Private Tour to Old Coptic Cairo & the Cave Church of St. Simon.
Description
In the morning pick up from your hotel in Cairo and visit the Monastery of Saint Simon, also known as the Cave Church of Zabbaleen. It is located in the Mokattam Mountain, a short drive through the so called “Garbage City’ – a large population of garbage collectors or Zabbaleen that live there. First, we visit Saint Simon the Tanner Hall and St. Mark’s Church. This huge cave was discovered in the year 1974. The upper story is the St. Simon the Tanner Hall with seating capacity of 2000 people for spiritual meetings, The walls are decorated with many wonderful pictures engraved on the rocks representing scenarios from the Bible. Then we continue and visit the Cathedral of Virgin Mary and St. Simon the Tanner, then you will visit Old Coptic Cairo to explore the old Coptic Churches and the oldest synagogue of Ben Ezra and the place where Moses the prophet lived in it for a while, After the tour transfer back to your hotel.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our tour guide will meet you at the hotel lobby at 09:00 AM, then transfer to visit the Monastery of Saint Simon, also known as the Cave Church of Zabbaleen, that dates back to the ten century AD for Saint Simon the tanner, It is located in the Mokattam Mountain, and it is cut in the native rock of the mountain to be the biggest Church in Egypt and the middle east, a short drive through the so called “Garbage City’ – a large population of garbage collectors or Zabbaleen that live there.
Then you will go to Old Coptic Cairo it is one of the oldest areas in Cairo the stronghold of the Christianity, it is so holy place since it witnessed the holy family existence during their journey in Cairo to visit the Hanging Church of virgin Marry that built on the top of Babylon fort, then you will visit Saint George Church that built in the name of Saint George in the tenth century by Coptic scribes then you will see the Cavern Church of Sergious and Bakhus the two roman martyrs and Ben Ezra synagogue the oldest one in Cairo then you will have lunch at nice restaurant then you will be transferred back to the hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
All Cairo Hotels are Pickup Points
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(57)
I had a most enjoyable morning with Amira,she was very kind and knowledgeable.The guide at St simon’s Monastery was also very interesting and intensely passionate about his religion with many story’s and tales to tell. I would certainly recommend this trip.
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Hala the Sugar Queen was an awesome guide! She took the time to really explain everything and took good care of the group. Thank you so much 😊
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Great! Highly recommend a different view of Cairo!
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Great tour. Hannah was a very accommodating tour guide. She asked what things we were missing and made sure to accommodate them into the tour. We did not feel rushed. We learned a lot of history and saw some fascinating sites of old Cairo.
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I recently booked a private tour of a Coptic Church in Egypt and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience with the guide, Amira. Since this was a private tour, I expected a personalized, professional, and informative experience. Instead, she was frequently on her phone and did not seem engaged. When discussing the history and significance of the church, her explanations were limited and lacked depth, which was especially disappointing given the importance and sacred nature of the site. The tour also felt rushed. I did not feel that I received the full experience or adequate time to properly appreciate and learn about the church, which was frustrating, especially for a private tour. Her behavior felt unprofessional as well. She seemed more focused on encouraging me to purchase items from local shops rather than providing a meaningful tour. Even after I clearly stated that I was not interested in buying anything, she continued to push the matter, which made the experience uncomfortable. Overall, the private tour did not meet expectations. I hope this feedback is taken seriously so future visitors receive the knowledgeable, attentive, and respectful service that such a historic and sacred place deserves.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We truly value all reviews, as they help us continuously improve our services. We are genuinely sorry to hear that the experience did not fully meet your expectations. Providing a professional, engaging, and informative private tour is always our priority. We would also like to clarify that Amira is one of the most experienced and highly rated guides in our team, and she has consistently received excellent feedback from many guests. For this reason, your comments were taken very seriously and have been carefully reviewed internally. Regarding shopping stops, we would like to emphasize that our tours do not require or obligate any purchases. Our guides are instructed to always respect guests’ preferences. If you felt any pressure at any point, we sincerely apologize, as this does not reflect our company standards. Your feedback is important to us, and we will continue working to ensure that every guest receives the attentive, respectful, and enriching experience they deserve—especially when visiting such meaningful and historic sites. We truly appreciate your comments and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the future for a much better experience.
This was an excellent private tour that genuinely delivered on seeing a different side of Cairo. Exploring Coptic Cairo felt personal and unrushed, with fascinating stops at the Cave Church, the Hanging Church, and other key Coptic sites, plus the eye opening visit to Garbage City which most tourists never see. Hanan and Sameh were both knowledgeable, relaxed, and great company, and as it was just me it truly felt like a bespoke experience rather than a packaged tour. They were also brilliant photographers and videographers, and even helped me spontaneously do the zip line near the Cave Church, filming it for me without hesitation. The private transport was comfortable, the pacing flexible, and they were happy to adjust my drop off location at the end. Overall it was a very enjoyable, well run day that felt authentic, flexible, and thoughtfully guided.
Thank you very much for your review & we hope to see you again.
Great tour of Coptic Quarter with Amira. She is very professional, knowledgeable, and personal. This is our second tour in Cairo with her and we will highly recommend Egypt Royal for any future travelers to Cairo. Thank you for a memorable tour.
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This is a wonderful and amazing tour that every visit to Cairo should include! I am really happy I went. Seeing these amazing churches is very special.
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My family loved to hear about the excitement I have when having historical tours . I love learning about ancient cultures
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Hana and Sam, our driver, worked well together. The churches were all different. Hana was very knowledgeable about them
Thank you very much for your review & we hope to see you again.
