• The Call to Prayer from the Citadel (Fatimid Cairo): As the sun sets over Fatimid Cairo, dozens of mosques send out their calls to prayer. With flocks of pigeons circling in the golden light and the last sun of the day picking out the highlights of the domes below, the ancient chanting surrounds you and takes you to centuries past.

  • Cairo Tower (Cairo): From this tower in the middle of the city, your view encompasses everything from the Great Pyramid in Giza all the way to the Moqattam Hills on the other side of the valley. For just a moment, it feels as though you can actually get your head around this extraordinarily complex, vibrant city.

  • A Cold Beer at the Cap d'Or (Alexandria): No visit to Alexandria is complete without a stop at this back-street pub, which retains the ambience of an era that has now all but slipped away. Look around at the fading posters, and watch the regulars come and go.

  • Tea at the Old Cataract Hotel (Aswan): If it was good enough for Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie, it's good enough for me. This is a great place to catch the sunset; the sun turns the dunes on the other side of the famous First Cataract of the Nile to a reddish gold, and the falucas drift back and forth.

  • Sunrise at the Summit of Jebel Moussa (Mt. Sinai; St. Catherine): This is where Moses is said to have received the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. The view across the rugged red mountains of the Sinai as the sun rises is unforgettable.

  • Tea at Fishawy's (Cairo): What could be more Egyptian than drinking sweet tea among the spices, gewgaws, and crowds of a densely packed souk? Watch the crowds of people from all over the world, and haggle with merchants who will stop by with everything from saffron to sunhats.

  • Palm Sunday in Coptic Cairo (Cairo): Celebrate Easter with one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Children and families crowd the ancient church-lined street giving out crosses and little figures made of local palm leaves.

  • Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.