Cairo or Sharm el-Sheikh?

Cairo has no beach at all. The Nile is not for swimming, and the nearest sea is at Ain Sokhna, about 130km away, where resort compounds line the shore. A day in the city means a hotel pool, so beach time has to be planned as a separate leg of the trip.

In Sharm el-Sheikh the sea is the reason to be there. Naama Bay has the most conventional sandy bay, and at Sharks Bay, Ras Um Sid and along the Nabq coast, jetties take you over the reef flat to the drop-off, where the snorkelling is superb. Most beaches belong to hotels and are fairly small, so bring reef shoes.

Cairo is clearly the better place to eat, and it is one of the pleasures of being there. Koshari shops, taameya and ful from street carts, flaky feteer, pigeon stuffed with freekeh and the ahwa coffeehouses give the day its shape, even though fine dining is thin.

In Sharm el-Sheikh most meals happen at the hotel buffet, and the Naama Bay restaurants are built for tourists. The best food is in the Old Market, where simple places grill fish and serve the same Egyptian staples, and a Bedouin dinner in the desert makes a good evening out.

Cairo holds Egyptian heritage on a scale very few cities can match. There are the pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, Tutankhamun's treasures in the museums and the royal mummies at Fustat. Islamic Cairo has the Citadel, Sultan Hassan and Al-Azhar, and Coptic Cairo keeps the Hanging Church.

Sharm el-Sheikh is a modern resort with almost nothing historic. The Al Sahaba Mosque and the painted interior of the Heavenly Cathedral fill an hour or two. For anything older you have to make a long trip out.

The two are roughly level after dark, with Cairo slightly ahead because its nights belong to the whole city and go on all year. That means families on the Nile corniche, ahwas full of shisha and backgammon past midnight, and a small, pricier drinking scene of bars, rooftops and party boats in Zamalek.

Sharm el-Sheikh is more straightforward if you want to dance. The bars and big clubs of Naama Bay and the DJ nights at beach bars run late in peak season, but the scene is aimed at tourists and goes quiet outside the busy months. Many evenings never leave the hotel.

Sharm el-Sheikh is far ahead, and most of what it offers is underwater. Ras Mohammed National Park, about 30km away, the reefs of the Tiran Strait and the wreck of the Thistlegorm put it among the world's great diving places. On land there are the red granite mountains of South Sinai and the mangroves at Nabq.

Cairo's green space comes down to Al-Azhar Park, a felucca on the Nile and the canyons of Wadi Degla. The real landscapes start two hours away in the Fayoum, at Wadi El Rayan and in the whale-fossil valley of Wadi Al-Hitan.

Cairo has much more within reach. In under an hour by car you reach Saqqara's Step Pyramid, the often empty Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur and the ruins of Memphis among the palms. The monasteries of Wadi Natrun, the Fayoum oasis and a long day in Alexandria add more, mostly with a hired driver.

From Sharm el-Sheikh there are really two outings. You can spend a relaxed day in Dahab, or go to St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, often with a night climb for the sunrise. Tours to Cairo or Luxor mean long hours in transit.

Sharm el-Sheikh is much easier with children. Big resorts have kids' clubs, family pools and water slides, the shallow lagoons suit a first snorkel, and glass-bottom boats suit those who would rather stay dry. Choose the hotel carefully, because the town adds little, and avoid the midsummer heat.

Cairo gives children unforgettable moments, from a camel ride by the pyramids to Tutankhamun's gold, and Egyptians are warm towards families. Away from those highlights, though, the traffic, the touts and the missing pavements make every day hard work, and it is best kept to the cooler months with a private driver.

Neither is easy, but Cairo at least gives you options. The metro links Tahrir Square, Coptic Cairo and Heliopolis, and ride-hailing apps take the haggling out of everything else, though the traffic can turn a short distance into a long ride. Walking works in short stretches along Al-Muizz Street or in Zamalek.

Sharm el-Sheikh spreads about 30km along the coast, and only Naama Bay is pleasant on foot. Getting about means shared minibuses, hotel shuttles or taxis with the fare agreed in advance, which is why so many visitors simply stay in their resort.

Cairo has real shopping. Khan el-Khalili has traded since the fourteenth century, appliqué makers stitch by hand on the Street of the Tentmakers, and the coppersmiths still work in their alley. Zamalek's boutiques add contemporary Egyptian design and cotton linens.

Sharm el-Sheikh mostly sells souvenirs: spices, papyrus, alabaster and galabiyas in the Old Market and along the Naama Bay promenade, with haggling to match. It is fine for a few gifts, but there is no craft or design scene to look for.

Both are inexpensive, but Cairo goes further on the same budget. Street food, the metro and ride-hailing cost very little, and mid-range hotels downtown or in Zamalek are a bargain. Your money mostly goes on entry to the big sites, guided tours and alcohol.

Sharm el-Sheikh gives its best value inside an all-inclusive hotel. Outside it, prices are set for tourists: taxis have to be negotiated, the restaurants in Naama Bay come close to European rates, and diving trips and excursions soon add up.

In Cairo, an evening at the Opera House on Gezira Island or at the whirling tanoura in the medieval Wikala of al-Ghouri is worth keeping a night free for. The Opera House stages symphony, ballet and Arabic music, and the tanoura is danced to live musicians. Most theatre is in Arabic, so music and dance are the better choice for visitors.

Sharm el-Sheikh has the same whirling dance, but at hotel dinner shows, alongside belly dancers and large spectacles staged for package groups. There is no concert hall and no local music scene behind them.

Sharm el-Sheikh is the place to slow down. Nearly every large resort has a spa with steam rooms, hammam-style scrubs and massage, and the routine of pool, sea and winter sun does most of the work.

Cairo's noise, dust and traffic rarely give you a break, and its old hammams are no longer places visitors can use. Rest means a hotel spa by the Nile or a felucca at dusk, which is why many travellers follow the city with a few quiet days on the Red Sea.