After the drive from Alexandria, you climb to the Citadel of Saladin, the hilltop fortress begun in 1176 to defend Cairo. At its center stands the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, its alabaster walls and twin Ottoman minarets visible across the city. Your guide walks you into the domed prayer hall and through eight centuries of rulers who held this height. From the terrace, the whole of Cairo spreads below, with the pyramids on the horizon on a clear day. Modest dress is needed to enter the mosque.

You then move to Coptic Cairo, the oldest Christian quarter in Egypt, set inside the walls of the Roman fortress of Babylon. The Hanging Church takes its name from being built over the fortress gatehouse, its nave seeming to float above the passage below, with parts dating to the 7th century. Your guide leads you through the shaded lanes to other ancient churches and the site linked to the Holy Family's stay in Egypt. Calm and walkable, it is a gentle counterpoint to the Citadel before the long drive back.