Emo Tours Egypt · Coptic Cairo, Citadel, Sultan Hassan, Khan el-Khalili
A private car takes you to nine stops in about six hours, from the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra to Sultan Hassan, Al-Rifai and the Muhammad Ali Mosque, ending in Khan el-Khalili. Pick it for breadth: it squeezes in more sights than any half-day tour, and the live-guide option turns it into a proper history lesson.
Emo Tours Egypt runs this private day around both halves of Old Cairo. The Coptic half is the Hanging Church, Abu Serga (Sts Sergius and Bacchus), Ben Ezra Synagogue and the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As, Egypt's first mosque. The Islamic half is the Citadel with the Muhammad Ali Mosque, then Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai facing each other across the square below, before an hour in Khan el-Khalili. Nine stops, about six hours, door to door.
There are only two booking options, and the cheap one is easy to misread. "Tour with Audio Guide" is the $20 option: car, driver and an audio guide, no person explaining things. "Tour With Live Guide" adds a guide. The listing contradicts itself on tickets: the exclusions say "Entry Ticket of any of the Mosques is not included", while another line says fees depend on the option. With no ticket option on offer, plan to pay at the gates: EGP 550 for the Citadel and EGP 220 for the shared Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai ticket, EGP 770 in total, about $15 per foreign adult. Lunch isn't in the inclusions either, though several guests had one, so confirm it in writing if it matters.
Reviews are the most mixed of any tour on this site: 4.5 from 247. Most guests had a good day. The low ones describe a late guide, a "private" tour merged with another booking, and two guides who asked the guest to pay for tickets the guest believed were prepaid. Go in knowing that, and the stop list is hard to beat. If you'd rather have the same stops from the same operator with tickets folded in, see the guided day with entry fees.
Your driver collects you, and your guide if you booked one. One guest had a 7:00 AM start.
The Hanging Church, Abu Serga's crypt, Ben Ezra Synagogue and the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As. None of these charges admission.
The 1356-1363 madrasa with four iwans, one per Sunni school, and Al-Rifai opposite with its royal tombs. One ticket covers both: EGP 220.
The alabaster mosque and the view over the city. Citadel ticket EGP 550, card only.
Free time in the bazaar near the Al-Hussein Mosque, then the drive back.
★★★★★We booked just Car and Guide and there were no problems with buying the tickets on-site. Even in high season there were no queues and you can pay by card everywhere, except the 50E£ car fee to the Citadel.
★★★★★Ishaq was a great guide and explained the history of each place really well. I was really impressed by the Muhammad Ali mosque in particular. We were able to take our time and never felt rushed.
★★★★★[...] As a solo female traveller, safety and comfort are my top priorities and I felt very well taken care of throughout the entire trip.
★★★★★Great day out with a knowledgeable guide, Mahmoud. He knew how to dodge the v busy areas and circle back when traffic was lighter.
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No. The listing excludes mosque tickets and has no ticket option. A foreign adult pays EGP 550 at the Citadel (card only) and EGP 220 for Sultan Hassan with Al-Rifai: EGP 770, about $15. The churches, Ben Ezra, the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As and the bazaar are free.
The audio-guide option ($20 per person for the largest group) gives you a car, a driver and a recorded commentary. The live-guide option adds a guide who walks the sites with you. Both are private and priced by group size, so enter your party size on Viator to compare.
Not according to the listing's inclusions, although several guests mention a lunch on their day. If you want one, ask the operator to confirm it before you travel, or eat in Khan el-Khalili at the end.
Emo Tours Egypt, the same operator behind the private Islamic and Coptic Cairo day and the guided day with entry fees. The three share the same nine stops and differ in what the price includes.
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The most stops for the money: churches, synagogue, mosques and the bazaar in one private day.
Private Day in Islamic and Coptic CairoNine stops by private car with four options, from driver and audio guide up to guide, tickets and lunch.★ 4.6 · 6 hours · from $15
Guided Day with Entry Fees IncludedOne option, nothing to decode: guide, private car and every entry fee for nine stops in Coptic and Islamic Cairo.★ 4.8 · 6 hours · from $85
Private 4-Hour Coptic Cairo, Citadel and KhanThe most-booked Old Cairo tour: churches, the Citadel mosque and the bazaar in four private hours, guide and tickets optional.★ 4.8 · 4 hours · from $14