The City of a Thousand Minarets

August 2025 · Europe & Beyond 2025

Our final stop was Cairo, where we landed in the middle of the night and gratefully checked into our airport hotel around 2am. The welcome was warm, and after just a few hours of sleep we fueled up on an incredible breakfast buffet before heading out for our mid-morning tour of the Giza Plateau.

With our Egyptologist guide leading the way, we crossed miles of chaotic Cairo traffic and the Nile before arriving in Giza. A camel ride gave us a surreal view of the Pyramids with both the desert and the city stretched out on the horizon. Touring inside the Great Pyramid was physically demanding - low ceilings and steep climbs - but reaching the King’s Chamber made it worth the effort. The Sphinx was the perfect final touch.

After iced coffees that vanished in about three gulps (the 100° heat might have had something to do with it), we made our way back to the hotel for a swim, a shower, and a little recovery before the long flight home. We made it home safely the next morning - over 14,000 total miles by air and train, and over 120 miles walked!