Khan Al-Khalili, Cairo

We had the best time here. Bought all the goodies. A great stop for any souvenir shopping you may want to do.. comparable to a flea market in the US. Only better. Such a neat experience.

When I think about Cairo I think about this place. It is old, authentic, raw, and captivating. The architecture and the old streets are lovely. However, this experience is not for everyone....at times I felt claustrophobic and it's constantly crowded. The streets are very narrow. And you need someone local or a guide to help you navigate the streets otherwise you can find yourself lost in some strange ally. Generally it's safe and there is a metal detector and police at the entrance. Motorcycles roam around near pedestrians which is dangerous..(for this reason I would not recommend coming here with kids) There are lots of shops for souvenirs but I have to say that they inflated their prices so much that even after an 80 percent haggling experience they were still overpriced. I regretted buying from there as I found better bargains at the airport. It's a little bit frustrating to have to turn down a lot of the street vendors, but if you are polite and nice with them they will let you be... I love watching people there and chatting with shopkeepers. I can't wait to go back again.