In October 2019, we visited Cairo Egypt. It was our son’s first trip to Africa! We arrived at the airport on a late flight a little after midnight. I was concerned about coming into another country so late with a young child but there were no issues. Upon arrival, you will need to get a visa before you go through immigration. You can also elect to buy an e-visa prior to your arrival. We bought ours at the airport. There is a window and you just simply walk up, pay $25 USD per person, and you will be given a receipt to give to the immigration officer. Once we went through immigration, we went to retrieve our luggage. By this time, it was about 1 am and you would’ve thought it was 1 pm the way people were busy and moving throughout the airport. There are plenty of staff there to assist with your luggage if you need it. If you arrange for a driver to pick you up from the airport, the driver will be waiting outside of the airport. We made arrangements with the hotel for airport pick-up. Once outside the airport, we spotted our driver holding a sign with my name and the hotel’s name on it. It’s always a good feeling when you see this, especially in a foreign place. Our driver immediately greeted us and retrieved our luggage to load in the vehicle.

We stayed at the Sheraton Cairo Hotel and Casino. This hotel is approximately 25 minutes from the airport. The traffic in Cairo is crazy. It’s like New York City traffic on steroids! Upon arrival, the bellman came to greet us and assisted us with our luggage. In Egypt, security is tight so we were required to go through a security screening as we entered the hotel. In fact, every time we entered the hotel we had to go through the checkpoint. After checking in for our rooms, we were escorted up to our room and shown all the bells and whistles the room had to offer. I must admit, the service at this hotel was unmatched. Anything you needed was taken care of right away. The staff wanted you to feel like royalty while staying at this hotel. There is even a kid’s pool that our son enjoyed.

We arranged all tours directly through the hotel. I really wanted to see the pyramids and sphinx in Giza so the hotel arranged private transportation with a guide for us to see both on the same day. Egypt is typically warm and dry so plan accordingly. Especially if you are traveling with kids. Before you can enter the pyramids, you will need to purchase a ticket. For currency exchange, you can exchange at the airport or at the hotel’s ATM. I opted to exchange at the hotel and it was simple and easy.

When going to visit the pyramids and Sphinx of Giza, make sure you wear comfortable shoes. The ground can be a bit uneven in certain areas. You will be walking on sandy grounds so make sure you wear shoes that are easy to clean. There are several vendors in both areas so be prepared. Your tour guide should let you know if you are getting a deal or not. One of the first things I bought was a floppy hat for our son. He already had one on but I wanted one that had Egypt written on it. It was too cute! Our tour guide gave a great presentation on the pyramids. There are lots of people touring the pyramids from all over the world. You will see plenty of camels walking around as people like to ride the camel around the pyramids. There are several pyramids everywhere in that area. We went to an area to get a great panoramic view of the pyramids. There are lots of shops and fewer crowds in the panoramic view area. I preferred this area better. While there we were able to take different photos of the pyramids and ride the camel. We were also able to do our “jump” for the camera, as it was a great photo opportunity. You can even buy cold beverages there because it is hot in the desert.

Our visit to the Sphinx was amazing. There is so much history at this location. You don’t just walk up and see it like the pyramids, you have to walk through a few areas before you see it. As we walked on a narrow pathway, I could see the light shining at the end and we all were excited to see the Sphinx. Once we reached the end of the pathway and saw the Sphinx on the right side, everyone was amazed. The Sphinx is cut from the bedrock, the original shape of the Sphinx has been restored with layers of blocks. It measures 240 feet long from paw to tail, 66 feet high from the base to the top of the head, and 62 feet wide at its rear haunches. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and is commonly believed to have been designed, sculpted, and constructed by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of the pharaoh Khafre.

Like all other tourist places, there were people around waiting to sell you things and take pictures. The cool part of taking pictures at the Sphinx was the different poses they had us doing. Most only require a small tip of $5 USD and it’s worth it because you will be creating all of those memories to last a lifetime. If you have small children, it’s important to hold their hand because there are areas that are high and a fall would cause serious injuries or death.

Our hotel room overlooked the Nile River and we were anxious to cruise the river. We did a night cruise and were served a scrumptious meal. There was a variety of food to choose from. I selected the chicken and rice meal. The rice was made into the shape of a pyramid. The entertainment on board was interesting. There was plenty of great music and dancing for our entertainment needs. The boat had two levels and we were able to go up on the top deck to get a nice breeze and great views.

On the flight back home, we were able to get a deal on Egypt Air for a nonstop flight from Cairo Egypt to Dulles International Airport. I was able to snag a deal and get first-class seats for us so that we could fly comfortably. I booked our tickets directly through Egypt Air. The flight service was great!

Overall, the trip to Cairo Egypt was amazing! All of the services we received were impeccable. We ate some of the best food ever. If you decide to go to Cairo, you must try one of the fresh fruit drinks. The fresh strawberry and mango drinks are delicious. Egypt is filled with so much history and you will not be disappointed. Just remember to be prepared and enjoy!