Cairo is a busy, very populated, potentially overwhelming city. However, the historical elements, beautiful mosques and churches, and exhilarating markets make it worth it to spend at least 1 day in Cairo. You can certainly go on a full-day tour with a guide or do it on your own, depending on your comfort level in navigating a large city. If you do it on your own, the best way to transport between locations is to take Uber. If you choose to do it as a tour, you can have your hotel book this excursion for you and you will most likely go to very similar locations as the one below. I chose to go on the adventure on my own, and it was an exciting way to experience the busyness of the city.

Notes:

Most people in Cairo dress conservatively, and pants covering the knees and tops covering the shoulders are required to enter a mosque, with the option to wear a head covering. Dress to your comfort level, and if you are not looking for unwanted attention or to stick out any more than you already may be, I recommend dressing conservatively as well.
- Loose pants, long skirts, long dresses, light jackets, and light scarves are examples of what to wear in Cairo.

1 Day In Cairo

Coptic Cairo

Start your day by going to Coptic Cairo. Here, you will see beautiful churches and can walk to each location. Stop at one of the cafés to get a coffee.

Hanging Church
Babylon Fortress
St. Sergius and St. Bacchus Church
St. George’s Church

Hanging Church in Egypt — Hanging Church

Babylon Fortress in Egypt — Hanging Church

Downtown Cairo

Next, head to downtown Cairo. The Egyptian Museum is massive and has endless amounts of artifacts to learn about. My favorite part was the King Tut exhibit, which showed beautiful gold, blue, and silver items. You can easily spend hours in this museum. After the museum, walk around Tahrir Square, navigating to the Qasr El-Nil Bridge, overlooking the Nile River.

Note:

The Egyptian Museum is moving to Giza. Once this happens, skip the one downtown and go in Giza.

Egyptian Museum
Tahrir Square
Qasr El-Nil Bridge

Egyptian Museum in Egypt — Egyptian Museum

Qasr El Nil Bridge in Egypt — Egyptian Museum

Islamic Cairo

Lastly, go to Islamic Cairo to see beautifully structured mosques. End your evening at the Khan el-Khalili Market, stopping for food and looking at the endless shops. This is where I tried Hammam (pigeon) and Zalabia (fried donut holes).