Come for the cultural spectacle, or to take home a camel.
Cairo’s Friday camel market (there is a smaller version on Mondays) makes an interesting and bewildering morning trip. Shortly after the sun rises, camel traders mill about the smelly grounds in search of the biggest humps and healthiest gums they can find. Larger camels are generally used for transport and farming; smaller ones land up on the dinner table. As the camels have walked from Sudan to Aswan (taking a month) and then been trucked to Cairo, some of them are in a poor state and all of them are hobbled. It is worth bearing in mind an excursion to the market can be distressing as well as fascinating.
public transport & parking: getting here via public transport is quite a confusing affair, as there are no direct routes, but if you want to try, take a taxi or minibus to the old camel market in Imbaba (near Imbaba Airport), from there, minibuses run to the the ‘souk al-gamal’. Alternatively, hire a taxi for the morning or go with one of the organized tours from a budget hotel. Ismailia and Sun Hotel, in Midan Tahrir, both have weekly trips for E£50 per person, they usually leave around 0630 and return at 1130, the earlier you arrive at the market, the more action you’ll see. Tourists are expected to pay a E£20 fee to enter the market
1Create your personal travel guide:
Give a title and description about where you plan to go and what you plan to see throughout your trip!
2Plan and organize your trip:
Browse tripwolf and click the (+ add to my trip) button next to any location that you find appealing. Add sights, restaurants, bars, hotels - whatever you like! Arrange the location in any order by dragging and dropping them.
3Print and share your guide:
Finish planning and download your personal printable PDF guide for your trip and share it with your friends. (Soon you will also be able to download your trips to your tripwolf iPhone application!)
