Al-Azhar Park

The basics

Visitors pay a modest entry fee to enter Al-Azhar Park and explore its manicured gardens, lake, and other attractions independently. Head here by yourself by cab for a refreshing break from sightseeing, and join the locals who come to stroll, meet friends, and escape the city’s commotion.

Some full and half-day Old Cairo tours include time to take in Al-Azhar’s fountains, restaurants, and viewpoints, often teaming the park with attractions like Al Moez Street, Cairo Citadel, the Khan El-Khalili bazaar, and the mosques of the Islamic quarter. Other options include private tours, which include lunch at a park restaurant, and evening Cairo tours that combine the glittering city views from the park with activities like Nile felucca sailboat rides.

Things to know before you go

• Al-Azhar Park will appeal to sightseers, nature-lovers, families, and gardening and history buffs.

• The park has numerous trails that are suitable for wheelchairs and strollers.

• You pay a small admission fee at the main gate on entry.

• Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and avoid sleeveless or revealing clothing.

• Bring a hat, shades, sunscreen, and water: the park can be very hot.

• Amenities include restaurants, cafés, souvenir stalls, and restrooms.

• If traveling with kids, there is a large playground on the eastern side of the park.

How to get there

The main entrance to Al-Azhar lies on Cairo’s Salah Salem Street, midway between Cairo Citadel and the Khan El-Khalili. The best way here is via cab, or join a guided tour that includes a park visit. Alternatively, if you’re keen to use Cairo’s metro system, the nearest station is Attaba, a roughly 45-minute walk or 15-minute cab ride away.

When to get there

Al-Azhar is open daily, year-round, from morning till late night. It offers genuine respite at any time, but is at its most peaceful early morning midweek; late afternoons and evenings, especially on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays like Eid, bring crowds. Everything is prettiest between March and May, when the flowering plants are lush and blooming.

Must-sees at Al-Azhar Park

There’s plenty to do at Al-Azhar apart from strolling. Don’t miss Cairo’s Ayyubid Walls: these 12th-century fortifications lining the park’s western perimeter were discovered when it was originally developed from wasteland. Other highlights include the park’s hilltop observation point, which commands fabulous city views, and the superb Citadel View Restaurant, where patrons eat overlooking the towering Muhammad Ali Mosque.