This is part one of our adventure in Giza and Cairo, Egypt. We did so many things during this time that we thought it would be better to split it into two posts.
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Day 1
To get to Cairo, we flew from Dubai, leaving at 8:15am and arriving in Cairo at 10:05am. The 4 hour flight was enjoyable, as we took Emirates on a Boeing 777. It was a completely full flight so not quite as comfortable as our flight over to Dubai, but nonetheless, we were excited to get to Egypt and experience all the great things we had heard!
Once we arrived in Cairo, we obtained our visa at the Bank of Egypt counter before passing through customs. They accepted US Dollars so we did not even have to find a place to exchange our money before purchasing. It was $25 per visa and very easy to obtain.
Travel Tip: Make sure you pack a pen in your carry-on bag to fill out the custom form! We did not think of this ahead of time and had to ask to borrow a pen from the Bank to fill it out.
After waiting in line for 45 minutes and clearing customs, we headed outside to be greeted by our friend and tour guide, Hisham Shibaan. He runs the tour agency, Egypt Holiday Tour. He planned out our complete trip itinerary for us, including transportation, hotel accommodations, and attractions, and made everything a breeze! Our friendly driver, Asim was ready to take us all to our hotel to freshen up and get ready for the day.
We stayed at Pyramids Inn Motel, located in Giza. It was clean, comfortable, had stunning views of the Pyramids from the rooftop and the staff was absolutely amazing! Everyone was so attentive to our needs and very friendly. You can expect to pay around 437 Egyptian pounds ($25) a night here.
After getting settled in, we had some food delivered to the room, a dish called Koshari, which many consider to be the national dish of Egypt. It includes Egyptian Rice, Lentils and Macaroni with Spicy Tomato Chile Sauce, and garlic vinegar. It was a big favorite for Sierra, and we did not think it was spicy at all.
After finishing our meal, we then went downstairs to see how Papyrus paper was made. Since Papyrus plants were plentiful in the Nile, the Egyptians had great opportunity to make everything out of it, including paper! Made from the stems of the plant, the process is lengthy. They strip off the outside part of the rod and cut it into strips. To remove the sugar from the plant and made it more durable, the papyrus is soaked in water for a few weeks. The longer it is soaked, the more it develops into a darker color.
New Memphis Papyrus does this process and then turns the paper into beautiful artwork. All of the pieces were stunning; we could have bought every single one and taken them home, if only our pocketbooks and luggage allowed it!
After purchasing a few paintings, we headed to Cairo for a sunset ride on a Felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat, on the Nile River. It was a great way to start off our time in Egypt; the boat operator was welcoming and the ride was very peaceful.
When we were done with the boat ride, we headed back to Giza to experience the Sound and Light show of the Pyramids. This hour long production talks about the rich Egyptian history with the Pyramids and Sphinx lit up in the background. Although it was mid 70 degree weather during the day, it was windy at night, making it a little chilly. We would definitely recommend bringing a windbreaker or a light jacket. Tickets are roughly 150 Egyptian pounds ($9) per person and there are 3 shows per day: 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm. We saw the 8pm showing and it was not very crowded, although this may have been due to the fact that we were traveling during off-season (November).
Afterwards, we had some dinner (Koshari again) and then went back to the hotel to get a good nights rest, as the next day was going to be quite busy!
Day 2
The next day we started off by traveling to the Old Kingdom, Saqqara (Sakkara). You can expect to pay 80 Egyptian pounds ($5) per person for the entrance fee. We made our way through the entrance to the Pyramid-complex that lead to the hallway, lined with 40 columns.
On the other side of the entrance building, there was the very first Pyramid constructed by ancient Egyptians, the “step” pyramid. The first Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom, Netjerikhet (Djoser) was responsible for this accomplishment.
We also had the opportunity to venture inside the Pyramid of Teti, and saw a sarcophagus, with ancient carvings on the inside of the walls. Historically, it is the second known Pyramid containing Pyramid texts, built by the first Pharaoh of the sixth dynasty, Teti. While in the Pyramid, we couldn’t help but think about how incredible is was that these Pyramids were built by hand over thousands upon thousands of years ago.
After seeing all of the incredible wonders, we started heading back to Giza and on the way, we stopped at a Carpet School to see how they make handmade Egyptian rugs. Sakkara Carpet School is one of many schools that teach the local children the art of weaving carpets made out of wool or silk. They did a demonstration for us on the process and even let us try to do it! It was really neat to see the process and how much work it takes to make one of these carpets.
If you are interested in purchasing one of these fine works of art, they sell their work next door. Don’t be afraid to bargain with them, but keep in mind that whatever you pay will be well worth it, as the process is very strenuous and lengthy to make a carpet by hand. For most carpets, it takes 3 months to make 1 meter. Also keep in mind that depending on the material you are looking for, the price will vary based on that. We ended up liking the silk carpets more than the wool and we did pay for it. In the end, we were happy purchasing something we knew was good quality and went directly to the Egyptian people.
Up next on our agenda for the day was to visit the ancient city of Memphis. Entrance fees were 40 Egyptian pounds ($3) per person. Here we saw the Sphinx of Memphis, also referred to as the Alabaster Sphinx. Also, we saw a few different statues of Ramses II, one of the most powerful, most celebrated and well-known Pharaohs of Egypt.
After we spent a little time in Memphis and were satisfied with seeing everything, we went back to Giza where we went on a camel ride! We were very excited, although quite nervous. We have both ridden horses before but camels are very high off the ground and it was all unknown for us. But being the adventurers that we are, we wanted to give it a shot….how many times can you say that you have ridden a camel? Our guides were very helpful and lead us the whole way through the desert. The camel ride was included in the price of the package so we are unsure of what it cost separately. We do know that tickets to see the pyramids are 120 Egyptian pounds ($7) per person.
Our guides took us over to the Pyramids, stopping once in a while so we could get off and stretch our legs. They also took some amazing pictures for us! It was like having our own personal photographer!
Once we got closer to the Pyramids, we got off to explore and see the Great Pyramid of Giza, otherwise known as the Pyramid of Khufu. It is the largest and oldest of the three Pyramids in the Pyramid complex and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
After that, we went to see the Great Sphinx of Giza. This limestone statue is very grand and one of the oldest monuments in Egypt. It is largely still in tact due to the fact that it was covered in sand for so long.
Once we had finished admiring everything, we headed back to the city to get our ATVs. This was also included in our package so we do not know the cost separately. The company we used was Ciao Safari and if you are up for a thrilling ride through the desert, you will like this! If you are not ready to have your heart jumping out of your chest at times, this is probably not the best option for you. We really enjoyed the ride; it was cool to see the Pyramids from an exhilarating point of view. Check out our video of us riding the ATVs, here!
Travel Tip: We recommend you purchasing a scarf or a shemagh to protect your face from the sand, as it does get blown around when you are traveling quickly through the desert.
Being pretty worn out after the ATV ride, we went back to our hotel to rest up a bit before the Nile dinner cruise. We were picked up and taken to Cairo, where the dinner cruise was. Andrea Memphis Floating Restaurant costs 300 Egyptian pounds ($17) per person and it included a buffet and entertainment, consisting of belly dancing and Sufi dance, a traditional Turkish dance.
The food was mediocre, not horrible but nothing to write home about. The entertainment on the other hand was fantastic! Although exhausted from our fun filled day, we were still able to stay awake and enjoy the show. It was a great way to end day #2 in Egypt!
Read Part 2 of our journey here!
**If exploring Ancient Egypt interests you please check out The Traveling Kings Egypt Tour partnered with Egypt Holiday Tour! You can call yourself an adventurer and immerse yourself with the great people and culture. You can find the link to our page here.
