1. Have lunch or dinner at "The Kitchen"—my favorite local restaurant in downtown. But beware: it’s super small!
2. Try a variety of Egyptian dishes at local spots: grilled liver, the best stuffed pigeons in town, Molokhia soup, Koshary (a vegetarian Egyptian national dish with rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, and more), seasonal fruits, Hawawshy, sweets, and old cheese with eggs.
3. Enjoy a traditional coffee with a shisha.
4. Mix your own perfume with the help of my friend’s expertise.
5. Explore El-Sayeda Zeinab and/or Old Cairo in a Tuk Tuk. This can be a day tour where we visit different sites in these areas and zip around in those funny little vehicles.
6. Discover non-touristy areas and shops in Cairo’s largest market—Khan El Khalili.
7. Visit bookstores that specialize in translations of Arab academic writing.
8. Have a custom-made Kartouche ring created by my old friend (in silver, so we’ll need to calculate the silver price).
9. Explore the maze-like second-hand markets, where you'll find global fast fashion, Arab brands, and vintage treasures.
10. Stroll through Cairo’s newest pedestrian areas near the Nile.
11. Take a spontaneous small Felucca ride on the Nile, with your choice of music—or enjoy a large dinner cruise with belly dancing and a buffet.
12. Wander through the green and slightly upscale area of Ma'adi, filled with cute cafés and shops.
13. Discover Cairo’s nightlife (it’s not overly vibrant, but places like Cairo Jazz Club or a crowded Afrobeat party might be open during your visit).
14. See Cairo from above: Cairo Tower, Mo'ottam Hills, or a rooftop bar in an old hotel.
15. For the adventurous: take an e-scooter ride through Zamalek, Dokki, or Mohandeseen.
16. Visit the City of the Dead, Cairo's vast cemeteries—a place worth seeing, despite its somber atmosphere.
17. Visit Azhar Park—an unexpectedly calm and spacious oasis in the heart of Cairo.
18. If you miss the water and your hotel doesn’t have a pool, I know a secret spot for you!
19. Experience Garbage City, where the trash of Cairo is sorted and recycled.
20. Visit Groppi Café and be lucky if you get a drink—an oddly anachronistic place with notoriously bad service.
21. Explore "Pottery Village"—a collection of shops in Cairo that specialize in stoneware production.
22. Visit a glassblower’s workshop—a dying but still thriving craft in Egypt.
23. I can also take you to contemporary art spaces in Cairo.
24. If you want to shop for small furniture, old colonial stuff and antiquities, I know a special, very local place for you.

When we plan a trip together you can simply name some of the options or even more ideas that you have and I can make a customized suggestion for you!