Half Day Hiking Trip of Islamic Cairo

The starting point of this Cairo half day hiking tour is the Heritage Hostel Cairo, which is conveniently located in the center of Cairo, surrounded by various restaurants, bars, cafes and currency exchange points. It only takes 6-7 minutes to walk to Egyptian Museum and Sadat Metro Station of Line 1 & Line 2 starting here.

Tip: Please follow this itinerary on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday afternoons if you want to watch the whirling dervishes dance (Sufi Tanoura Show), as it is only performed these times.

Sadat Metro Station is located on the south side of Tahrir Square. To get here from the Heritage Hostel Cairo, you only need to walk south along Meret Basha Street for about 500 meters (550 yards). From Sadat, you may take metro line 2 towards Shubra and get off at Attaba, then transfer to Line 3 towards Airport and get off at Bab El Shaariya Station.

After getting out from Bab El Shaariya, you are about to start today's hiking officially. First, walk for about 20 minutes to Khan el-Khalili Market that is located 1,500 meters (1,640 yards) southeast of the subway station. The buildings are old and chaotic along the way but full of strong atmosphere of daily living.

Khan el-Khalili Market is the oldest bazaar in Cairo, with dazzling arrays of shops and merchandises, and numerous tourists. Remember to bargain when shopping here, and don't forget to take good care of your wallet. Here, you can also find a local teahouse to taste a cup of North African black tea with mint leaves, or try an authentic Shisha.

Al Azhar mosque, the next stop, is just opposite Khan el-Khalili Market across the street. Please pay attention to the traffic when crossing the street. Al-Azhar Mosque is not only the first famous mosque in Cairo, but also the highest Islamic academy in Egypt, so it is also known as Al-Azhar University. To visit it, females must wear long gowns to cover all body parts except the face. Gowns are provided for free at the entrance, but some staff will ask for tips, so it is best to prepare some changes in advance.

Next to Al-Azhar Moque is the famous Wekalet El Ghouri Arts Center. Every Saturday, Monday and Wednesday at 7:00 pm, the most authentic whirling dervishes dance in Egypt will be staged here. Due to the limited number of tickets on the day, you'd better line up to buy tickets as early as possible. It is recommended that you enter the venue before 6:00pm. The performance will last for one hour and the ticket price is EGP82 per person.

Tip: If there is no performance on that day, it is suggested that you visit two remarkable mosques next to Khan el-Khalili Market: Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan with massive size and Islamic architectural art and Al-Rifa'l Mosque, also known as the royal burial place of Muhammad Ali's family.

After the visit, you may return to Bab El Shaariya Metro Station following the coming way and take the metro back to the hotel.