Should you visit Cairo or Luxor when visiting Egypt? TikTok Egyptology enthusiast shares his verdict (and it's a question of pyramids versus temples, and your tolerance for traffic jams)

Should I sojourn Cairo aliases Luxor?

This is nan mobility that Egyptology enthusiast and TikToker Sam Mayfair says he's asked 'ten times a day'.

To answer, nan traveller produced a video successful which he explains that it's a conflict of pyramids versus temples, hectic versus laid-back, aged versus caller (er), northbound versus south...

Read connected for his verdict connected some locations. 

Which 1 would YOU astir for illustration to visit? Vote successful our poll.

CAIRO

Sam explains really Cairo is busier than Luxor and that location are scammers to watch retired for.

But nan humanities attractions are older. And it's pyramid central.

Sam remarks that nan 'majority of nan pyramids you want to spot are located successful Cairo'.

There are 3 main pyramids, each located astatine nan Giza pyramid complex. It's location to nan Great Pyramid of Giza, which is much than 4,500 years aged and stands complete 450 feet gangly (137m), arsenic good arsenic nan smaller Pyramid of Khafre (448ft/136m) and nan Pyramid of Menkaure (200ft/60m).

Cairo tin besides service arsenic a guidelines from which to recreation to nan pyramids successful nan Saqqara and Dahshur necropolises, some little than an hour's thrust from nan city. Visitors tin research respective ancient pyramids astatine these locations, specified arsenic nan Step Pyramid of Djoser and the Bent Pyramid. 

Visitors to Cairo tin besides regard upon fascinating artefacts from nan clip of nan pyramids, notes Sam, astatine nan Egyptian museum.

Sam stresses that location are different wonders of nan past successful Cairo unrelated to nan world of pharaohs – there's 'historical variety', he says successful his video, pinch Christian sites and Islamic attractions to discover.

These see nan 4th-century Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church and nan Citadel of Cairo, a medieval Islamic-era fortification.

What nan postcards don't convey is really hectic and engaged Cairo is. There are 22million group surviving location - and they're packed successful tight.

Sam told MailOnline Travel that Cairo is 'one of nan astir densely populated cities successful nan world', adding that it's besides highly 'fast-paced' and 'never sleeps'.

He described nan postulation arsenic 'organised chaos' and said 'everyone loves honking', pinch a sojourn location needing a 'bit much planning'.

He said: 'You tin put tours to return you to places. But location are ever postulation and crowds to get through.'

Visitors will besides request to support their wits astir them.

Sam encountered scammers while visiting nan Giza pyramid complex, arsenic we've previously reported, from hustlers approaching connected camels to scammers offering 'gifts'.

But he said: 'You don't really person nan aforesaid issues astatine immoderate different locations [in Cairo].'

LUXOR

Sam explains that Luxor, which lies 313 miles to nan southbound of Cairo, is much laid-back and is location to 'beautiful temples and tombs', astir of which are associated pinch nan New Kingdom play of Egypt (1,550-1,070 BCE).

On nan temple front, nan astir celebrated tract is nan Karnak Temple Complex, nan largest temple analyzable successful nan world, which covers 200 acres and comprises a operation of temples, pylons, chapels and different humanities buildings.

Another celebrated analyzable is Luxor Temple, which was erected betwixt 1390 and 1353 BC and features ample courtyards, statues and nan avenue of sphinxes, which erstwhile connected nan temple to nan Karnak complex.

For your hole of tombs, nan prime is practically endless. There are hundreds to visit. Though astir will want to tick disconnected nan Valley of nan Kings. It's 1 of Egypt's astir important archaeological sites, serving arsenic a royal funeral tract for pharaohs and high-ranking officials. The astir notable tomb astatine nan tract is that of Tutankhamun.

One celebrated measurement to spot nan attractions successful Luxor is via a Nile River cruise.

The 'beauty' of this, Sam says successful his video, is that 'everything is beautiful overmuch arranged and sorted for you'.

He adds: 'You're transported successful a relaxing measurement each time to a caller location and you simply hop disconnected nan boat, spell and research things and travel back, usually to a barroom aliases a meal.'

Adding to this 'relaxing' atmosphere, Sam told MailOnline Travel that nan group successful Luxor are 'more laid-back' compared to those successful Cairo.

CONCLUSION 

Sam says that some cities are 'worth visiting' and notes that if you sojourn Egypt it's apt that you'll spot Cairo anyway, arsenic it's a transit constituent for astir travellers.

It's each a mobility of really agelong you want to linger each place. 

If you can, Sam recommends spending a full of 10 days exploring some cities. But, he told MailOnline Travel: 'You can't spot everything successful that time, only nan highlights.

'If you can't fresh it each in, possibly you person to determine what your main priorities are, what you want to spot and which portion of ancient Egypt looks interesting.'

When should you visit? 

Sam said: 'I would personally debar June, July and August owed to utmost heat.'

Are location immoderate different Egyptian cities worthy visiting? 

Sam said: 'Aswan, Egypt's past large metropolis to nan southbound is besides an absorbing spot and is usually 1 of nan stops if you return a Nile stream cruise.'