We had 4 days in Cairo as a standalone break and it was the best decision we have made in years of travel. Our Egyptologist guide designed every hour around what mattered to us — the GEM for 3 hours on Day 1, the Pyramids at sunrise on Day 2 (worth getting up for), Islamic Cairo on Day 3. I have been to Rome, Athens, and Istanbul. Cairo is in a different league entirely.

3-day stopover en route from London to Nairobi. Egypt Tours by Locals picked me up from the airport at 6am, and by 9am I was standing in front of the Great Pyramid. Three days later I had seen the complete Tutankhamun collection, Islamic Cairo, Saqqara, and the Nile at sunset. Our guide was extraordinary. Best stopover decision I have ever made.

5 days: 3 in Cairo and 2 in Alexandria. The contrast was perfect — ancient pharaonic Cairo, then the Greek and Roman layers of Alexandria. Our Egyptologist handled both cities with equal depth and enthusiasm. The Catacombs in Alexandria on Day 4 were completely unexpected — nothing like anything I had seen in Cairo. Five days was exactly the right length for both cities.