Egypt — Cairo Trip Plan — 5-Day Itinerary
Egypt🗓️ Best season: October to April — best late October–November and February–March
🛂 Visa from Pakistan: Embassy visa with PRIOR clearance — Pakistan is NOT on Egypt's official e-Visa list. First, clearance is sought from the authorities in Cairo through the Egyptian consulate (this alone can take 2–6 weeks); then the sticker visa is issued by the Embassy of Egypt in Islamabad. Apply 6+ weeks ahead, and ignore websites selling an 'Egypt eVisa for Pakistanis' — the official list does not include Pakistan.
🌍 From other countries: Citizens of many countries (the US, UK, EU and others) can use Egypt's official e-Visa portal or a visa on arrival — check the official portal list for your passport.
The Pyramids, the great museums and a thousand years of Islamic Cairo — the trip of a lifetime, planned early.
🌡️ Live weather: loading…
Route: No direct flights — fly one-stop via the Gulf or Istanbul (about 8–14 hours).
- Day 1: Arrive Cairo; Downtown and Tahrir, the Egyptian Museum, an evening on the Nile Corniche
- Day 2: Giza at opening time: the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx; the Grand Egyptian Museum in the afternoon
- Day 3: Islamic Cairo: the Citadel and the Muhammad Ali Mosque, Sultan Hassan, and Khan el-Khalili in the evening
- Day 4: Coptic Cairo (the Hanging Church), Al-Azhar and Bab Zuweila; a sunset felucca on the Nile
- Day 5: Saqqara, Dahshur and Memphis — or an Alexandria day trip (Qaitbay Citadel, the Bibliotheca, the Catacombs)
What to carry & what you need:
- Your printed visa, hotel bookings and itinerary — these are checked on arrival
- Egyptian pounds in cash, in small notes — tips (baksheesh), markets and taxis run on cash; withdraw locally and choose 'charge in EGP'
- A Vodafone, Orange or e& tourist SIM from the airport (passport registration)
- Light layers plus an evening jacket (October–April); breathable clothes, a hat and sunscreen in summer
- A scarf for mosque visits (women) and sturdy walking shoes
Official visa page: Egypt e-Visa portal — eligibility list (official) ↗
Note: Do not book non-refundable flights or hotels until the visa is in your passport — the clearance stage decides the timeline, not you.
Weather on this page is live at the moment it loads — always check it again on the day you travel, and follow official road and weather advisories. Photo: Ricardo Liberato (Giza) — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).