Cairo

The last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing — the three colossal 4,500-year-old pyramids and the enigmatic Great Sphinx, rising from the desert on the very edge of the city. Awe on a scale nothing prepares you for; go early, consider going inside the Great Pyramid, and beware the pushy camel touts.

The vast new museum beside the pyramids — the largest archaeological museum in the world, home to the complete treasures of Tutankhamun (including the golden mask) displayed together for the first time, and tens of thousands of pharaonic wonders. A stunning, essential experience; give it most of a day, and book ahead.

The great medieval fortress on a hill over the city, crowned by the soaring domes and slender minarets of the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali — grand within and out, with a sweeping view over a sea of minarets to the pyramids on a clear day. The landmark of Islamic Cairo; combine it with the museums inside the walls.

A dazzling, centuries-old medieval bazaar — a labyrinth of lantern-lit alleys selling spices, brass, silver, perfumes, textiles and trinkets, threaded with ancient coffeehouses. Overwhelming and touristy but magical; haggle hard, get lost, and pause for a mint tea and shisha at the legendary El Fishawy café, going for 250 years.

Escape the din with the timeless pleasure of a felucca — a traditional lateen-sailed boat gliding silently up the Nile at sunset, the city softening on the banks, a captain and the breeze your only company. Cheap, romantic and wonderfully calming; hire one for an hour from the Zamalek or Garden City banks as the sun goes down.

The medieval main street of Islamic Cairo — an open-air museum of some of the finest Islamic architecture in the world, a dense concentration of exquisite mosques, madrasas and merchant houses, beautifully restored and floodlit at night. Wander it slowly, climb a minaret for the view, and step into the serene, cool courtyards.

The classic (if touristy) pyramids experience — a plod across the desert on a camel or horse to the panorama point where all three pyramids line up, ideally at sunset. Fun and photogenic; agree a clear price up front for the ride and every photo, or you'll be haggling the whole way. Book through your hotel to avoid the worst hassle.

The grand old pink museum on Tahrir Square — for over a century the home of Egypt's antiquities, and still crammed with mummies, statues and treasures, with a wonderfully old-fashioned, overstuffed charm. Even as the grandest pieces move to the new GEM, it remains a treasure trove; a very different, atmospheric experience.

The ancient Christian quarter of Old Cairo — narrow lanes within Roman walls, home to the beautiful 'Hanging Church' suspended over a gateway, the Ben Ezra synagogue, and the church where the Holy Family is said to have sheltered. A serene, deeply historic pocket of a different Cairo; a fascinating, peaceful couple of hours.

The 187-metre lattice tower on Zamalek's Gezira island — ride up for a 360° view over the sprawling megacity, the Nile snaking through it, and the pyramids on the desert horizon on a clear day. The best way to grasp the sheer scale of Cairo; go late afternoon into sunset, when the light softens the haze.

The thousand-year-old Al-Azhar, one of Islam's oldest and most important mosques and universities, its serene courtyard a haven of calm — and nearby, the beautiful Al-Azhar Park, a green oasis reclaimed from a rubbish dump, with lawns, fountains and a superb view over the medieval city and its minarets. A lovely pairing of faith and green space.

A glitzy Cairo night out — dinner aboard a floating restaurant gliding along the illuminated Nile, usually with a whirling tanoura dancer and a belly-dance show. Touristy and kitsch but genuinely fun, and a relaxed way to see the city lights from the water; a fine contrast to the felucca's quiet charm.

Egypt's beloved national dish — koshari, a hearty, cheap bowl of rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas topped with spicy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions, from a bustling downtown koshari house. Add ful medames (fava beans) and taameya (Egyptian falafel) for breakfast; filling, delicious and costing next to nothing.

Wander the faded Belle Époque downtown — grand 19th-century facades, historic cafés and cinemas, and Tahrir Square, the vast plaza at the centre of the 2011 revolution. Gritty, chaotic and full of life; grab a coffee at an old ahwa, browse the bookstalls, and feel the pulse of modern, everyday Cairo.

Cairo's social life happens in the ahwa (traditional coffeehouse) — sit out late over a sweet mint tea or a thick Turkish coffee and a bubbling shisha (water-pipe), watching the endless street theatre and, perhaps, a backgammon game. The most relaxed, authentic Cairo evening; the old cafés of downtown and the Khan are the classics.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser — the world's oldest stone pyramid — and a necropolis of painted tombs, quieter than Giza. Where the whole pyramid idea began.

Two of the very first true pyramids, the Bent and the Red — you can often go inside — standing almost alone in the desert. Giza without the crowds or camels.

A colossal 14th-century mosque-madrasa, all soaring stone and hanging lamps — one of the masterpieces of the Islamic world. Cool, vast and humbling.

Cairo's oldest intact mosque — a huge, serene courtyard and a spiral minaret you can climb for a view over the old city. Peaceful, ancient and free.

A dreamlike prince's palace on an island in the Nile, mixing every Islamic style, set in a botanical garden. A lush, little-visited gem.