Things to do · Cairo · Egypt
19 best things to do in Cairo
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Hesham Ebaid, CC0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Cairo are Pyramids of Giza, Great Sphinx and Grand Egyptian Museum. Of the 19 picks below, 2 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 4 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Pyramids of Giza
- Free sights
- 2
- Good on a rainy day
- Grand Egyptian Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyramids of Giza | Giza | 3–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| Great Sphinx | Giza | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Grand Egyptian Museum | Giza | 4–5 hours | Expensive |
| National Museum of Egyptian Civilization | Fustat | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Khan el-Khalili | Islamic Cairo | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Al-Azhar Mosque | Islamic Cairo | 45 minutes | Free |
| Citadel of Saladin and Muhammad Ali Mosque | Citadel | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan | Citadel | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Egyptian Museum (Tahrir) | Downtown | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Al-Muizz Street | Islamic Cairo | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Al-Azhar Park | Islamic Cairo | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Coptic Cairo | Old Cairo | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Mosque of Ibn Tulun and Gayer-Anderson Museum | Sayyida Zeinab | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Felucca ride on the Nile | Nile Corniche | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Cairo Tower | Zamalek | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Bab Zuweila | Islamic Cairo | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Baron Empain Palace | Heliopolis | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Tanoura show at Wekalet El Ghouri | Islamic Cairo | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Manial Palace | Roda Island | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
The 19 best things to do
Historic site · Giza
1.Pyramids of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, built about 4,500 years ago and the last surviving wonder of the ancient world, stands with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and smaller queens' pyramids on the desert plateau west of the Nile. You can walk around the bases, enter the Great Pyramid's narrow passages with an extra ticket, and see all three together from the panoramic viewpoint to the south-west.
Arrive at opening to beat the heat and the tour buses, and agree the price, route and length of any camel or horse ride before you get on.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Tickets for the Great Pyramid's interior are limited and sold separately from plateau entry; buy them early in the day or online.
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Views
Landmark · Giza
2.Great Sphinx
Carved from the bedrock of the plateau, the lion-bodied Sphinx is about 73 metres long and 20 metres high and is usually associated with the pharaoh Khafre. The terrace beside Khafre's Valley Temple, built of massive granite blocks, gives the classic view with a pyramid behind.
Leave the Sphinx for the end of your plateau loop, and return for the evening sound-and-light show if you want to see it lit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Photo spot
- After dark
Museum · Giza
3.Grand Egyptian Museum
Opened in full in 2025 about 2 km from the pyramids, the GEM is described as the largest museum in the world devoted to a single civilisation. A colossal statue of Ramesses II stands in the atrium, a grand staircase lined with royal statues climbs to the main galleries, and the complete treasure of Tutankhamun is displayed together for the first time.
Allow at least half a day, head to the Tutankhamun galleries before they fill, and pair the museum with the pyramids on the same side of the city.
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Buy timed tickets online in advance, especially for weekends and the winter high season.
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Fustat
4.National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
Beside the Ain el-Sira lake in Fustat, NMEC tells Egypt's story from prehistory to the present, and its dimly lit Royal Mummies Hall holds the mummies of rulers such as Ramesses II and Hatshepsut, moved here in a televised parade in 2021.
Go straight down to the Royal Mummies Hall first, and combine the museum with Coptic Cairo nearby.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Market · Islamic Cairo
5.Khan el-Khalili
Cairo's great bazaar has traded since the 14th century in a tangle of lanes selling lanterns, brass, spices, perfume oils, textiles and silver, among old caravanserai gateways. El Fishawy café, in a mirrored alley, has served tea and shisha for generations.
Come in the late afternoon and stay into the evening, when the lanes and the square by Al-Hussein Mosque are at their liveliest; bargain firmly but politely.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Shopping
- Free
- After dark
- Food
Religious site · Islamic Cairo
6.Al-Azhar Mosque
Founded in 970, Al-Azhar is one of the oldest continuously working centres of Islamic learning in the world. Its white marble courtyard is framed by arcades and minarets from several dynasties, and visitors are welcome outside prayer times.
Remove your shoes at the entrance; women should cover their hair, and scarves are often provided.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
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Castle · Citadel
7.Citadel of Saladin and Muhammad Ali Mosque
Saladin began this hilltop fortress in the 1170s, and it was the seat of Egypt's rulers for some 700 years. Its skyline is dominated by the Ottoman-style Mosque of Muhammad Ali, clad in alabaster and built from the 1830s, and the terraces look across Cairo's minarets towards the pyramids on clear days.
Visit in the morning, take a taxi up, then walk down to the Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa'i mosques below.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Architecture
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Religious site · Citadel
8.Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan
Built between 1356 and 1363, this vast Mamluk mosque and school has a towering carved portal and a courtyard enclosed by four lofty vaulted iwans. Opposite stands the Al-Rifa'i Mosque, completed in 1912, which holds tombs of members of Egypt's former royal family.
Visit just before or after the Citadel, which looms over the square.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Iconic
Museum · Downtown
1.Egyptian Museum (Tahrir)
The pink neoclassical museum on Tahrir Square, opened in 1902, still holds a vast collection of statues, coffins, papyri and everyday objects from every period of ancient Egypt, many in their original wooden display cases. With Tutankhamun's treasures moved to the GEM it is quieter, and its crowded galleries feel like a museum of a museum.
A guide helps make sense of the dense galleries, which are full of pieces you won't see elsewhere.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Street · Islamic Cairo
2.Al-Muizz Street
The main street of the medieval Fatimid city runs from Bab al-Futuh south to Bab Zuweila, lined with some of the finest Islamic architecture anywhere: the Qalawun complex with its hospital and mausoleum, the madrasa of Barquq, ornate sabil-kuttab fountains and the Ottoman merchant's house of Bayt al-Suhaymi.
Walk it in the late afternoon and stay for the evening, when the monuments are lit and the northern section is largely pedestrianised.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- After dark
- Photo spot
Park · Islamic Cairo
3.Al-Azhar Park
Built on a centuries-old rubbish mound and opened in 2005 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, this 30-hectare park of lawns, fountains and palm-lined paths gives some of the best views over Islamic Cairo and the Citadel. Work on the park uncovered a long stretch of the 12th-century Ayyubid city wall along its edge.
Come in the late afternoon for sunset, when families picnic and the minarets glow, and stay for dinner at one of the park restaurants.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Historic site · Old Cairo
4.Coptic Cairo
Within the walls of the Roman fortress of Babylon, Coptic Cairo holds the Hanging Church, built over a fortress gate, the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, linked by tradition to the Holy Family's stay in Egypt, the Ben Ezra Synagogue and the Coptic Museum's early Christian art.
Take Metro Line 1 to Mar Girgis station, which stops right outside, and dress modestly for the churches.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Art
Religious site · Sayyida Zeinab
5.Mosque of Ibn Tulun and Gayer-Anderson Museum
Completed in 879, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun is the oldest mosque in Cairo to survive largely in its original form, with a huge courtyard and a minaret wrapped by an external spiral staircase. Next door, the Gayer-Anderson Museum fills two Ottoman-era houses with a British collector's antiques and carved wooden screens.
Climb the spiral minaret for one of the best rooftop views in Cairo, then visit the house museum next door.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Nile Corniche
6.Felucca ride on the Nile
Traditional wooden sailboats with tall triangular sails wait at landings along the Corniche in Garden City and Downtown. An hour on the water at sunset shows the city from a calmer angle, with the Cairo Tower and the Nile bridges lighting up as night falls.
Agree the price for the boat and the length of the trip before boarding, and bring your own drinks and snacks.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
- After dark
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Viewpoint · Zamalek
7.Cairo Tower
Completed in 1961 on Gezira Island, the 187-metre concrete tower is shaped like a lotus plant and has an open-air observation deck with 360-degree views over the Nile and, on clear days, the pyramids.
Go about an hour before sunset; haze often hides the pyramids, but the evening city lights are dependable.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
Historic site · Islamic Cairo
8.Bab Zuweila
The southern gate of the Fatimid city, built in 1092, is crowned by the twin minarets of the neighbouring Al-Mu'ayyad Mosque, which you can climb for views across the domes and rooftops of medieval Cairo. Just south, the covered Street of the Tentmakers sells hand-stitched appliqué textiles.
Climb the minarets in the late afternoon, then walk south to the tentmakers' covered market.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Shopping
- Off the beaten path
Palace · Heliopolis
9.Baron Empain Palace
Built between 1907 and 1911 for the Belgian founder of Heliopolis, this palace borrows from Hindu temple architecture such as Angkor Wat, with carved elephants and Indian deities on its façades. After decades of neglect it was restored and reopened in 2020 with exhibitions on the history of Heliopolis.
Combine it with a walk around the arcades of the Korba district, or a stop before a late flight, as the airport is close.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Experience · Islamic Cairo
10.Tanoura show at Wekalet El Ghouri
In a restored 16th-century caravanserai near Al-Azhar, the Al-Tannoura troupe performs Egyptian Sufi-inspired dance, with whirling dancers in multicoloured skirts accompanied by traditional musicians. Performances usually take place several evenings a week.
Arrive early for a good seat and check the current schedule locally, as it can change.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- After dark
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Palace · Roda Island
11.Manial Palace
Built in the early 20th century for Prince Mohamed Ali Tewfik on Roda Island, the Manial Palace mixes Ottoman, Moorish, Persian and Art Nouveau styles, with tiled reception halls, a small mosque and a garden of rare trees.
It is a short taxi ride from Garden City and makes a quiet break from the big sights.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Grand Egyptian Museum, National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Egyptian Museum (Tahrir) and Coptic Cairo |
| History | Pyramids of Giza, Great Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Museum and Egyptian Museum (Tahrir) |
| Views | Pyramids of Giza, Citadel of Saladin and Muhammad Ali Mosque, Al-Azhar Park and Mosque of Ibn Tulun and Gayer-Anderson Museum |
| Outdoors and nature | Al-Azhar Park |
| Food and markets | Khan el-Khalili |
| After dark | Great Sphinx, Khan el-Khalili, Al-Muizz Street and Felucca ride on the Nile |
| With children | Pyramids of Giza, Grand Egyptian Museum, Al-Azhar Park and Felucca ride on the Nile |
| On a rainy day | Grand Egyptian Museum, Egyptian Museum (Tahrir), National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and Coptic Cairo |
What to book ahead
- Pyramids of Giza: Tickets for the Great Pyramid's interior are limited and sold separately from plateau entry; buy them early in the day or online.
- Grand Egyptian Museum: Buy timed tickets online in advance, especially for weekends and the winter high season.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Cairo?
Pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Khufu, built about 4,500 years ago and the last surviving wonder of the ancient world, stands with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and smaller queens' pyramids on the desert plateau west of the Nile.
+What can you do for free in Cairo?
Khan el-Khalili and Al-Azhar Mosque. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Cairo when it rains?
Head indoors to Grand Egyptian Museum, Egyptian Museum (Tahrir), National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and Coptic Cairo.
+What is there to do in Cairo at night?
Great Sphinx, Khan el-Khalili, Al-Muizz Street and Felucca ride on the Nile are best after dark.