想要看清开罗这座混乱又迷人的城市,去格齐拉岛(Gezira Island)登开罗塔(Cairo Tower)是效率最高的方式。这座高187米的混凝土建筑自1961年建成以来,一直是埃及除了金字塔之外最显眼的地标。比起在地面忍受塞车和鸣笛,站在塔顶360度观景台,听着远处清真寺传来的宣礼声,看尼罗河水在脚下静静流过,那种视觉冲击力确实完全不同。这不仅仅是看个风景,更是在一两百米的高空梳理整座城市的脉络,甚至能直接望见远处撒哈拉沙漠边缘的吉萨金字塔群。
去开罗塔千万别挑周末的晚上,也就是埃及人的周五和周六。那时候排队进场和等电梯的时间可能超过两个小时。最推荐的时间段是下午四点半左右,这时候光线斜射在尼罗河面上,整座城市会被镀上一层暖金色,你还能顺便把日落和夜景一并看了。开罗塔的营业时间非常长,通常从早上9点一直开到午夜1点,夏季甚至会更晚一点,但如果为了拍照,白天和黄昏的层次感远胜于漆黑一片的午夜。
现在的门票价格对外国游客来说涨了不少。目前外国成人票价格大约在250至300埃镑之间,而且不接受刷卡的情况时有发生,建议备好足够的本地现金。这里的安检非常严格,如果你背着巨大的专业摄影包或者带了长焦镜头,可能会被拦下来要求支付额外的专业摄影费,甚至可能被禁止带入。普通的手机摄影通常没限制,但如果想用三脚架,那就得做好被额外收费或者寄存的心理准备。另外,望远镜是投币式的,如果想看清远处的萨拉丁城堡,记得在兜里揣几个硬币。
如果你住在解放广场(Tahrir Square)附近,步行过桥大概需要15到20分钟,顺便还能吹吹河风。最省钱的公共交通是地铁2号线,在歌剧院站(Opera Station)下车后,走个500米左右就到塔底了。要是打算打车,一定要用Uber或者Careem这类打车软件,直接把目的地设为Cairo Tower。千万别路边拦白色出租车,那些司机通常看到游客就会开出几倍于实际路费的高价。开罗塔所在的扎马莱克区(Zamalek)交通极其拥堵,尤其在傍晚高峰期,原本10分钟的路程能堵上半小时,务必提前出门。
很多人远远看去只觉得开罗塔像个巨大的网格管子,其实它的设计灵感源于古埃及的象征——莲花。整座塔身由钢筋混凝土建成,但表面覆盖了超过数百万块的小瓷砖。更值得看的是塔基部分,用的是从阿斯旺运来的粉红色花岗岩,这和几千年前建造金字塔以及方尖碑的材料一模一样。这种跨越时空的建筑致敬,让这座冷战时期的现代建筑多了一层厚重的历史味。如果你在塔下抬头仰望,那种镂空的菱形网格在阳光照射下会产生非常奇妙的光影变化。
在顶楼观景台下面一层是著名的旋转餐厅。餐厅转完一整圈大约需要70分钟,正好是你吃完一顿正餐的时间。说实话,这里的菜品性价比一般,主打的是环境和视野。餐厅有最低消费限制,通常每人要几百埃镑。如果你不想吃正餐,可以去再往上一层的露天咖啡座。在那里花几十埃镑点一杯薄荷茶或者埃及咖啡,同样能享受360度的全景视野。要注意的是,山顶的风很大,哪怕是夏天,天黑之后的风吹在身上也会有点凉,带件薄外套是明智的选择。
站在塔顶,你可以玩一个辨认城市地标的游戏。往正东看是穆罕默德·阿里清真寺那巨大的圆顶,往西南方向看,如果天气够晴朗,地平线上那几个三角形的小突起就是胡夫金字塔。脚下最近的一片绿地是格齐拉俱乐部,那是开罗精英阶层的社交场所。你会发现开罗是一个极度缺绿色的城市,除了尼罗河两岸的一条窄带,剩下的几乎全是土黄色的建筑。这种枯燥的色调在日落时分会变成极美的紫色和橘色,那是开罗最温柔的时刻。
外国游客的成人门票目前大约在250至300埃镑,票价会随汇率波动而调整。5岁以下儿童通常免费,5岁以上则需购买全票,建议入场前准备好埃镑现金,因为售票处有时不接受外币或信用卡支付。
普通手机和小型卡片相机可以免费带入。但大型单反相机、长焦镜头或三脚架可能会被视为专业摄影器材,安检人员会要求支付约300埃镑甚至更高的摄影费,否则必须寄存。无人机在埃及是严令禁止携带和使用的,千万不要尝试带进场。
建议至少比日落时间提前1.5小时到达塔底。因为从买票到过安检,再到排队等候那部每次只能载十几个人的小电梯,通常需要耗费30到60分钟。预留充足的排队时间才能确保你站在观景台时,太阳还没落入地平线。
如果你想在日落时分坐在靠窗的位置,建议提前一天拨打官方电话或通过酒店前台预约。餐厅设有每人约300至500埃镑不等的最低消费限制,且周末晚上极其火爆,直接前往很难获得视野绝佳的位置。
Samar Yousef Visiting the Cairo Tower was an incredible experience! The panoramic views of the city from the top are breathtaking, especially at sunset. It's a must-visit for anyone looking to see Cairo from a unique perspective. Highly recommend
Tazo Edwan Beautiful 360 view, everything is organized, there’s a restaurant and a coffee shop in the tower, and a small bazaar outside in the waiting area, you go up by elevator and then there’s two sets of stairs to reach the top
Mantvydas Ū. Beautiful and tall, with unique tower design of Cairo Tower! There is a lift which will take you at the top of the tower. There is a restaurant there as well, with a beautiful 360 view and there are glass windows all around it. If you're gonna ever think about visiting Egypt, you must definitely visit and explore this tourist attraction my verdict - 9/10!
shravya addagatla It is a very nice experience. You get to see the city panoramic view. It definitely looks beautiful from up there. Few things to keep in mind: 1. It can be very windy up there, so cover yourself if you are someone who feels cold 2. The tickets are a little pricey 3. If you go in a hurry, they will suggest for skip the line tickets which can be a little expensive. Even those will have wait time. We waited for about 20min. You get access to their cafeteria with these though and you can use the tickets’ worth amount for your coffee/food. 4. There is no student discount. 5. It is best to visit in the evening with the lights. 6. They accept cash. Also, it is better to carry some extra cash as they have some cool things at the top of the tower. 7. The guard expects some tip. So, have some small cash on you.
Pong Lenis Really cool experience, the tower has a terrace where you can go outside on a 360 degree platform to get an amazing view of the city. Great place to take some pictures and videos. The tower also has a restaurant that rotates around, giving you another really unique aspect of the experience. The tower was much higher than I anticipated, I really enjoyed the time I spent here and I would definitely recommend visiting the tower and going to the top.