Last updated on December 20, 2023.

48 hours in Cairo. That’s what Maria and Dana proposed when they were “bored” in Amman. This kind of travel is completely against my travel philosophy, but I agreed to go with them. They booked the flights and hotel and off we went. It turned into a whirlwind of a trip.

 

Driving Past Landmarks

After checking into our hotel, we hired a taxi to drive us to the pyramids. On our way, we passed a few points of interest. The first one was the Al-Rahman al-Rahim Mosque. Click here for a virtual tour.

Cairo, Egypt
Cairo
Al-Rahman al-Rahim Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
Al-Rahman al-Rahim Mosque

We then passed up the Citadel and the Mosque of Mohammad Ali, which was built in 1857, before winding through the city some more. Click here for a virtual tour of the Citadel, and click here for a virtual tour of the Mosque of Mohammad Ali.

Citadel in Cairo, Egypt
Citadel
Mosque of Mohammad Ali in Cairo, Egypt
Mosque of Mohammad Ali
Cairo, Egypt
Cairo

 

Shawarma

We ended up having a traumatizing experience at the pyramids. This definitely wasn’t a good start to our trip. We were left angry, exhausted, and hungry, so we stopped at a shawarma shop and grabbed a quick dinner.

Shawarma shop in Cairo, Egypt
Shawarma shop

 

Taxi Cheat

The night wasn’t over. We went back to the hotel, changed, and went to the Hard Rock Café (now closed) for their nightclub. The taxi driver pretended to get lost and circled the streets for about 40 minutes to run up the fare. We ditched him, jumped into another taxi who said the HRC was very well-known and easy to find, and made it to the bar in less than 10 minutes. We stayed until late into the night.

 

Driving Tour

The next day was a bit more relaxed. We woke up late, had breakfast after noon, and got ready for the day. We hired a private car for the day rather than take taxis and asked the driver to just take us around to some of the more laid-back parts of the city.

He first took us on a quick driving tour, crossing the Nile and getting a good look at the Cairo Tower. It was built in 1956 and is the tallest structure in Egypt at 187m. Click here for a virtual tour.

Cairo Tower in Cairo, Egypt
Cairo Tower
Nile River in Cairo, Egypt
Nile River

 

Lunch

He then took us to a dinner boat on the Nile where we had a late lunch. The food was very good traditional Egyptian food and the views were excellent. On such a miserable trip, this was my favorite part.

Dinner boat in Cairo, Egypt
Dinner boat
Dinner boat in Cairo, Egypt
Dinner boat
Dinner boat in Cairo, Egypt
Maria and Dana on the dinner boat
Dinner boat in Cairo, Egypt
Another dinner boat cruising the Nile

 

Felucca Ride

When we finished lunch, we took a short felucca ride until the sun began to set over the river. It was then back to the car where we got stuck in horrible Cairo traffic. This was a mixed blessing, because it gave me a chance to observe daily life in Cairo.

Fruit stand in Cairo, Egypt
Fruit stand

I paid close attention to everything happening on the streets and watched people going about their business.

Egyptian men in Cairo, Egypt
Egyptian men

I also saw many banners and billboards with Hosni Mubarak on them. Little did anyone know that in less than a year, he would be deposed in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.

Banner of Hosni Mubarak on a government building in Cairo, Egypt
Banner of Hosni Mubarak on a government building

 

Tahrir Square

When we passed through Tahrir Square, where the revolution occurred, traffic began to disperse. I wasn’t able to get a great look at the square, but I did spot the Omar Makram Mosque just off it. We made it back to the hotel shortly after.

Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt
Tahrir Square
Omar Makram Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
Omar Makram Mosque

 

More to Come?

My 48 hours in Cairo were disappointing yet eye-opening. I got a small taste of this fascinating city that I hope to visit again and again to discover more.

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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