Cairo
A city of history and bazaars on the Nile.
📷 Cairo · Wikipedia/Wikimedia CommonsCairo offers layered history with the Egyptian Museum, the mosques of Islamic Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Neighbouring the pyramids and set on the Nile, it is the cultural centre of an Africa route.
🗓️ Spring and autumn are ideal for North Africa; summer is very hot. For Zanzibar, the dry season (Jun–Oct).
Nearby stops
MarrakeshJemaa el-Fna, palaces and colourful bazaars.FezOne of the world’s largest car-free medinas.Merzouga DesertCamel rides and a desert camp under the stars.ChefchaouenThe blue-painted town in the Rif Mountains.Zanzibar – Stone TownSpice-island culture and turquoise shores.Giza Pyramids (Egypt)Among humanity’s oldest monuments.CasablancaThe Hassan II Mosque and an Atlantic metropolis.RabatThe capital of kasbah walls and the Hassan Tower.TangierA strait city where two seas meet.EssaouiraA walled medina on the windy Atlantic coast.LuxorAn open-air museum of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings.AlexandriaAn ancient library city on the Mediterranean.AswanA Nubian city where the Nile is at its most beautiful.TunisA city of the medina and the ruins of Carthage.NairobiKenya’s capital and the gateway to safari routes.Cape TownTable Mountain and the meeting of two oceans.
Related guides
Morocco Travel Guide: Marrakesh, Fez and the Desert
The squares of Marrakesh, the medina of Fez, the Atlas Mountains and a Sahara desert camp: route and tips for Morocco.
Zanzibar Holiday Guide: The Spice Island
Turquoise beaches, Stone Town and spice tours: season, route and practical tips for Zanzibar.