Private Islamic and Coptic Old Cairo Day Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. You climb to the Citadel of Saladin, the limestone fortress begun in 1176, and into the Mosque of Muhammad Ali at its center, its alabaster walls and twin Ottoman minarets crowning the skyline since the 1840s. Under the great central dome your guide explains the ruler who reshaped modern Egypt. From the terrace, Cairo spreads out below you to the pyramids on a clear day. Modest dress is needed inside the mosque, and shoes come off at the carpet's edge.

   2 hAdmission included

2. You visit the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, built in the 9th century and one of the oldest and largest mosques in Egypt, its vast open courtyard ringed by simple pointed arches. The unmistakable feature is the spiral minaret, with an external staircase winding up the outside, modeled on the ancient ziggurats of Iraq. Climb it for a sweeping view over the rooftops. Far quieter than the Citadel, it is a favorite of architects and photographers alike.

   1 hAdmission included

3. Down in Coptic Cairo you reach the Hanging Church, so named because its nave is built over the gatehouse of the Roman fortress of Babylon and appears to hang above the passage. Parts date to the 7th century, and inside are inlaid screens, icons, and an ark-shaped wooden roof. Your guide walks you through the narrow lanes of the old Christian quarter around it, among the oldest churches in Egypt. Calm and shaded, it is an easy walk.

   1 h

4. You finish at the Gawhara Palace, built in 1814 beside the Citadel as the residence and reception hall of Muhammad Ali. Inside are gilded ceilings, period furniture, royal portraits, and a famous clock given by King Louis-Philippe of France. It offers a glimpse of how Egypt's 19th-century rulers lived, a different register from the ancient temples and a fitting end to a day spent moving through Cairo's many layers.

   45 minAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 3 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Cairo

• Its from-price is close to the median of the 10229 experiences we list in Cairo.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 3025 of 10229.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Cairo

Cairo is Egypt's sprawling capital on the Nile, where the Pyramids of Giza meet medieval mosques, busy bazaars and the treasures of the pharaohs.

On the western edge of the city, the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx rise from the desert plateau, with the step pyramid of Saqqara and the ruins of Memphis further south. Cairo's great museums, the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and the vast Grand Egyptian Museum beside the plateau, hold artefacts spanning thousands of years.

Top-ranked sights in Cairo: Egyptian Museum (Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), Saqqara (Sakkara), Khan El-Khalili.

See all 10229 experiences in Cairo