Coptic Cairo Tour: Cave Church and Old Cairo churches

Christian Cairo tour, walking, historical sites, explore cave sanctuary and ancient churches above Roman walls

A private tour of Coptic Cairo's major Christian sites (the Cave Church of Saint Simon, the Hanging Church, Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, the Church of Saint Barbara, and Ben Ezra Synagogue) with hotel pickup and a guide in English, Spanish or Arabic. The tour also passes through a neighborhood most visitors skip entirely, showing a side of Cairo beyond the main tourist circuit. Lunch at a local restaurant and bottled water are available as add-ons. The car and driver are included in every option.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Old Cairo1h
2. Church of St. Barbara30m
3. Hanging Church30m
4. Ben Ezra Synagogue1h
5. Cave Church1h

Explore Coptic Cairo churches and sites

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Old Cairo and Fort of Babylon
• See Church of St. Barbara
• Tour the Hanging Church
• Explore Ben Ezra Synagogue
• Visit El Mokattam Mountain Cave Church

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel and heads into Old Cairo, the district known as Coptic Cairo because it holds the city's oldest Christian churches. The Cave Church of Saint Simon sits carved into Mokattam Mountain, built above a cave where legend says the Holy Family took shelter during their flight into Egypt. Below ground level, the church's position tells the geological story of Cairo itself. The land has risen six meters since Roman times, which is why the Hanging Church now sits suspended above what was once a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress. You climb twenty-nine steps to reach it, a climb early travelers called the Staircase Church.

The itinerary moves through Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, built above the cave where the Holy Family sheltered, and the Church of Saint Barbara, named for a 3rd-century Christian martyr. Ben Ezra Synagogue rounds out the major sites: the building where a 19th-century discovery of the Cairo Geniza, a collection of stored Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts, eventually made its way to Cambridge University. A guide walks you through each site, explaining the history and the spiritual significance that draws pilgrims from across the Christian world.

The tour also passes through a Cairo neighborhood locals call "garbage city," a working district most visitors never see. It's the kind of detail that separates a standard sightseeing run from a tour that shows you how the city actually functions. A bottle of water is included throughout the half-day. If you choose the lunch option, the driver takes you to a local restaurant serving Egyptian food before returning you to your hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off by private air-conditioned vehicle.
• all transfers in a latest-model car.
• bottled water throughout the tour.
• a live guide in English, Spanish or Arabic if you select that option.
• lunch at a local Egyptian restaurant if you add it at checkout.

Options for this experience

3 options

Car with driver onlyGuide in English, Spanish or Arabic · 09:00Car with driver only, pickup is included

Car and tour guide onlyGuide in English, Spanish or Arabic · 09:00Car and tour guide only, pickup is included

Car, guide and lunchGuide in English, Spanish or Arabic · 09:00Car, guide and lunch, includes pickup

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Arabic

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Egypt Tours Online

Is this one for you?Choose the option with a guide if you want the history and spiritual context of each church explained as you walk through them. The driver-only option works if you're exploring on your own or traveling with someone who knows the sites. Add lunch if a half-day tour leaves you hungry before returning to your hotel.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What is the Cave Church of Saint Simon and why is it important to Christians visiting Cairo?

The Cave Church of Saint Simon, also called the Monastery of St Simon, is built above a cave in Mokattam Mountain where Christian tradition holds the Holy Family took shelter during their flight into Egypt. It became a pilgrimage destination for Christians worldwide because of that connection, and the cave itself is the spiritual center of the site.

Why is the Hanging Church called the Staircase Church?

The Hanging Church sits suspended above a Roman fortress gate, and you reach it by climbing twenty-nine steps. Early travelers to Cairo called it the Staircase Church because of those steps, and because the church's nave actually hangs over the passage below, a unique architectural position that makes the climb part of the experience.

What happened at Ben Ezra Synagogue that made it historically significant?

Ben Ezra Synagogue is where the Cairo Geniza was discovered in the 19th century: a collection of stored Hebrew, Aramaic and Judeo-Arabic manuscripts that had been kept in the synagogue's storage room. The discovery was important enough that the collection was eventually brought to Cambridge University and is now divided among major academic libraries.

Does the tour include lunch, and what kind of food is served?

Lunch at a local restaurant serving Egyptian food is available as an add-on option at checkout. It's not included in the car-and-driver-only option. If you choose it, the driver takes you to the restaurant during the tour and returns you to your hotel afterward.

What is "garbage city" and why is it part of this tour?

The tour passes through a working Cairo neighborhood that most visitors overlook, showing a side of the city beyond the main tourist sites. It's included to give you a glimpse of how Cairenes actually live and work, not just the religious and historical landmarks.