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Day 1)
Arrive in Cairo
Arrive at Cairo International Airport. We meet you at
the airport, assist you with passport and customs
formalities, and take you to the hotel. A refreshing
Egyptian drink awaits you there. Settle in, relax, and
then start taking in the atmosphere of this exciting
city!
This evening, we meet together as a group by the Egypt
Travel team in Egypt.
Day 2)
Cairo – Giza
After an early breakfast, we meet our Egyptian guide for
sightseeing in and around Africa’s largest metropolis.
We drive to Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt, where we
see a huge alabaster Sphinx and a statue of Ramses II.
At Saqqara we view the Step Pyramid of Zoser I, the
oldest in the world.
From Saqqara we travel to Giza for a close-up look at
the mighty Sphinx and the majestic Great Pyramids.
Cheops’ Pyramid is the most colossal pyramid ever built
– it stands 140.2 Meters in height, is made from over
7.7 million tons of rock, and its base covers an area of
12 acres!
Day 3)
Cairo
After breakfast, we begin today’s sightseeing by
focusing on Egypt’s Islamic period, which began in 640
A.D. We visit the Citadel of Salah Al Din and the Mosque
of Mohammed Ali. The Mosque is also known as the
“Alabaster Mosque” because of the extensive use of this
fine material. A Greek architect, commissioned by
Mohamed Ali Pasha, designed it in the Ottoman style. It
has two very slender minarets, 82 meters high.
In the afternoon, we head to the world-famous Egyptian
Museum of Antiquities, with artifacts dating back to
5000 B.C. The museum offers a vivid introduction to the
artistic and architectural styles of successive periods
in ancient Egyptian history. Highlights of our visit
include the incredible treasures of the tomb of
Tutankhamun, including the stunning Jewel Room and the
fascinating Mummy Room
Later we drive to the Al-Azhar area to browse the
labyrinths of the bustling Khan El-Khalili bazaar, where
shopping is both an exotic and rewarding experience!.
Day 4)
Cairo
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, we accompany you
to Cairo International Airport for your flight back
home. You leave Egypt with wonderful memories and our
very best wishes. It was our pleasure to host you; we
hope that Egypt and her people always have a special
place in your heart and that you will come back and
visit us again!
Optional
Excursions
Alexandria and El
Alamein – 4 Days/3 Nights
Day 4)
Cairo – Alexandria
Breakfast at hotel
Following breakfast at the hotel, we drive through the
desert road to enjoy the ancient Queen of the
Mediterranean, Alexandria. This is Egypt’s second
largest city, and its chief seaport. Together we visit
Pompeii’s Pillar, erected to honor the Emperor
Diocletian; the Roman Amphitheater, almost perfectly
preserved; the Roman catacombs dating from the 2nd
century A.D.
Day 5)
El Alamein Excursion
Today we visit El Alamein, where over 1000 British guns
helped Montgomery beat Rommel. We explore three war
memorials and the museum, and then return to Alexandria.
Day 6)
Alexandria – Wadi El Natrun – Cairo
Religious festivals permitting, we visit the Coptic
monasteries of Wadi El Natrun, and then return to the
city of Cairo or back to Cairo International Airport if
you are departing.
Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery – 3 Days/2 Nights
Day 4)
Cairo – Sharm El Sheikh
We take an early morning flight to Sharm El Sheikh, the
capital of Sinai. Sinai is an amazing land of vast sandy
deserts, golden beaches lined with palm trees, and below
the crystal clear waters, the world’s best coral reefs.
We are taken to our hotel in Sharm El Sheikh for
swimming, diving, snorkeling or relaxing on the beach or
by the pool. We may also visit the National Marine Park
or the Colored Canyon.
Note: The flight to Sharm El Sheikh departs early in the
morning; passengers must therefore spend the previous
night in Cairo
Day 5)
Sharm El Sheikh – St. Catherine’s Monastery
This afternoon we begin our drive to St. Catherine’s
Monastery through the spectacular Sinai Desert. Upon
arrival at the foot of Mt. Sinai, we settle into our
Bedouin-style hotel.
Day 6)
St. Catherine’s – Mt. Sinai – Cairo
Today we experience the holy atmosphere of Sinai. Many
religious miracles are believed to have occurred here,
and the prophets of Christianity, Islam and Judaism have
all roamed its expansive deserts. We visit majestic
Mount Sinai.
“Among all the stupendous works of nature, not a place
can be selected more fitting for the exhibition of
Almighty power.”
John Lloyd Stephens
Those wishing to climb Mt. Sinai are awakened at 2:00AM.
The ascent on foot takes about 3 hours. We are then
rewarded with an unforgettable view of the sun rising
over the mountain, and a look at the site where it is
believed God spoke to Moses. After this incredible
experience, we descend for breakfast and a visit to St.
Catherine’s Monastery, set beneath the mountain where
Moses received the Ten Commandments. The Monastery has
been a major destination of religious pilgrimages for
over fifteen centuries. Within it is a 6th century
church, the Chapel of the Burning Bush, built in the
area around the burning bush. The Fountain of Moses
provides the main source of water for the Monastery, and
is built on the site where Moses met his future wife
Zipporah at the well. One of St. Catherine’s own
Orthodox priests guides us through the Monastery.
Later we head back to Cairo. We drive past Hammam
Pharaon (Pharaoh’s Bath), a series of hot sulphur
springs with a temperature of 161º F. at the source. We
also drive through Ahmad Hamdy Tunnel, underneath the
waters of the Suez Canal, before reaching the end of our
tour in Cairo.
Note:
Due to religious customs and festivals, the monasteries
at Wadi El Natrun and St. Catherine’s Monastery may be
closed on very short notice.
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