Levitate Travel: Cairo, Egypt

Photography by Leo Chan & Alicia Mara

Egypt Travel - Cairo & Giza Photo Diary:

We had the incredible opportunity, thanks to our awesome friend Jaco, to travel to one of the countries on the top of our list: Egypt! Cairo was hands down one of our most memorable, awe-inspiring, and rewarding trips. As Egypt’s capital, Cairo is one of the largest and most populated cities in Africa. With a population of nearly 18 million people, it was quite an experience in many ways. From learning how to cross the street in the city's chaotic traffic, eating traditional dishes, riding camels, to gazing at the incredible sites, we were very blessed to visit many of the attractions Cairo has to offer. A HUGE thank you to all the awesome new friends we've made in Egypt that made sure we had the 100% authentic local experience!


The Pyramids of Giza - For over 4,000 years, the pyramids have been one of the best-known structures on Earth. Visiting the pyramids is easily the biggest highlight of the trip and an obvious must-see for anyone in town. Also be ready for your one-on-one and pucker up for the Great Sphinx of Giza!

+ Go inside Khafre’s Pyramid (second largest) instead of Khufu’s Pyramid (the largest) as it is much cheaper (100LE vs 25LE) for the same experience.

+ Solar boat museum to see Khufu’s ship from 2500 BC that was discovered buried right next to the pyramid!

+ For the photography junkie: To get the Panoramic view of all the pyramids together, you must head up the hill behind the second pyramid (pinned on Google Map guide map below). Strongly suggest either taking a camel or taxi ride up for this amazing view!

+ The camel ride was so much fun - enjoying the incredible view of the Pyramids while riding the camel was an awesome experience.

Khan el-Khalili – Khan el-Khalili is the bazaar district in Cairo where you need to go shop for souvenirs. Check it out both day and night, just keep in mind that prices are not fixed so have fun haggling to get the best price! In addition to shops, there are coffeehouses, restaurants, shisha, and street food vendors throughout the market. A great place to eat some fateer, drink mint tea, and smoke shisha among the locals (More on the Egypt Food post coming soon!)

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities – Definitely the most overwhelming and incredible museum we've ever been to! With over 120,000 items on display, you will never be able to take it all in. Be sure to hire a guide or prepare with a guide book to know what you want to see beforehand or else you will easily get lost and overwhelmed. You will see artifacts from the Old Kingdom 2575 BC all the way to Greco-Roman Egypt AD 395. Thousands of years of history in one building! Definitely check out King Tut's treasures, the Amarna Room, statues from the pyramids, and the mummy room.

+ Mummy Room is an absolute must when visiting Cairo. Period! It was mind-boggling to see the mummified bodies of the great pharaohs such as Ramesses II because you can still see some hair and identify their faces. Don't stare too long or you might think they'll come back to life like in the Mummy movies!


Cairo Citadel + Muhammad Ali Mosque - A medieval Islamic fortification on a hill in the center of Cairo with beautiful views of the city! You can see the Cairo Tower and even the pyramids in the distance. Feel free to also make a quick visit inside the beautiful Mosque of Muhammad Ali.

Coptic Cairo: A part of Old Cairo which encompasses the Hanging Church and many other Coptic churches and historical sites in the area.


Egypt Railway Station: Easily hop on a train to visit other cities in Egypt like Alexandria (posts coming soon!). The modern design of the station reminded us of the Grand Central station back home in NYC.


Concorde El Salam Hotel Cairo: We had a great stay at this beautiful hotel situated in a quiet and safe part of Heliopolis near where our friends live. The hotel provides complimentary airport shuttle service, which saves you quite a headache. Concorde El Salam was also very convenient with its own foreign currency exchange bank and dining room for buffet breakfasts.

Coming Soon:

Egypt Travel - Alexandria Photo Diary Guide

Egypt Travel - Luxor East & West Bank Photo Diary Guide

What to Wear in Egypt: Outfit Style Details

Where & What to Eat: Egypt Restaurant & Food

Thank you for reading!

Alicia Mara & Leo Chan - Levitate Style

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