Cairo Layover Tour: Was It Worth It?
Last Updated on March 17, 2024 by Nicole
Our family of five (3 teenagers aged 14, 15 and 17 years old) had the opportunity to explore Cairo for 7 hours on a recent layover. Of course, I had a ridiculously long list of landmarks, historical monuments, and museums that I wanted to visit. I realistically calculated that we needed 3-4 days to really allow us to see and experience most of them. But, we didn’t have the time. I had to decide whether to wait and book a return trip to Cairo, or bite the bullet and see what we could see within the timeframe. Ultimately, I bit the bullet and booked a private Cairo layover tour.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely.
I would say spending 7 hours exploring Cairo is worth every minute and dollar that you spend.
Cairo Layover Tour
This is not something that I would propose doing on your own for a few reasons.
1. Cairo is an enormous, sprawling and chaotic city. Officially, it has a population of approximately 10 million. Unofficially, it is closer to 25 million. The city has grown and evolved out of necessity without any real city planning. In case after case, we saw half built buildings full of squatters and even a massive cemetery that 50,000 people now call home.
2. Driving is crazy! If there is 4 lanes, you will more than likely have about 7 cars driving side by side. Pedestrians simply step off the curve and walk across the street whenever it suits them. If a driver hits them, no matter what the circumstances, it is the driver’s fault. Along the streets, large random groups of people hang out by the side of the road flowing in and out of traffic while they wait for buses. Buses and trains are completely packed to overflowing.
3. Timing is of critical importance. In order to make the most out of your visit, you need a professional tour guide and/or driver who knows when and where to pick you up at the airport, and when and how to return you so that you easily make your next flight. Relying on public transportation or randomly picking up a taxi driver at the airport would be risky for a number of reasons, but at the very least, would make a timely return to the airport very stressful.
Book A Private Cairo Layover Tour
There are a number of travel companies that offer private Cairo layover tours. All you have to do is google “Cairo layover tours” and dozens of links show up. Even more can be found on TripAdvisor with comments and opinions about the quality of the tour that is being offered. However, when I started to follow up with these travel companies, two issues became apparent.
1. Itineraries were similar
First, the itineraries were remarkably similar for every private Cairo layover tour. In our case, we were landing in Cairo at 11:00 am. By the time, we would be able to purchase a visa and clear customs, we were scheduled to be out of the airport and picked up around 12:00 pm. We didn’t have to worry about luggage, of course. That was being transferred by the airline to our evening flight.
In Cairo, most historical sights and museums close by 4:00 pm. Accordingly, with the size of the city and traffic issues, we really only had the option to go to one significant attraction before the 4:00 pm deadline. For us, without question, visiting the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx was our number one choice.
After 4:00 pm, every tour included visiting “Islamic Cairo”, the only significant historical or cultural “attraction” open. It is also on the way back to the airport. This meant taking a walking tour on El Moez street which is over 1000 years old and filled with mosques, tombs and mansions built during the Islamic era. In addition, it also incorporated time exploring and shopping in Khan el-Khalili, a major bazaar in the centre of Old Cairo. Finally, all tours ended with a transfer back to the airport in time for our flight.
2. There were significant cost differences
Second, there were notable cost differences between tour companies offering a private Cairo layover tour with the exact same itineraries.
Case in point, we almost booked our private Cairo layover tour with a company that was going to charge $125 USD per person. This included pick up and drop off at the airport in a large air conditioned van, an English speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees into the Pyramids and the Sphinx (a $10 USD per person cost), and lunch.
After further research, I found Egypt Tailor Made Tours who offered the exact same itinerary, with the same size van and an English speaking Egyptologist guide, for $28 per person – a massive price difference! This did not include the $10 per person entrance fee to the Pyramids or lunch, but that was the only difference.
Delay or inability to acquire an Egyptian Visa
Further, the terms were excellent. I only had to pre-pay $20 USD deposit to secure the tour. The balance of $120 was due in cash at the end of the tour. This was significant. One of the concerns of booking a Cairo layover tour is the very real possibility that your flight is delayed. If a delay is significant enough, then there comes a point when taking a tour might not be practical. If you have prepaid for the whole tour before arriving, this could be a loss of a lot of money.
A further consideration is that most visitors need to purchase a visa to enter Egypt. Yes, you can acquire it before arriving but not without a lot of hassle. Accordingly, many people who are only entering the country for a Cairo layover tour choose to purchase their visa on arrival. Again, if for some reason this is denied to you and you can not leave the airport, then not pre-paying for the tour is ideal.
Of course, neither result is great for the tour company or the guide, but it addresses the very real issues preventing most travellers from even contemplating booking a Cairo layover tour, much less an expensive one.
Was The Cairo Layover Tour Worth It?
YES, I loved our tour. Our guide, Heba, was wonderful. She was waiting for us at the airport. From the time we got into the van, until we were dropped off for our evening flight, we were immersed in Egyptian history and current events. In addition, we had our own driver who focused on the psychotic sport of driving and parking in Cairo.
The Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx
Getting There
The Pyramids are approximately 1 1/2 hour drive from Cairo International Airport. The exact travel time depends on traffic and time of day, but count on it being at least this long. The drive took us through a big chunk of Cairo and it was fascinating. We loved seeing the seething masses of cars and people basically EVERYWHERE. I was captivated looking at the different neighbourhoods and how this huge metropolis has grown and overflowed into areas unprepared to handle the throngs of people. It was amazing having a glimpse into what day to day life looks like for most Egyptians.
The History of the Pyramids
When one talks about the “Pyramids of Giza”, they are essentially referring to the three pyramids constructed over 4500 years ago by three different Pharaohs (Kings). Pharaohs expected to become gods in the afterlife. They prepared by building temples and massive pyramid tombs filled with all the things they needed in the afterworld.
Pharaoh Khufu built the first pyramid and is the largest in Giza. It towers 481 feet (147 meters). It’s believed that 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 to 15 tons, were used.
Khufu’s son, Pharaoh Khafra, built the second Pyramid at Giza. He also built the Sphinx, a mysterious limestone monument with the body of a lion and a pharaoh’s head which stands guard over his tomb.
Exploring the Pyramids and the Sphinx
We walked around the Pyramids and the Sphinx for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours with our guide. I was awe-struck by these incredible structures. There were a lot of people milling around, but at the same time, the pyramids are located on a huge piece of land. This allows visitors a lot of space to wander around and view them unencumbered from far away and right up close. Of course, the sheer mass of these structures make you and the crowds feel very small and insignificant.
We scampered up a few levels of King Khufu’s pyramid. That involved a little more jockeying for space. We also climbed down into the tomb of a smaller pyramid, one that entombed a Queen. That was a little freaky. We walked backwards down a ladder into the darkness on a one way route. We couldn’t see the bottom and had no idea where we were going or how far it was. In addition, it steadily got hotter and hotter as we descended.
Once at the bottom, we found ourself in a very small room without anything else. Then, we climbed back out, somehow balancing on one foot and leaning perilously off the ladder to allow others coming down to pass us. A wild experience that I would recommend doing provided you are not claustrophobic!
Travel Tip
Be prepared for Egyptian men in uniform asking you for money at random times. When we climbed up a few levels of King Khufu’s Pyramid, a man had his hand out. We had no idea what we were supposed to pay him, so we just ignored it and got swept away with the crowd. Again, another man stood at the front of the other tomb where we climbed down into the Queen’s pyramid. Entrance to this pyramid was supposed to be free. It was only when our guide stepped in that he stood aside and let us go down without paying. So, just in case you aren’t as lucky as we were, I would have a couple dollars in hand to help you freely move about the Pyramids.
El Moez and Khan El-Khalili
After walking over to view King Khafre’s Pyramid and the Sphinx, we drove around 45 minutes to El Moez and Khan El-Khalil. On the way, we stopped at Felfela and purchased shawarma, falafel and drinks and ate in the car. We didn’t want to waste any of our time stopping for a prolonged meal. Felfela is a chain and the food was delicious and ridiculously cheap. If you are short of time, I would recommend stopping at one of these and picking up a quick bite to eat.
El Moez and Khan El-Khalil were a fantastic place to spend the last of our time in Cairo. We saw many old, historic and exquisite buildings, making Cairo one of the most beautiful cities in Africa. The street was packed with people, cars, motorcycles and there was action everywhere. We passed by restaurants offering tempting food, vendors selling on foot a variety of things, and gorgeous shops with artisan jewelry and other traditional Egyptian crafts for the home. We eventually sat down at a cafe, had a drink and people watched. That was a lot of fun.
Conclusion
Loved your photos as they truly put me with you there! And I am happy to know that you found it great stay there even if only for a layover
Thank you. It was really worth it.
Thank you Nicole for writing this post and giving such helpful info. I’ve got a 17 hour layover in Cairo in August on my way to trek the jungle in search of silverback gorillas in Central Africa. I’m so excited to see Cairo. I’ve got a guide I just started chatting with (referred by friends), but I think it’ll just be me, so I’m wondering what kind of deal I can get for just one person. I imagine I can negotiate with him, but will be monopolizing his entire day. Also, did you tip your guide & roughly how much? Thank you!
Hi Tina, I am just booking some time in Luxor after trekking gorillas in Uganda so I am as excited as you! As for Cairo, the best thing that I can suggest is to contact the tour company that I used (mentioned in the article) and ask how much they would charge for the same tour. I am stunned by how inexpensive our 3 day tour is going to be in Luxor with the same company. You could even ask a third tour company for their cost. Once you have a few quotes, then you can feel comfortable accepting one knowing where it sits in the range. As for how much we tipped? I am sorry but I can’t remember, but again, it could be very little compared to what you would tip in USD. However, if you really enjoy yourself, then I would be generous. It is a poor country. If your tour is $150 (just a random number), then maybe $20?? But, tipping is such a personal decision. It’s whatever you feel comfortable with.
What an amazing difference in the cost! It just shows that doing some research really pays off. I’m so impressed by all you managed to see during your layover time! I’ve not yet made it to Egypt but hope to one day soon.
I couldn’t believe the cost difference and it made me suspicious. But, we had an amazing tour.
I would never have considered doing this on a layover but it sounds like it’s totally worth it.
Yes, it was and as unbelievable as it sounds, it didn’t feel rushed at all.
Wow! You covered quite a lot in 7 hours. I would have done the same if I had that much time. Thank God you didn get stuck in traffic otherwise it would have been difficult to cover all you did
Well, traffic was tough and slow. I think traffic is calculated into the itinerary and why we could only visit one major site between 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. But, seeing all that traffic and how the city worked was also kind of cool.
Now that is a great way spend a long layover. Have dreamed about visiting the Pyramids of Giza longer than I can remember. Hope to visit them sometime soon. The tour sounds perfect as it covers the major highlights of Cairo. Thanks for sharing the details on cost and itinerary.
You are welcome. The tour was wonderful and it definitely checked a couple of things off of my bucket list!
I have heard a lot about how chaotic the city is and how tough it is to drive there so I would be careful too about planning the places to visit during a short layover. You’ve given some great tips about taking a private tour as it saves on time and the recommended company that you found seems perfect as they’re not only cheap but also you do not need to prepay for the tour, which sounds very fair to me. You did the most you could in the time you had- the pyramids and Sphinx are the highlights of Cairo anyway and you made it there so awesome!
Thanks Medha. The whole experience worked out really well. I think that it is a very reasonable thing to consider doing, and also an amazing experience seeing everything that we saw.
Loved your photos as they truly put me with you there! And I am happy to know that you found it great stay there even if only for a layover
Thank you. I would really like to go back one day.
Thanks for the great post! Did you need a visa to exit/enter the airport during your layover?
Thanks! Yes, you do. We are Canadian and we definitely needed one to exit the airport. I can’t remember if we had to do anything when we left Egypt. I don’t think we did, however, you should double check the requirements for your own country.
This is a great info. Thanks for posting this. I have a long layover in Cairo on my way to Tel Aviv and Im planning to go out of the airport and do some sightseeing as well. I’ve check the price on the site you used but somehow they are now charging for at least $135 per person. Is this correct? Kindly let me know. Cheers!!!!!
Hi Robert, When we did took the private tour, it was $28 per person and there was five of us. So, we paid almost $140 USD for the tour. Are you alone? If you are, that could be the difference. If it still doesn’t make sense, I’d email the tour company and ask whether they could improve the cost for you. They were very responsive and easy to work with. It couldn’t hurt!
That’s completely make sense to me. Probably the price would be much lower if I’m with a group. I will definitely contact the tour company about this. Thank you so much for your quick response and I’m so looking forward to reading your next travel blog. By the way, I’m also a Canadian. From the beautiful city of Vancouver. Cheers😊
Have a great time! I noticed that I misquoted what we paid – we paid $28 USD per person or $140 USD for the tour. It sounds like you are getting a similar quote. But, like I said, I’d reach out to the tour company and see what they suggest. As for living in Vancouver… aren’t we lucky! One of the most beautiful places in the world!
Thanks for your valuable inputs. I was a good write up & great suggestions
You are welcome.
Thank you for such an amazing and descriptive post! Was your total layover time 7 hours, or did you get 7 hours to explore the city? When was your return flight scheduled for?
Thank you! We had 7 hours to explore the city. We landed and left the airport around 12:00 pm, and our evening flight to Nairobi on Air Egypt left around 9:00 pm.
I have the same flight itinerary so I’m praying I can do just as much as you did!
That’s fantastic! I am jealous of you. I wish I was back exploring the Middle East. You will love Cairo.
Hey! I just went on the tour company’s website. I saw they are charging 100$ instead of the 28$ you mentioned. Is there a specific tour name of the tour you did with them?
Hi there, It was $28 USD per person. There were 5 of us so $140 USD for the tour. Why don’t you contact the company and see if you can join another tour to try and keep your costs down. Otherwise, $100 USD for a full day private tour is a pretty good price.
Thank you for writing this you have put many of my concerns at ease and answered several of my questions!
I am so happy to have helped.
Can you tell me more about your experience getting the visa at the time you arrived? Was it a long line? Did they give you trouble? Do I need anything else beside money and my passport? I want to be able to get it quick and with easy. Also, do I need to exchange money?
Cairo airport was pretty empty when we were there (at least the terminal where our flight flew into and out of). There wasn’t any line ups at all. The only issue was trying to figure out where we purchased our visa. There was a little kiosk on the side that initially looked like a place where you exchange money or a bank. However, that ended up being the place where you purchased the visa. After that, it was a few steps to customs. Very straight forward and the people were nice. I didn’t have any Egyptian money. I think that I had the visa money set aside in US cash. I would recommend having extra just in case (not for Egypt per se, I just think it is a good idea). You should have extra US cash for tipping the guide and driver. The Middle East has a huge tipping culture and they really rely on it for their living. There isn’t any wifi in airport which is relevant when you leave later that night. We were told to go to the little stand near the food court that was selling phone plans. There we purchased a couple hours of wifi. I think we needed cash for that, but can’t remember. Maybe $10 USD or so. Good luck and have an amazing time. If you think about, please send me a note and tell me how things go!
Hello, thank you VERY much for this trip report and the suggestion on tour company. I contacted them and hope to hear back soon. There are two of us and our travel is the end of next month. I would pay up to $150 for a private tour for the both of us, with the itinerary similar to yours. Thanks again and safe travels.
OK just want to update everyone on the costs for EgyptTailorMade tour company, which was mentioned in this review.
I received an email response from the company with a quote of $260 for the two of us, for the same itinerary as this one.
The owner responded to me directly and he seemed nice and friendly. I pointed out to him to this review. His reason of the price changes are due to the increased costs for fuel, tour guide, taxes and that the restaurant prices have gone up. He was kind enough to lower the cost to $220 for two.
While I respect his business decision, this would also put the price of their company similar as other tour companies with similar service.
Just a heads up in case you come across this Trip Report and got excited thinking you’ll get a private tour guide at $28/person 🙂
$28 per person for 5 persons equals to $140. I won’t hesitant to pay $70/person based on the review on this site alone.
Hi Ricky, Thanks for much for following up. It is interesting to hear that the cost of the tour has gone up so significantly in less than a year. That is a shame. One thing to note is that we did not include lunch on our tour. I was concerned with time and didn’t know how the day would play out. We ended up stopping at a shwarma/falafel place that is a chain across Egypt. The food was fast, really good and super cheap. Perhaps you could ask to remove the lunch cost and see how the quote changes. You never know how much restaurants charge when they know tourists are coming.
Very much interesting Blog > Its going to be more than helpful when I will have a Lay overtrip of Cairo next month. I’ll be travelling from Mumbai to Toronto and have a very long layover at Cairo. Will you please share the contact details of tour operator/guide you travelled with ?
Absolutely! Here it is https://www.egypttailormade.net/en/. Have a great time.