Visiting mosques and churches on an Egypt day tour

Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and carry a light scarf. At a mosque you are normally asked to take your shoes off at the door. Phone photos are free at Egypt's monuments and museums, but ask before photographing people. Our Cairo tours stop at mosques and churches in the Citadel, Islamic Cairo and Coptic Cairo, and Sharm El Sheikh has an evening stop at Al Sahaba Mosque.

What to wear

The UK foreign office's travel advice for Egypt says to dress modestly, especially in rural areas, mosques and souqs (markets), and notes that standards matter more during Ramadan; resort norms do not apply elsewhere (checked August 2026). In practice, wear trousers or a long skirt, and a top that covers your shoulders. A light scarf is useful if you want to cover your hair or shoulders at short notice. The full packing list is in what to wear and bring on an Egypt day tour.

Shoes

Wear shoes that slip on and off, with socks, because shoes come off at the door of a mosque. At the monastery of St Catherine, the Chapel of the Holy Bush is entered without shoes (the monastery's website). On the Cave Church and Garbage City outing the dress and photography rules for the neighborhood are confirmed with the supplier, so ask when you book.

Photography

• Phones: photography with a mobile phone is free of charge at Egypt's monuments and museums (Ministry pages, checked August 2026). Filming for TV or cinema needs permission.
• People: get permission before photographing people, and avoid photographing children (UK foreign office advice, checked August 2026).
• Sensitive subjects: it is illegal to take or share photos considered damaging to the country's image, and military sites and the Suez Canal are off limits. Drones need Ministry of Defence permission.

More rules, site by site, are in photography rules at Egyptian sites.

Which of our tours stop at mosques and churches

These are the stops the tours list. How far inside each building you go is for your guide to explain on the day. For the choice between the two Cairo districts, see Coptic Cairo or Islamic Cairo. Place pages: the Citadel, Islamic Cairo and Al-Muizz Street, Coptic Cairo and St Catherine's Monastery.

Opening hours and prayer times

The Sultan Hassan mosque-madrasa opens at 9:00 am, with last entry at 4:00 pm in the summer and winter seasons and 3:00 pm in Ramadan (Ministry ticketing portal, checked August 2026). For the Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai outing, the tour data notes that opening hours around prayer times change, so the start time is confirmed rather than fixed. How Ramadan changes the day is in Ramadan and Egypt day tours.

The monastery of St Catherine runs on its own calendar: its website says it is closed on Fridays and Sundays and on major feast days, and open between 9:00 AM and noon on other days. Visitors may enter the church and the area next to it. Since the Mount Sinai tours include the monastery, ask when you request which weekday your date falls on.