Private Coptic Cairo tour: Hanging Church & St Simon monastery

Walk through seven centuries of Christian Egypt in one morning

A private tour of Old Cairo's Coptic Christian sites with an Egyptologist guide, covering the Hanging Church, Abu Serga (the holy crypt church), Ben Ezra Synagogue and the St Simon monastery cave church in Mokattam. The guide speaks your language and the tour includes all entrance fees, transport and bottled water over six hours from your hotel.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Coptic Cairo and Cave Churches

• Visit Old Cairo highlights
• See Hanging Church
• Explore Saint Serguis (Abu Serga) Church
• Visit Ben Ezra Synagogue
• Tour Cave Church in Mokattam Village
• Visit St Simon the Tanner Monastery
• Return to start point

The experience

Old Cairo is where the holy family is believed to have stayed during their time in Egypt, and the sites here hold that history in their stone. The Hanging Church sits above the Babylon Fortress; Abu Serga marks the crypt where saints Sergius and Bacchus were buried; Ben Ezra Synagogue stands nearby. These buildings mostly date from after the 7th-century Islamic conquest, yet they anchor the Christian tradition that kept Egypt's faith alive through centuries of change. Your guide walks you through each one, explaining the architecture and the stories embedded in them.

The second half of the tour moves to Mokattam Village, where seven cave churches are carved into the mountain. The largest is the St Simon monastery, built into a natural cave and named for the Tanner: a saint revered in Coptic tradition. The monastery has an amphitheater carved from the rock with seating for 20,000, making it the largest church in the Middle East. The caves themselves tell another story: the Zabbaleen community built their homes here after settling permanently in the 1970s, and the churches grew alongside their neighborhood. You'll see how faith and daily life intertwined in this unlikely place.

The tour runs six hours total with pickup from your hotel and return at the end. Your guide is an Egyptologist fluent in your language, and the vehicle is air-conditioned. Entrance fees, bottled water, snacks and WiFi on board are all included. You bring only yourself and comfortable shoes for walking through narrow passages and up stone steps.

What’s included

• Expert Egyptologist guide in your chosen language.
• private air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi and bottled water.
• entrance fees to the Hanging Church, Abu Serga, Ben Ezra Synagogue and St Simon monastery.
• snacks.
• hotel pickup and return.
• all taxes.

Before you book

Lasts 6h, runs every day at 08:00, from US$ 32 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transport

Operated by Egypt Tours Booking

Is this one for you?Book this private tour if you want to move at your own pace through Coptic Cairo without sharing a guide or vehicle with other travelers. The six-hour span lets you linger at each site and ask questions without keeping a group waiting, and the Egyptologist guide can adjust the depth of explanation to what interests you most.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Hanging Church and why is it called that?

The Hanging Church sits suspended above the Babylon Fortress in Old Cairo, built on top of the fortress's gatehouse so that its nave hangs over the void below. It is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and a centerpiece of Coptic Cairo's Christian heritage.

Can I visit the cave churches inside Mokattam Mountain?

Yes. Seven cave churches are carved into Mokattam Mountain. The St Simon monastery is the largest and the one your tour focuses on. It was established in 1975 and has grown into a working monastery and pilgrimage site for Coptic Christians.

How much walking is involved in this tour?

You'll walk through multiple church interiors, climb stone steps and navigate narrow passages, especially in the cave churches. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, though comfortable shoes and a willingness to move through tight spaces are necessary.