What You Will Do
Tours to the Citadel of Saladin, Coptic Cairo, Khan El-khalili bazaar, The Egyptian museum, and Islamic Cairo are very popular among tourists visiting Cairo, Egypt. The Citadel of Saladin is a historic fortress that offers stunning panoramic views of the city, while Coptic Cairo is the oldest part of the city and is home to some of Egypt's oldest Christian churches. Khan El-khalili is a bustling bazaar filled with colorful shops selling everything from spices to jewelry, and is a great place to haggle for souvenirs. The Egyptian Museum is a world-renowned museum that houses an extraordinary collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the treasures of Tutankhamun. Finally, Islamic Cairo is a picturesque neighborhood in the Old City that boasts some of the most beautiful Islamic architecture in the world, including mosques, domes, and minarets. Guided tours of these sites are available and are a great way to learn about the rich history and culture of Egypt.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Itinerary
1
Cairo Citadel
2 hours
The Saladin Citadel of Cairo (Qalaʿat Salāḥ ad-Dīn) is a medieval Islamic fortification in Cairo, Egypt. The location, on Mokattam hill near the center of Cairo, was once famous for its fresh breeze and grand views of the city. It is now a preserved historic site, with mosques and museums. In 1976, it was proclaimed by UNESCO as a part of the World Heritage Site Historic Cairo (Islamic Cairo) which was "the new center of the Islamic world, reaching its golden age in the 14th century.
2
Coptic Cairo
1 hour 30 minutes
Coptic Cairo is a part of Old Cairo which encompasses the Babylon Fortress, the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, the Greek Church of St. George and many other Coptic churches and historical sites. It is believed in Christian tradition that the Holy Family visited this area and stayed at the site of Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga). Coptic Cairo was a stronghold for Christianity in Egypt until the Islamic era, though most of the current buildings of the churches in Coptic Cairo were built after the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 7th century
3
Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary)
25 minutes
Coptic Christian church with a wooden roof in the shape of Noah's ark, a 5th-century pulpit & icons.
The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by twenty-nine steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church". The land surface has risen by some six metres since the Roman period. So the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position. The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth-century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh-century outer porch.
4
Coptic Orthodox Church of St. George (Mari Girgis)
20 minutes
The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church within the Babylon Fortress in Coptic Cairo. It is part of the Holy Patriarchal Monastery of St George under the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa. The church dates back to the 10th century (or earlier). The current structure was rebuilt following a 1904 fire, construction was finished in 1909. Since 2009, the monastery's hegumen has had the rank of bishop with title Bishop Babylonos ("Bishop of Babylon").
5
Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus
20 minutes
4th-century church believed to be built on the spot where Joseph, Mary & baby Jesus once rested.
Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress.
The church is of significant historical importance, and in fact, it is where many patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected. The first to be elected here was Patriarch Isaac (681-692) It is the episcopal church of Cairo, and it was the episcopal See of Masr (the district of Old Cairo) that replaced the former See of Babylon. Many bishops of the See were consecrated in the Church until the reign of Patriarch Christodulus (1047–1077).
6
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
2 hours
Extensive collection of Egyptian artifacts covering 5,000 years, including Tutankhamun's treasures.
7
Islamic Cairo
1 hour
Islamic Cairo (Qahirat al-Maez) is a part of central Cairo around the old walled city and around the Citadel of Cairo which is characterized by hundreds of mosques, tombs, madrasas, mansions, caravanserais, and fortifications dating from the Islamic era.[1] In 1979, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed Historic Cairo a World Cultural Heritage site, as "one of the world's oldest Islamic cities, with its famous mosques, madrasas, hammams and fountains and the new centre of the Islamic world, reaching its golden age in the 14th century.
8
Sharia Al Mu'izz Li-Din Allah
25 minutes
Muizz Street (Shariʻa al-Muizz li-Din Illah) also known as Al Moez Ldin Allah Al Fatimi Street in Islamic Cairo, Egypt is one of the oldest streets in Cairo, approximately one kilometer long. A United Nations study found it to have the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world. The street (shariʻa in Arabic) is named for Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, the fourth caliph of the Fatimid dynasty. It stretches from Bab Al-Futuh in the north to Bab Zuweila in the south. Starting in 1997,[2][3] the national government carried out extensive renovations to the historical buildings, modern buildings, paving, and sewerage to turn the street into an "open-air museum". On April 24, 2008, Al-Muizz Street was rededicated as a pedestrian only zone between 8:00 am and 11:00 pm; cargo traffic will be allowed outside of these hours.
The northern part of the street extends from the Al-Hakim Mosque in the north to the Spice Market at Al-Azhar Street and includes the antiques markets section, Al-Aqmar Mosque (one of the few extant Fatimid mosques), the Qalawun complex, and several well preserved medieval mansions and palaces.
The southern part extends from the Ghuriya complex to the Bab Zuweila and includes the magnificent Tent Market in the Gamaliya district.
9
Bab al-Futuh
20 minutes
Bab al Futuh (Conquest Gate) is one of three remaining gates in the walls of the Old City of Cairo, Egypt. It was finished in the year 1087 and faces north. It stands at the northern end of Muizz Street. The other two remaining gates are Bab al-Nasr (Victory Gate) in the North and Bab Zuwayla (Gate of Zuwayla) in the south.
The gate was part of fortification built by Commander/Vizier Badr al-Jamali of Fatimid Imam/caliph Mustansir. Its rounded towers were a stronger defense than the square towers of Bab al-Nasr (another Old City gate, just to the east). They had shafts for pouring boiling water or burning oil on attackers, and arrow slits. The gate is covered in vegetal and geometric motifs.
10
Wekalet El Ghouri Arts Center
20 minutes
The Sultan Al-Ghuri Complex was built between the years 1503 and 1505. This huge complex consists of a khanqah, mausoleum, sebil-kuttab, mosque and madrasa and is located at the Fahhamin Quarter, al Mu'izz li-Din Allah street in Cairo, Egypt. The structure lies on both sides of the al Mu'izz li-Din Allah street, with the congregational mosque-madrasa built on the western side, and the khanqah-mausoleum-sabil-kuttab on the eastern sid
11
Khan Al-Khalili
1 hour
Khan El-Khalili is a major souk in the historic center of Islamic Cairo. The bazaar district is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike.
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