What Can You Do in Cairo Before or After a Nile Cruise?
Most Nile cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan and do not include Cairo at all. So if you want the Pyramids, you need to add Cairo yourself, before or after the cruise. The short answer: with two nights you can see Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum properly. With three or four, you can add Saqqara, historic Cairo, the royal mummies or a day trip out of the city.
Here is what to do with each extra day, and what to skip if time is short.
Day one: Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum
Do this first, whatever else you choose. The Giza pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum are about two kilometres apart, so they fit in one day. See the pyramids, the panorama point and the Sphinx in the morning, then spend two to three hours in the museum, including the Tutankhamun galleries.
Book it as our Pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum Tour. Want the classic photo from a camel? Add the camel ride to the panorama point.
Day two: pick one of these
- More pyramids: the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, Memphis, and the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur. Quieter than Giza. Saqqara and Dahshur tour.
- Medieval Cairo: the Citadel, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Sultan Hassan, Al-Muizz Street and Khan el Khalili. Islamic Cairo tour.
- The pharaohs themselves: the royal mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, plus the churches of Old Cairo. NMEC and Old Cairo tour.
- The original museum: the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, still packed with treasures. Tahrir museum visit.
Day three: get out of the city
With a third day, consider a day trip. Alexandria is about three hours away on the Mediterranean, with Roman catacombs and the Citadel of Qaitbay. Fayoum has fossil whales in the desert at Wadi El Hitan. Both make a complete change from temples. See the Cairo to Alexandria day tour and the Wadi El Hitan day trip.
What about the evenings?
Cairo is at its best after dark. Three easy options:
- The Sound and Light Show at Giza, with the Sphinx lit up.
- A Tanoura whirling dance show in historic Cairo.
- A private felucca at sunset on the Nile, or a street food walk through downtown.
Should Cairo come before or after the cruise?
Either works. Before is more common, because you arrive on an international flight into Cairo anyway, rest for a day, and then fly south to join your ship. After has one advantage: you finish with the Grand Egyptian Museum, when you have seen the temples and tombs its treasures came from.
One tip either way: do not book a big sightseeing day on the same day as your flight to Luxor or Aswan, or your international flight home. Cairo traffic is unpredictable.
How many nights do you really need?
- 1 night: not enough. You will arrive tired and rush Giza.
- 2 nights: Giza and the museum, comfortably.
- 3 nights: add Saqqara, Islamic Cairo or the mummies.
- 4 nights or more: add Alexandria or Fayoum.
Want it arranged as one package? Our 3-day Cairo stopover covers the airport, hotel, Giza and a second day of your choice, and fits neatly before or after any cruise. If you are just landing, read what happens at the airport first.
All tours are private and quoted on request. See every Egypt day tour we offer.
