Cairo Day Trips: Which One to Book?

For a first day in Cairo, book the Trip to Giza Pyramids and Egyptian Museum: the Giza Plateau in the morning, lunch, then the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square. Choose the Grand Museum and Pyramids Tour if the Grand Egyptian Museum is the priority, the Pyramids, Memphis and Saqqara Tour for the older sites, and the Egyptian Museum, Old Coptic and Islamic Cairo Tour for the city itself. All four are private, with hotel pickup and return.

Key Takeaways

• Every Cairo day tour here includes a private air-conditioned vehicle, hotel pickup and return, a private English-speaking Egyptologist, entrance fees for every site listed, lunch at a local restaurant and bottled water.
• Not included: tips for your guide and driver, and anything not listed in the itinerary.
• The Pyramids, Memphis and Saqqara day offers an optional 30-minute camel ride across the Giza Plateau for a small additional fee.
• The Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00. The Grand Egyptian Museum stays open until 22:00 on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
• Two evening options sit alongside the day tours: a private felucca ride and a dinner cruise.

The four sightseeing days

What each one adds

All three Giza-based days begin at the same place: the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple. After that they split. The museum days change the afternoon. The Egyptian Museum is described on its page as home to over 160,000 artifacts, including items from Tutankhamun's tomb. The Grand Egyptian Museum is described as Egypt's newest and most ambitious cultural project.

The Pyramids, Memphis and Saqqara Tour goes south instead. Saqqara holds the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built by the architect Imhotep, and the day also covers the Pyramid of Teti and the decorated tombs of Saqqara's nobles. Choose it if you have already seen the museums. For background on the places themselves, see our pages on the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Saqqara necropolis and Memphis.

The Egyptian Museum, Old Coptic and Islamic Cairo Tour is the one that leaves the pyramids out. After the Egyptian Museum it goes to the Citadel of Salah El-Din and the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali, and after lunch to Coptic Cairo, including the Hanging Church, built above the Roman fortress of Babylon, the Church of St. Sergius and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. More on the Citadel, the Hanging Church and Coptic Cairo.

Opening hours worth knowing

These are the official hours at the time of writing. Check them again before you travel, especially in Ramadan, when sites run reduced hours.

After dark

Two short options fit the evening. The Private Felucca Ride is a private two-hour sail on the Nile in Cairo, by morning light or at sunset, with hotel pickup and return. The Dinner Cruise Maxim puts you at a reserved table on a five-star boat with an open buffet of Egyptian and international dishes, belly dancing, a Tanoura show and Western music. Browse the rest on the Cairo day tours page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Cairo day tour should I book first? The Giza Pyramids and Egyptian Museum day covers the best-known sites in one day.

Is lunch included? Yes, at a local restaurant, on all four sightseeing days.

Can I ride a camel? On the Pyramids, Memphis and Saqqara day, an optional 30-minute camel ride across the Giza Plateau is offered for a small additional fee.

Is the guide private? Yes. Each sightseeing day lists a private English-speaking Egyptologist and a private vehicle.

Do I tip? Tips for your guide and driver are not included.