Since that social distancing became a duty for us, it has become difficult to hang out in cafes, restaurants, and malls, which are usually crowded. At the same time, we became weary of boredom at home, with so much stress, especially for those who work from home, but who said you can’t go out and have some fresh air while staying safe? You can always go on a picnic! All you need is some yummy snacks and an open area, which we have plenty of in Egypt! In case you have no idea where to go, here are 10 places in Egypt where you can enjoy a picnic while keeping a distance and staying safe:
El-Horreya Park
El-Horreya Park is a great place to enjoy a picnic in a healthy green space, it is a piece of an imaginary world, that provides you with a state of psychological peace away from crowd and noise. It only costs EGP 5 and it’s located in Zamalek. If you’re taking the metro, the closest station to the park is the Opera one.
Fish Rockery
Located on El-Gabalaya Street, Fish Rockery is not far away from El-Horreya park. and it was named so because it contains tanks with fish in its various species. It also contains reptiles, so this garden has its own special design and character, that’s why it’s considered one of the candidates for a perfect picnic.
This garden had a special appearance in Egyptian cinema a number of times, from Faten Hamama’s Al-Qalb Leh Ahkam movie in 1956 to the 2008 Amr Waked’s movie Geneinet El-Asmak, which was named after the park. All you have to pay is EGP 5 for entrance, and you can have a joyful day out with your loved ones.
El-Andalus Park
Located At the entrance of Zamalek from Qasr El-Nil, El Andalus Park is such a wonderful place with scenery on the Nile that is definitely worth visiting. It was established in 1935 and it’s made up of two parts, a Southern Arab Andalusian part, and a Northern Pharaonic part. It’s one of the very beautiful and historic gardens in Egypt that witnessed parties for Abdel Halim Hafez, Farid Al Atrash, Fairuz, and others. And, again, it only costs EGP 5 to enter and enjoy a day out in this green haven.
El-Orman Garden
Moving out of Zamalek and crossing the river to Giza, we come to El-Orman garden. El-Orman is always packed with visitors in March and April during its Annual Spring Festival. It’s mostly famous for its wonderful gardens and various collection of colorful flowers, which makes it perfect for a romantic picnic or if you are one who likes to take lots of photos with floral backgrounds, and the ticket costs EGP 3 only
Giza Zoo
Here comes the largest zoo in Egypt and the Middle East, and the first and oldest zoos in Africa, the Giza zoo. It has picturesque water lakes with its special beautiful ducks, that are able to modify your mood and green spaces suitable for a picnic. Just pack your favorite sandwiches, camera, and EGP 5 to enter the zoo and have a memorable experience.
The Japanese Garden
You only need EGP 2 to enjoy this park that’s considered one of Cairo’s unique spots! It is Located in Helwan,on Mohamed Mostafa El-Maraghy street, and it definitely should be in your bucket list of places to visit in Egypt!
Al-Azhar Park
Driving from corniche to the other end of the road, through Salah Salem, you will find the park that is listed as one of the world’s sixty great public spaces by the Project for Public Spaces. It’s Al Azhar Park, located by the Old City of Cairo. This park has a contemporary design inspired by historic Islamic gardens. Its wonderful green spaces will remind you of Lebanon’s beautiful wide green spaces. The ticket to enter the garden for adults on all days of the week costs 10 pounds, and for 15 pounds on Saturday.
Family Park
Located on Suez Road in New Cairo, Family Park has a great garden, a kids’ area, and a small collection of animals, including deer, ducks, ostriches and even a lion. As a park, it is a bit more private and a bit more exclusive than the others, an entrance ticket for both children and adults costs EGP 30 on weekdays and a steep EGP 50 on weekends.
Il Campo
It’s the first island on the Nile where you can spend a full day-use of picnic, camping, grilling, selling and fishing with Arabian style seat in Manial Shiha.
Wadi Degla
Located only 15 minutes from the Cairo suburb of Maadi, this rugged valley contains a wide variety of animal life including deer, hares, red foxes, reptiles, Egyptian turtles, twelve species of resident and migrant birds and 64 kinds of plants. Yes, it is not a kind of garden place, but it is also perfect for a day out with food to grill and friends to join.
Read more: Cairo’s Bab El-Azab Area to be Renovated by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism
