Cairo

Cairo is where old and new Egypt sit side by side — minarets and mid-rise apartment blocks, a thousand-year-old bazaar a few streets from a modern metro line. It's a big, layered, occasionally overwhelming city, and also the natural starting point for almost every Egypt itinerary.

Most travellers use Cairo as a base for a day or two: the Egyptian Museum's collection of pharaonic treasures, the medieval alleys of Islamic Cairo, and a slow afternoon in Khan el-Khalili's market stalls. It's also the easiest jumping-off point for Giza, just a short drive from the city centre.