Here’s what you need to do before planning your vacation on the bustling streets of Cairo.
Take it from someone who first visited Egypt in July’s sweltering heat … it can get intense. On one particular day temperatures reached a balmy 52C. Much preferring a chilly winter, I often found myself sitting on a Cairo curbside, fan in one hand and icy water bottle in the other, pressed against my neck. The heat that might repel the average traveller is reserved for the weather-hardened explorer who doesn’t mind a little discomfort. Since it’s customary for tourists to cover up from the shoulders to the knees, a visit to the Pyramids of Giza on a 40C summer’s day might actually feel like 45C, especially if you’re venturing underground for an added dose of ancient history.
If the sun doesn’t suit you, my recommendation would be to avoid Cairo from June to August. If you’d rather save a dime, visiting the Egyptian capital in those months can save you a lot of dollars. In winter, Intrepid’s Explore Egypt Tour prices $2,750 consistent with user in shared double room. In summer, the price drops to $1,964. Flights to Cairo via Dubai with Emirates charge an average of $3,200 in winter. In summer, they charge an average of $2,400. So even if you run the risk of lightly tanning, you have the luxury of exploring Cairo without hordes of day-trippers and without a little extra cash.
While in summer you can feel a constant heat regardless of the time, winters in Cairo offer warm days and cool nights. The breeze that blows between the stalls of Khan el-Khalili, Egypt’s oldest bazaar, attracts crowds of tourists between October and February. Tourism is increasing at an immediate speed and the costs of tours, flights and everything else are starting to fall through. With an average of two rainy days consistent with the coldest month and month, January, with an average of two rainy days consistent with the temperature of 9°C per night, travelers still can’t be drawn to this bustling city.
Renowned for its museums and birthday party of ancient history and culture, Cairo’s attractions can be crossed off your list in just one day. You may find yourself looking over the shoulder of some other impatient tourist for a glimpse of Tut’s mask, but at least you won’t obsess over the sweat on your brow if you stop over in the colder months. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which has been undergoing renovation for some time, inaugurated this year a new and modernized wing that houses, among other things, a scroll containing 113 spells from the Book of the Dead, discovered last year. You can dodge the crowds at the pyramids and museum, then head to the Pane Vino terrace across the Nile for lunch. Few things are better than sipping a glass of red across the water, with nothing yet a warm breeze in the air.
Originally published as A tried-and-tested guide to exploring Egypt’s capital, Cairo
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