From Cairo
Giza, the Sphinx and Saqqara
At the plateau by half past seven. The Great Pyramid, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Dahshur, returned before the afternoon heat.
The Grand Egyptian Museum
Four hours with an Egyptologist is the difference between a very long museum and the finest hour of a journey.
Islamic Cairo on foot
Al-Muizz Street on foot, Khan el-Khalili in the company of someone who knows which workshops are genuine, and luncheon in a family home.
Coptic and Old Cairo
The Hanging Church, Ben Ezra, and the quietest corner of the city.
Alexandria
The Mediterranean, the Bibliotheca, the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. Three hours in each direction, and worth them.
Fayoum and Wadi El Rayan
Desert, lakes, and the pyramid at Meidum. Almost no visitors.