Things to do in Cairo day tours

20 Top Things to do in Cairo day tours 2021

You can’t be visiting Cairo, Egypt’s capital and Egypt’s most authentic city, without feeling a sensory overload. It could be sunny, dusty, and chaotic, but it’s also attractive in its own way. A visit to Egypt couldn’t be as complete without spending some day tours in Cairo. The City is a delight to visit, with pleasant and friendly people, range of outdoor shops, delectable food, and a plethora of sites to explore. There you can sense the true Egyptian pride, traditional lifestyles, and spirit in contrast to the new touristic sites. There are so many things to do in Cairo and we are here to tell you all about them.

Nearly every single visitor to Egypt won’t miss a tour in beautiful Cairo. Though the tour could be sometimes just to view the Giza’s Great Pyramids. Instead of hurrying to Luxor or embark on your Nile River cruise, spending a few additional days in Cairo could stand on its own to experience the city’s unique culture and traditions.

It might be difficult to know where to begin in a town of the magnitude of Cairo’s population which currently exceeds 10 million. We have collected all Things you can do in Cairo here. so you can relax and forget about planning your Cairo day tours. 

Stop at Tahrir Square on your Arrival to Cairo

The Cairo International Airport (Airport Code: CAI) is situated approximately 13 miles northeast of the Cairo center. The most comprehensive city that includes most of the tourist attractions and sites, and serves the majority of travelers. The best method to get into city is to use Uber (iPhone|Android). In Egypt, Uber is quite inexpensive, and a journey from the airport to Tahrir Square should cost no over than 250 LE ($15 USD).

You may also book a private transfer for about $40 USD, we could assist you for that. Also we can assist you to plan your Cairo day tours.

Giza Pyramids and Sphinx

When it comes to the Cairo itinerary, you can’t come to Cairo city without witnessing the Great Pyramids of Giza and The Sphinx; Also, you should try the various activities provided there. Such as eating lunch at the view of the pyramids, riding a camel or a horse, and entering the queens’ pyramids. So if you just have 2 or 3 days in Cairo and the suspense is getting to you, you should go to Giza Pyramids on your first Cairo day tour to Cairo.

 

 

 

The Giza Pyramids are one of the world’s most famous structures. Some travelers leave this finest portion of the Cairo tourist attraction for the last day. We’ve created a complete guide to the Great Pyramids of Giza that we recommend you read before you go – it’s packed with valuable information like which scams to beware of at the Pyramids.

Giza is about 13 kilometers from Cairo Center, where you can visit the pyramids. A private vehicle is the most convenient method to get there. Based on traffic volume, getting from the Center of Cairo to the Giza Plateau might take somewhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Ticket prices for the Pyramid Complex are as follows:

Only for the Giza Plateau: 200 LE

The Great Pyramid of Khufu’s interior entrance costs 400 LE.

100 LE to enter the 2nd or 3rd Pyramid’s interior.

100 LE for the Khufu Boat Museum

Best time of the day to visit the Pyramids

The Giza Plateau Area is available every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from October to March.

The Giza Plateau Area is accessible every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April to September.

The Great Pyramid’s interior is open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The ideal time to see the pyramids is early in the morning, about 8 a.m. The Giza Plateau is already warm and busy by mid-morning, so early arrival allows you to escape both the heat and the congestion; Also this will assure for you a far positive experience opportunity for your Cairo day tours to Pyramids.

Touring Around the Pyramids of Giza

The Giza Plateau has two entrances, and we suggest heading to the one behind the Marriott Mena House Hotel. The ticket booth is not indicated on Google Maps, but it is here. You’ll begin your journey on the Giza Plateau right next to the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the eldest and biggest of the three pyramids.

Great Pyramids of Khufu

It’s better to go into the Great Pyramid of Khufu as soon as you arrive if you buy an additional ticket. At times, the path through the pyramid is extremely short and tight. When tour groups arrive, there is an unending line of people attempting to fit into this little area, making it unpleasant and claustrophobic, so please try to arrive as early as possible and stick to your tour guide.

Pyramids Panorama

Upon seeing the Pyramid of Khufu, make your way to Panorama Point for a glimpse of the three great pyramids with Giza in the backdrop. Because it’s such a lengthy walk, you’ll want to hire a horse carriage at least for the return trip. The carriage trip will set you back 100 LE each way. Do not consider paying any extra, and don’t believe the driver when he tells you the price is per passenger rather than per carriage ride (it isn’t)).

Menkaure Pyramid

Travel to the cluster of Pyramids at the southern side of the Giza necropolis after taking photographs from Panorama Point. The Pyramid of Menkaure, at 204 feet tall, is the smallest of the three major pyramids. You may inside it if you buy the right ticket (100 LE), although the interiors of all the pyramids are almost identical. There is little need to see the tombs inside the Pyramids of Menkaure or Khafre if you have previously visited the Great Pyramid of Khufu.

The Queens Pyramids

Three lesser pyramids may be seen on the southern side of Menkaure’s Pyramid. These are the Queens’ Pyramids, which house Khufu’s wives and sisters’ graves. Pharaonic Egypt has really appreciated their women. The center of these three pyramids is really free to enter. If you didn’t want to go into the Pyramid of Khufu, you can still get your tomb raider fix here for free.

Multiple marketers will undoubtedly contact you, suggesting you a camel or horseback trip out to the southern dunes, where you may take an iconic snapshot of all six pyramids.

It’s a great photo site, but it’s too far away for anybody but the most committed tourist to get on foot. The local cops typically won’t let you wander to that area of the plateau without guidance.

It is entirely up to you whether or not you take the carriage ride. A camel or horse ride should cost around 200 LE per hour per animal, and you’ll be willing to navigate out and return in under an hour.

Khafre Pyramid

The Pyramid of Khafre is the most well-known of the pyramids on your agenda. Several people confuse this pyramid for The Great Pyramid, despite the fact that it is the second-tallest and second-largest of the pyramids. This is because to its prominent location right behind the Sphinx statue, as well as the fact that it has managed to maintain some of the ancient limestone exterior covering at the summit, providing it a distinctive profile.

You may explore this pyramid for an extra 100 LE, despite the fact that the insides look to be similar to the insides of all the other pyramids. Also nearby is the Khufu Boat Holes where ancient Egyptians buried the solar ships. Egyptian authorities have moved the big one to Grand Egyptian Museum.

The Great Sphinx

Take a trip down the hill to the Great Sphinx of Egypt for some funny kissing and carrying the pyramids type of photos. Travel to the little platform in front of the Sphinx for one last picture session before departing the site if you have the time.

The Pyramid of Khafre is immediately behind the Great Sphinx, making for a memorable photo. Don’t be shy to get in on the action — seeing the pyramids is already on everyone’s bucket list, and what better way to commemorate the occasion than with an amazing selfie?

You would really like to return to your stay in Cairo for a bath and a rest after walking 3-5 kilometers across the Giza Plateau in the scorching Egyptian sun.

We won’t blame you if you opt to spend the day resting by your hotel pool. If you want to add one more activity to your Cairo schedule, we recommend a sunset ride on the Nile River on a classic felucca boat. It’s advisable to schedule your felucca trip ahead of time; we like to book our excursions online at GetYourGuide.com, but your hotel may be able to assist you.

Felucca Ride in Cairo

You’ll feel worlds away from the sand and warmth of the pyramids as you cruise calmly along the Nile with a fresh breeze blowing the sails of your Felucca. As the sun goes down over this ancient Egyptian megacity, you’ll realize that your three days in Cairo have come to a close

The Egyptian Museum 

On your day tours in Cairo, you must visit the Egyptian Museum to see all ancient Egyptian Artifacts. When purchasing your admission ticket (200 LE), be sure to add the additional 400 LE for an Egyptologist to assist you through. Licensed tour guides are stationed near the ticket office and will provide services for 400 LE. Because the museum is inadequately signposted, you need to hire a guide if you want to know what you’re looking at. Even if you opt to tour the museums on your own, you’ll have a great time strolling around the 107 rooms stuffed to the brim with ancient Egyptian antiquities dating from prehistory to the Roman era.

The Egyptian museum is brimming with Pharaoh and Sphinx monuments, mummified human and animal bones (including a large mummified crocodile! ), and exquisite gold jewelry that escaped tomb robbers’ clutches. Because there are so many stunning works of Egyptian art, they keep many lesser-known sculptures in side chambers.

With very little security and virtually no regulations, the museum is a kind of a free-for-all. People will surely start taking pictures with the monuments wrapping their arms around thousand-year-old sculptures, but you should always be a careful tourist and avoid touching them.

King Tut Golden Treasure

It’s difficult to keep track of time at the museum and yet miss half of the exhibits. Use your time. After marveling at the amazingly well-preserved artifacts, pay a visit to King Tut’s tomb rich display. It contains all of the magnificent and valuable items discovered in the grave of the young king, especially his made of gold coffin and face shield!

Another visit to Tahrir Square on your journey out of the Egyptian Museum is worth it, which is notable for the political rallies that took place there immediately prior to Egypt’s 2011 revolution.

Coptic Christian Old Cairo

Get ready and get enough sleep because Coptic Cairo is something you have to visit with open eyes. You’ll spend a day tour in Old Christian Cairo! You may well be shocked to discover that Egypt was a Christian-majority country between the fall of the Pharaohs and the birth of Islam.

Fortress of Babylon

Check your watch? Yes, it is exactly the right time to visit the Fortress of Babylon, which dates from the Roman Empire and is home to a number of old Orthodox Christian churches. Don’t forget your scarf because you’ll be visiting a lot of churches today. Because Coptic Cairo is a tiny, confined region, you should be able to simply stroll between the many amazing locations in Coptic Cairo.

Hanging Church

You can start at the Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo, also known as Saint Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church. The Hanging Church, being one Egypt’s best church; Ancient Christians built it on the walls of an ancient Roman fortification, thus it is giving this very special name

Coptic Museum

The Coptic Museum houses the world’s greatest collection of Coptic Christian antiquities. Beautiful masonry and Christian symbols, as well as the earliest known book of Psalms, are among the displays. The museum’s true centerpiece, though, is the structure itself. The stained glass windows and elaborately crafted ceilings and windows can easily catch the spotlight.

St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church

When you’ve already done seeing the Coptic Museum, try to proceed to St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church. We believe the inside of this cathedral is by far the most magnificent in Coptic Cairo, with a lofty arched central dome, stunning paintings, and limitless quantities of gold work. Visit the adjacent Coptic Cemetery after leaving the Church of St. George, where enormous, ornate tombs are drooping and decaying with age.

St. Sergius and Bacchus

From the cemetery’s main entrance, descend the stairwell to the underground Coptic Cairo Bazaar. A tiny winding alleyway leading to the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus is here. The centerpiece of this church, dates from the 5th century. It is a tiny cave in the underground basement that is thought to have served as a three-month refuge for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph during their stay in Egypt. You will just get overwhelmed by the holy spirits around you.

Ben Ezra Synagogue

Unless you’re not completely drained, stop by the Ben Ezra Synagogue; It’s Cairo’s oldest synagogue, at the edge of the alleyway.

A glorious architectural masterpiece with Roman basilica style. It is the layout that prevailed in most of the historical Christian churches of Egypt. However, you will find the Star of David is in the middle of the ceiling. The bima, or the Jewish pulpit where they read prayers, stands in the middle. The holiest element of the Jewish temple appears with dazzling decorations. The Ten Commandments are written in the Hebrew language. All of that amid decorations that seem like the Turkish Islamic decoration in the Ottoman era. Welcome to the suspense tour inside the Ben Ezra Synagogue.

The Egyptian Citadel in Cairo

Pack a scarf with you! You will be visiting numerous beautifully mosques today; Its important for females to show respect to these holy places by covering their head. 

What a beautiful way to start your Cairo visit? Begin your first day in Cairo by seeing the Cairo Citadel; Also known as the Saladin Citadel, which is located on Mokattam Hill. See? It is such a powerful start. The Citadel is home to some of Cairo’s most famous ancient mosques, as well as spectacular views of the city from the summit. This view is nearly unforgettable, and you will be talking about for years, so try to not miss it.

Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque

Don’t miss viewing this unique mosque that is a remarkable historical, archaeological, and touristic landmarks in Cairo with a high pulpit. This pulpit is the highest one in the Islamic world,

The citadel’s other two mosques are also worth seeing. The Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque, which was constructed in 1318, was originally used by all Cairo’s sultans for Friday prayers. Sulayman Pasha built the Sulayman Pasha Mosque in 1528. It is could be the smallest among the other three mosques, as it is was the first mosque to be  adopting the Ottoman style.

There are a few museums within the Cairo Citadel, however we recommend bypassing them because they are poorly signposted and you only have three days in Cairo.

Al-Gawhara Palace Museum

Muhammad Ali Pasha built the Al-Gawhara Palace Museum in 1814 and used it as his family’s royal home. Although the structure is attractive and some of the original furniture have been preserved, there are few museum displays.

Royal Carriage Museum

The Royal Carriage Museum, as its name suggests, houses a tiny collection of one-of-a-kind royal carriages.

Egyptian Military Museum

The Egyptian Army’s official museum, which covers martial records going back to the Pharaohs. Regrettably, it appears to be closed for renovations all of the time.

Old Islamic Cairo

Here it is the time of a couple of Islamic Cairo’s most important historical sites, so get excited!

After you’ve finished visiting the Citadel, proceed downhill to the Sultan Hassan Mosque-Madrassa and the Al-Rifa’i Mosque.

The huge Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, was constructed in the 14th century. It was considered a great architectural feat at the time, and it stands out as the greatest of Cairo’s historic mosques to this day.

The Al-Rifa’i Mosque, is directly across the street. It was erected considerably later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries;  Al-Rifa’i was built to complement Sultan Hassan’s Mosque-Madrassa. It presently serves as the royal tomb of Muhammad Ali’s family.

Both mosques’ interiors and exteriors are breathtakingly beautiful. Take a step inside, but remember to wear your scarf and take off your shoes. There is no admission fee, however there is a shoe deposit station to keep your shoes for some tipping. It is sufficient to use the smallest denomination money you have (no more than 10 LE).

From here, make your journey north through Islamic Cairo’s alleys and lanes to the Aqsunqur Mosque. The inside of this 14th-century ecclesiastical building is magnificent, with exquisite blue tilework.

Al-Azhar Mosque

Passing through Al-Azhar Park on your way to the al-Azhar Mosque, which was the first mosque in Old Cairo. This famed mosque is the world’s second oldest university and it still remains a significant institution for the study of Islamic law, originally constructed barely two years after Cairo was founded as a city in 972 AD.

Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque

It’s located near Coptic Cairo. Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque, which was the first mosque constructed in the city, and in the whole Egypt!

Amid 13 centuries of historical events and changes, walk through the antique designs of Amr Ibn Al-Aas mosque. Historical spectacular modifications are running above you, under your feet while you stand in its courtyard. It is the history calling you amid its wonders to witness its facts by your own eye.

Khan el-Khalili Market

After finishing your Islamic Cairo tour, travel to the Khan el-Khalili market. This place is one of the capital’s most recognized attractions in Cairo. This historic meandering souk will undoubtedly be the highlight of your Cairo day day tours  to enjoy your free shopping.

In this open-air market, you’ll discover hammered copper lanterns, elegant glass perfume bottles, exquisite jewelry, wood carvings with complex inlays, and handcrafted leather items, among other things. These days, the Khan el-Khalili market caters largely to visitors, so be wary of the initial price quoted and be prepared to negotiate hard before making any purchases.

Al Moez Street

You’ll exit the cramped Khan el-Khalili into Al Moez Ldin Allah Al Fatmi Street, or simply al-Muizz Street. Al-Muizz Street, which runs for more than a half-mile from the Bab al-Futuh Gate in the north to the Bab Zuweila Gate in the south, was the main road in Cairo’s previous fortified city and is today one of the city’s oldest streets.

Al-Muizz Street is flanked by scores of ancient structures. Also, the street has stunning mosques and Islamic institutions. It has a beautifully maintained façade, transforming the neighborhood into a living museum. The street has many stores, restaurants, and food outlets sellers in addition to numerous religious structures. It’s a popular spot for residents to promenade and shop in the evenings, and it’s the ideal way to round out your Cairo day tours.

Naguib Mahfouz Café

Appreciate people-watching while sipping a cup of tea at one of the cafés along al-Muizz Street. When you’re ready for a meal, walk to the neighboring Naguib Mahfouz Café for authentic Egyptian cuisine in a charming beautiful historical context.

 

Recommended hotels for your stay in Cairo.

The Kempinski Nile Hotel is a great place to stay in Cairo.

The view from the rooftop pool of the Kempinski Nile Hotel is spectacular and you don’t want to miss it. The Kempinski, just a 5-minute walking trip from the Egyptian Museum. In addition, t’s positioned right on the Nile River; It has been one of our visitors’ top favorite Cairo hotels. Loosen up at the full-service spa’s complimentary hot pools, steam baths, and saunas after a hard Cairo day tour.

Nile El Gezirah Sofitel Cairo

The Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah is the right place to stay if you truly want to pamper yourself throughout your Cairo day tours. This magnificently 5-star hotel location is on Geizera Island. The Island is only a few streets from the Cairo Opera House, which is also another special touristic site. This Hotel offers also an infinity pool as well as a private Nile River promenade.

Omar Khayyam Casino & Marriott Hotel in Cairo

This beautiful building, built in 1869; It was formerly a royal palace until Egyptian government turn it into a luxury hotel in the 1970s. The Cairo Marriott Hotel has done a brilliant job of combining ancient buildings with modern luxuries; You can see many things including exquisite gold mirrors, velvety carpets, complex latticework, and elegant artwork.

Marriott Mena House 

If you have sufficient leisure, consider staying in a hotel in Giza with a sight of the pyramids; We recommend Marriott Mena House. From Mena house hotel, you’ll be able to watch the sun goes down and emerge over the pyramids.