name enters the gulf. While this city of nearly half a million inhabitants has never been a huge tourist draw, there is now an extra enticement for visitors to make the two-hour (or so) journey from Cairo.

For the uninitiated, shisha cafes are establishments geared toward the use of water pipes employed in smoking artisanal tobacco products. They are the most common form of tobacco consumption after cigarettes. The best places in Cairo to sample this regional delicacy are as follows:

As you might expect, a cruise down the Nile River is a trip so special that it ranks up there with greatest trips in a lifetime. The lifeblood of Egypt and greater Africa since the dawn of civilization, the Nile is perhaps the most famous river in the world, and arguably helped shape the dawn of the modern human race. Thus, it is important to take your time and pick the best Nile River Cruise to suit your options. That being said, how does one know what one’s options are? What’s available?