Cairo, the Giza Pyramids, and the Sphinx are included in almost all Egypt tours. This page brings together package tours that include Cairo — combination itineraries with Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada, cultural tours extending to Luxor and Aswan, and day trips to Cairo from Sharm El Sheikh.
The Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure and the Sphinx are all on the Giza Plateau; they are the only surviving wonder of the ancient world’s Seven Wonders. The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square houses most of Tutankhamun’s treasures. In Islamic Cairo, the best-known sights include the Citadel of Saladin, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Sultan Hassan Complex, and Al-Azhar Mosque; Khan el-Khalili bazaar is the most famous shopping stop.
The most common itinerary combines Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo: nights are split between the seaside and the city, and the journey between the two takes about 7 hours by road or a short flight. Egypt Triangle tours also include Hurghada. Culture-focused tours head south from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan; some include accommodation on a Nile cruise.
It varies by tour. Pyramids and a museum visit are part of some itineraries; in most combined tours, a panoramic city tour of Cairo is included, while the Giza Pyramids and Cairo Museum tour is an optional excursion. The tour’s day-by-day itinerary and “Optional Excursions” section list which visits are included and their prices.
Scheduled flights land at Cairo International Airport. Some charter itineraries use Sphinx Airport, west of Giza; it is closer to the pyramids than Cairo International Airport.
October–April is the most comfortable time to visit Cairo; daytime temperatures are suitable for sightseeing. From June to August, temperatures reach 35–40 °C, so visits to the pyramids are scheduled for early morning.
Programs that include Cairo require a full Egyptian tourist visa; a “Sinai Only” stamp is not valid for Cairo. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the return date. Tap water is not safe to drink; visitors to mosques are expected to wear clothing that covers their shoulders and knees.
Cairo package tours usually include Bed & Breakfast accommodation in hotels near the pyramids in the Giza area or in city hotels along the Nile. Traffic is heavy, and visiting far-apart sights on the same day takes time, so itineraries schedule Giza and Islamic Cairo on separate half-days. Hotel names and locations are listed on each tour page.
A half-day is enough for the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, and another half-day for the Egyptian Museum. Allow an additional day for Islamic Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Combination tours generally include one or two nights in Cairo.
The time allocated to Cairo ranges from one to three days, depending on the itinerary; combined tours range from 3 to 8 nights in total.
Yes; this list includes a day trip by plane from Sharm El Sheikh to visit the pyramids and museum and return the same day.
You can enter the Great Pyramid of Giza with a separate ticket; the entrance fee is not included in most tours.
Available programs depart from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Adana, Konya, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep and Samsun.