Coptic Museum
Opened in 1910, with about 15,000 objects on display
5.0 on TripadvisorPrivate tour Coptic Cairo & National Museum of Egyptian Civilization Day Tour
Old Cairo in a day: the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue, then the royal mummies at NMEC, with a private Egyptologist.
- Duration
- About 6 hours
- Sites
- Coptic Cairo and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
- Pick-up
- Hotel in Cairo or Giza
- Language
- English (other languages on request)
From, per person$506 or more travellers
- Starts any day
- Free quote, no obligation
- Change anything you like
About this tour
Old Cairo packs several periods into a short walk: a Roman-era fortress, Christian churches, a synagogue, and nearby a modern museum that tells the whole story of Egypt. This day connects them. You spend the morning on foot in Coptic Cairo, then move to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, next to Ain el-Sira lake.
It suits travellers who want to know what happened in Egypt after the pharaohs, history readers, and families with older children. The museum has lifts and free wheelchairs, though several churches have steps, so tell us if mobility is a concern.
It is not the day for pyramids or temples, and there are no markets or shopping stops. If your priority is pharaonic monuments, look at our Giza or Saqqara tours instead.
Hanging Church
Reached by 29 steps, with 110 icons, built above a Roman fortress gate
Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Linked by tradition to the Holy Family's stay in Egypt
Ben Ezra Synagogue
Where the Cairo Geniza, about 400,000 documents, was found
Royal Mummies Hall at NMEC
20 royal mummies, 18 kings and 2 queens
Ain el-Sira lake
The museum sits next to a lake redeveloped in 2022
How the day runs
- 1
Around 9:00Pickup and the Coptic Museum
The Coptic Museum was built by Marcus Simaika Pasha and opened on 14 March 1910, on land offered by the Coptic Orthodox Church. Its collection covers stone, wood, metal, textiles and manuscripts, and shows how Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine styles mixed. The Nag Hammadi manuscripts are held here, but they are open to specialist researchers only, so your guide shows you what is on display.
- 2
Late morningThe Hanging Church
You climb 29 steps to a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, set over the south gate of the Babylon fortress. Inside are 110 icons, the oldest from the 8th century, and a pulpit resting on 15 columns. Your guide explains the building's long history of destruction and rebuilding.
- 3
MiddayAbu Serga and Ben Ezra Synagogue
The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus dates from the late 7th or early 8th century, and tradition links its site to the Holy Family's stay. A short walk takes you to the Ben Ezra Synagogue, rebuilt in the 1890s, where Solomon Schechter began studying the Geniza documents in 1896. A courtyard well is tied by local tradition to the story of baby Moses.
- 4
Early afternoonLunch by the lake
We drive to Fustat for lunch at a restaurant near Ain el-Sira lake. Your guide gives you a few minutes to rest before the museum.
- 5
AfternoonNational Museum of Egyptian Civilization
The museum holds about 50,000 items arranged from the earliest periods up to the modern era, with galleries on the Nile, writing and textiles. In the Royal Mummies Hall, designed to recall the Valley of the Kings, you see 20 royal mummies. The museum opened officially on 3 April 2021 with the Pharaohs' Golden Parade, which carried 22 mummies here from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.
How much does this tour cost?
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Single traveller | $80 |
| 2 travellers | $65 |
| 3 to 5 travellers | $55 |
| 6 or more travellers | $50 |
In US dollars, per person, for a private trip. The price in your written quote, made for your dates and group, is the one that counts. International flights are not included.
What’s included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in a private air-conditioned vehicle
- Private Egyptologist guide
- Entrance fees to the Coptic Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
- Bottled water
- Taxes and service charges
Not included
- Lunch and drinks
- Camera tickets at the museums, if you want them
- Tips
Booking policies
Important information
Opening times
NMEC is open from 9:00 to 17:00 Saturday to Thursday, with last tickets at 16:00. On Fridays it adds an evening session from 18:00 to 21:00. We plan the Coptic morning around this.
Dress for churches
Cover shoulders and knees. You walk on old stone steps and some uneven floors, so wear flat shoes with grip.
Photography
The ministry's museum rules allow photos only after paying a fee, and flash, video cameras and tripods are banned. The rules also say not to photograph in halls that are not authorised for it, without naming them. The published rules do not set out a fee amount or say whether the Royal Mummies Hall is one of those halls, so ask your guide before you lift a camera there. We treat that hall as no-photo unless the staff tell you otherwise.
Quiet visits
Keep your voice down in the Royal Mummies Hall and the churches. Mummies are the remains of real people, and the hall is treated with respect.
Payment and deposit
- Prices are in US dollars and the price in your written quote is the one that counts.
- The deposit is 30 percent of the total price (50 percent for trips that start from 18 December to 5 January).
- The balance is due 15 days before arrival. If you book later than that, the full amount confirms the booking.
- Payment instructions come with your written quote.
Cancellation and refund
Send every cancellation by email so that we can confirm it in writing. The charge is a percentage of the tour price, and anything you paid above it is refunded.
| Days before arrival | Normal dates | 18 Dec to 5 Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Until 61 days | 20% | 35% |
| 60 to 31 days | 35% | 50% |
| 30 to 15 days | 50% | 75% |
| 14 to 1 days, or no-show | 100% | 100% |
A bank and payment fee of 6 percent is deducted from every refund. Full rules: terms and policies.
Children
- Children under 3 travel free.
- Children from 3 to 11.99 years pay 50 percent of the tour price.
- From 12 years, travellers pay the adult price.
Please give the age of every child at the time of travel when you ask for a quote.
Travel tips
Know before you go
Start early
Pickup around 8:00 gets you to the pyramids before the heat and the coach groups.
Wear
Closed shoes, a hat and sunscreen, expect sand, steps and uneven ground.
Extra tickets
Entry inside the Great Pyramid is an optional ticket bought on the day.
Photos
Photos are free outdoors; some tombs charge for cameras. Drones are not allowed.
Traveller reviews
What our travellers say
A Fantastic Tour of Egypt
“The entire trip was seamlessly executed.”
Best tour guide!!
“He made our trip to the pyramids and Alexandria fun and memorable.”
Amazing 2 week trip
“My friends and I spent two weeks in Egypt and he was with us every step of the way.”
FAQ
Questions about this tour
Still unsure? Message us on WhatsApp and a real person from our team will answer.
Is this a good tour for children?
For older children who are curious about mummies, yes. For young ones, the walking and the quiet in the churches can be a stretch.
Can I see Tutankhamun's treasures on this tour?
No. They are in the Grand Egyptian Museum. See our Grand Egyptian Museum and pyramids tour.
Why go to NMEC and not the old Egyptian Museum?
The royal mummies were moved here in 2021, so NMEC is where you see them. The museum also places the whole of Egyptian history in one timeline.
Is the Ben Ezra Synagogue open to visit?
Yes. It is part of the Historic Cairo area and reopened on 31 August 2023 after a long renovation. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists it as open daily from 9:00 to 16:00 and no longer a place of regular worship, and it does not state a ticket price, so we confirm the details for your date when you book.
How do the sites connect by public transport?
The nearest metro station to NMEC is Mar Girgis. On this tour you stay with your driver, so you do not need it.
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