Making The Most of 3-Day Getaways Around the World in 2024
Day 1: New York City to Cairo
It’s morning at JFK: the hum of the international airport pulses with anticipation as baggage and bodies collect in the boarding areas for departure and arrival. Today, you’re flying out east to Cairo, a long overnight transatlantic flight bound for the Egyptian capital.
As you, too, walk through the terminal to check your bags, the moment thrills you – for you’re about to board a plane and fly across the waters on a path to visit and explore a city that reaches back into the early beginnings of the very human age: architectural ruins carved from precious stone like the infinite Egyptian pyramids etched like celestial stars carved onto the earth.
Boarding the plane is just the first act of a story that will take the traveler to new and strange places across continents, one that will ultimately find its resolution back in the place where the story began. The plane merely ascends a runway as the story takes off. As the plane rises into the sky, the traveler cannot wait to see what Cairo has in store.
Visiting the Pyramids of Giza
You are also eager to get to the Pyramids of Giza – some of the oldest touristic features on the globe, one of ‘the coolest things to see on the planet.’ After arriving at the Cairo airport, you will think: ‘This is not a storybook, but it feels like one.’ For you, the Pyramids of Giza are not just one destination among others on your trip.
They are a portal to another world – a world where you will stand, almost literally, in the footprints of Pharaohs, a world that will allow you to see things thought lost for centuries.
Go to the Pyramids of Giza just before sunrise, 5:00 a.m. – 5:30 a.m. (seasonal). The Sphinx and the pyramids rise across the horizon at dawn and offer an amazing view of the sunrise. The early morning light renders these ancient monuments different from what they normally seem.
These places are historically very important. The pyramids were constructed as royal burials for the Pharaohs, and the Sphinx has watched over the Giza Plateau for centuries. Together, they tell us about Egypt’s ancient civilization and its contributions to world history.
You will need a ticket to visit – and a guide to get the most out of your visit. There is also a great deal of information about these monuments that only a guide can offer you. And remember that a trip out there can take a long time – especially with the traffic in Cairo – so build in extra travel time in case you miss the sunrise.
Spending time at such sites affords us meaningful contact with the past.
Breakfast in Cairo
Once your tour of the pyramids is complete, it’s approximately 8:00 a.m., and you can hit a cafe in Cairo for breakfast. Go to Al Fishawi, also on KH El Khalili. You may still have an appetite from the ordeal of your tourist selfie, but KH El Khalili caters to all tastes. Here are some choices:
- Ful Medames: A tasty dish made with cooked fava beans.
- Falafel: Delicious fried chickpea patties.
They fill you up. And they give you a taste of Egypt’s gastronomic heritage. A meal in Al Fishawi forms part of an extension of your understanding of Cairo. You can soak up the flavors that Egyptians eat every day.
Visit the Egyptian Museum
Visit the Egyptian Museum around 10:00 a.m. because it’s a must-see for anyone interested in the history and artifacts of ancient Egypt. It has plenty of stuff!
Among the must-see exhibits are:
- The Treasures of Tutankhamun.
- The Royal Mummies Room.
Each provides a different window into Egypt’s history. Plan to spend 2 to 3 hours at the museum, enough time to enjoy the highlights and still get to the airport.
The gold mask of Tutankhamun and the mummies of the ancient Egyptian rulers known as the Royal Mummies are just two fascinating stories shared by objects found in the Egyptian Museum.
A visit to the museum allows guests to experience the past up close, from the same materials that inspired the imagination of the world about ancient Egypt.
Day 2: Agra to Tokyo
A flight with stops on the way is the only way you can get from Cairo to Agra. Fares and route flight times can be checked on sites such as Kayak; though there are no direct flights, you can fly across India to New Delhi through stops in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
You should plan to leave Cairo late in the evening, departing at 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m., so you can make it to the airport, check-in, and security process. If you fly to New Delhi first and then connect to Agra, depending on your arrival time in New Delhi and the availability of connection flights, you will travel on the same night, or you may travel the next morning.
Pay attention to the flight schedules, as they can change, and also allow time for airport transfers and delays so that you can enjoy your adventure without stress.
Visiting the Taj Mahal
Always arrive at the Taj Mahal at sunrise: the monument opens at sunrise, so plan to arrive around 30 minutes before sunrise to beat the crowds and the heat.
When I went to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise in Agra, it was to keep off the heat but also to see the monument bathed in the best light before the crowds show up; it’s a cooler, more peaceful time, too.
Of course, you won’t appreciate it as a magnificent building of timeless beauty if you don’t know the backstory – that the mausoleum is the creation of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and was built for his wife (and third wife, so this is no love story. He described her beauty as ‘half the world’ and grieved her premature death in childbirth), Mumtaz Mahal.
Adopting this approach to your visit to the Taj Mahal provides you with a memorable experience – ‘here is a great mausoleum’ – and an interesting glimpse into his learning – ‘here is what you can see from here’.
Agra Fort and Local Breakfast
After the Taj Mahal, visit Agra Fort, just a 20-minute drive away. Plan to spend 1 to 2 hours here. Agra Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is also an important center of Indian history.
The fort was the main residence of the Mughal Dynasty’s Emperor until 1638 and contains some of the most beautiful Mughal buildings.
A visit to the Taj Mahal is followed by a local breakfast in Agra, which offers a wide choice of typical North Indian food.
- Puri Bhaji: Fluffy deep-fried bread served with spicy potato curry
- Chole Bhature: Spicy chickpea curry served with fried bread
- Paratha: Flatbreads made with potato, paneer, or vegetables are usually pan-fried and sometimes slathered in butter, yogurt, or pickle.
- Bedai: Spicy fried bread is eaten with meat-based curry, a lesser-known specialty of the region.
These breakfasts aren’t just a meal but a multitude of experiences. Involving regional spices, basic ingredients, and age-old cooking techniques, these dishes are more than just food with historical value; they also speak volumes about life in North India.
Sharing these dishes moves one away from just their limitations to unlock a wealth of complex flavors, discovering the multitudinous aspects of North Indian cuisine.
Travel to Tokyo
If you want to travel from Agra to Delhi to Tokyo, you have to first travel to Delhi as there are no direct flights to Tokyo from Agra. It takes less than 2 hours to get to Delhi by Gatiman Express, which is very efficient and relaxing. This is how you can arrive comfortably at your destination.
If going to Tokyo from Delhi, aim for an afternoon flight to Tokyo. This allows time to drive from Agra to Delhi. Depending on the option of the Delhi – Tokyo flight selected, this may be a 7 to 9-hour flight sans transit. Flights offered by Air India, Japan Airlines, and All Nippon Airways (ANA) are available for this route.
The afternoon departure suggestion will put you in the air for the journey but allow time to manage travel logistics after a fun run at a Taj Mahal photography frenzy and make the transition from history to the vibrant city of Tokyo less frantic. It’s just a little bit of planning to ensure the trip is as much fun as possible.
Exploring Tokyo
It’s best to arrive in Tokyo in the late afternoon or early evening so you can make the most of your first night in town. Tokyo is a wonderful hotchpotch of novelty and tradition. From the very start, you’ll find yourself spoiled for choice. You will arrive as the city transitions from day to night.
From one of the world’s most important global cities to one of the places in the world where the past and the future are most evident is a journey from an ancient temple – the basis of Japan’s classical culture – to an ultra-modern skyscraper – a fundamental hallmark of Japan’s modernization. But this is where Tokyo’s value lies – not only in the ‘product’ but the stories that go with it and the ‘experience’ it offers.
However, Tokyo is big, and depending on your luck (or lack thereof), getting around might be slower than you’d like. Plan for that by scheduling something next morning. That way, you can start your night in Tokyo in your own time—with energy and excitement.
Here’s the continuation:
Shibuya Crossing
As for taking an evening stroll at the Shibuya Crossing, it’s a Tokyo experience that’s to be noticed. A global mecca for fashion and youth, the Shibuya Crossing is clogged day and night with human traffic, is arguably the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, and symbolizes the pulsating life of the modern city.
At night, the local crosses, crowded with a multi-racial mix of locals and tourists, are ablaze with a flood of neon lights and are among the world’s most iconic screens. After being featured in independent and commercial films, as well as in televised advertisements, Shibuya Crossing has also memorably appeared in blockbusters such as Lost in Translation, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Lucy. Widely considered as another distinct visual apocalypse for Tokyo, the street in Shibuya came to identify Tokyo as Japan’s most prototypically futuristic city.
The neighborhoods around the crossing also include some of the quintessential features of modern Japanese culture, such as its fashion, entertainment, and dining scenes.
Sushi Dining Experience
After feeling out the energy of Shibuya Crossing in the evening, when the crowds are at their peak and snaking through the streets, head to one of Tokyo’s acclaimed sushi restaurants and fill your belly.
The Shibuya area and other surrounding areas, such as Roppongi or Ginza, have a good selection of sushi restaurants, ranging from traditional to contemporary, offering world-class sushi and dining experiences.
Themed Cafes
Tokyo has gained fame, too, for its themed cafes, which offer more than just refreshments; these eateries allow you to immerse yourself in a theme.
You can kick back on soft, comfy furniture to enjoy the company of cute, cuddly creatures in an animal cafe, find yourself in the world of your favorite anime in an anime-themed cafe, or enjoy the florid trappings and costumes of the maids and mistresses of a maid cafe, as there is almost a themed cafe tailored for almost every inclination.
These are cafés that you’d stop by for half an hour or so to experience the quirky, artistic side of Tokyo’s cafe scene.
Day 3: Paris to New York City
A night flight is a good option if you want to travel from Tokyo to Paris. You can take this kind of flight at night or early in the morning so that you can spend the full day in Tokyo before you fly. Air France and Japan Airlines provide direct flights to this route, which take about 12 – 13 hours.
You catch the overnight flight, sleep on the plane, and arrive in Paris feeling refreshed and ready to explore.
Eiffel Tower at Sunrise
When the sun comes up, seeing the Eiffel Tower early seems like the best time to go when the tourist crowds aren’t there. Completed for the 1889 World’s Fair – and initially criticized for being too design-heavy – this Parisian icon barely survived the war.
Through this process, the Eiffel Tower has become emblematic of the city itself—a beacon of advancement and style, an attraction that tells the story of Paris’s cultural and architectural history and its power to play catchup with innovation—not just to allow it but to embrace it, to reinvent itself again and again.
You should account for travel time early and with city traffic in mind to still be there early on a morning when the World Heritage Site is likely to be bathed in soft light – polite, measured, and delightful behavior towards one of the world’s most storied buildings.
Parisian Breakfast
For breakfast, go to Cafe du Trocadero or Cafe de la Muette. They don’t have a view of the Eiffel Tower, but they are historic places with a great feel, and you get that little bit more of Paris.
Having an authentic French breakfast—a croissant, perhaps a pain au chocolat, and a café au lait—at one of these places remains a delightful way to break your fast not only for its taste but for what it represents—an introduction to the joys of classic French cuisine in surroundings that have long been a part of Parisian life.
The Louvre Museum
It is also a good idea to visit the Louvre first thing when it opens at 9:00 a.m. and before most people arrive. Tickets to the Louvre and all museums in Paris have to be bought in advance.
Planning plays a role in the experience of visiting the Louvre, a huge building. Focusing on one or two key works—the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace—will help visit a richly rewarding artistic experience.
The Louvre, for example, has a history that is older than its use as a museum. Since its first building was erected in the late 12th century, it has served as a fortress, a palace – the main residence of French Kings – and, since the French Revolution, a public museum. Even those who have not stepped foot inside are aware of its existence as one of the oldest surviving monuments in Paris.
Return to New York City
On your flight back to New York City, book a departure from Charles de Gaulle Airport to JFK or Newark, ideally somewhere between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. This gives you the morning to enjoy your last hours in the city without rushing and to take in an extra few sips of café.
Flights should be direct (usually with Air France or Delta) and should get you back to New York in about eight or nine hours, allowing you some time for your mind to wander at the end of your travels.