When planning a family holiday, the children are always the main priority. So if you’ve decided on a trip to Cairo with the youngest members of the family, now is the time to make a note of all the possibilities offered by this amazing city of the Pharaohs and the pyramids. We can help you to plan your trip to the Egyptian capital, so that your children will enjoy an experience that they will remember for many years to come.
So shall we begin our adventure by exploring Cairo’s Old Museum? This will leave your children open-mouthed with wonder. We can start with the mummies’ room; children find mummies especially fascinating, and here they can let their imaginations run riot. And when we’ve finished here, we can tell them about the wonders they will see in the city, and take them for a sailing trip on a barge so that they can follow in the footsteps of the Pharaohs and of Cleopatra.
Cairo has a plethora of attractions that are perfect for young children, and so we can help you plan your trip by giving you ideas for activities, so that you can all enjoy this bustling city with its wealth of stories and legends. Here are just a few suggestions:
- Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
- Sail down the Nile in a felucca
- A visit to the Muhammad Ali Mosque
- A stroll through Al-Azhar Park
- Discovering Cairo Tower
- Excursion to the Pyramids
- Dinner in a typical Egyptian restaurant
- Tips and recommendations
- DWhere to stay in Cairo
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
We can begin our tour by taking the children to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to explore the rooms housing the mummies and sarcophagi, which cannot fail to stimulate their imagination. The museum holds over 150,000 artefacts from Ancient Egypt — many more than either the British Museum or the Louvre. And to make the visit even more exciting, we suggest that we first explain to them how Howard Carter discovered the great treasure of Tutankhamun. They will also be fascinated by the items found in other tombs of the Valley of the Kings.
Sail down the Nile in a felucca
Children will be thrilled to bits to sail on one of these traditional Egyptian sailing boats. You will see Cairo from a different perspective from the boat, especially if you choose to make this wonderful trip at either sunrise or sunset. Youngsters will have an enjoyable couple of hours as they imagine the figures from history that they learnt about at school sailing down the Nile thousands of years ago. The feluccas are wooden boats that can seat up to 12 passengers. They have been used for many centuries, so they provide a tangible link to history and to the river.
A visit to the Muhammad Ali Mosque
Children will be interested to learn that there are other religions apart from their own, and that the Muslim faith is one of them. There’s no better way to explain the practices of Islam and to impress children than a visit to the imposing Muhammad Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque. The mosque was built in the nineteenth century, on the site previously occupied by Cairo’s ancient Mamluk citadel.
A stroll through Al-Azhar Park
So that the children can run around and have fun in a green area, nothing can beat a stroll through Al-Azhar Park, officially one of the world’s biggest public spaces. The park was a gift to Cairo from the Aga Khan, and covers 30 hectares that were previously the site of a rubbish dump. Today it is a genuine oasis, with gardens laid out to an Islamic design, along with orchards, canals and fountains. There are also children’s play areas.
Discovering Cairo Tower
At over 180 metres tall, Cairo Tower is the Egyptian capital’s highest structure, and one of its main tourist attractions. It opened in 1961, and its design attempts to imitate the lotus plant; the tower is topped by a circular observation platform with a revolving restaurant which offers views over Cairo. One full turn of the platform normally takes about 70 minutes.
Excursion to the Pyramids
One not-to-be-missed excursion is to Giza, in the Nile valley, to see the Egyptian Pyramids. Or in other words, the massive tombs of the Pharaohs. Children will be amazed at their vast size and at their great age. They will never forget that these enormous, mesmerising structures have stood here for over 4,000 years.
Dinner in a typical Egyptian restaurant
Your children will absolutely love discovering typical Egyptian food in one of Cairo’s traditional restaurants. If they’re not used to spices, it’s best if you say so, but they really should try the koftas, a type of chargrilled meat kebab. Or kushari, a rice-based dish, with added lentils, chickpeas and macaroni. More familiar items are the tabbouleh, parsley salad, wheat semolina, tomatoes and lettuce. Cairo has scores of great restaurants, so here are just a few: Culina, Maat, Lobby Lounge, Solis, Esplanade, Lemongrass, and Piccolino.
Tips and recommendations
Cairo is an easy city to visit with children. The city centre is easy to move around and people are very friendly. If you need help at any time, you only need to ask, as the Egyptians are very welcoming towards children. In terms of safety, you will find that some taxis do not have a seat belt in the back nor child safety seats, so you may need to request a special vehicle. To avoid gastroenteritis, it is also advisable to drink bottled water and to wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly. Try to avoid eating at street stalls except if they offer cooked food.
Where to stay in Cairo
The best option for accommodation in Cairo is a Spanish hotel chain. We recommend the hotel Barceló Cairo Pyramids, which offers excellent value for money, and is located barely 4 kilometres from the legendary Giza plateau, the site of the famous Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerinus pyramids. This four-star accommodation is set in landscaped gardens and has a fantastic, temperature-regulated outdoor swimming pool. The guest rooms are fully equipped, and your children will really enjoy their stay here on their sightseeing holiday in Cairo. In addition, the hotel has 3 restaurants and 3 bars, offering a huge range of food and drink options, both local and international. And as if that wasn’t enough, you can enjoy magnificent views of the pyramids from the twelfth-floor panoramic terrace. What more could you ask for?
