Cairo Day Tours and Excursions – Ideas for Independent Cairo Itineraries

  • Depart any day of the week.  At your own pace, not tied to a group itinerary or schedule
  • Private experienced tour guides (Egyptologists) and drivers
  • Private transportation and admission fees included – so no hidden extras
  • Wide range of excursions at the most competitive prices you’ll find anywhere

Discover a magical world of souks, mosques, medieval streets and mysterious Pyramids in lots of different forms. Although the pyramids and the Sphinx are best known, there are other sites that are more ancient and just as grandiose. Among them are the funerary monuments of the Old Kingdom at the great necropolis of Saqqara and the wonderful desert sites of Dahshur, Memphis and Meidum. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the Egyptian Museum.

Cairo Day Tours – Find out where to go in Cairo
Click the links below to find out about your chosen Cairo Day Tours.

Discover the great pyramids of Giza & the Sphinx

Who doesn’t want to see the pyramids? Get an in-depth view of ancient Egyptian history by visiting the Giza necropolis. The pyramids of Giza are the last surviving wonder of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Close to the great pyramid of Khufu are the remains of his mortuary temple, three ruined Queen’s pyramids and dozens of tombs. A short walk takes you to a scenic outlook point with a great view of the plateau and the pyramids. A processional way runs from the pyramid of Khephren to a well-preserved valley temple made of granite. Next to this is the famous gigantic statue of the Great Sphinx.

Private Transportation • Sightseeing including all entrance fees • Expert Egyptologist Guide

Half Day – Giza Pyramids and The Sphinx 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons ≥ 5 Persons
Private Excursion, per person per tour  US$75  US$55  US$45  US$40

Explore the splendid monuments of Giza and Saqqara • Departs Daily from any hotel in Cairo or Giza • 4 to 6 hours

Explore the splendid monuments of Giza and Saqqara

Visit the sole surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, Giza’s Pyramids, and the surrounding area. The Giza plateau is huge; musts are the 3 pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Valley temple. A short ride up the Giza Plateau will take you to a panoramic view point – this will enable you to appreciate the pyramids from a desert setting and to see expansive views of these impressive monuments. After as much walking and exploring as you like, journey through the countryside to Saqqara. Visit the Saqqara necropolis, which is one of the largest archaeological sites in Egypt. Stretching over six kilometres in length, it has many tombs, known as mastabas, where the colours on the wonderful carvings are still fresh and bright, despite being over 4500 years old. This is where the oldest of all the pyramids is situated, the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, undoubtedly the jewel of Saqqara. To learn more about the archaeology and excavation history of Saqqara, visit the beautiful Imhotep Museum, where new and old discoveries are displayed – a visit here will no doubt enhance your experience of this sprawling necropolis.

Private Transportation • Sightseeing including all entrance fees • Expert Egyptologist Guide

Full Day – Giza, the Sphinx and Saqqara 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons ≥ 5 Persons
Private Excursion, per person per tour  US$85  US$70  US$60  US$55

Giza, Dahshur and Saqqara Monuments • Departs Daily from any hotel in Cairo or Giza • 8 to 10 hours

Giza, Dahshur, and Saqqara Monuments

Visit the sole surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, Giza’s Pyramids, and the surrounding area. The Giza plateau is huge; musts are the 3 pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Valley temple. A short ride up the Giza Plateau will take you to a panoramic view point – this will enable you to appreciate the pyramids from a desert setting and to see expansive views of these impressive monuments. After as much walking and exploring as you like, journey through the countryside to Dahshur. Visit the Dahshur necropolis and venture into the heart of the Red or Bent Pyramids, where a sense of antiquity and romance still lingers. Then it is on to the necropolis of Saqqara, with some extraordinary funerary Old kingdom monuments, including the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, the pyramid complexes of Kings Unas and Teti, rock tombs and temples. To learn more about the archaeology and excavation history of Saqqara, visit the beautiful Imhotep Museum, where new and old discoveries are displayed – a visit here will no doubt enhance your experience of this sprawling necropolis.

Private Transportation • Sightseeing including all entrance fees • Expert Egyptologist Guide

Full Day – Giza, Dahshur & Saqqara 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons ≥ 5 Persons
Private Excursion, per person per tour  US$95  US$75  US$70  US$60

Giza, Dahshour & Saqqara • Departs Daily from any hotel in Cairo or Giza • 8 to 10 hours

Hidden Treasures of Dahshur & Meidum

These sites are much less well known than the pyramids of Giza and Saqqara, and are thus a lot less ‘touristy’. The Dahshur necropolis, extending alongside the fertile Nile valley, has five pyramids, among them the Bent and Red Pyramids of King Snefru and several Middle Kingdom pyramids. Sneferu’s Meidum pyramid was the first attempt to build a true pyramid. Around the pyramid are several mud-brick mastabas and a ruined mortuary temple. This seldom-visited archaeological site is beautifully located in a remote area on the edge of the desert, looking out over endless sands and lush green fields.

Private Transportation • Sightseeing including all entrance fees • Expert Egyptologist Guide

Full Day – Dahshur & Meidum Pyramids 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons ≥ 5 Persons
Private Excursion, per person per tour  US$105  US$80  US$65  US$55

Dahshur and Meidum Pyramids • Departs Daily from any hotel in Cairo or Giza • 8 to 10 hours

Mosques, Churches & Synagogues of Old Cairo

Absorb Egypt’s religious diversity by visiting the historic Coptic churches of Old Cairo, clustered around the Roman fortress of Babylon. The monuments include the Hanging Church and the eleventh-century Church of St Barbara, as well as the Coptic Museum, with its beautiful collection of mosaics, manuscripts, tapestries and Christian artwork. The ninth-century Ben Ezra Synagogue is the world’s oldest known synagogue, and served as a depository for old Hebrew manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages. The Islamic part of Old Cairo houses several great mosques, among them the splendid Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan (14th century). Inside the grounds of Cairo’s Citadel there are medieval mosques and several old palaces. Wandering through the narrow alleys and bazaars of Old Cairo is one of the best ways of interacting with the intriguing street life of Cairo.

Private Transportation • Sightseeing including all entrance fees • Expert Egyptologist Guide

Mosques, Churches & Synagogues of Old Cairo 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons ≥ 5 Persons
Private Excursion, per person per tour  US$90  US$75  US$65  US$60

Mosques, Churches & Synagogues of Old Cairo • Departs Daily from any hotel in Cairo or Giza • 8 to 10 hours

Walking tour into Medieval Cairo

A day exploring Cairo’s Islamic art treasures, including a visit to the newly refurbished Islamic Art Museum and a walking tour of Cairo’s narrow medieval streets in the energetic old city. Visit the Gayer-Anderson Museum and some of the superb mosques, among them the 10th-century Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque and the 14th-century Sultan Hassan Mosque, as well as abandoned palaces. Wander through a maze of nameless alleyways in the most vibrant and exotic part of the historic districts of Cairo. Today, as they always have, the bazaars of the Khan al-Khalili, Cairo’s most famous souk, pulse with commerce, with stalls of spices, jewellery, wooden & copper crafts, perfumes, lanterns and many other trinkets. Take time out to watch the world go by while smoking a water pipe at El Fishawy, Cairo’s oldest cafe, where Nobel prizewinner Naguib Mahfouz set several of his novels.

Private Transportation • Sightseeing including all entrance fees • Expert Egyptologist Guide

Full Day – Walking Tour into Medieval Cairo 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons ≥ 5 Persons
Private Excursion, per person per tour  US$80  US$65  US$55  US$50

Walking Tour into Medieval Cairo • Departs Daily from any hotel in Cairo or Giza • 8 to 10 hours

Visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is the greatest treasure-house of ancient Egyptian art in the world. Its 107 halls house over 150,000 of the most stunning and priceless Pharaonic antiquities, a treasure trove of artefacts from all corners of Egypt. Our Egyptologist guide will give you a private introduction to the collection, from little-known but important objects to pieces that have amazed the world. This is a private guided tour—so you can see the most, in the best way. The museum is huge, so make sure you give yourself long enough to do it justice.

Private Transportation • Sightseeing including all entrance fees • Expert Egyptologist Guide

Half Day – Egyptian Museum 2 Persons 3 Persons 4 Persons ≥ 5 Persons
 Private Excursion, per person per tour  US$50  US$45  US$40  US$35

The Egyptian Museum • Departs Daily from any hotel in Cairo or Giza • 4 to 6 hours

Insider Tips for Cairo and Outskirts

  • Al Azhar Park and the Giza Zoo
  • Picnicking in Qanatir: Nile barrages and shady parks
  • Sail on the Nily by Felucca and enjoy mouth-watering local cuisine
  • Birqash Camel Market
  • The countryside villages of Kerdassa and Harraniya