Let’s talk about the famous city of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Cairo. I hope every traveler has this Wonder of the Ancient World on their bucket list. To be honest, my day exploring the pyramids is still one of my favorite ever. I (Léonie) would go back to Cairo if it meant visiting once again the site of the pyramids. However, except for this awesome activity, Cairo is the worst city I have ever visited. Your opinion may be different from mine, and that’s okay. My goal is to inform you about my visit and tell you MY truth about the city.
When I was researching Cairo, the Great Pyramid of Giza and Egypt, every article online said how magical and unique an experience it was. I agree 100% about the fairy tale around the pyramids. However, no one said how visiting Cairo really is. I decided to spend 5 days in the city, from January 24th to January 28th, 2023. To have known what I know now, I would only have stayed 2 full days: one for the pyramids and one to explore the city. So before I tell you too much, let’s dive into 4 aspects and a conclusion of my ultimate truth about Cairo.
- The people – Their interaction with tourists
- Safety – How I felt as a young woman
- Pollution – Noise, visual & air
- What to do – Apart from the pyramids
- Conclusion – Do I recommend Cairo?
The people
I was a 19-year-old at the time of my visit. I was with my boyfriend and a guy friend. Of course, like in all countries, I met some lovely Egyptians who were very thoughtful and sympathetic. However, every time I was walking outside, I was being stared down and would receive unpleasant comments. I always wore long pants and long-sleeved shirts. I think since 95% of women are veiled, I was a new “attraction” in the streets. In my hotel and restaurants, I never had a bad experience. It was mostly when we were walking in the streets and exploring the city.
Of course, this is my experience as a young woman, so it may be different for you. Egyptians didn’t make my stay horrible, that’s not what I am saying. I just always had to be on alert and stay close to the ones I knew. I can easily ignore people talking to me, but it might be more difficult for other tourists. If you make yourself small and silent, you won’t have any problems.
Safety
As I said earlier, I was traveling to Egypt as a 19-year-old woman with 2 men. I never felt safe when I was walking, even with them. I was always holding the hand of my boyfriend and having my other friend on my side. I don’t think anything would have happened to me since I was with them, but still. Cairo was the first city I didn’t feel comfortable in. I never dared to walk alone at night and even the 2 guys with me didn’t feel comfortable doing it either. We were always together when we were outside our hotel.
To know more about safety in Cairo/Egypt, check out: Is Egypt Safe For Solo Travelers?
Pollution
Noise: OMG, cars honk every second of every minute of every hour. At first, it was driving me crazy, but you get used to it. However, it was harder for me to fall asleep because even during the night, you will hear cars honking. Cairo won’t be a city where you can relax and enjoy the sound of nature😅.
*This video isn’t the best one, but the sound is very important so you can understand what I mean by cars always honking.*
Visual:
- The cars. As I said, if there are always cars honking, that means there are always cars everywhere. It’s crazy how many cars there are in Cairo. They take up most of the place. It is very hard to cross the streets because no one stops. My tip is to just go for it and pray for your life. I’m not joking, unfortunately, but this tip works. The cars will slow down or go around you. Lastly, be ready because I have never seen locals drive as crazy as them. I was scared the first time I got in the car from the airport. You get used to it, but let’s just say they don’t have the same regulations as in Canada.
- The waste. There is trash all over the streets. Everywhere.
Air: This one is the worst. The air condition is horrible in Cairo. My face was dirty just by walking outside. It felt like my lungs were never satisfied because of all the bad things in the air. The smog…
In the video, I was at the Great Pyramid of Giza and you can see the smog from the city.
What to do
Except for the pyramids, there are actually not that many activities to do in Cairo. In one day, I had the time to do every activity I was recommended by my hotel. That’s why I recommend spending only 2 full days in Cairo. You will need to sleep a minimum of 3 nights because the tours for the pyramids always leave early and come back around 6 pm. So, one full day for the pyramids and one full day for the other activities. After that, you can leave. And, I don’t want to spoil you, so check out 5 Of The Best Things To Do In Cairo, Egypt to find the best things to do in Cairo.
Conclusion
Do I recommend Cairo? If it was not for the Great Pyramid of Giza, I would never recommend you to go there. However, since it is the home to the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, I don’t have a choice but to tell you that you need to go to Cairo. Even if I didn’t like my stay in the city, I never regretted going to Cairo. And, since you read my article, you now know what to expect from the city and how many days to go there. So, be careful, enjoy the pyramids and have a blast in Egypt.
