Fly from Nice to Cairo

Cairo is a dream destination for those who crave culture, discovery, and the extraordinary. Strolling through its streets is like travelling through time, where different eras overlap with rare poetry. This royal city is home to dazzling archaeological treasures, a citadel and medieval alleyways, magnificent mosques, authentic Ottoman caravanserais, one of Africa’s oldest souks, century-old cafés, and of course the famous Giza Pyramids, which can be seen on clear days from many of the city’s rooftops. What a magical moment, as a couple or with family, to sip a drink as you gaze at the ultimate wonder of the ancient world.

Yet the “City of a Thousand Minarets” does not live only in the past. It is a vibrant, modern metropolis, with skyscrapers and large shopping malls, an opera house, and gourmet restaurants that continue Egypt’s culinary traditions. A bustling world from which one can escape for a moment on a romantic sail along the Nile aboard a felucca. The sail is raised at sunset, and you can enjoy the play of light, the cool breeze, and the unique atmosphere of this time of day.

What of that brief excursion makes you want to set sail on a greater odyssey? Combine a stay in Cairo and a visit to the pyramids with a cruise on the Nile to discover Aswan, Luxor, and their temples. Unless you would prefer to head to the sea, to Alexandria, daughter of Alexander the Great, the Pearl of the Mediterranean.

• Admire the three pyramids of Giza: Khufu (the Great Pyramid, the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), Khafre, and Menkaure. A single fact captures the magnificence of the site: it took 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing on average 2.5 tonnes, to raise Khufu’s pyramid to its original height of 146.6 metres.
• Witness the world’s largest monolithic sculpture (73 metres long): the Sphinx. It combines the body of a lion (strength) with the head of a pharaoh (intelligence and wisdom). Neither Roman soldiers nor a Napoleonic cannonball deprived it of its nose; rather, it was defaced by a fanatical Sufi, angered by the worship that the statue inspired among the locals.
• Visit the GEM, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to a single civilisation. Located near the pyramids and open to the public since the end of 2024, it houses more than 100,000 artefacts from ancient Egypt, including remarkable pieces such as the colossal statue of Ramesses II, Khufu’s solar boat, and the entire treasure of Tutankhamun (5,000 objects).
• Continue your journey into the world of the pharaohs at Cairo’s other major museum: the Egyptian Museum, located in Tahrir Square in the heart of the city. This more-than-a-century-old institution also holds an extraordinary collection of over 100,000 artefacts, including statues of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, as well as the gold masks and silver coffins from Tanis.
• End this journey through time with a visit to Cairo’s third major museum: the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). It presents the full history of the country – from the Old Kingdom to the present day, through the Greek, Roman, Arab and Ottoman periods – all in a single place. The star attraction is the Royal Mummies Hall, which houses, among others, the remains of Ramesses II.
• Set out to encounter the Copts on the eastern bank of the Nile. Before becoming Arab, Egypt was Christian, and the Coptic community is the direct heir to that era. They built a quarter on the walls of Babylon, an ancient Roman fortress, which has survived centuries of upheaval. It contains ancient churches, including the Hanging Church dating back to the 6th century. Nearby stands a synagogue: Ben Ezra Synagogue, said to mark the place where Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses among the reeds.
• Continue your walk through Old Cairo and its history along Al-Muizz Street. This is a true open-air museum of Islamic architecture. Here you will discover the Mamluk complex of Sultan Qalawun, centuries-old mosques, beautiful Ottoman mansions, and craft workshops where precious skills have been passed down for generations. It is especially striking at night, when the façades are bathed in golden light.
• Lose yourself in the Khan el-Khalili souk, right next to Al-Muizz Street. This medieval bazaar has been in continuous operation for seven centuries. Here you’ll find the coppersmiths’ quarter, where copper and silver are handcrafted into teapots and finely worked lanterns; the spice and perfume alley, stocked with saffron and hibiscus; and El Fishawy Café (the Café of Mirrors), which has been open without interruption for 250 years.
• Conquer the Citadel of Saladin. Once one of the most imposing medieval fortresses in the world, it remains one of the most remarkable monumental sites in the Arab world. Perched on a rocky spur, it has proudly overlooked Cairo for more than 800 years. It is home to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, known as the Alabaster Mosque, whose minarets rise to 82 metres.
• Make your way to the top of the Cairo Tower, a 187-metre spire built in the early 1960s on Gezira Island, a lush green island in the middle of the Nile, commissioned by Gamal Abdel Nasser. The view from its observation deck or revolving restaurant is breathtaking. Cairo and its citadel lie at your feet. The Nile slips past below. And when the wind clears the city’s haze, the pyramids seem within arm’s reach.