A Cairo day from the Pyramids to a Khan el-Khalili evening

Arrive for the 08:00 opening. Enter at the Sphinx gate — less crowded than the Pyramids gate. Walk the perimeter to Cheops; the climb inside is optional and claustrophobic. Two hours at a steady pace, hats and water mandatory.

The Sphinx and the limestone valley temple behind it — cut from the same plateau the Pyramids sit on. Light is best in the morning before the haze thickens. The small outer terrace gives the postcard angle.

Koshary is Cairo's street-food dish — lentils, rice, chickpeas, pasta, fried onions, tomato sauce, chilli oil. Abou Tarek has been the benchmark since 1950. Three floors, self-service, cash. Add the garlic vinegar.

The old Egyptian Museum on Tahrir — Tutankhamun's gold mask and treasure are still here (the large move to the Grand Egyptian Museum is partial). The mummy room on the upper floor is the point. Two hours.

The 12th-century citadel on a hill south of downtown, with the Ottoman-style Muhammad Ali Mosque inside. The outer terrace has a view over the whole city — minarets to the horizon, the Pyramids visible on clear days.

A 14th-century market in the Fatimid quarter. Brass, lanterns, spices, essential oils. Walk a block off the main drag into the lanes where locals actually shop. The Al-Hussein Mosque at the north end is still a working place of worship.

A 250-year-old café in an alley off the main bazaar, open 24 hours. Shisha, sweet karkadeh tea, an open-air courtyard under brass mirrors. Naguib Mahfouz wrote here. Skip the food; stay for the atmosphere.