Location: Cairo
Top Things to do in Cairo
10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Cairo That You Shouldn't Miss
Cairo’s an ancient city that also happens to be a modern metropolis—it’s one of the biggest cities in the Middle East and has the traffic and noise issues to prove it. But as long as you’re not looking for solitude, Cairo—the City of the Thousand Minarets—is a splendid place to explore Egyptian history and culture. (Editor's note: Our list was compiled before political unrest prompted many countries to issue travel warnings for Egypt. If you're currently planning a trip to Egypt, please consider the risks and monitor your government's travel alerts.)
Restaurants in Cairo
1. Cairo Citadel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,197 reviews
This massive stone fortress, built by Salah ad-Din in the 12th century, was crowned with the Mosque of Mohammed Ali 700 years later.
Reviewed By dr_j_now - Germantown, United States
This wasn't necessarily on our personal radar, but it was part of the group tour so obviously we came. It's worth seeing; it's an amazing old site overall and very impressive, especially considering when it was all built. If visiting the area, be sure to dress and act appropriately here especially, as the Mohammad Ali Mosque is one of the main buildings here and must be visited if you're here. Even though it's an impressive building, it is really a bummer that they used limestone from the Great Pyramids to construct it. From the courtyard we got lucky and it was apparently a "clear" day (still quite hazy) and we had a nice view of the city, including the Pyramids in the distance. Overall it was definitely worth a short stop.
2. The Coptic Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 313 reviews
Housing some of the finest collections of Coptic art dating back to Egypt’s Christian era, this museum includes collections of ancient ankhs and Horus-like falcons, stone carvings from the era of the Mamluks, a 6th-century Coptic stone pulpit and the 1,600-year-old Coptic book of the Psalms of David.
Reviewed By limegreenchalk - Macon, United States
If you are interested in medieval or early Christian art, this museum is for you. There are countless beautiful objects: ceramics, frescoes, textiles, architectural stone, manuscripts, and so on. The building itself is beautiful and peaceful. All objects are labeled, unlike in the Egyptian Museum. Most of the galleries have dim lighting to protect the art. Not to be missed!
3. Gayer-Anderson Museum (Bayt al-Kiritliya)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 204 reviews
This museum features the items of antiquity collected by John Gayer-Anderson, a British member of the Egyptian civil service in the 1930s and ‘40s, who restored two adjacent 16th- and 17th-century houses decorated with mashrabiyya screens and marble inlays.
Reviewed By kingzogofalbania
This is a real treat. A rabbit Warren of rooms stuffed full of mementos the owner collected over his career in the British army. Great collection of Islamic furniture screens and tiles and a peek at how sophisticated members of the colonial class lived. Hard to believe there’s a bustling city just a few feet away. There’s a guide on the premises to explain what you’re seeing.
4. Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 760 reviews
This church, originally built in the ancient fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo around 4th century AD, derives its name from its location suspended above two Roman gate towers.
Reviewed By 359_Severn
An ancient Coptic church built on the bastion and the Water Gate of a Roman fort. The building in its current form has been known approximately since the 7th century, the history dates back to the 4th century. It was rebuilt several times, recently restoration was carried out. Inside there is a carved wood and ivory iconostasis, a marble pulpit, old icons. Nice, quiet, peaceful. Древняя коптская церковь, построенная на бастионе и Водных воротах римского форта. Здание в нынешнем виде известно ориентировочно с 7 века, история восходит к 4 веку. Неоднократно перестраивалась, недавно была проведена реставрация. Внутри находится резной иконостас из дерева и слоновой кости, мраморная кафедра, старые иконы. Красиво, тихо, умиротворенно.
5. Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 429 reviews
Reviewed By kaziy - Dhaka City, Bangladesh
The Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan is a monumental mosque and madrassa Cairo, Egypt was built between 1356 and 1363 during the Bahri Mamluk period, commissioned by Sultan an-Nasir Hasan. The mosque was considered remarkable for its massive size and innovative architectural components, and is still considered one of the most impressive historic monuments in Cairo today. This mosque is stunning and impressive from outside and inside. The mosque occupies almost 8000 square meters and the building is about 500 meters long, 68 meters wide, and 36 meters high. The massive main doorway at the north corner is almost 26 meters high and the minaret at the south corner is the tallest in Cairo at 81.5 meters. The mosque is an active place of worship. At the time of visiting the mosque women need to cover their heads; arms and legs and all visitors will need to leave their shoes prior to entering the mosque.
6. Mosque of Ibn Tulun
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 387 reviews
This is considered one of Egypt's largest and oldest mosques, which was built between AD 876 and AD 879 by an Abbasid governor sent from Baghdad to rule over Egypt.
Reviewed By kaziy - Dhaka City, Bangladesh
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo, Egypt is the second oldest mosque in Egypt and Africa surviving in its full original form, and is the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of land area. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun was constructed by Ahmed Ibn Tulun between AD 876 and 879 and modeled on the Kaaba in Makkha (Saudi Arabia). Since Ibn Tulun is an open space, it brings in a lot of sun and shadows. Its decorations being created from carved stucco and wood. On the mosque's northern side is the 40-meter-high minaret with a fine horseshoe arch over the entrance and a spiral staircase swirling through the interior.The mosque is an active place of worship. At the time of visiting the mosque women need to cover their heads; arms and legs and all visitors will need to leave their shoes or have shoe covers put over shoes prior to entering the mosque.
7. Museum of Islamic Arts
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 139 reviews
Reviewed By Gaafar - Sandefjord, Norway
Very beautiful collection of artifacts from different historical eras starting from the Ummayad Caliphate (661-744), Abbasid Caliphate, Fatimid, Ayubbid, Mamluk, Ottoman and all the way to contemporary history (Muhammad Ali dynasty), each hall housing a collection from each of those eras and explaining a bit about the lifestyle in Egypt during that time. It's not a huge collection and can be covered in a couple of hours while savoring the details of the different artifacts. Highly recommended while in Cairo.
8. Al-Azhar Mosque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 359 reviews
The oldest university in the world is built around this ancient mosque, which has been the center of Islamic scholarship since 975 AD.
Reviewed By Visit100Countries - San Francisco, United States
It is worth a visit especially if you are familiar about how powerful this mosque and university in the islamic world. To date, students all over the world go there to learn a special branch of Islam. The school was very powerful up to recently and still has some weight in Egypt and beyond.
9. Greek Orthodox Church of St. George (Mari Girgis)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 218 reviews
Originally built in 684 AD by the wealthy scribe Athanasius, this religious site is known for its beautiful Qaa el-Arsan (wedding chamber) that dates from the 4th century.
Reviewed By livingtheqlife - Colorado Springs, United States
During our trip to Cairo, we took a day to visit Coptic Cairo, which is a section of Old Cairo with the Babylon Fortress, Abu Serga (Cave Church), and the Church of St. George. The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church that dates back to the 10th century, although the current church buildings were built in 1909 after being destroyed in a fire in 1904. Sitting on top of a hill with a steep set of stairs, the architecture of the church is definitely interesting and impressive. As you approach the church, there is no doubt as to who it is dedicated as there are several murals with images of St. George defeating the dragon, including the large relief on the front of the church itself. The church tower also has a wind-vane that features a dragon that hovers over the church. The church itself is a round building with a large dome over the center, which is quite stunning and dramatic. Next to the church is a cemetery with beautiful grounds and a variety of crypts and tombs. Seeing a Christian cemetery in the heart of Cairo was certainly unique and it was quiet and peaceful in the otherwise hectic city. One of the most interesting features in the cemetery was a mud and stone crypt that resembled a cave. There wasn’t any signage or information that indicated its history or purpose within the cemetery. The interior of the Church of St. George was beautiful, especially with its colorful dome ceiling. Inside of the church, there was also a gold image of St. George slaying the dragon. There is certainly plenty to see in Old Cairo as well as in Coptic Cairo and we spent a couple of hours visiting the various sites.
10. Islamic Cairo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 778 reviews
After the Muslims conquered Egypt in 641 AD, they built their city, Al-Fustat, on what is now the southern border of modern Cairo. Today, this section of the city contains many important sites including the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Mosque of al-Azhar and the Khan al-Khalili market, which is considered the heart of this area.
Reviewed By linnman
A trip to Cairo will not be complete without a visit to Islamic Cairo. This part of the city is so rich in history with the fantastic mosques, the Islamic centre of learning Al Azhar and the wonderful Islamic architecture evident in many of the buildings in the conserved quarter. Talk a walk along the streets eg El Muaz Street, see the local life and feel the vibes. Visit the Khan El-Khalili Bazaar where you can pick up local Egyptian products like tea, nuts, dates and confectionery or try tamr hendi which is a nice local drink.
