Cairo Tours

Walking Tours
In fume-filled Cairo, there are few obvious walking tours on offer and none in the blistering summer months. However, personalised tours can be arranged through some of Cairo's cultural organisations, or the Community Services Association (tel: (02) 358 5284 or 358 0754; website: www.livinginegypt.org) and the American Research Center in Egypt (tel: (02) 794 8239; website: www.arce.org). MyWay Travel a.s. (tel: (012) 773 9149) offers a wide range of personalised and special interest tours, including walking tours. You can arrange official guides for individual tours through hotels and tourist offices, at a fixed hourly rate (plus a tip). Unofficial guides approach people in the street and range from the abysmal to the excellent. Personal judgement is all that can be used as the ID cards these ‘guides' wear are often fake. If unsure, decline politely but firmly. Be cautious, too, of people asking you where you are going and then telling you that it is closed. This is usually a preamble to being steered in the direction of a friend's shop instead.

Bus Tours
Any hotel will be able to offer the standard range of bus tours for guests, usually including the highlights of the Egyptian Museum, the Khan al-Khalili bazaar, the pyramids and the Sphinx. Alternatively, a local travel agent, such as American Express (tel: (02) 570 3411), Misr Travel (tel: (02) 393 0011; website: www.misrtravel.net) or Thomas Cook (tel: (02) 574 3955/776; www.thomascookegypt.com) can also arrange tours. Safari Egypt (tel: (02) 393 6727/8; website: www.safariegypt.com) offers full day sightseeing tours of the city with professional guides and many language options.

Boat Tours
Several top-end hotels run nightly Nile dinner cruises on their own boats. These last around two hours and include buffet dinner and local-style entertainment including belly dancing. The most famous of these cruises is aboard the Pharos, operated by the Oberoi Hotel.