Cairo At Night: A Practical Guide to Exploring the City at Night
Tourists generally visit Cairo to see the Giza Pyramids, which is unsurprising given that the Great Pyramid is the world’s only surviving original ancient wonder. But what happens when the sun goes down and you’re not quite ready to return to your hotel? Fortunately, Cairo, the city of a thousand minarets, is a world-class city with numerous possibilities for livening up your night.
Your day in Cairo does not have to finish at night. Cairo At Night has a surprising number of activities to offer, and we’ve detailed some of them below for you in case they come in handy during your vacation.
Top 10 Things to Do in Cairo at Night
You will have a unique nighttime experience in Cairo as you explore its key sites and excellent tourist locations while participating in your favorite activities. Here are the best things to do in Cairo at night:
1- Visit the Khan El Khalili Market
The Khan El Khalili Market is the most popular place for tourists to shop in Cairo. Most of these visits take place during the day, but it’s well worth the effort to venture into its narrow streets after dark.
Khan el Khalili is located in what is known as Islamic Cairo. Its stalls and shops are spread across many switchback alleys and lanes, and getting lost is more of a possibility than a certainty. In this area, you can also see some beautiful mosques and workshops where artisans work and sell their products in the market. You will find yourself in front of the largest open-air museum, where tourists worldwide come to shop.
There are numerous stores, cafés, and restaurants where you may find some of the best antiques, original perfumes, gifts, papyri, and other Egyptian souvenirs to take home. It has traditionally been a key district for cultural and economic activities. Walking around this market, you’ll come across a vast range of things, including shining gold artifacts, silverware, stained glass lamps, handmade accessories, and, of course, pharaoh-era souvenirs.
When the sun goes dark, the businesses remain open, and the market district takes on a new vibe when the characteristic metallic lanterns are illuminated.
We recommend arriving after 7 p.m. (at the beginning of winter) to browse about the market at your leisure, followed by dinner at one of the nearby street restaurants.
2- Don’t miss a stroll along Al Muizz Street.
Al Muizz Street, a one-kilometer stretch in the center of Islamic Cairo near Khan el Khalili, is another must-visit location to take in the city’s nightlife. Walking along this street for about a kilometer at night with its colorful lights on is an experience not to be forgotten.
You’ll pass a number of little, exquisitely lighted architectural wonders along the route. The Qalawun complex, Al-Aqmar Mosque, Al Nasir Muhammad Madrasa, and Al-Hakim Bi Amr Allah Mosque are not to be missed.
One of the best specimens of Ottoman architecture in the city is the 1648-built house, or bayt al suhaymi, which is also a noteworthy structure.
3- Relax for a while at Fishawi Cafe
Fishawi, one of the most well-known cafes in the Egyptian capital, is located on one side of Khan el Khalili. If you’ve chosen to explore the region on foot in the evening, taking a seat on its terrace will allow you to unwind from the bustle of the streets.
You’ll almost surely have to wait for a table if you don’t have a guide since the cafe’s location on a busy street.
The Fishawi started their activities almost 240 years ago. Over time, its clientele grew, and it is now known for serving the best coffee, mint tea, and narghiles (water pipes) in town.
For many Egyptians, spending time at this cafe drinking tea and smoking water pipes is a natural hobby, and I am confident you will like it as well. Consider how proud this area is to having been a favorite of some of the country’s most famous writers, including Naguib Mahfouz, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988.
4-Dinner Cruise with Dance Show on the Nile
The big river is the source of life in the land and the structural element that connects it from north to south. A voyage along its waterways is consequently required, and the experience is enhanced by the inclusion of food and a belly dancing performance.
These short overnight Cairo cruises are not only ideal for unwinding after a long day of sightseeing. During the journey, you may see the city’s illuminated skyline and view some of its highlights from a new perspective.
There are various types of cruises available, based on your preferences. Those that include meals are divided into buffet style and those offered by renowned chefs, which will allow you to better understand Egyptian cuisine.
You can also book a cruise that includes a belly dancing performance and mini traditional music concerts.
5-See the entire city from Cairo Tower.
The Cairo Tower is the best place to see the city at night, complete with all of its lights.
This 187-meter-high tower is situated in the fashionable Zamalek neighborhood. Its design is renowned for its stylized appearance and the use of a lotus flower-shaped lattice.
You may look out and see the Nile illuminated by the boats’ lights, as well as enjoy a view of the city streets. Another alternative is to book a table at the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower, where you may enjoy the same views while dining.
6- A ride on the Nile in a felucca
While cruise ships are the most popular among tourists in Cairo, there is another traditional way to cross the Nile: by felucca. If you want to have an amazing experience, I propose hiring one of these boats to watch the river sunset.
Falukas are little wooden boats powered by the wind. For ages, they have been the mode of transportation utilized by Egyptians to go up and down the Nile, whether for short or lengthy trips. On board these boats, you’ll feel transported to another era while being rocked by the river’s waters.
7- Visit Wekalet El Ghouri
For additional excitement and enjoyment, we highly recommend visiting Wekalet El-Ghouri in Cairo, which is the most architecturally gorgeous art center in El-Azhar. While you’re there, you’ll be able to witness the Tannoura show, which includes musical performances by the El-Tanoura company. The Al-Tannoura Dance Company provides a visual and auditory feast.
Colorfully costumed entertainers demonstrate their abilities in singing, music, and dance. This amazing performance is like a moving meditation, revealing a refreshing and spiritual aspect of traditional Egyptian culture.
8- Cairo National Circus
This tour is a must-see for fans of circus arts. The National Circus of Agouza was refurbished in 2010, and it is currently working on an animal-free show that mixes technology and art.
9- Participate in the Opera House
If you enjoy these genres, you will find one of the city’s best-performing arts centers worldwide. The Cairo Opera House, first built in 1988, is a complex that includes seven theaters, a music library, a museum, and an art gallery.
The most popular genre at the theater, as the name suggests, is opera, although there are also ballets, musicals, dramas, and concerts.
The Cairo Symphony Orchestra, the City Opera Company, the Cairo Opera Ballet Company, and the National Arab Music Ensemble all use the theater as their primary performance space.
10- Sound and Light show at Giza Pyramids
When you visit Cairo, you will undoubtedly spend a few hours seeing the Giza pyramids and the neighboring Sphinx. However, not everyone realizes how thrilling it is to visit the region at night and be astounded by the sound and light display that takes place there.
Laser beams illuminate the Pyramids. The walls of the Mummification Temple and the pyramids themselves, not to mention the desert sand and the Sphinx, serve as canvases for the unfolding of pharaoh-era Egyptian history.
The pictures are accompanied by an excellent soundtrack, which includes the Sphinx’s mysterious or dramatic voice. During this time, you can study about Nefertiti’s life, Pharaoh Akhenaten’s life, and the construction of the massive pyramids.