Details

Overnight (CAI 2)

the great pyramids & the mysterious Sphinx, the Egyptian museum & king TUT treasures gallery, Catacombs of Kom El Shuquafa, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Photo stop at abu El Abbas Mosque, the Citadel of Quait Bay and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Tour details:

Day 1  

Depart the pier for the approximate 3-hour drive through the flat desert landscape to Africa’s largest city, Cairo. Upon reaching the outskirts of Cairo, you will proceed to the Giza Plateau to discover the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza. It is here that three pharaohs, Cheops, his son Chephren and grandson Mykerinus, built great tombs to protect their mummified bodies in the afterlife. You will then drive to the high western plateau for panoramic views and photo opportunities of the valley and pyramids below.

Next, travel to the guardian of the mortuary complex, the mysterious Sphinx. Carved out of a solid natural rock around 2650 B.C., the Sphinx has the head of a man, body of a lion and stretches out to a length of 240 feet.

Following your visit, you will have lunch at a nearby restaurant with the pyramids in the background. After lunch, your last stop is the magnificent Egyptian Museum, the most important depository of Egyptian antiquities in the world. The museum is home to over 120,000 items, only a portion of which are in display in its more than 120 rooms. The artifacts date from 2700 B.C. to the 6th-century A.D. It includes thousands of statues, jewels and the treasure of the boy king, Tutankhamun. Your tour includes a visit to the King Tut gallery which includes the golden mask and items from the treasury. It does not include a visit to the Royal Mummy room. Following your visit to the museum, drive to your hotel.

The evening is at your leisure to rest or explore. Guests have the option of attending the show on the Pyramids. Or dinner on board 5* deluxe Nile cruise, Overnight in Cairo. (Hotels used are Le Meridian pyramids & Moevenpick pyramids or similar based on availability at time of booking- 30$ supplement per person for Mena House Oberoi & Marriott and Conrad hotels.)

Day 2 -Alexandria

After an early breakfast, Depart to Alexandria for the approximate 3-hour drive through the flat desert landscape, you will proceed to the Catacombs of Kom El Shuquafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the middle Ages. Discovered by a donkey in 1900, the catacombs represent the largest Roman cemetery in Egypt, and include the remains of more than 300 individual tombs. Constructed in the 2nd century A.D., probably for one family, they were later expanded to three levels cut 90 feet deep into existing rock. They now merge Roman, Greek and Egyptian cultural aspects in their design and decoration. The catacombs are accessed by a series of descending circular steps.

Next, you will visit the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, built on or near the site of the ancient Library of Alexandria. Built at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, the ancient library was not only a repository of books; it was also a museum, school and the world's foremost center for learning and scholarly research. In the 4th century AD, a fire destroyed both the library and museum.

Your tour will include a visit to the new library, and a walking tour of the grounds, which feature a museum, galleries and planetarium. Your guide will explain the architecture, background, development and UNESCO’s part in the creation.

Lunch will be served at a nearby restaurant with the sea view After lunch, you will continue your exploration of Alexandria; you will then make a photo stop at the beautiful Abu El Abbas Mosque, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and near the Citadel of Quait Bay, which sits on the site of the Ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria. You will begin drive to the port

Please note: this itinerary is flexible