5-Day Cairo Stopover: Giza, Fayoum & Islamic Cairo
Four nights in one Cairo hotel and three days out: the Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the lakes and waterfalls of the Fayoum oasis, and Islamic and Coptic Cairo.
The short answer
5-Day Cairo Stopover: Giza, Fayoum & Islamic Cairo is a 5-day, 4-night trip to Cairo and Alexandria: 4 nights in Cairo. It includes an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at $800 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
This stopover keeps you in one hotel for four nights, so you unpack once and see Cairo and its surroundings from a single base. Day 2 is the Giza Plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum with a licensed Egyptologist. Day 3 is a day trip to the Fayoum oasis: Lake Qarun, the lakes and waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan, the old waterwheels of Fayoum city and lunch. It takes 10 hours, so it is a long day. Day 4 is a guided day in Islamic and Coptic Cairo.
The Giza day has a licensed Egyptologist, the entrance fees and the transport included. The Fayoum day has a private vehicle, a driver and a private English-speaking guide. We also book your airport transfers. Hotel nights are on bed and breakfast. You choose the standard of hotel when you book, from budget to luxury, and the sightseeing stays the same.
What lingers
- 01Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx with a licensed Egyptologist; the Giza visit takes 4 to 6 hours
- 02The Grand Egyptian Museum, with lunch included
- 03A long Fayoum oasis day trip of 10 hours: Lake Qarun, the Wadi El Rayan lakes and waterfalls, and lunch
- 04The old waterwheels of Fayoum city, in a private vehicle with a private guide
- 05A guided day in Islamic and Coptic Cairo
- 06Four nights in one Cairo hotel with breakfast, and both airport transfers
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in USD, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom $8003★ hotels | $800May–Sep: from $722 | ||
| Comfortfrom $8594★ hotels | Cairo · 4 nightsJewel Sport City | $859May–Sep: from $828 | |
| Classicfrom $9615★ hotels | $961May–Sep: from $855 | ||
| Prestigefrom $1,1735★ deluxe hotels | $1,173May–Sep: from $1,226 | ||
| Luxuryfrom $2,1755★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 4 nightsSt. Regis Cairo | $2,175May–Sep: from $2,066 | |
| Signature Collectionfrom $2,929landmark hotels | Cairo · 4 nightsFour Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza | $2,929May–Sep: from $2,685 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
5 Days / 4 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Alexandria · Islamic Cairo · Coptic Cairo
- 1
A private representative meets you at Cairo Airport, helps with your luggage and drives you to your hotel, about an hour away. This is your base for the next four nights. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight. No meals are included today, so ask your hotel to suggest somewhere nearby for dinner.
- 2
Your driver and licensed Egyptologist collect you from your hotel for a day of about eight hours. You start on the Giza Plateau with the pyramids and the Great Sphinx; the Giza visit takes 4 to 6 hours. Lunch comes next, with a view, and after lunch you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The guide, the entrance fees to the Giza outdoor sites and the museum, an air-conditioned vehicle and bottled water are all included. You are driven back to your hotel.
- 3
This is a long day trip of 10 hours. Your private driver and private English-speaking guide collect you from your hotel and take you to the Fayoum oasis, south-west of Cairo. You visit Lake Qarun, then the lakes and waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan, and the old waterwheels of Fayoum city. Lunch is at a local restaurant.
The vehicle is private and air-conditioned, and you return to your Cairo hotel in the evening. Wear shoes with grip, because the ground near the water can be uneven.
- 4
Today is a guided day through two old quarters of Cairo: Islamic Cairo, with its medieval mosques and streets, and Coptic Cairo, the district of the city's early Christian churches. The guide, the entrance fees and the transport are included, as on the other sightseeing days. Lunch is not included, so you can eat where you like along the way. A driver takes you back to your hotel.
Tonight is your last night in Cairo, a deliberate buffer before your flight home.
- 5
After breakfast you check out and your private driver takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight home. Allow about 90 minutes for the drive and tell us your flight time at booking so we can set the pickup. If your flight is later in the day, the morning is free.
Bundled in
- Private transfer
- Group Egyptologist
- Airport transfer
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Four nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast
- Private airport arrival and departure transfers
- Giza Plateau and Grand Egyptian Museum day with a licensed Egyptologist, entrance fees, an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water and lunch
- Fayoum oasis day trip of 10 hours with a private vehicle, driver, private English-speaking guide and lunch at a local restaurant
- Islamic and Coptic Cairo day with a guide and transport
- Meet-and-assist at Cairo Airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides and drivers
- Dinners, lunch on day 4 and drinks other than those stated
- Khufu pyramid interior and other optional extras
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Arrive at Giza early, before the midmorning coach wave reaches the plateau.
- 02
For mosque visits, carry a light scarf and cover shoulders and knees.
- 03
Ask your guide for the north side of the Sphinx viewing area for cleaner photos.
- 04
Khan al-Khalili is quieter in the late afternoon than after sunset.
- 05
In warmer months, book the museum visit after Giza, when shade and indoor galleries help.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel standard when you book. Ask us about extra nights, adding Luxor, Aswan or a Nile cruise, or a different order for the days.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travelers who want a relaxed Cairo base with guided days out and no flights. Suited to couples, friends and solo travelers who are comfortable with walking, early starts and one 10-hour day to the Fayoum oasis.
Maybe not, if
- Travelers who want a Nile cruise or the temples of Luxor and Aswan, who dislike long days in a vehicle, or who need step-free access to every site.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Four nights in one hotel, with no repacking
- Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Fayoum oasis and Old Cairo in five days
- No domestic flights, so days stay simple
Things to Consider
- The Fayoum day is long, 10 hours
- No Luxor, Aswan or Nile cruise
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
Where it fits
A good fit for a Cairo-only trip or a stopover. The Fayoum day is long, and a Nile cruise or southern Egypt is not included, so add days if those are on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many Cairo programs move you between hotels or add flights. This stopover keeps you in one hotel for four nights and adds a day in the Fayoum oasis by road. The hotel standard is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Cairo Stopover with Day Trips
- Accommodation
- One Cairo hotel for four nights, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Alexandria · Islamic Cairo · Coptic Cairo
- Includes
- 4 nights in one Cairo hotel with breakfast · Private airport arrival and departure transfers · Giza and Grand Egyptian Museum day with an Egyptologist, entrance fees and lunch · Fayoum oasis day trip, 10 hours, with a private vehicle, private guide and lunch · Islamic and Coptic Cairo day with a guide and transport
- Best for
- Travelers who want to stay in one hotel · First-time visitors to Cairo · Stopovers before or after another trip
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any required travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any personal medication
- Small day bag
- A scarf or shawl for visits to mosques and churches
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes with grip for the stone at Giza and the ground near the Fayoum waterfalls
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and churches
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for cool mornings in winter
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child takes a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate at any age. The Fayoum day is 10 hours, so think about how your child copes with long drives. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room used, so we give you the exact figure when you tell us the age at booking.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This tour involves a fair amount of walking and some steps, including the uneven stone at the Giza Plateau, with little shade. The Fayoum day is 10 hours with long stretches in the vehicle and some walking on uneven ground at the lakes and waterfalls. The vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us your needs when you book and we will tell you honestly which parts are suitable.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The tour uses one hotel for all four nights and private road transfers, and the vehicle type can vary, so we do not claim a carbon saving. Sightseeing is guided by local guides and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo and Fayoum, so most of the money you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to take refillable water bottles, to take their litter with them at the Fayoum lakes, and to dress modestly in mosques and churches.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how early you tell us and on the type of trip. Read our current cancellation and refund policy
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01How many nights do we stay, and where?
Four nights in the same Cairo hotel, with breakfast. You do not change hotels, and there are no domestic flights.02How long is the Fayoum day?
It takes 10 hours, so it is a long day. You go by private vehicle with a private English-speaking guide to Lake Qarun, the Wadi El Rayan lakes and waterfalls and the waterwheels of Fayoum city, with lunch at a local restaurant.03How long do we spend at Giza?
The Giza visit takes 4 to 6 hours. Day 2 is about eight hours in all, because it also includes lunch with a view and the Grand Egyptian Museum.04Are a guide, entrance fees and transport included?
A guide and transport are included on every sightseeing day. On the Giza and museum day a licensed Egyptologist, the entrance fees and an air-conditioned vehicle are included. The Fayoum day has a private vehicle, driver and private English-speaking guide. Ask us if you want the entrance arrangements for a particular day confirmed.05Which hotel will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we name the hotel for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are the same at every standard.06Does the tour include Luxor, Aswan or a Nile cruise?
No. This tour stays in Cairo and the Fayoum oasis. A longer tour can add Luxor, Aswan or a Nile cruise; ask us and we will show you the options.07Will I make my international flight?
This tour has no domestic flights, so nothing in it can cost you a connection, and we keep your last night in Cairo as a safety window. Your international tickets are separate bookings, so if you add a domestic flight elsewhere, a delay on it can cost you the connection. If you must fly to Cairo and connect the same day, choose a late-evening or night international flight. Take travel insurance that covers missed connections.08What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, dinners, lunch on day 4 and drinks other than those stated, the Khufu pyramid interior, travel insurance and personal expenses.09When is the best time to go?
October to April is cooler and the most comfortable for walking around the sites and the Fayoum lakes. Summers are hot, so sightseeing starts early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-842436
At a glance
- Length
- 5 days · 4 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Fayoum → Cairo
- Includes
- Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers