Cairo & Alexandria Highlights: 5-Day Exploration

Breakfast in the Cairo Hotel—the great beginning of the day and a great start to exploring Egypt. Your professional tour guide is ready to take you and guide you throughout your Giza Pyramids tour. Go to see the Great Pyramids of Cheops as you may ascend or merely view the spectacle. Go on to the Pyramid of King Chephren and the Great Sphynx.

Visit the little pyramids, of which the Great Pyramid of King Mycerinus is the largest, and if it is possible, take an optional camel ride for a lovely feeling and an extraordinary picture. Then you should go to Valley Temple, which was used for rituals, and then go to Memphis for the Museum of Open Air, which displays many reminders of ancient Egypt, particularly the capital city. Do not miss at Saqqara the first pyramid the Step Pyramid by Imhotep. Join the pyramid of Teti, where you will see the hieroglyphs and a Mastaba tomb that has lively scenes. In the evening, after a local lunch in the Saqqara area, get back to your hotel in Giza.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. 

After breakfast, continue your tour with a visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum, renowned for its vast collection of Egyptian artifacts, including the famous treasures of Tutankhamun. Next, explore the Citadel of Saladin, once the administrative center of Egypt, and the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali, an exquisite example of Ottoman architecture. Discover Islamic Cairo’s historic mosques and towers. In Coptic Cairo, visit the Roman fortress of Babylon and the Hanging Church, also known as Al Mualaka, situated atop the fortress. Explore the Church of St. Sergius, built over the site where the Holy Family is believed to have stayed, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, traditionally located where baby Moses was found. Enjoy lunch before wandering through the bustling Khan El Khalili bazaar, with its medieval streets and ancient gates. Return to your Cairo hotel for the night.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch.

After breakfast, embark on a day trip to Alexandria with your knowledgeable English-speaking Egyptologist guide. Enjoy a brief stop along the way before arriving in Alexandria, the Mediterranean city founded by Alexander. Visit Pompey's Pillar, erected in 297 B.C. to commemorate the triumph of Roman Emperor Diocletian, and explore the Catacombs of Kom El Shokkafa, one of the largest Roman cemeteries. Continue to the Citadel of Qaitbay, where you can enjoy views of the coastline and the historic site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Tour the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a modern library and cultural center inspired by the ancient Library of Alexandria, founded by Ptolemy I in the early 3rd century B.C. Enjoy a lunch of fresh seafood before returning to your Cairo hotel. Meals: Breakfast and lunch.