Private 3-day Cairo tour from Cairo

Itinerary: Private 3-day tour of Cairo from Cairo

Day 1: Arrival – Egyptian Museum – Old City and Khan El Khalili Bazaar

Your arrival is on your own. Our team will gladly pick you up from the airport or train station. Your tour guide, a German-speaking, university-educated Egyptologist, will accompany you every day and will also determine the order of the sightseeing tours individually for you, so that you can avoid the tourist crowds.

After your tour guide has greeted you, your sightseeing tour will begin. You will travel directly to the city center in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle (car/minivan).

Visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

You are visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). With its 81,000 m² of floor space, the GEM is the largest archaeological museum in the world. The museum opened on November 1, 2025, and has been open to the public since November 4, 2025. A large number of the collection items come from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The main attraction is the almost complete display of the funerary objects of King Tutankhamun, which could never be fully displayed in the Egyptian Museum due to lack of space.

Old Town and El Khalili Bazaar

The Old City is Cairo's Islamic quarter, whose history stretches back over a thousand years. El-Moaz Street is a pedestrian zone with the largest concentration of Islamic architecture. Observe the everyday life of Egyptians on El-Moaz Street. Egyptian culture is a blend of diverse influences, with Arabic as the predominant language. The predominant religion is Islam; Christians make up only about 20% of the population.

During your walk, you will pass the oldest and largest Ibn Tulun Mosque, the Sultan Hassan Mosque, and the Alabaster Mosque in the Citadel of Saladin. Your walk ends at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, a lively medieval bazaar where you can discover some curiosities.

Lunch

At lunchtime, you will be served local specialties in a local restaurant.

The evening

You'll check into your hotel in the evening. Relax after a long day and enjoy a delicious dinner. If you haven't had your fill of sightseeing, you can explore Cairo on your own. Your tour guide will surely have some suggestions for you.

Tag 2: Giza Plateau – Saqqara

You start the day with a hearty breakfast. Afterwards, you travel to the Giza Plateau.

Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre

On the western edge of the Nile Valley is the Giza Plateau, where the pyramids, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre are located.

The pyramid field was already an important cemetery during the 1st Dynasty. The Giza pyramids were built between approximately 2620 and 2500 BC and are among the oldest, most famous, and best-preserved structures of humankind. Optionally, you can visit the burial chambers of the three pyramids.

Not far from the pyramids stands the Great Sphinx, by far the most famous and largest. Likely built during the 4th Dynasty, between 2520 and 2494 BC, it has risen from the sands of the Egyptian desert for over 4,000 years. Hewn from the remains of a limestone hill that served as a quarry for the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, it depicts a reclining lion with a human head. Afterwards, you will visit the Valley Temple of Khafre, located right next to it.

Step Pyramid of Saqqara

The Step Pyramid of Saqqara is the oldest Egyptian pyramid and the centerpiece of a nearly 16-hectare tomb complex. The complex is surrounded by a 10-meter-high limestone wall and includes temples, chapels, and other tombs. Carvings and hieroglyphs offer insights into the daily activities and religious practices of the ancient Egyptians.

The Step Pyramid was built during the 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom around 2650 BC by Djoser during his 19-year reign. The burial chamber, constructed at a depth of 28 meters, consists of four layers of rose granite blocks. The Step Pyramid itself is made of limestone.

Lunch

Your tour guide will take you to a local restaurant where you can enjoy your lunch and relax a little.

The evening

They end the day with a delicious dinner.

Optionally, in the evening you have the opportunity to watch the impressive sound and light show at the pyramids. During this evening spectacle, the pyramids and the Sphinx are illuminated, and their history is recounted. Your tour guide will be happy to arrange this for you.

Day 3: Saladin Citadel – Alabaster Mosque – Coptic Quarter – Hanging Church

Fortify yourself with a hearty breakfast, because today you will continue exploring Cairo.

Citadel of Saladin

The Citadel is one of the most important monuments in Islamic Cairo. An impressive medieval defensive structure, its strategic location on Muqattam Hill afforded it an excellent defensive position. Enjoy the wonderful panoramic view over Cairo. On a clear day, you can even see the pyramids from here.

The Citadel was built between 1176 and 1183 by Sultan Saladin to defend against the Crusaders. It subsequently served as the seat of the Egyptian king and government for 700 years. Today, the Citadel of Saladin is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Cairo." It houses several mosques, including the magnificent Muhammad Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque. The al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque and the Sulayman Pasha Mosque are also located within the Citadel. Furthermore, the National Military Museum, the Police Museum, and the Carriage Museum can be found within its walls, as well as...

Al-Gawhara Palace of Muhammad Ali Pasha, which itself contains museum elements.

Muhammad-Ali-Mosque (Alabaster-Mosque)

The Muhammad Ali Mosque is one of the grand mosques in Cairo. It is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because its interior is clad in alabaster. The two minarets are an impressive 82 meters tall, and the dome reaches a height of 52 meters. Inside, the large, gold-decorated main dome, measuring 21 meters in diameter, is flanked at the corners by four smaller domes and along the sides by four semi-domes. The interior is illuminated by circular electric lights. The prayer hall features two richly decorated pulpits.

Coptic Quarter

The Coptic Quarter lies on the site of the Roman fortress of Babylon and is a historic Christian district that existed even before the Muslim Fatimids founded Cairo in 969 AD. The quarter is considered a stronghold of Christianity in Old Cairo and contains places of worship from a time when the pharaonic religions had died out and Islam had not yet taken hold. Some of the earliest churches, dating back to the 4th century, have survived to this day. It is believed that the Holy Family lived here briefly during their flight from Herod.

Hanging Church

The church's unique construction gave it its name. It was built on the walls above a gatehouse of the Roman fortress of Babylon, giving the impression that it is suspended above the passageway. The Hanging Church is reached by climbing 29 steps. It combines Coptic and Byzantine elements and was built in the style of a basilica. The interior is richly decorated, and the marble pulpit is supported by 13 columns, symbolizing Jesus and the 12 apostles. The church also houses 110 icons, the oldest of which dates back to the 8th century.

The church was likely used as early as the 3rd century AD, making it the oldest Christian site in Egypt. However, the current structure dates back to the 9th century. From the 11th to the 13th centuries, the Hanging Church served as the official residence of the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria, after the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church was moved to Cairo. To this day, the church remains an active place of worship and pilgrimage.

Lunch

They enjoy their lunch at a local restaurant.

departure

Your visit to Cairo now comes to an end. With many new impressions in tow, your tour guide will take you to the airport or train station and bid you farewell.