Cairo for The Romantics: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

Hire a whole felucca for an hour at golden hour; the captain cuts the engine, the Corniche lights come on, and the fare split between two is small.

Ride up the lotus-shaped tower for the whole glittering city, minarets and all, then walk across the Gezira bridge with the river below you.

Lamps, brass and mismatched armchairs in a Zamalek townhouse; order the pigeon stuffed with freekeh and a mezze spread to share.

Arrive after the first tour buses and walk the plateau slowly; the Great Pyramid's interior costs extra, the view from the desert edge does not.

Garden tables under palms near the plateau, grilled quail and tahini salad while the light softens. A lazy lunch, not a rushed one.

The Sphinx narrates the old kingdoms under coloured light, and for two people sitting close the cool desert night does the rest.

A hilltop park above the medieval city with water terraces and a skyline of domes; the lakeside walk is gentle and almost private.

Walk the lantern-lit medieval street in the afternoon sun, past gates and carved facades, toward the glow of Khan el-Khalili.

The splurge: a moored 1901 steamboat on the Nile, white tablecloths and fish done with some ceremony. Book, and ask for the deck.

Climb the steps to a church that hangs over the Roman gate in Coptic Cairo; cool, wooden, and quiet before the tour groups arrive.

Mint tea in a mirrored alley café that has not closed in two centuries; sit outside and watch the lanes of the bazaar wake up.