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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Place · Coptic Cairo

Hanging Church and Coptic Cairoالكنيسة المعلقة

A walled cluster of churches and a synagogue: an easy 90 minutes indoors, good in the afternoon heat.

goadmission: unknownNot field-verified
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Key facts

Time on site
75–105 min
p95 150 min
Price
on site
bring cash
Hours
09:00–16:00
typical, check
Best time
unknown
28″ bags
Painful
Coptic Cairo: painful
Getting there
Car or metro to Mar Girgis
  • Built over the Roman fortress gate
  • Indoor, good in the heat
  • Quiet outside Sunday
  • Bring cash
  • Works with kids
  • Hard in a wheelchair
  • Mostly indoors

Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.

Rules in force · 12Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Cairo traffic is heavy from about 07
  • Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
  • Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
  • North Africa ↗Plan links between North African countries by air or by ferry via Europe; the only regularly usable land borders for visitors are Tunisia–Algeria and Morocco–Mauritania via Western Sahara.
  • North Africa ↗Book Saharan nights (dunes, desert camps, oasis tours) between October and April; from May to September desert day temperatures regularly exceed 40 °C and many tours stop.
  • Egypt ↗Check visa rules for your passport on the official Egypt e-visa portal before flying; visa on arrival availability depends on nationality and can change.
  • Egypt ↗Drones need prior permission and are routinely confiscated on arrival; leave them at home.
  • Egypt ↗Do not photograph military sites, police, bridges or government buildings; some museums and tombs charge for or ban photography.
  • Egypt ↗During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight; hotels and tourist restaurants still serve.
  • Cairo and Giza ↗Cross-city rides can take 90 minutes at rush hour; plan one district per half-day.
  • Cairo ↗Cairo traffic is heavy from about 07:30 to 10:00 and 15:00 to 20:00: plan one district per half-day and add 45+ minutes to any cross-city ride.
  • Cairo ↗Agree the price of every taxi, camel, horse, carriage or guide before you start; use ride-hailing where you can, since the fare is fixed on the screen.
  • Cairo ↗From about June to August, be on site at opening, and off the open plateau by 10:00.
Usually 09:00–16:00
Map & directions
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Directions
From where I am

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Plan

What to know before you go, how long it takes, when to be there

Weather here, next 7 days

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Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Time on site

minutes

Minimum

45min

Worthwhile

75min

Typical

105min

p95

150min

Opening hours are not printed until verified; ask your hotel the day before.

On the ground

Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work

Getting in

Stop
Car or metro to Mar Girgis
Exit
—
Ticket
on site · official site · bring cash
Stairs
unknown
Shoes
Shoes on.

Crowds and switching

Crowd clock
Quiet on weekday mornings; busy on Sunday.
Sensory load
3/5
Exposure
low

Bailouts

  1. heat

    Nearest AC café or hotel lobby (field-verify)

Nearest rescue anchor: A — Compound centre: courtyard seating (field-verify)

Red lines

  • Cover shoulders and knees; keep quiet during services.
More on the groundPrices · Closures · Rules on site · Access and kids · Next door

Tickets and prices

2026 estimate · check the posted board
TicketPriceNote
Entry to the Coptic Cairo compoundfree or a small combined fee (2026 estimate; check)Individual sites inside sometimes charge separately.
Ben Ezra Synagoguefree or a small fee (check)—

Closed days and closures

WhenStatusWhat it means for you
Sunday morningscheck before you goChurch services can restrict tourist access to parts of the Hanging Church; visit early afternoon instead.
Jewish holidayscheck before you goThe Ben Ezra Synagogue may close or restrict visits — confirm locally.

“Check” means the date moves year to year or is not published far ahead: confirm on the official page for your date.

Rules on site

enforced at the gate or by guards
dress
Shoulders and knees covered; some ask women to cover their hair — bring a scarf.
photos
Generally allowed in the churches outside of services; ask before photographing worshippers.
security
Bag checks at the compound's main entrance.

Access and kids

wheelchair: poorstroller: poorkids: ok
with kids
Quiet and mostly indoor; short attention spans handle 45–60 minutes here better than a hot outdoor site.

Next door, in walking order

  1. +3′Ben Ezra Synagogue
  2. +8′Mosque of Amr ibn al-As — Egypt's oldest mosque site; check current access.
  3. +2′Coptic Museum

Deep dive

Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources

Questions and answers

answered by Voykit editors · dated
Is this the same as the pyramids area?

No — Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo) is a separate walled quarter near the Nile, a car or metro ride from Giza.

Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk

Can non-Christians visit?

Yes, the churches and the synagogue are open to all visitors outside of active services.

Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk

Answers come from Voykit editors, not from other travellers.

Nearby

Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.

Sources