Waldorf Astoria Heliopolis

Simply Egypt

Express Beach + 2 more + 3 more

Cairo's iconic sights paired with pure Red Sea relaxation.

11 days

from £3,520 pp

Highlights of Egypt

Classic Cruise + 3 more + 3 more

Culture in Cairo, cruising the Nile and relaxation by the Red Sea

11 days

from £3,415 pp

Egypt's Modern History

Off-the-beaten-track Cruise + 2 more + 3 more

A delightful introduction to the fascinating events that have shaped Egypt since Biblical times

10 days

from £3,915 pp

Ultimate Egypt

Ultimate Cruise + 1 more + 2 more

Egypt’s exceptional diversity of attractions makes long itineraries extremely rewarding, and there is plenty of luxury for those looking to splash out on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

16 days

from £4,960 pp

Family-Friendly Egypt

Family Beach + 1 more + 2 more

A journey through Egypt’s best bits, designed for all the family.

12 days

from £3,650 pp

Impressions of the Desert

Off-the-beaten-track Adventure + 1 more + 2 more

Visit one of the Western Desert’s most fascinating oases on a circular itinerary from Cairo.

10 days

from £4,560 pp

Quirky excursions

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Mosques of Islamic Cairo

Make time to get inside some of the city’s oldest and most interesting buildings as you explore the evocative streets of Islamic Cairo. Cairo isn't a city short on mosques, and the views across the skyline from any elevated vantage point reveal countless spires and minarets clawing skywards beyond the urban fug of the teeming streets. Yet for many visitors, this is as close to the mosques as they get. Those that do make the effort to get closer are justly rewarded, for there is no quicker way to leave the dust and hassle of the city behind than to step inside one of these serene havens. Within easy reach of the Citadel lies the unmistakable double façade of the Sultan Hassan and Rifa’i mosques, which at first glance seem like part of the same structure, so similar is their outward appearance. However, while only the thinnest of paths separates the towering walls of these two mosques, so does over 500 years of history. Although the Sultan Hassan Mosque opened its doors to worshippers in around 1360, the Rifa’i Mosque was not built for another 550 years, designed to stylistically complement rather than oppose its neighbour. Both are exquisite in their conception and completion, the tiniest details of the intricately marbled floors and painstakingly carved mashrabiyya woodwork a marvel to the eye. Not far away is the stunning Mosque of Ibn Tulun, one of the oldest but most beautifully composed mosques in the Middle East. The structure is essentially a wide-open plaza that is the perfect antidote to this cramped city. With its distinctive spiral minaret inspired by the Great Mosque of Samarra, the complex feels almost suspended in time.

Cairo by Night

This evening excursion is a great way to see a more local side of Cairo, when the city starts to slow down and the locals come out to socialise. You’ll head out with a young, friendly Cairo local who knows the city’s food and drink scene inside out. Together, you’ll explore Downtown Cairo, an area laid out in the 19th century and still one of the most walkable parts of the city, with wide pavements, lively streets and plenty going on after dark. Downtown is where people from all walks of life live, work and unwind. Shops stay open late, cafés spill onto the pavements and the food scene ranges from no-frills local favourites to old belle-époque cafés that have barely changed over the years. It’s also a brilliant spot for people-watching, with friends sharing street food and ice cream, and artists and thinkers gathering in long-standing cafés or small cinemas showing independent films. Over the course of the evening, you’ll stop at a handful of local favourites – perhaps to try koshary, Egypt’s much-loved national dish, pop into a traditional sweet shop, and finish the night with a cold beer on the rooftop of a vintage hotel, looking out over the city lights. It’s a relaxed, informal way to get under Cairo’s skin and see how the city really comes alive after dark.

Saqqara & the Step Pyramid of Djoser

Saqqara is an instructive place to visit, especially to gain an understanding of the development of the burial rituals and monuments of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Around the site are numerous mastabas: single-storey structures with flat roofs and sloping sides which were built over one or more burial chambers cut into the bed rock. Inside these mastabas you’ll find beautiful painted scenes and hieroglyphics that echo but predate those found in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. As the pharaohs became wealthier and more grandiose, they began to stack layers of decreasing size onto their mastabas, a style that culminated with the Step Pyramid of Djoser, an impressive structure with an interesting attendant funerary temple. The logical development of the pyramid continued from Djoser’s Step Pyramid and reached its apogee with the Great Pyramid at nearby Giza. In addition to providing context to the development of tombs and pyramids, Saqqara fascinatingly combines large-scale monuments with smaller gems, like the tomb paintings.

Unguided Walking tour of Cairo Mosques

For those eager to get inside some of the city’s mosques, there is an easy route that we would recommend in combination with a visit to the Citadel. The unguided walk starts at a square called Midan Salah Al-Din just below the western side of the Citadel. The square is actually a 15 minute walk from the Citadel despite being a stone’s throw away, as you have to wind down the eastern side so a short taxi ride may be recommended if you’re coming from the Citadel itself. To the north-west of Midan Salah Al-Din are the mosques of Sultan Hassan and Rifa’i, similar in outward appearance although almost 600 years separates the two buildings. An often overlooked mosque in the same square is that of Mahmoud Pasha, certainly smaller than its immediate neighbours but still worthy of exploration since it bears the evocative ablaq style of alternating hues of stone on its exterior walls. Walking west from Midan Salah Al-Din along Sharia As-Salbiyya, your eventual destination should be the Mosque of Ibn Tulun however a couple of notable distractions reveal themselves along the way. The first is the twin legacy of the Khanqa (a hostel for monks) and Madrassa left by Amir Shaykhu. The two buildings lie on opposing sides of the street yet have almost identical outward facades and courtyard style interiors. In theory all but a handful of mosques in Egypt are open to tourists and non-Muslims for free. Avoid visiting on a Friday or known holy-day, and it is realistic to pay a small “bakhsheesh” to the guardian who will let you in, and look after your shoes whilst you explore.