Private Khan El-Khalili Shopping Tour Cairo: Bazaar & Koshary
Wander Khan El-Khalili's stone alleys and workshop stalls, then eat koshary at a Cairo institution.
A private shopping tour of Khan El-Khalili bazaar in Cairo, led by an expert guide who picks you up from your hotel and walks you through the 14th-century Mamluk market's arches, copper workshops, and perfume stalls. You'll stop at the historic El Fishawi Café, explore Al-Muizz Street's Islamic architecture, visit a papyrus gallery and spice house, and end with lunch at Koshary Abu Tarek, a world-ranked Egyptian restaurant. The tour includes hotel pickup, entrance fees, water and fresh mango juice, and a private vehicle for all transport.
Options for this experience
3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Explore Khan El-Khalili and Old Cairo
- Hotel pickup by expert guide
- Walk through Khan El Khalili bazaar
- Visit El Fishawi Café
- Explore Al-Muizz Street architecture
- See Bab Al-Futuh gate and stories
- Shop for Egyptian cotton products
- Choose local gifts and crafts
- Visit Papyrus Institute & Gallery
- Tour Pharaonic Essential Oils Factory
- Explore Knooz Herbal & Spice House
- Optional: Enjoy lunch or dinner with koshary or shawerma
- Return to hotel
- Khan el-Khalili 2h
- Sharia Al Mu'izz Li-Din Allah 30m
- Merit Center Bazaar 30m
- Royal Perfumes And Oils 40m
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from any hotel in Cairo, Giza, or airport.
- entrance fees to all sites.
- mineral water and fresh Egyptian mango juice throughout the tour.
- private expert guide in your chosen language.
- private modern vehicle for all transportation.
- Every day 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
Information
Private shopping tour of Khan El-Khalili bazaar in Cairo with hotel pickup, expert guide, and lunch at a world-ranked restaurant.
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The experience
You start from your hotel in Cairo or Giza with pickup included, then head straight into Khan El-Khalili, the legendary bazaar founded in the 14th century. Your guide leads you beneath Islamic arches and intricate stone carvings through alleys lined with copper and silver workshops, oriental perfume stalls, and vendors selling papyrus, carpets, and jewelry. You'll stop at El Fishawi Café, which has welcomed guests for over 250 years, and have time to bargain for souvenirs and photograph the wooden mashrabiyas and domed ceilings that define the market's character.
From Khan El-Khalili, the tour continues into Al-Muizz Street, one of Cairo's most significant historic avenues. You walk among Fatimid and Mamluk architecture: ornate domes, carved wooden screens, and centuries-old schools that now form an open-air museum. Your guide shares the stories of the sites as you reach Bab Al-Futuh, one of Cairo's oldest gates dating back to the 11th century, which marks the northern edge of Islamic Cairo. Along the way, you'll stop at a cotton shop to see traditional Egyptian linens and galabeyas, a gift shop where you can have your name engraved in hieroglyphs on a cartouche, and the Papyrus Institute to learn how ancient Egyptians made the paper that survived millennia. A visit to a spice and herbal house shows you the remedies and aromatics the ancients used for healing and wellness.
The tour ends at Koshary Abu Tarek, ranked among the world's top 100 restaurants, where you eat the original koshary: lentils, pasta, rice, spicy tomato sauce, and crispy onions layered together. After lunch, your driver returns you to your hotel. The whole experience runs 4 to 6 hours depending on how long you spend in each workshop and market stall. Mineral water and fresh Egyptian mango juice are provided throughout, and your guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French or another language depending on availability.
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 (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What is Khan El-Khalili and why is it worth a whole tour?
Khan El-Khalili is a bazaar founded in the 14th century in the heart of Old Cairo, built during the Mamluk era. Its stone-paved alleys run beneath Islamic arches and intricate carvings, lined with workshops where artisans still work copper, silver, and oriental perfumes by hand. The market is where Cairenes and travelers buy papyrus, carpets, jewelry, and spices, and it remains one of the city's most iconic gathering places.
Do I have time to bargain and shop, or is this mostly walking and looking?
You have time to bargain and shop throughout the tour. The guide leads you through the bazaar and into workshops, but the pace is built around exploring stalls, meeting artisans, and choosing souvenirs. Stops at El Fishawi Café and the gift shop give you moments to sit and browse, and the tour's 4 to 6 hour length means you're not rushed through the market.
What is Koshary Abu Tarek and why is it included?
Koshary Abu Tarek is an Egyptian street-food restaurant ranked among the world's top 100, famous for the original koshary: a layered dish of lentils, pasta, rice, spicy tomato sauce, and crispy onions. It's included in the tour as the final stop so you end the day with an authentic, satisfying meal that reflects real Egyptian cuisine and completes the cultural experience of Old Cairo.
What happens if I'm interested in papyrus or essential oils but not spices?
The tour visits the Papyrus Institute, a pharaonic essential oils factory, and a spice house as scheduled stops, but you're not required to buy anything at any of them. Your guide will explain what each place offers and its history, and you can choose whether to purchase or simply look around and move on to the next stop.
Is this tour accessible if I use a wheelchair or have mobility concerns?
Khan El-Khalili's alleys are stone-paved and narrow, which can be difficult for wheelchairs, but the tour operator notes that all areas and surfaces visited are wheelchair accessible and that the private vehicle and transportation options are wheelchair accessible. Discuss your specific needs with the operator when booking so they can confirm which stops work for your mobility.
Operated by Pharaonic Vision Tours. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Private Khan El-Khalili Shopping Tour Cairo: Bazaar & Koshary
4h–6h · EN · ES · FR · DE · IT · at your hotel
from US$ 14.60 per person
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