• The Muski

    The shopping street linking Attaba to Khan el-Khalili, where Cairo buys everything.

    CairoMuski, Islamic Cairo

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • The bookshops of Talaat Harb

    Downtown's Arabic bookshop windows, and the second-hand stalls on the pavement.

    CairoDowntown

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Wooden cages stacked one on top of another, each with a bird behind its bars.

    The bird market of Sayeda Zeinab

    Off the beaten track

    A Friday morning market selling birds, pigeons and poultry, as it always has.

    CairoSayeda Zeinab

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Rolls of fabric in every colour, stacked one on top of another.

    Zanket el-Settat

    "The women's lane": a one-metre-wide alley, packed from morning to night.

    AlexandriaManshiya, Alexandria

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Crates of silver fish on the stall

    The Anfoushi fish market

    The fishing port's auction at dawn, before the city wakes.

    AlexandriaAnfoushi, Alexandria

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Luxor souk

    The souk's covered street: spices, galabiyas, statuettes and a great deal of bargaining.

    LuxorEast bank, Luxor

    BudgetHandmade
  • Hand-woven baskets with their handles, stacked one against another.

    Nubian crafts in Gharb Soheil

    Woven baskets, necklaces and spices sold in the painted houses of the Nubian village.

    AswanGharb Soheil, Aswan

    BudgetHandmade
  • The bazaars of Masbat

    Bedouin jewellery, textiles and dive gear, along the promenade.

    SinaiMasbat, Dahab

    BudgetHandmade
  • The fish market of Lake Burullus

    Lagoon fish sold straight from the boats, in the northern Delta.

    The Delta and the north coastBurullus

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Open sacks of spices and grains on the stall

    Marsa Matruh market

    The coastal town's market: figs, dates, Bedouin wool and beach goods.

    Marsa Matrouh and SiwaMarsa Matruh

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Kharga market

    Dates, baskets and pottery from the oasis, in the Western Desert's largest town.

    The oases and the Western DesertKharga

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • A pointed brick archway and old wooden doors in a narrow street.

    Esna souk

    A restored souk street around the temple, between old shops and a caravanserai.

    LuxorEsna, south of Luxor

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • El Sawy Culturewheel

    A cultural centre under a bridge, where young Cairo goes to gigs without alcohol.

    CairoZamalek

    BudgetFamily-friendly
  • A brass darbuka drum alone against a black background.

    Makan — Egyptian Center for Culture and Arts

    Our favourite

    Zar and Nubian music nights, in a small Downtown room.

    CairoDowntown

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Zawya

    Cairo's arthouse cinema, in a historic Downtown auditorium.

    CairoDowntown

    BudgetPaid entry
  • A folk dance troupe in colourful costumes on a lit stage.

    The Balloon Theatre

    The national folk troupes — tanoura, Upper Egyptian dances, Nubian songs.

    CairoAgouza

    BudgetFamily-friendly
  • A rattan table and armchairs on a rooftop terrace, lanterns lit at dusk.

    The Odeon rooftop

    A Downtown rooftop that serves at any hour, including when everything else is shut.

    CairoDowntown

    BudgetRooftop
  • Grilled squid and a prawn, with a roasted lemon wedge.

    Cap d'Or

    Our favourite

    An Art Nouveau tavern serving beer and prawns for a century.

    AlexandriaCity centre, Alexandria

    BudgetHistoric venue
  • Spitfire Bar

    Alexandria's sailors' bar, walls covered in stickers and badges from all over the world.

    AlexandriaCity centre, Alexandria

    BudgetHistoric venue
  • The taverns of central Alexandria

    The city's last Greek and Italian bars, within three streets of each other.

    AlexandriaCity centre, Alexandria

    BudgetHistoric venue
  • A wood fire on the sand at night, hands held out to the flames.

    Assalah evenings

    Campfires, acoustic music and cushions by the water: night in Dahab.

    SinaiAssalah, Dahab

    BudgetSea view
  • Wooden skin drums set down in the evening light.

    Nubian evenings in Gharb Soheil

    Drums, songs and dancing in the village houses, after dinner.

    AswanGharb Soheil, Aswan

    BudgetWhere locals go
  • Summer open-air cinemas

    Screenings on rooftops and in gardens, from June to September.

    CairoCairo and the coast

    BudgetFamily-friendly
  • Ras Shitan

    Palm huts at the water's edge, facing the Saudi mountains.

    SinaiNuweiba, South Sinai

    BudgetSea view