Giza Pyramids, The Sphinx, Islamic & Coptic Cairo Tour

My wife and I did a Viking Nile cruise in March 2022 (which was excellent, by the way). But we wanted to see more of Egypt’s culture and history. If you go all the way to Egypt and do only pyramids and tombs, you’re missing half of Egypt’s story. So we contacted Muhammad Swefy (Mo) to do a custom all-day Islamic Architecture and Design tour in Cairo. Mo put together a great 7-hour tour, based on a route down historic Al-Muizz li-din Allah Street. This included the Madrassa and Mausoleum of Barquq, Madrassa of Qalaun, Al Azhar Mosque, Mosque-Madrassa of Al Ghouri, Al-Rifa’i Mosque, Mosque of Sultan Hassan, the medieval gates of the Cairo Citadel, and many other sites. Mo did a great job. He’s very knowledgeable in architecture, design, and culture, as well as the history of Cairo. He picked a fine place for lunch. We got to ride in tuk-tuks between some of the sites. And as everyone else has mentioned, he speaks English with only a slight trace of an accent. Frankly, I wouldn’t dream of visiting the interiors of active Cairo mosques without an Arabic speaking Muslim guide. Mo smoothed the way for us at all locations. We highly recommend him. My apologies to Mr. Swefy. I told him we’d write up a good review of his tour for the web, but it only took me 3 years.

Viator sent a number that was inactive. No local tour company showed up and there was no way to contact viator from Egypt.

This tour was completely over the top! My guide was especially interested in Coptic Cairo because it is his neighborhood. He thought about me and anticipated water, snacks, lunch, all details. He helped me decide to ride my attractive camel Mickie. I am no horsewoman but he and the camel lead helped me and were very patient when I inadvertently kicked he poor animal while I was mounting because I had a hip replacement. In spite of the replacement, the saddle was comfortable and they checked frequently to see if I was ok for the duration. It was so thrilling to me to see the Christian churches, synagogue and mosque all in one visit. This tour was the experience of a lifetime and I’ll never forget it. I also had the most delicious lamb for lunch! An incredible experience!

Honestly, I have traveled so much and he is the best top guide I ever met. So nice, quickly available, super safe, punctual, super adapting and understanding of what you want, need or like. He can share with you everything you wish to ask. Very good communication, English and Spanish. Really good relationship with his driver too. We couldn't have had a better experience. I am so grateful that someone send me his contact and straight away he answered and start planning and enjoying our perfect Egypt days. We are definitely going back and calling him again. This is how one person can make such big difference in your day. Thank you and to the friends that recommend you to us like I do now to others. Hope others meet you and have such good time too🙏🏽🤗

The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx were even more impressive in person Our guide was excellent, sharing stories and history that added depth to our visit Exploring the Islamic and Coptic areas of Cairo afterward was enlightening each site was more beautiful than the last I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Egypt!

The surroundings were magnificent, and our knowledgeable guide made the history engaging and easy to understand. The Islamic and Coptic Cairo tour was a wonderful addition, featuring beautiful architecture and significant historical sites. This full-day experience was well organized, and I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Egypt!

Our tour of the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo, and Giza was a magical odyssey through Egypt's most iconic sites. The ancient mysteries of the pyramids, the enigmatic presence of the Sphinx, the spiritual ambiance of Coptic Cairo, and the vibrant energy of Islamic Cairo all combined to create a truly unforgettable experience. With our guide's insightful commentary, this trip became not just a sightseeing tour but a profound exploration of Egypt's rich and diverse heritage!

An amazing experience visiting the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx The beauty and magnificence of these historical monuments cannot be described I highly recommend this trip for an unforgettable experience

A wonderful trip to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx! The stunning landscapes and massive structures will take you to another world I highly recommend this magical trip

He was an exceptional guide from start to finish He provided a lot of historical and cultural information about the pyramids the Sphinx and Egypt We felt safe and in good hands as she provided assistance in negotiating the camel ride which was very enjoyable She is also a wonderful photographer and very patient with us Truly a wonderful tourist trip and the driver is professional

A truly wonderful tour of Islamic Cairo a historical area showcasing Egypts Islamic heritage It is home to many mosques religious schools and architectural gems and a helpful guide and good driver would highly recommend

Useful tour good guide and nice explanation of an enjoyable experience in Cairo St Mary Coptic Orthodox Church one of the main attractions It is called the "Hanging Church" because its nave is suspended above the aisle below The church dates back to the third century and is an important religious site for Coptic Christians A wonderful opportunity to explore

Our tour to the Giza Pyramids the Pyramids the Sphinx Islamic and Coptic Cairo It was a wonderful and enjoyable tourist trip by all standards Mohammad Suwaifi our guide gave an excellent and comprehensive explanation of all the sites we visited He had extensive knowledge of Pharaonic Islamic and Coptic history culture and heritage He was understanding of all our questions and provided us with detailed and interesting information

Excellent tour guide As you wander the narrow streets of Islamic Cairo you will also come across historic buildings stunning markets and Egyptian shops selling handicrafts textiles and wonderful Islamic arts Highly recommended tour

I have not seen such large castles with columns and deep rooms as the Castle of Saladin Al-Ayyubi. As for the mosques, this is certainly one of the most famous of them due to its large size and the unique way of building it, and of course the churches built after the disappearance of the Copts inside them carry fear of the Mongols and escape from them. Egypt is truly a glory for civilization.

The mosque is very large and contains decorations on the ceilings and large columns. It is located inside the Citadel of Saladin, which is considered one of the best castles in Egypt, as the tour guide said. He also mentioned that the minaret of the mosque is the highest in Egypt.

The castle is built on a mountain, and this information amazed us all, so when you go to it, you see it from below as if it were above something at the top. Saladin dug a well in the citadel from which the army and the inhabitants of the citadel could draw water if water was denied to it during the siege of it. It is the most amazing work that has been done because the well is dug into the rock at a depth of 90 meters from the level of the castle ground, and this required a great effort at that time. I now know why Egypt has a great history. Thanks for the trip program

I enjoyed a lot of the private trip with the private guide to Coptic Cairo and learning the secrets of disappearing families in Egypt in churches and how they are the source of many deaths. Inside it to prevent anyone from harming them. It is truly a wonderful country. Thank you for that special, special trip

The history of Egypt for me was very interesting, so I planned the visit and went there with a wonderful program and a good tour guide who gave me many answers to my questions about churches, castles and pyramids.

Brilliant itinerary from Mr Muhammad Swefy.in 2 and half days we visited the Pyramids, Museum, Downtown Cairo, Coptik Cairo,shopping in the streets and malls. Excellent drivers and amazing tour guides, Dooha and Eman.

Tour guide came to fetch us from our hotel as per our requested time which I enjoyed as we could rest abit in the morning, with a driver and an air-conditioned car we went to the different pyramids and panoramic photo spot and past the sphinx ,she assisted us with taking photos and helped us get to the front of the que as well as bought us some refreshments on route,I would have liked abit more information on the pyramids like when it was built and completed etc and abit more information on the relics in the Egyptian museum ,she walked with us at our pace to the other islamic sights like masjids and added on as per my request the tombs of imaam shafi and imaam hussain.

Mohammad is a very welcoming and charming guide. He made our experience of egypt very memorable and worthwhile. All the small hassles on being in a new country, he took care of. His service was impeccable. We had two little kids who could gey cranky any second but Mohammad made them feel very comfortable and took care of them while we explored. I would 100% reccomend his services to anyone going to egypt.

Mohammed was an amazing tour guide, clear and very interesting. He knew information about every place and thing he brought me too and was very helpful for suggestions of what I should do after the tour. :) thank you so much!!

Muhammad it's a expert of Islamic Cairo history. He show us completely different side of Cairo heart. His knowledge level is very impressive also he's a great teacher. I would like to complement his English language skills. I would highly recommend Muhammad.

intense experience, our guide was knowledgeable, kind and professional Perhaps it would be interesting to include a morning and afternoon coffee break and a proposal for a lunch break, we were visiting for a full 6 hours without stopping.

Mohammad was great. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to be around. would recommend him easily!

Incredible tour around Islamic Cairo with a truly amazing, helpful, kind and knowledgeable guide who will make you feel right at home!

I had some very specific requests to have a certain experience and see certain things. The Team went way above and beyond to make those things happen. Friendly, out-going, not pushy, and very knowledgeable. Recommend highly.

I met Muhammad when I was touring Zuweyla gate. He took me through the more local areas of Khan el Khalili - streets I would never have found on my own and definitely would have gotten lost in if I'd wandered into by accident. He also taught me how to tell the difference between higher quality and lower quality wares, and shared some local stories and advice on getting around Cairo. As a woman walking alone that day, I could not have asked for a better companion!! I felt very safe with him as my guide in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and he tried to help me figure out my transportation later when my phone was struggling. I enjoyed learning more local knowledge. I will definitely recommend him either as a tour guide or an Arabic teacher!

Muhammad was a very nice guide and we enjoy the tour, the only recomendation is that he should pick cleaner places to walk around and maybe less walk around the local market in order to see more history

Our trip to cairo was amazing thanks to Mohammed. He setup all our tours and transfers for us and was extremely helpful with everything. All the guides are very knowledgeable and helpful. I would definitely recommend Cairo tours to all my family and friends.

Awesome. Staff incredibly professional and kind. Boat incredibly clean and has awesome views. Would recommend giving it a try do you are trying to have a good time.

We enjoyed the tour through the historical streets of cairo. Muhammad explains everything in a nice way, his english is perfect, so you can clearly understand everything. He knows also the best and interesting spots, so if you go to cairo, you have to get a tour with him. He is the best.

I loved Mo's tour. We went to several mosques, Garbage City, City of the Dead, and Khan el-Kalili Bazaar and got some great photos. The reason I'm taking off a star is because I think he's arrogant and it's not a good look. He started off the tour telling me that all the other tour guides were terrible and he was the only good one and refused to work for an agency; same thing for his driver. I had just come from nearly two weeks of daily tours with wonderful guides and drivers that I liked very much and who worked very hard and deserved their tips. If your tour is the best, then let it speak for itself - there's no need to try to brainwash the client. Another thing was he claimed to know Cairo "like the back of his hand," but he and his driver often had to stop and ask for directions, sometimes every couple of minutes, depending on the area. This probably happened about 20 times throughout the day. Very strange for someone who claims to be so superior to everyone else - none of my other guides or drivers had to ask for directions at all. He also took me to a dreadful restaurant with terrible reviews that he evidently hadn't bothered to read. I actually didn't even get service there at all, but was chased down for a tip anyway. Mo claims to be a "perfectionist" with photos but is seemingly incapable of doing anything other than standing in one spot and taking 4 of the exact same photo without telling you anything to do differently or moving himself. It is fine if photography isn't a guide's thing as this was not a photo tour, but don't claim to be so amazing and awesome when your skills are, frankly, below average. Finally, I found his speech style too fast and overwhelming. I could hardly get a word in. I often felt that I was being told what to think. I didn't get that feeling from my other guides. I still like and recommend his actual tour. I just think a small dose of humility would be a little more charming and appropriate.

Muhammad gave us an excellent tour of the authentic Islamic Cairo, brining us to craftsmen and giving us insights both into history and the daily life in Cairo.

I would like to appreciate the time we spent with Mohammed, it was a great tour in the old town. Visiting and speaking with the people from the real Cairo, it was a pity not synchronizing our calendar to visit together the Giza pyramids or the museum. really worth to get a tour with him. excellent English and quite fluent Spanish. I wish you the best.

I met Muhammad after being 3 days in Cairo and what I can say - he is the most sincere and honest guide in the whole Cairo. Walking on the Khalili Market was not only great because he knows so much about the place but also because he could bargain with the sellers for me to get the best price. He has deep knowledge, good English and a great heart. Thank you so much for this amazing and welcoming experience!

We were very happy to meet Mr. "Mo Swefy" when we arrived near Khalili Market. He showed us the main route of Mosque and Market and accompanied us to talk about the history and culture of Cairo along the way. His knowledge of English, history and culture is very good. He is very hospitality and free to accompany us through the streets of the market for nearly an hour, the local products we see also tell us, not to promote, very good and friendly thank you!

We met Muhammad just looking for the spice section in tentmakers souk aka khayamiya. He offered to take us there and show us around. He had no expectations of us and when we offered him cash he refused. All he asked was for a rating on TripAdvisor and here it is. Next time we are looking for a guide we will definitely look to use Muhammad.

Mr Mohammed is one of the greatest guide that I met during my stay in Cairo. He was such a good guide and friend helping me finding books to practice my reading in arabic. He does know the history of every masjid in old Cairo. And the most that I loved it was that he is not like some other guides just chasing for the money of tourists, he enjoys his job and you can read it on his eyes while he tells you the history of that building or while he describes you the emblematic differences between the styles of every building. Given he studied linguistics, he also speaks spanish and french, he keeps his knowledge update and he reads a lot! A very cultivated guide. Rare to find knowledge and honesty in a guide in Cairo. Try him, I can guarantee you will not see how time flies whenever he is showing you Old Cairo. I Wish I could have met him before.

Muhammad has explained to me in English the historical importance of several of the little tables in Cairo. He explained the cause of infrastructure and helped me to better understand Islamic culture and religion. After learning that I was from Chile, he began to speak to me in Spanish, which surprised me pleasantly. He handles Spanish very well. It was fun too. Then he showed me one of the most iconic markets in Cairo where I could see literature, mother-of-pearl crafts, lamps and typical food. Muhammad was very nice and fun. No doubt when I return to Cairo I will see him again. Or if he goes to Chile, he already has a friend.

We read about Mo Swift on trip advisor. He had great reviews and we felt he was exactly the kind of guide we wanted to get a flavour of Islamic Cairo. We contacted Mo Swift in October 2019 with regards to a personal tour by him on January 3 2020. ( well in advance). We had email correspondence and WhatsApp correspondence and we were looking forward to the day. The price quoted and agreed was USD 208 for our family of 5. We were going to tour the Muhammad Ali Mosque, the Citadel, Khan Market and have an Egyptian lunch in between. However sadly Mo Swift let us down at the very last minute. He sent us a WhatsApp message at 6:30 pm on the 1st of January 2020 saying he will not be able to make it but will send a colleague. As a result the tour was very disappointing. The substitute guide took us to the Muhammad Ali Mosque and gave us a standard tour ( which was OK) This took say half hour ( maximum) of explaining. We completed our Friday prayers at that Mosque and came out prepared for a tour of the Citadel. Only to be told that there was nothing to see in the Citadel. So one wonders why Mo Swift had it on the list without telling us there was nothing to see in there! That was the moment we realised we had been ripped off. This is not a criticism of the substitute guide. It was obvious that the substitute had been thrust into this at the last moment and had no idea of our communication with Mo Swift since October. We requested an Egyptian lunch but SPECIFICALLY mentioned a CLEAN PLACE. The guide gave us a choice of 2 places based on cuisine. Our kids chose Egyptian pancakes. Little did we realise Egyptian Pancakes would be served on a table which was on the pavement of a busy Cairo street. So we had our meal breathing in vehicle fumes, chasing away flies and constant interruption by beggars and insistent vendors. The guide ordered the food and went away to change some money and only came back once we were almost finished with the meal. The food itself was tasty and the kids who were hungry enjoyed it. BUT this was not the kind of place we expected to be taken when we specifically requested a clean place. The visit to the market was nothing special. Once again Mo Swift had raving reviews about his trips to the markets. We didn’t really have anything much to buy. The whole purpose was to get the vibes with a local guide. This didn’t happen. We purchased a few souvenirs and left. At this point we decided to ‘use’ the substitute guide to purchase some good Egyptian sweets which we wanted to take back as gifts. ( the fact that we had paid USD 208 for this charade was on our mind). The guide did a good job by taking us to a famous sweet shop. It was very very crowded and chaotic. Not a place for a tourist so we were grateful for the help received from the guide to purchase what we needed. Once again no criticism on the substitute guide as it was not that person’s fault. Our criticism is on Mo Swift who let us down and charged us for a service he didn’t render or fulfil as per agreement. Had he told us before that he couldn’t make it we would have definitely made alternative arrangements. Sadly we ended up feeling totally cheated. Mr Swift please realise that when people read reviews about YOU and request to have YOU as a guide, they don’t expect to be allocated another guide at 11th hour. This is a personal service and the personality and flair of the person involved is an integral part of that service. You cannot delegate that to someone else. It’s not just about knowing or speaking English. Please do not do this to another customer.

Muhammad approached me on the street in Khan el-Khalili while my girlfriend was looking at carpets. He was nice and started to explain where and how the carpets were made, followed by some historical facts of the bazaar generally. Being in Egypt a week and a half we were skeptical of strangers approaching us in this way but Muhammad seemed nice and translated the price the vendor was selling the carpets at. Once we finished he encouraged us to go into a mosque we weren’t going to visit and explained some Islamic facts about it (all while insisting that there was no cost involved). Once we finished we thanked him and advised that we would like to continue on separately, which is what we like to do normally. Muhammad instantly became aggressive towards us and defensive about all the information he gave us for free, and then stormed off. We never asked anything of Muhammad. I can’t comment on the quality of his tours but his behaviour was totally inappropriate.

I met Muhammad in Islamic Cairo and he started giving me and my friend a free tour of the area. He also helped us get tickets to the sufi dance show. He was very helpful and friendly. He didn't have to do that for us. I then contacted him to take a 2-day trip to the desert. Muhammad was actually not the guide who was going to accompany me on the trip but an intermediary. My trip didn't start off really well as the guy from Bahariya oasis tried to scam me, saying I had to pay a fee to sleep in the desert, which was according to him not included in the package. I contacted Muhammad and he said that any money they asked from me was going to be deducted from the the whole amount I paid him. I know that he had a smaller margin because of that. You're a great person, Muhammad. I can tell. You shouldn't work with too many intermediaries though (as far as the desert trips are concerned. As for the visits, it's just him and he's great). Next time, just bypass the travel agency ;-) I wish you the best! Jennifer

During our visit to Egypt, we had a wonderful guide Mo Swift, he made us a night tour of the most peculiar and essential areas of Cairo, nothing of tourist places, but more essential sites, all without pressure, protecting us at all times to May our visit be as pleasant as possible. His explanations were clear and very complete, resolving any doubt that occurred to us.I will definitely recommend Mo to all my friends!thank you very much Mo !! we hope to see you soon!!

I have read many of the reviews about Mohammed‘s tours of Cairo. Just like many of the other writers, my wife and I had the experience of simply poking around near the great Souk of Cairo when Mohammed appeared out of nowhere to help us out. We were in the process of buying some traditional street flat bread (like pita) when he stepped in to make sure we got the right change back. He was so kind and nice and offered to walk us around the neighborhood that he loves with such passion. He showed us tiny workshops where skilled craftsmen were toiling over objects of beauty. No salesmen! He gave us the whole history of the area, which was fascinating. He adamantly took the position that he was not going to charge us anything for his time, but just wanted us to love Cairo and write nice things about it. We spent about an hour with him and he did not charge us a cent. If we had been there longer, we would have hired him for tours of other areas of Cairo. BTW, his English is great.

Super friendly and knowledgeable guide. We had a great tour around the old city and he showed us to interesting markets around it’s location.

Mohammad took me on a tour of the area of the artisans and explained the historical importance of the area. He took me to shops where you could be quality items at greatly reduced prices. The quality items are generally only sold to high-end hotels and shops. I highly recommend contacting Mohammad to see another side of Cairo.

We spent 1 full day with Mummad and we enjoyed a lot. Always respectful and well prepared (he lives in Khan El Kalili), Muhammad guided us in the wonderful mosques of Old Islamic Cairo. With him you felt safe and I got the impression of being at home. Patient with kids (5!) he attired their attention in different ways! He can adapt himself according to your curiosity and to field of interest! Thank you Muhammad! Fabio