Navigating the Nile: A Tale of Two Cities in Ancient Egypt

At a Glance

• Duration: Originally 10+ days (fled Cairo 2 days early).
• Home Base: Cairo (Zamalek-adjacent) and Alexandria (Corniche).
• Top Day Trip: GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum).
• Memorable Moment: Finding a slice of cosmopolitan France and Greece in Alexandria at Roxanne’s Chez Gaby.
• Overall Vibe: Historically overwhelming, logistically chaotic, and deeply contrasting.

This Town is Special Because...

"Egypt isn’t for the faint of heart; you need to be seasoned travelers to do it on your own". Those words, shared by a kind hotel manager over a rooftop drink, became the mantra of our journey. Egypt is a place where 27,000 years of history sit right next to triple-parked cars and the most persistent "hard sell" you’ll ever encounter. We came for the magnitude of the pyramids and the new Grand Egyptian Museum, seeking to immerse ourselves in the "Life to After life" narrative. While the history lived up to the hype, the modern-day hustle required every bit of our travel resilience.

Our Home Base: Cairo & Alexandria

The Cairo Conundrum: Our choice of a hub in Cairo was a lesson in expectations versus reality. We opted for an apartment that was large in square footage but "basic and poor" in execution. Navigating the narrow, double-parked streets just to find the entrance—tucked between two shops—felt like an archaeological feat in itself. Between the quality of amenities and navigating for basics like groceries and banking, we eventually realized that "slow travel" in Cairo works better when you have the support of a hotel staff.

The Alexandria Pivot: Deciding to leave Cairo two days early for Alexandria was the best decision of the trip. Staying at the Crowne Plaza and later the Sheraton allowed us to utilize concierges who thank fully spoke English and could navigate reservations and provide guidance for our days out. Alexandria felt much more approachable, with its Mediterranean breeze and friendlier locals who wanted to shake hands rather than just sell a taxi ride.

Our Experience: The Day-to-Day

When you're here you absolutely need to...

• Experience the GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum): This is a world-class contender for any museum award. The three-story entry is filled with artifacts that truly show the magnitude of the Pharaonic era. The King Tut gallery is masterfully laid out, moving from the excavation history to the "Identity" section where they use modern X-rays to diagnose the boy king.

• Visit the Giza Pyramids: Make sure you do a lot of research before picking a guide, as they can make or break your experience. The history is as immense as the pyramids themselves, and tying what you learn from a pyramid tour and the GEM museum will make for an unforgettable experience.

• Walk the Cornice and El Montaza Palace park and grounds: In Alexandria, the walk along the ocean interacting with both locals and other tourists is a must do. Even more importantly, spend a day in El Montaza Palace Park which is stunning and has a café, a greenhouse (included in price of admission, 10€ each), long walking trails, beautiful gardens and even a beach.
• Visit the Alexandria Bibliotheca: A stunning modern tribute to Alexander the Great’s original commission. The 30-minute tour is a must to understand the exceptional architecture including the "eye with lashes" roof design and the sound-dampening copper walls.

A Taste of the City

In Cairo, Zumba at the GEM provided an amazing chicken shawarma that was a highlight of our museum day. However, the culinary heart of our trip was Chez Gaby in Alexandria. The owner, Roxanne — a French widow with a Greek husband — and her son, the Chef, are the embodiment of Alexandria’s cosmopolitan soul. We loved our conversation as much as the pizza and red wine selections. We also loved the ambiance and being part of the local scene at CaiRoma in Ciaro.

Day Trips: Escapes from the Hub

Giza & The Great Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis Tour

• The Journey: We used a private driver and tour guide, to help us navigate the visitor center and buses to reach the main platforms, as well as provide the history and stories of the Pyramids and Sphinx.
• The Experience: Seeing the three great pyramids (King, Son, and Grandson) from the southeast platform is the iconic shot. The Sphinx was impressive and much larger than expected, though we couldn't get up close and personal on the tickets that were included in our tour. Saqqara we enjoyed. Unlike the Giza pyramids, Saqqara features the oldest man-made stone structure in the world—the Step Pyramid. The artistic detail inside the tombs, specifically the blue-painted "Book of the Dead" and the stars on the ceilings, is rare and breathtaking. Memphis, although home to a massive, statue of Ramsey II- it was not worth the time in our opinion, and we would have rather spent more time exploring the Pyramids of Giza.
• The Verdict: We felt cheated by a guide who rushed us and was more interested in upselling us and introducing us to merchants, despite our explanation that we can’t carry anything more in our bags, than historical teaching.
• Need to Know: Get there early to beat the massive queues for the buses.

Grand Egyptian Museum

• The Journey: Our tickets were for 11:30 and we didn’t leave until after 18:00. We did not want a tour since we knew it was so new (only opened in November) we didn’t think the guide companies would have gotten to know the museum enough to offer anything above what we could learn from the excellent signage built into the museum and exhibits themselves. We took an Uber to the museum and ran into difficulties trying to use Uber to get back to our apartment.
• The Experience: This museum is a wonder. It is architecturally stunning and smartly designed so that it tells its own story. The interactive displays, good messaging for the DIY crowd that don’t want a tour guide, and amenities from water to food and fun photo spots makes it a place you can spend a full day, or even two. The floor dedicated to King Tutankhamun is so smartly designed! It covers how they found the tomb, the excavation, what was found, his ancestry and historical setting to help you understand the time in history.
• The Verdict: We highly recommend going to this museum.
• Need to Know: You must buy your tickets in advance. They can sell out months in advance. There are taxis run by the museum, with their own pick-up place, and would have been a better option for when we were leaving vs trying Uber and the subsequent scams of driver switching and demands for cash.

Culinary Discoveries and Wine Culture

Traditional and Fine Dining

• Zooba (Cairo): with their popularity as a top restaurant for modern Egyptian Street food and a place to visit in Cairo, they have the new location in the GEM. Expect a line at the museum, but it is worth it!
• Chez Gaby (Alexandria): Highly rated which lined up with our city walk. It was a great experience of Italian and Greek dishes with an Egyptian influence. Spending time learning the owners story made this a very memorable restaurant.
• CaiRoma (Cairo): A lovely spot that is very popular for its unique mix of Egyptian and Italian cuisine with outside patio. Note: they only accept cash, so be prepared.
• Blue Harbor (Windsor Hotel in Alexandria): A beautiful 6th-floor patio looking over the sea. Great views of the Corniche and the ocean, though the service was a bit cold (literally—they never lit the propane heaters after the sun went down!).
• NEO Lounge and bar and Santorini Greek Restaurant (Hilton in Alexandria): we spent some time here for the great burgers, good drinks and Egyptian wine, as well as the view.

Wine Culture and Experiences

Finding wine in Egypt requires a bit of local "connected expert" knowledge, especially around Ramadan. We tried to find wine shops or wine bars, but were unsuccessful. There are a few bars and cocktail lounges along the Cornice near the Hilton and Fairmont, but be aware, they all close for Ramadan.

• The Standout: Roxanne at Chez Gaby was our wine savior, selecting a red for us and even allowing us to purchase bottles to take away before her restaurant closed for the holiday.
• The Vibe: At major hotels like the Hilton or Sheraton, wine and beer were still available to foreigners during Ramadan, often served in the bar area or brought to the room. We really enjoyed the Odeon Palace Hotel and Rooftop Bar, as much for the people as the cute rooftop bar.
• The Phrase: We loved the ubiquitous phrase "As you like," which seems to be the Egyptian version of "As you wish" for the service industry.

Reflections on the Journey

• What we loved the most: The Grand Egyptian Museum is a triumph of design and history. Also, the greenhouse and palace grounds at Montaza Palace in Alexandria provided a beautiful, quiet escape.
• The things we didn’t: The aggressive "hard sell" near the Nile and the Uber drivers who demanded cash despite the app. We even had an "art studio" scam where we had to use aliases—Joan and John—to escape.
• What we learned: The service industry staff were amazing and very willing to help. We learned that it’s not really our place. It’s a bit too noisy, chaotic, and felt like we needed to be on guard as most people were indifferent and besides the aforementioned service staff, unhelpful and unwelcoming.
• What we would skip: Memphis and the "Gezira Island" park in Cairo, which were underwhelming.