Cairo Overnight Interlude - Alexandria To Port Said

Cairo Overnight Interlude - Alexandria To Port Said Photo #1 of 2 Photo copyright ShoreTrips.com.

Overview

Pickup is in Alexandria on Day 1. Drop-off is in Port Said on Day 2.

"AHLAN WA SAHLAN " are the traditional Egyptian words of welcome and this is the best all-encompassing tour of Cairo. You'll visit some of the most magnificent sites in all of Egypt, while also sampling local cuisine and enjoying an overnight stay in a modern Cairo hotel.

Day One:
Your adventure begins when you meet your tour representative at the port who will escort you to your transportation. Waiting for you there will be your special Egyptology guide.

On the drive between Alexandria and Cairo, you'll receive a briefing about Egyptian history and discuss the itinerary for the next 2 days. It is approximately a 2-hour ride into Cairo and you will begin your exploration of the Pyramids of Giza.

We bring you first to a viewing point on the Giza Plateau so you can absorb the sight of these wonders of the world without too much commotion. These three pyramids are the only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and are among the world’s greatest tourist attractions. These amazing structures were built over the course of 80 years by an estimated 20,000-30,000 workers. Nothing evokes the long and intriguing history of Egypt as powerfully as the pyramids. Rising from the desert, Khufu (Cheops), Khafra and Menkaura seem to symbolize the enigmatic tug of Egypt in our imaginations. The Great Pyramid of Cheops immortalizes the son of Sneferu and Hetepheres. Though little is known of this pharaoh, his monument, the largest of the three, is comprised of 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 tons.

We will also visit the Solar Boat Museum, whose main attraction is an ancient Egyptian cedar wood boat dating back 4,500 years.

You could see the Great Sphinx from the Giza Plateau and now we will bring you there where you will really see the size and majestic stature it imposes. Enter the colossal temple of the Great Sphinx, an ancient figure shrouded in legend and mystery. Your Egyptologist will enthrall you with tales of this fascinating figure. One of the most recognizable constructions in history, the Great Sphinx was sculpted from soft sandstone and many believe that it would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried in the sand for so many long periods in its lifetime. It faces the rising sun and was so revered by the ancients that they built a temple in front of it. Carved from an outcrop of rock, the Sphinx remains the ultimate symbol of Ancient Egypt with its lion’s body and human head. The history and the lifestyle of ancient Egyptian pharaohs come alive before our eyes through the skilled narrations of our specialist guide.

We will then drive into Old Cairo to explore the City’s cultural landmarks that span three millennium of Egyptian history and finally you will have a special tour at the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo. The museum houses the greatest collection of pharaonic treasures in the world. Our guide will show you the highlights of these artifacts, including the 12 rooms of golden treasure from the tomb of the boy King Tutankhamen Collection of golden treasures and acquaint you with the museum’s expansive collections. There is something so special about this museum with its musty dank rooms that will actually bring you backwards in time.

At the end of this day of discovery, you'll be transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay. Your room will have a view of the Nile, if available. If you wish to add our Nile Dinner Cruise with an Egyptian folkoric show, you may do so while booking this package. Nile Maxim cruising restaurant offers an exceptional and luxurious model of the cruising restaurants in Cairo with live entertainment program. This unforgettable atmosphere will be the finishing touch to your day in Egypt through live music, belly dancers and the Folkloric Tanoura show “Spin Man”.

Day Two
Your second day of touring begins with a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel and then, at about 8:30 a.m., you are off to explore desert antiquities dating from the beginnings of a civilization that arose more than 5,000 years ago. In the company of your Egyptologist specialist guide, you venture through the countryside to visit some of Egypt's oldest sights. You first stop at Memphis, where remnants of the nation's first capital and once the most cosmopolitan city in Egypt now lie scattered in the desert. You will also see the carved limestone Colossus of Ramses II, the Citadel, and the Mohamed Ali Mosque.

Nearby, we visit the necropolis at Saqqara, the oldest Ancient cemetery. It is here that King Djoser's Step Pyramid, the oldest of Egypt's 9 pyramids, was "built to last 'till the ends of time". This vast site in the heart of a desert plateau is the largest necropolis in Egypt. Extending for almost 5 miles, the complex forms a collection of pyramids, temples and tombs that is fundamental to understanding the history of Ancient Egypt.

Following a set-menu lunch at a local restaurant, we'll take a fascinating tour of Islamic Cairo, including the beautiful Mohamed Ali Mosque and the ancient Citadel, a spectacular medieval fortress perched on a hill above the city. The fortress is amazing in size and you are transported back in time once more by its strength of design as well. These cultural landmarks span three millennium of Egyptian history. We begin with the Citadel commanding a complete view of the city. Completed in 1183, the Citadel was surrounded by sturdy walls and towers to withstand attacks from Christian crusaders. Inside, we shall see the lavishly decorated alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali.

Continue to Coptic Cairo, where we will visit the famous Suspended Church (Hanging Church), dating to the late 4th and early 5th century. This basilica was named "Al-Mu'allaqah" because it was built atop the south gate of the Fortress of Babylon. Continue to the Church of St. Sergius, a 5th century Coptic Church. This basilica is built on the cave in which the Holy Family stayed and is regarded by visitors as a source of blessing. As we stroll along, we will come to the recently restored Synagogue of Ben Ezra, which marks the place where Moses was saved by the water girl of Pharaoh. This is the oldest Jewish synagogue in Egypt built in 882 AC.

If time allows, stroll with your guide through the Khan El Khalili, a bustling warren of shops where you can bargain for rugs, copper and leather crafts, perfumes, and other goods both exotic and familiar items. It is almost a museum in itself with colorful wares surrounding you in every direction.

Later in the afternoon, we'll drive to Port Said where your tour concludes.