Best Day Trips from Cairo 2026 — Giza Pyramids, Fayoum and the Red Sea Near Cairo

Best Day Trips from Cairo 2026

Cairo is surrounded by some of the world's most extraordinary ancient monuments and landscapes — the Pyramids of Giza are technically within the city's administrative boundary, Saqqara and Memphis are 30km south, and the Eastern Desert and Red Sea coast stretch eastward. The Fayoum Oasis to the southwest and the Wadi Natrun monasteries to the northwest offer landscapes and heritage that contrast sharply with Cairo's urban intensity. This guide covers the best day trips from Cairo in 2026.

Top Day Trip Destinations from Cairo

• Giza Pyramid Complex (12km west): the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Great Sphinx, and the Solar Boat Museum — the only surviving wonder of the ancient world; technically in the Cairo metropolitan area but treated as a day trip destination; accessible by Uber/taxi (EGP 100-200 each way) or Metro to Giza then taxi; entry EGP 360-600 (AUD 12-20) depending on which sites you enter; Saqqara and Memphis (30km south, 45 minutes by car): the Step Pyramid of Djoser (the world's oldest pyramid), the Serapeum, and the ruined ancient capital of Memphis with its alabaster sphinx; best by private car or taxi; combine Saqqara and Memphis in one day; Fayoum Oasis (100km southwest, 1.5-2 hours by car): Egypt's largest natural oasis with Wadi El Rayan (desert waterfall), Wadi El Hitan (Whale Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage fossil site), and the agricultural landscape of Lake Qarun; requires a car; Wadi Natrun (100km northwest, 1.5 hours): four Coptic monasteries in the desert that have been continuously occupied since the 4th century AD — one of the oldest monastic traditions in the world; on the Desert Road towards Alexandria; Alexandria (220km north, 2.5 hours by express train): the city of Alexander and Cleopatra — the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa, and Pompeii's Pillar; express trains from Ramses Station

Day Trip Logistics from Cairo

• Uber and Careem are the most practical transport for short-range Cairo day trips (Giza, Saqqara); a private car with driver is recommended for Fayoum and Wadi Natrun where public transport connections are poor; express trains from Ramses Station (Cairo) to Alexandria are affordable and reliable; organised tours from central Cairo hotels cover the most popular sites

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