Egypt Discovery Tours · Al-Azhar, Al-Muizz Street, Khan el-Khalili
A licensed guide picks you up, takes you into Al-Azhar Mosque, then walks you down Al-Muizz Street and through Khan el-Khalili to the Mosque of Al-Hakim. Pick it for a short, easy first taste of medieval Cairo, ideally in the evening when the bazaar lights up.
Egypt Discovery Tours keeps this one short: two to three hours in the medieval heart of Cairo. You start at Al-Azhar Mosque, founded by the Fatimids in 970-972, walk Al-Muizz Street, the old main street between the city gates, browse Khan el-Khalili and finish at the Mosque of Al-Hakim by the northern walls. The itinerary marks every stop free. You pass the great Mamluk monuments of Al-Muizz from the street; going inside them takes the unified ticket, EGP 220, which this tour doesn't include.
Four booking options. "Market Tour" is the walk itself. "Tour + Abu Tarek koshary" adds a bowl at the downtown koshary institution. "Market tour + Nile Feluca ride" adds a sail; one guest asked for it at sunset and got it. "Only car included" is transport without the guide. All are priced per person by group size, and the guide, sugar-cane juice, water and hotel pickup come with the market options.
Read one inclusion carefully: "Shopping tour". Expect the guide to take you to shops. Five-star guests who told the guide what they wanted and their budget were delighted with the result; if you don't want to shop, say so at the start. The rating is a perfect 5.0 from 170 reviews, most of them on Tripadvisor. The mosques can't be visited on Fridays, and to see inside you need to start before the last prayer of the day.
Private pickup from your hotel. Guests report evening starts at 6pm and 7pm.
Shoes off; the mosque lends women a robe and head covering. Free.
The medieval main street lined with Mamluk madrasas, domes and carved facades.
The 1382 bazaar, with shop stops where you want them. Sugar-cane juice on the way.
The great Fatimid mosque beside the northern walls, then back to the car. Guests report being home by about 9:30pm.
★★★★★We were picked up on time at 6pm and first went to the Al-Azhar Mosque. From there we walked to the bazaar as it was getting dark out. Highly recommend doing the bazaar at night. My wife really enjoyed this and picked up some spices for cooking.
★★★★★We told him what souvenirs we were looking for and our price range, and he delivered! He took us to the best shops in the bazaar with exactly what we wanted at fair prices.
★★★★★He masterfully managed the schedule for the day to ensure we ended up in the felucca on the Nile River during sunset (per my explicit request). He was on time in picking us up from our hotel.
★★★★★I wanted to take an evening tour after sunset, for cooler weather. Found this tour @ 19:00, decided to take it. Glad I did.
Read next:
No. Al-Azhar, the Mosque of Al-Hakim, the street and the bazaar are free. The unified ticket for the Al-Muizz monuments (EGP 220, foreign adult) only matters if you want to go inside the Qalawun complex and the other madrasas, which this tour doesn't do.
Not on this tour. The listing says the two mosques aren't available on Fridays. Visit on another day, and book a start before the last prayer of the day.
Two to three hours. Guests report evening tours starting at 6pm and finishing around 9:30pm with the drive.
Yes, "Shopping tour" is in the inclusions. Guests who said what they wanted came away happy. If you'd rather not shop, tell the guide at the start.
Ready to book
Two to three hours in the bazaar and on Al-Muizz Street with a licensed local guide and hotel pickup.
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