Things to Do in Cairo: 2026 Travel Guide

15 Best Things to Do in Cairo

Our list starts with the Pyramids and the museums, because they are why most people come to Cairo, then moves through the old city, the Nile and the best day trips. Every entry links to the tours that do it.

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   1. See the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx

   The Great Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and the Great Sphinx are the reason most people come to Cairo. A private tour with a licensed Egyptologist adds the Valley Temple and the panoramic viewpoint for the classic photo of all the pyramids together. Hotel pickup in Cairo or Giza is included.

   From $50 per personSee tours →
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   2. Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum

   The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), next to the Giza plateau, is the new home of the Tutankhamun collection. A guided tour takes you past the colossal statue of Ramses II and up the Grand Staircase, with free time in the galleries afterwards — or combine it with the Pyramids in one day.

   From $45 per personSee tours →
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   3. Explore the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square

   The historic Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo is still full of royal statues, sarcophagi and treasures from every era of ancient Egypt. Visit it on a private half-day tour with an Egyptologist, or together with the Pyramids or the Citadel.

   From $45 per personSee tours →
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   4. Ride a camel or a quad by the Pyramids

   See the pyramids from the desert: the private Giza tour with a camel ride gives you the famous views from the saddle, while about an hour on a quad bike takes you to photo stops with panoramic views of the pyramids — no experience needed, with a helmet and an instructor.

   From $45 per personSee tours →
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   5. Watch the Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids

   In the evening the Great Sphinx and the pyramids are lit up for the Sound and Light Show, which tells their story in about an hour from open-air seats facing the Sphinx. The show ticket and private hotel transfers are included.

   From $50 per personSee tours →
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   6. Sail a felucca on the Nile

   A felucca — a traditional wooden sailing boat — is the most relaxing way to see the Nile and the Cairo skyline. Our private tour combines the Pyramids and the Sphinx with a felucca ride.

   From $65 per personSee the tour →
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   7. Take a Nile dinner cruise

   An evening on the Nile with an open buffet dinner, a Tanoura dance show, belly dance and live Arabic music, while the lights of Cairo pass by. Hotel transfers are included.

   From $50 per personSee tours →
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   8. Discover Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur

   South of Giza lie the older pyramids: the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid at Dahshur — where you can go inside when the site allows — and the colossus of Ramses II at Memphis. Far fewer crowds than at Giza.

   From $55 per personSee tours →
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   9. Visit the Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali

   The Citadel of Saladin sits on a hill above the city, crowned by the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, with panoramic views over Cairo. It is usually combined with Old Cairo and Khan El Khalili on a full-day private tour.

   From $55 per personSee tours →
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    10. Walk through Coptic Cairo

    In Old Cairo, the Hanging Church, the Church of Abu Serga and St. Barbara and the Ben Ezra Synagogue stand within a few streets of each other — one of the oldest parts of the city. Our half-day tour ends in the Khan El Khalili bazaar.

    From $45 per personSee tours →
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    11. Shop in Khan El Khalili and walk Al-Muizz Street

    Khan El Khalili is Cairo's great bazaar, a maze of lanes full of lamps, spices, silver and souvenirs. Next to it, historic Al-Muizz Street is lined with medieval mosques and houses — the heart of Islamic Cairo.

    From $55 per personSee tours →
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    12. See the Royal Mummies

    The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is home to the Royal Mummies Hall, where some of Egypt's most famous pharaohs rest. Our tour combines it with the Citadel, the churches of Coptic Cairo and a stroll in Khan El Khalili.

    From $55 per personSee the tour →
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    13. Explore the pyramids of Fayoum

    For a quieter side of ancient Egypt, the private day trip to Fayoum visits the Hawara, Lahun and Meidum pyramids — sites far away from the crowds, with a licensed Egyptologist.

    From $80 per personSee the tour →
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    14. Take a day trip to Alexandria

    Egypt's city on the Mediterranean is an easy private day trip: the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, the Citadel of Qaitbay by the sea, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Roman Amphitheatre when it is open.

    From $90 per personSee the tour →
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    15. Visit the monasteries of St. Anthony and St. Paul

    In the Eastern Desert, near the Red Sea Mountains, the monasteries of St. Anthony and St. Paul are among the oldest active monasteries in the world. A private day trip with a guide and hotel pickup.

    From $120 per personSee the tour →

Cairo Itineraries: 2, 3 and 4 Days

Start early: the Pyramids are best in the morning, before the heat and the crowds, and Cairo traffic is lightest early in the day.

Practical Tips for Cairo