Having a 24 hour layover on a flight somewhere can be sort of a pain. It means less time at your final destination. But such a long layover can actually present a remarkable opportunity. Especially if that long layover is somewhere like Cairo, Egypt.
If the Pyramids of Giza are at the top of your bucket list then a 24 hour layover in Cairo will make your heart race. You finally get to see the pyramids!
So should you find yourself with a long layover in Cairo do not let this opportunity go to waste if you have never been to Egypt before. This post will be all about how to do a quick trip to The Pyramids of Giza when on a long Cairo layover.
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24 Hours in Cairo – What You Need to Know
Leaving the airport
Nearly everyone needs a visa to enter Egypt, but it is not something you have to apply in advance for. You can do that, but it’s easiest just to get it at the airport.
Once you land in Cairo you can simply go to one of the bank kiosks (which are clearly labeled) and pay $25 USD – cash only – for a 30-day single entry tourist visa that you put in your passport and is checked by immigration. It’s as simple as that and then you are in Egypt.
Should you decide that you don’t want to leave the airport on your long layover then you don’t need to do this. But be warned, the Cairo airport kinda stinks, so it’s worth it to pay for the visa to leave.
How to get to Giza from the airport
It’s best to take an Uber to get to Giza from the airport. There is a specific pickup location for Uber at the Cairo airport and it is a safe way to travel in Egypt, especially if you get in at night. The fastest way to Giza will be to go around the city to avoid the awful Cairo traffic and that will be about 50 km and take you almost an hour.
You also have the option to take the bus, but given the short amount of time you have in Egypt do you really want to take the bus? The Uber cost about $15 USD each way.
EgyptAir
A layover in Cairo means you are almost certainly flying EgyptAir. See below to read my full experience flying this god-awful airline.
Money
You will need Egyptian Pounds for shops and most restaurants. But finding an ATM is way harder than you’d think. You should get cash at the airport.
The ATMS in Giza are hit or miss and often are not operational. Luckily the hotels should be able to exchange some Euros or US dollars for EGP for you. Things are pretty cheap in Giza, but you will need cash in the local currency.
Cairo weather
As you might expect, it’s hot and dry in Giza. You’ll most likely have sunny skies and if you go in the summer it can get dangerously hot. Winters will be mild, you just won’t have as much daylight and mornings can be cold. There will be smog over the city of Cairo in the distance so don’t be bummed if the sky isn’t totally blue on a sunny day.
Where to stay on your layover
If you have an overnight layover there are tons of hotels to choose from right outside the Giza Plateau. From elegant hotels to simple guest houses and hostels, you will find something that meets your needs. Since you don’t have a lot of time, stay within walking distance of the Pyramids complex.
Most of the hotels are very affordable, less than $50 USD. I suggest Life Pyramids Inn, right in front of the Giza Plateau. While the rooms are small and basic, there is a beautiful view of the Pyramids from the roof terrace.
If you’re looking to splurge a little more, consider the Marriott Mena House, which is a large resort with direct pyramid views. Or find your own accommodation on booking.com.
Wifi in Cairo
Wifi in Egypt is BAD. Like really bad. Most of the wifi networks allow for nothing more than basic texting and emailing. Photos and streaming are out of the question. This is the case in much of Africa still. The wifi on my layover in Nairobi was just as bad.
I highly recommend not needing to count on your phone for anything while you’re there unless you have paid for international roaming. If you need reservation confirmations for anything, have them printed out.
More Egypt travel tips
Egypt can be quite a culture shock for westerners. I suggest doing as much research as possible on visiting Egypt and learning some Egypt travel tips even if just spending 24 hours in Cairo. If you’re headed for Egypt for a longer period of time, consider this awesome 7-day Egypt itinerary!
Travel Insurance
Even on just a short layover in Cairo, you want to make sure your travel insurance policy includes your layover. We use World Nomads and have had good experiences with them. World Nomads provides coverage for travelers in over 100 countries. You can search for a coverage plan using the link below.
How to See the Pyramids of Giza
If you have a late afternoon or evening flight you will have plenty of time to see the Pyramids of Giza on your layover in Cairo. There are essentially two ways to see the pyramids: with a guide or on your own.
Usually I’m all about doing things on your own, but this is one place I will not recommend that. That is unless you’re prepared to be constantly pestered by people saying they will be your guide or offering various other services to you.
It can be overwhelming and ruin your experience at the pyramids. If you’re with a guide though, no one will bother you. If you do decide to go at it alone, I suggest reading this Tripadvisor forum first.
I booked a private tour with EMO Tours Egypt through GetYourGuide and had a dedicated guide for my experience at Giza. It’s a bit cheaper to book a group tour that you can join, but at $45 for 4 hours I felt it was worth it for a private tour (note that as of 2023, the price for a solo tour has risen to $65 USD and continues to rise). My guide was knowledgeable and catered the tour to what I wanted to see and hear.
Another benefit of going with a guide was that there was someone to take my photo, as I was traveling alone. And my guide sure knew how to take photos of people at Giza and all the best spots. I was glad I booked the private guide and would recommend it to anyone doing the pyramids quickly on a Cairo layover.
You can book your Giza tour on GetYourGuide here or through the banner below.
Rather hike to one of the wonders of the ancient world? Then the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu might be for you!
A Quick Tour of the Giza Pyramid Complex
While the Giza Complex itself is quite large, most of it is just sand, so I found 4 hours was more than enough time to get to see everything there and even get a short camel ride in (camel ride was included in my tour).
The Pyramid of Khufu – i.e. the Great Pyramid – is the largest of the pyramids, followed by the Pyramid of Khafre and a few smaller pyramids that people tend to forget about. If you can, start at 8:00 AM, when the complex opens so you can get in before the big groups from the tour buses start crowding the place.
Climbing on the Pyramids
A few years back you used to be able to climb on the pyramids, even climb to the top. That’s now forbidden, but there is one small area of the Great Pyramid that you are allowed to climb on, mainly so tourists can get their photos on the pyramid. See my obligatory “sitting on the pyramids” photo below.
Going inside the Pyramids
You’re allowed to go into the Great Pyramid, but it costs extra; about $20 extra, which is significantly more than the cost to enter the Pyramid complex (entry was included in my tour). I thought about it but my guide was honest and said there’s really nothing in there. It’s just a narrow alley to a small room in the middle. It didn’t seem worth it.
Instead, he took me into the Pyramid of Menkaure, the third largest one. There was a small open room in the middle, and that was pretty much it. But it was cool to go inside one of the pyramids, especially since I didn’t have to pay extra.
Viewpoints and camel rides
After walking around the pyramids for a bit I headed towards the Panoramic View of the Pyramids for my camel ride. This spot is a little bit higher in elevation and offers a great view of the pyramids.
This was my favorite place in the complex and I found the view from here pretty cool. It’s definitely one of the most Instagrammable places in all of Egypt. There are a lot of camels here and if you’re not with a guide prepare to be harassed about a camel ride.
After some photos I set off on my camel ride, which was maybe 30 minutes total but super relaxing. I must have started at a quiet time because I was the only one out riding a camel at the time, so it really felt like I had the whole place to myself.
The only complaint I have about the camel ride was that the camel guy (not my guide) was clearly not satisfied by the tip I gave him and literally asked for more. I felt the amount I gave him was adequate so I didn’t give him any more. So be prepared for the camel guy to ask you for more money.
The Great Sphinx
Lastly, I headed down the hill towards the Great Sphinx of Giza and the surrounding temples. Before you get that famous view of the Sphinx you have to shuffle through a small market with locals selling various goods, most just cheap souvenirs. It was quite empty when I went through on a weekday morning in November so I didn’t feel quite as overwhelmed as I did in the souk market in Marrakesh or anything like that.
This area was pretty busy though. There is way less room to spread out as there is by the Pyramids. Prepare to be bumped into here and there and good luck getting a photo of yourself without other people in it.
Outside the Pyramid Gates
As I said before, on a layover trip it’s best to just stay right outside of the Pyramids complex. There are many options to choose from. Your hotel will also be able to arrange a tour for you if you don’t have one booked already. But there are things to be wary of when staying near the entrance gates.
I was actually really surprised by the lack of nighttime activity in the area outside. I didn’t get there too late, around 9:30 PM, but literally nothing was open. Not a single restaurant.
I ended up buying some snacks at a shop that was still open, where the cashier was smoking a cigarette and coughing his lungs out behind the register (side note: everyone in Cairo smokes it seems).
So lesson learnt: don’t plan on eating out late at night if you are staying near the Pyramids. I was very surprised by this, as I expected it to be a pretty happening place 24/7. It most definitely is not.
Be wary of overly friendly children
Another thing to be wary of is children who are being nice to you. If anyone talks to you just ignore them or say “no thanks”, even if they say they are just trying to help you and are not selling anything. They may not be selling anything, but they will try to get money from you one way or another.
If they speak decent English, it’s because they spend their days and nights trying to sell things or offer services to tourists. I could not get rid of the kid who was following me as I was trying to find an open restaurant. He was relentless and eventually I ended up just giving him some money to leave me alone. Be prepared for this.
Picking a restaurant for your one meal in Egypt
Even during the day I was a bit disappointed by the dining opportunities around the Pyramids. I finished my tour just before noon so I had enough time to grab a decent lunch before heading back to the airport. I hadn’t been able to have dinner the night before so I was really looking forward to lunch.
There really weren’t many options to choose from within a short walk of the gates for a decent sit-down meal though. I walked into a few places that seemed pretty sketchy before settling on a place called Restaurant Pyramids.
There was a big group, obviously from a tour bus, in the restaurant already and I could tell the dining room was catered to big groups. Because of this, I was nervous it wouldn’t be any good. But I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of my meal.
I ordered a starter of stuffed grape leaves and a main course of mixed grill with Egyptian rice. The main course came with hummus, bread, salad and soup, so I ended up with an epic feast. Keep in mind you won’t find alcohol at most places around here. It’s not illegal in Egypt, but most restaurants in this part of the country won’t serve it.
Egyptian food is similar to other middle eastern foods and pretty damn good. Make the best of your layover in Cairo and treat yourself to a nice Egyptian feast. Just don’t be surprised if the power goes out in the middle of the day and you end up eating in the dark. This happens all the time.
Get back to the airport
While you want to make the best of your short time in Cairo, you also don’t want to miss your connecting flight. Traffic in Cairo can be absolutely horrific, so plan for 90 minutes to get back to the airport just in case you get stuck. If you don’t get stuck, you’ll have some extra time at the airport, which is also not great, but better than missing your flight.
The wifi at the airport isn’t much better than the wifi in the rest of Cairo so don’t plan on working or anything that requires a reliable internet connection.
EgyptAir
The last thing I’ll discuss in this post is Egypt’s national airline, EgyptAir. I don’t really want to talk about an airline, but I have to do my due diligence here. If you can avoid flying on this airline, do it.
The only reason to fly EgyptAir is to get the long layover in Cairo so you can see the Pyramids. Even if it’s $100 cheaper than the next cheapest flight, just don’t do it unless you specifically want a long layover in Cairo. I did it on my way from Amsterdam to India.
You can read thousands of stories online about Egypt Air losing people’s bags. Like actually losing them, never to be found. Thankfully this didn’t happen to me but I was pretty nervous.
My flight between Amsterdam and Cairo was actually not bad. The plane was comfortable and left on-time. But my flight from Cairo to Mumbai was on a plane that clearly hadn’t been updated since the 1990s.
When’s the last time you’ve seen an ashtray on an airplane? I honestly couldn’t remember before flying EgyptAir. There was no in-flight entertainment system for the 6 hour flight, but at least I got to Mumbai on time.
The return flight
The real experience began on my return to Amsterdam. I had a 2:30 AM flight to Cairo. We boarded OK (same plane with the ash trays). The flight attendants did the safety briefing. Seemed we were ready to go.
But then nothing happened. We just sat there. And sat there. A loud static sound came on the speakers. “The pilot is going to say something” I thought. No… just static. Loud static that did not go away.
An hour later we finally got an announcement from the pilot. Mechanical issues. No word on when we’d get going or what the actual problem was. I was not surprised an airplane that looked like it teleported from 1985 was having mechanical problems. But they could have at least given us an idea of how serious it was and if we were going to be able to take off.
After about two hours, the static sound still blasting from the speakers, I asked if we could go back into the airport while the plane was being fixed, but was told if I left the plane I could not get back on. By now some people were so fed up that they chose to leave the plane and get back home another way.
An Egyptian lady apologized to me that her national airline was so bad before she got off the plane. The hours passed with no further updates. As much as I wanted to get off the plane I really didn’t want to have to buy a one-way flight back to Amsterdam. I had to sit it out.
Takeoff… finally
At about 7:30 AM, five hours after we were supposed to take off, the skies clear and sunny, the plane finally started moving. We still had no updates or explanations from the pilot, but we were moving. I just had to hope whatever mechanical problem the plane had got fixed properly….
By the time I got to Cairo my flight to Amsterdam was long gone. I ended up at the EgyptAir help desk with half the other people from my plane who also missed their connections. The help desk was just as unorganized as the crew on the plane. They took my passport and then asked me to wait.
Time went by. 10 minutes. 20 minutes. 30 minutes. I’d go back to check but they’d just say they’re working on it. I literally showed them on my phone (using my 4G roaming of course) that I found a flight option on Turkish Air (one of their airline partners) through Istanbul that could get me home tonight.
They seemed puzzled by this amazing internet flight search technology and asked me to continue waiting patiently. Eventually they booked me on the Istanbul option and I was able to get home to Amsterdam. The silver lining was that Turkish Air was fantastic and I would definitely recommend flying with them!
24 Hours in Cairo – FAQs
How many days should I spend in Cairo?
How many days to spend in Cairo totally depends on what you want to do. If you want nothing other than seeing the pyramids of Giza, you just need one day. For a more relaxed experience, you’ll want to spend at least two days, which will give you time to explore the city as well and not just Giza.
Is it better to stay in Cairo or Giza?
If you’re only in the area for one day it’s better to stay in Giza and be close to the Pyramids. If you have longer, then consider Cairo.
How far are the pyramids from Cairo?
The pyramids are about 15 kilometers from central Cairo. With no traffic it takes about 25 minutes by car. No traffic is rare in Cairo, so assume about double that. It’s easy to stay in Cairo and visit the Pyramids of Giza for the day though.
Is it safe to walk around Cairo?
In general, walking the streets of Cairo or Giza is safe, even at night. Take the usual precautions. Some of the most danger comes from the crazy drivers, so be careful when crossing streets. There are many panhandlers too so don’t be fooled into giving your money away. And always pay attention when it seems like someone is trying to distract you.
What to do on a long layover in Cairo?
On a long layover in Cairo the best thing to do is to tour the historic Pyramids of Giza. That is what this post is all about so scroll up to learn more!
Final Word
A long layover in Cairo is a perfect opportunity to see one of the most famous sights on the planet. The Pyramids of Giza are stunning and definitely worth leaving the airport for if you have time. Just be prepared for the things I have mentioned in this post and you will enjoy seeing this Wonder of the Ancient World.
2 comments
I found your guide to a stopover in Cairo, your assessment of Cairo Airport and your honest comment Re EgyptAir very helpful. Many thanks
Thanks Neil. Glad it helped!