Yes, of course. There are direct flights from Cairo to London and back. Egypt Air and British Airways operate these flights, and they only have a duration of five hours and twenty minutes. British Airways direct flight operations are only conducted from London Heathrow Airport every day of the week.
Even though most direct flights to Cairo from the UK are comfortable and short, they can be a bit more expensive than the connecting flights offered by airlines like Alitalia. There are some instances when the fare difference can be above a hundred pound, so a significant majority of the passengers still opt for connecting flights to Cairo. Alitalia, for now, offers the cheapest rates for connecting flights to Cairo and the rest of Egypt.
More than 21 flights are leaving for Rome from London Heathrow Airport alone, which amounts to three every day. The first one of these flights takes off at 7:30 AM and arrives at Rome at 11:00 AM Italy time. Flight number AZ 209 also travels as half past four in the even each day and takes passengers from the UK to Rome.
After a brief stopover, the passenger embarks a connecting flight to Cairo 12:30 PM, on AZ 896, most probably, that travels every day except on Wednesdays and Fridays. If you are arriving later in the evening to Rome, then there is another daily Alitalia flight to Cairo at 10:30 PM from the Italian capital. The total duration of travel, therefore, is not more than eight hours.
The absolute cheapest time to come to the city is from June to August, for apparent reasons. While a few do save up tremendously by arriving at Cairo in these months, the trip to Cairo in the summer proves to be more of a test than a vacation. Instead, we recommend you to visit the city early in November, when the temperatures are milder for a cheap Egyptian vacation. As the rest of the world is gearing up for the Christmas holidays planning to spend some time in their home cities with family and friends, travelling in the opposite direction to Cairo with your loved ones can save you a pretty penny. Spending Christmas in less traditional settings, with a warm sun and mysteries of Cairo to explore can be fun. Moreover, the weather would be beyond serene. So, come to Cairo in November for a cheap Cairo vacation.
The Cairo International Airport (CAI) handles all the flights coming to and flying from the capital city of Egypt. After the airport in Johannesburg, Cairo International is the second busiest airport in Africa and with the recent construction of Terminal 3 at the airport; it is projected to enhance its processing capacity further. The airport is only 20 kilometres from the famous Tahrir Square, and the tourists can reach the square in 30 minutes by car from the airport provided there are few traffic jams. In 2018, the airport handled 15 million passengers collectively. There are plans of building a metro line to the airport (Line 3 extension) that will connect the facility to Heliopolis and central Cairo soon.
The best time to come to Cairo is from November to April, during the winter months. As the reader might already have an idea, summers in Egypt can be quiet intense, especially if you plan to explore the city of Cairo during your trip. Coming to Cairo in the winter is also a better idea because there are much more festivals celebrated during this time. Even the highest temperatures during these days remain between 21°C and 27°C. With no clouds or rains or any dusty winds casting a shade over your vacation to Cairo, November to April months can be an incredible time to come to the city.
The Fatimid Muslims laid Cairo's foundations, although the city is quite near to the ruins of the Ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. The city has become a hub was Muslim art, film and architecture. There are more landmarks in Cairo than the fingers can count, but one always needs an extended stay to explore the hidden treasures of the city.
- The Giza Pyramid Complex is by far the most recognizable landmark of not only Cairo but of Egypt. The colossal structures were built by the ancients about 4,500 years ago. Inside the pyramids are tombs built to house the remains of pharaohs, protected by the thick stone walls of the pyramid, waiting for the afterlife. The pyramid complex has three primary pyramids: the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Guarding the Pyramids in the east is the Great Sphinx of Giza, which is a lion-bodied king that still gazes at the rising sun each day. Tour guides take tourists to this iconic and historical site on camels if you what that fully Cairo experience.
- The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities has one of the largest collections of the Pharaonic artefacts in the world. As you enter the building, statues and sarcophagi from the ancient world greet the tourist. Almost immediately, your curiosity begins to praise the excellent work of the craftsmen thousands of years ago. From the mummy of Ramses to the gold bust of Tutankhamen, there is a lot to see in this museum. The museum opens a portal into these ancient times and the tourist, mystified, begins to read the Egyptian picture writing (hieroglyphs) almost by themselves.
- Khan el-Khalili is the pleasantly bustling souk our market place of Old Cairo. In the narrow streets of the Khan el-Khalili, there is history that goes back a thousand years. The market place was once a palace, but then it was transformed into a caravanserai, where merchants from far off used to trade. As trade evolved, the caravanserai transformed into what it is today. As you move through the streets, there are vendors selling metal work, calligraphies, carpet, old chandeliers and incense, amidst the loud but not overpowering smell of spices.
Muslims in Cairo celebrate Islamic festivals with festive excitement and a lot of food. After the fasting month of Ramadan, the Eid ul Fitr is a festival of sweets and flavour. Their grandparents reward children with money as the one dish after another is brought out from the kitchen, in every household. After only three months there is the Eid ul Adha, where you get the chance of eating Barbeque Cairo-Style – right off the skewer and loaded with meaty goodness. The Lailat-en Nuktah festival, in June, has its roots in Ancient Egyptian culture, where the pharaoh tossed bounties and gold into the Nile River, to appease the life-giving entity. Nowadays, only a picnic suffices to honour the waters of the Nile. In December, the Sphinx Festival highlights the culture of Egypt in Cairo, both that was once part of its society and now thriving in the present.
The transportation system within Cairo is extensive and very advanced. The Cairo Metro currently has over sixty stations, and there are plans to extend this service to the airport and other parts of the city. It only costs a pound per trip, so buy the tickets in bulk and teleport yourself throughout the city. If the metro does not reach your destination, then you can take a taxi. The taxis are black sedans and are comfortable with air conditioning. The bus also zooms through the city and takes two Egyptian Pounds per trip. Around the pyramids, the ground is quite uneven, so the only mode of transportation there are camels. Depending on the season the price for riding a camel can go somewhere between 100 and 200 Egyptian Pounds for a two-hour ride. Touching the Pyramids is prohibited.
The five-star hotels in Cairo can delight and spoil their guests for as long as their hearts desire. Treated like ancient Egyptian Royalty, customers at these five-star hotels in Cairo have always felt pampered and refreshed at the end of their trip to Cairo.
- Kempinski Nile Hotel Cairo
- Le Passage Cairo
- Fairmont Nile City
- Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino
- Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski
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