Cairo

Pyramids before the crowds, koshari at midnight and the new Grand Egyptian Museum.

Uber works well; tip in small notes; Fridays are quiet in the morning.

Cairo is chaotic, generous and unlike anywhere else: the pyramids sit at the end of a bus line, the Grand Egyptian Museum finally shows Tutankhamun's full collection under one roof, and the medieval city of Al-Muizz Street still functions as a neighbourhood rather than a museum. Give it three days, accept the traffic, and it becomes one of the most rewarding cities on the planet.

Zamalek, the leafy island in the Nile, is the calmest base with embassies, cafés and galleries. Downtown has grand old hotels and the best value, plus late-night street life. Giza hotels with pyramid views are worth one night for the sunrise. Maadi is quiet and residential, good for families staying a week.

Day 1: Giza at opening (enter at the Great Pyramid gate, walk to the panoramic point), then the Grand Egyptian Museum until it closes. Day 2: Al-Muizz Street from Bab al-Futuh to Khan el-Khalili, lunch at a koshary house, Al-Azhar Park at sunset, coffee at El Fishawy. Day 3: Coptic Cairo and the Hanging Church, Saqqara's step pyramid in the afternoon, a felucca on the Nile at dusk.

Koshary (rice, lentils, pasta, crispy onions, spicy tomato) is the national lunch and costs almost nothing. Breakfast is ful and taameya (Egyptian falafel) with warm bread. Try hawawshi (spiced meat baked in bread) downtown and grilled pigeon if you are adventurous. Fresh sugar-cane juice on every corner; stick to bottled water.

CAI is 20 km north-east of the centre; ride-hailing apps are the easiest arrival, or the airport bus to Tahrir. The metro is cheap and beats traffic on the north–south axis; Line 3 now reaches the airport road. Use Uber or Careem rather than street taxis. Sphinx airport (SPX) serves Giza and the new museum with a few regional flights.

Egypt is inexpensive once you are there; site tickets for foreigners are the main cost. Carry small notes for tips (baksheesh) and toilets. Agree a price before any camel or carriage ride, and say a firm “la, shukran” to touts. Sundays are working days; Fridays are quiet in the morning. Women travellers report the most comfort in loose clothing and with a scarf handy for mosques.