Spiritual Egypt Tours

Egypt has been holy ground for longer than almost anywhere on earth. Christian monasticism was born in its deserts, the Holy Family tradition threads through its Delta and its oldest churches, medieval Cairo grew into one of the great cities of Islam, and in Sinai a working sixth-century monastery still stands at the foot of the mountain of Moses. You do not need to be a pilgrim to feel the weight of it, but travelling these sites with a guide who can read the layers changes everything.

What is in this collection

Walking tours of Coptic Cairo, where the Hanging Church, the crypt at Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue sit within a few lanes of each other. Islamic Cairo in depth: al-Azhar, the great mosque-madrasas, and the living street of El-Moez. Day trips to the desert monasteries, from Wadi El Natrun between Cairo and Alexandria to St Anthony and St Paul near the Red Sea, the two oldest monasteries in the world. And Sinai itself: St Catherine's Monastery with its Burning Bush chapel and icon library, with or without the pre-dawn climb to the summit for sunrise.

Good to know

Dress modestly at all religious sites: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf is handy for women in mosques. Monasteries pause visits during major fasts and feast days, and St Catherine's opens mornings only, closing to visitors on Fridays and Sundays. Mosque visits pause around Friday midday prayers. Photography rules vary room by room, so ask before raising the camera; your guide will know.