Cairo in 3 days: the Giza pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Islamic Cairo

The pyramids and the Great Sphinx were already visited in Roman times. Each pyramid is the final resting place of a king of the 4th Dynasty (c. 2613–2494 BC): the Great Pyramid was built for Khufu, the other two for his son Khafre and grandson Menkaure. Enter the plateau early in the morning; the area ticket does not cover the pyramid interiors.

The Great Pyramid, the tomb of Khufu (c. 2589–2566 BC), was the tallest structure in the world for 3,800 years at its original height of 146.5 metres. Going inside requires a separate ticket on top of the area ticket. It is the last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and is estimated to have taken 10 to 20 years to build.

Leave the plateau for lunch, then head to the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The museum describes itself as the world's largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation. The ticket covers the Tutankhamun galleries, the main galleries, the Grand Hall, the Grand Staircase, the Khufu Boats Museum and the outdoor gardens. On Wednesdays and Saturdays the galleries stay open late.

The region's oldest archaeological museum was opened in 1902 by Khedive Abbas Hilmi II. The collection includes the complete burials of Yuya and Tuya, the Tanis treasures and the Narmer Palette, which marks the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Mobile-phone photos are free; no flash, and do not touch exhibits or showcases.

The citadel on the Muqattam Hills gives a panoramic view of Cairo. Saladin began building it in 1176 but it was not finished in his lifetime; Sultan al-Kamil completed it in 1207 and lived there, and for centuries it was the official residence of Egypt's rulers. In the mid-19th century Khedive Ismail moved the official residence to Abdin Palace.

Stop for lunch on the way down from the citadel into Islamic Cairo.

Named after Cairo's founder, the Fatimid caliph al-Muizz li-Din Allah, the street is described as the world's largest open-air museum of Islamic monuments and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. It runs between Bab al-Futuh and Bab Zuwayla, and twenty-nine monuments trace Islamic Egypt from the Fatimid period to the Muhammad Ali dynasty.

Spend the evening around Khan el-Khalili and al-Ghuriyya, historic lanes that al-Muizz Street passes through; markets, vendors and craft shops line the street.

Known as the Hanging Church because it was built over the ruins of Old Cairo's Roman fort, it stands near the Coptic Museum. With a court divided by three rows of marble columns, a wooden vaulted roof and icons of which the oldest date from the 15th century, it is an active place of worship, so visit respectfully.

The museum in Fustat tells the story of Egyptian civilisation as a whole, including a section on mummification rituals and religious beliefs.

After lunch, get ready for your journey home.