Egyptian Travel Blog

Don't be put off by the size of the city, the huge population, the pollution, the insane driving, or anything else. The guidebooks will tell you the main sites, but here are some off-beat places and activities my husband and I discovered.

In Giza (a suburb of Cairo), see if you can wheedle your way into the Great Pyramid when it is closed to the public. Ask your guide, your hotel and your cab driver for starters. As a fairly ethical writer, I can’t reveal my sources, but I managed to have an hour alone in the King’s burial chamber of the great Cheops(or Khufu) pyramid—with the lights turned off. Crawling around in the dark really carried us back to those pharonic times.

In Giza, when you gawk at the famous and overpowering Sphinx, walk around the statue and follow the leonine tail. It will give you a private and quirky focus on a plateau of pyramids.

In Cairo is one of the world’s best freebies—thanks to the largesse of the Ministry of Culture. Take a taxi to El Ghory Palace in the El Ghoriah area (in the vicinity of the famed Khan El Kahlili bazaar). Arrive at about 6 pm on Wednesday or Saturday only, when free tickets are disseminated to about 200 lucky folks. Prepare for trance-induction with Sufi singing, music (including finger cymbals), and tanouras or “whirling dervishes.” I am loathe to describe the show because I want you to experience the ecstatic high for yourself. It’s a cross between sufi mysticism and performance and you’ll want to go home and take up spinning yourself. (Check to make sure the days and times haven't changed.)

For local flava, hang out at a trendy restaurant or club where flavored tobacco water pipes are smoked by men and, less...