Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arriving Cairo, Egypt
You will be met at Cairo International Airport by Memphis Tours representative, who will accompany you to your hotel for check-in and a free welcome drink. There you will be introduced to your Tour Leader for the trip, who will explain what to expect on your visit, Your Tour Leader will be your point of contact throughout the whole trip, and will give you details of how to contact him at any time whilst in Egypt under the care of Memphis Tours. Throughout your holiday, in addition to the Tour Leader you will meet a variety of English-speaking tour guides, who have been chosen for their expertise on each of the areas you are visiting. After check-in you are free to spend the rest of the day/evening at your leisure. This would be a good time to do an optional excursion to the Sound & Light Show on the Giza Plateau, by the magnificent pyramids.
Welcome Drink
Day 2: Giza Sightseeing Tours
After breakfast, your guide will collect you for a full day visiting the famous pyramids in the area. We begin with Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara, which is the first pyramid built in Egypt and was designed by Imhotep. It is at Saqqara that the first spells for the Pharaoh's afterlife were found. Whilst there, you will also see Teti's pyramid and several ancient tombs.
After Saqqara you will travel to Memphis, the ancient Capital of Egypt, to visit the colossal statue of Ramesses II and a temple dedicated to Hathor which is still half-buried. From Memphis you drive to the famous Giza Plateau to visit the only remaining wonder from the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu (called Cheops by the Ancient Greeks). Also on the plateau are the pyramids of Khafre (Chephren) and the smaller one of Menkaure (Mykerinos). The plateau is as famous for the mysterious structure 'the Sphinx' as it is for the pyramids, where you will visit the Valley Temple.
Your visit to Giza will include enough time to do the optional visit to the solar boat, which was the vessel used to carry the Pharaoh’s mummy across the Nile, before being buried at the foot of the pyramid for use in his afterlife. After Giza, you will be transferred back to your hotel for a peaceful overnight stay in Cairo.
Breakfast + Lunch
Day 3: Cairo Sightseeing Tours / Aswan
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel in Cairo before being accompanied by your private expert tour guide to the world-renowned Egyptian Museum in Cairo, that was built in neo-classical style and designed by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon. The museum's vast collection of over 120,000 artifacts ranges from pre-dynastic era, through the Pharaonic era to the Greco-Roman period of Egypt. Amongst the most famous items which you may see are the funerary treasures of the child King Tutankhamun, the colossal statues of the heretic king, Akhenaten, and the only surviving image of Khufu, creator of Egypt's Great Pyramid. Visiting the museum is a great introduction to learning about the ancient Egyptian civilization, including their famous art of mummification.
Then you will visit the Citadel of Saladin, named after the Kurdish Muslim who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria and who was noted for his chivalry. The Citadel is overlooked by the Muqattam Hills and includes the Mohammed Ali Alabaster Mosque which was built in Turkish style and, very similar to the Blue Mosque in Turkey, its minarets can be seen from any part of old Cairo. Your tour then takes you to the Christian heritage in Coptic Cairo, including some of the early religious monuments of the city such as the Hanging Church. This basilica church was named for its location on top of the south gate of the Fortress of Babylon and became the center of the Christian Church of Egypt. You will visit also the famous Jewish heritage in Cairo, including Ben Ezra Synagogue which has a Jewish heritage library containing documents found here in 1896 that describe the economic and social conditions of Jews under Arab rule, together with descriptions of relations between various Jewish sects. This full day ends with dinner during an overnight trip to Aswan by a sleeper train.
Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
Day 4: Aswan / 4 day Nile cruise holiday
Enjoy breakfast with sunrise view before arriving Aswan, where you will be met by your guide for the day.You will begin by visiting the High Dam which wasbuilt in the 1960’s to provide the much needed electricity and irrigation for the country. Nubia, the area that was to be flooded, experienced the biggest and most thorough archaeological excavations that Egypt has known.
Then we go to see the "unfinished Oblelisk" which still lay in the granite quarries which provided ancient Egypt with building materials. It would have been the largest piece of stone ever handled but when a crack was discovered it was abandoned where it was being hewn. Cross by boat to Angilika Island, to see the Temple of Isis at Philae which is one of the Nubian temples rescued before the High Dam was built. Enjoy Philae’s long colonnades, towers and reliefs which include the last surviving hieroglyphic and demotic inscriptions in Egypt. End the day with a relaxing trip by one of Aswan’s famous feluccas to the botanical gardens on Kitchener's Island, before joining your cruise ship.
Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
Day 5: Nile cruise holiday
After enjoying breakfast onboard your cruise ship in Aswan you sail tosee the unique temple at Kom Ombo. Of all the ancient temples in Egypt, this is the only one which is divided into two, to reflect that it is dedicated to two gods:Sobek,the crocodile god of fertility; and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the sky. Kom Ombo is also famous for the depictions of surgeon's instruments, giving us an early record of medicine and surgery in Ancient Egypt.In the afternoon you visit the huge Ptolemaic Temple of Horus at Edfu, which is the most complete and best preserved of the Egyptian temples, consisting of many columns, halls, chambers and chapels. Two statues of Horus flank the twintowered entrance gate; and inside, one of the interesting inscriptions lists the titles of books (scrolls) held in the library. The rest of the day is spent at leisure and overnight onboard.
Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
Day 6: Nile cruise holiday
Relax while watching daily life on the banks of the Nile as you sail to Luxor. En route you will pass through the lock at Esna, where you are likely to be entertained by the local traders trying to sell their wares from rowing boats. During the cruise you will learn more about the art and architecture of Ancient Egypt as well as the mysteries of the Pharaohs and their fascinating culture. At Luxor, you will visit Karnak Temple, which is the world's largest ancient religious site.The hypostyle hall with its colossal granite columns is one of Egypt’s infamous landmarks. There will be free time to explore the different parts of the huge complex built during the reigns of various Pharaohs, then moving to Luxor temple which was built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II for ritual and festivals that was dedicated to the god Amon. You may wish to return at night for the optional evening Sound and Light show which tells the story of Luxor and Karnak.
Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
Day 7: Nile cruise holiday
Breakfast is served on board in Luxor before being escorted by your guide to cross to the West Bank of the Nile to the sites of Ancient Thebes, overall one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Visit the two colossal statues of Amenhotep III (Colossi of Memnon) and the impressive colonnaded and terraced Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri, which was built into a high cliff face and has graphics telling the story of Hatshepsut’s expeditions to the mysterious land of Punt. Then you go to the Valley of the Kings to see a selection of the beautifully decorated rock-cut tombs, many of which still display vibrant colour and breathtaking detail of deities and scenes from the Book of the Underworld.. The most visited tombs have walkways and electric lighting, and the internal walls are protected by glass. For the rest of the day you will have free time to spend at leisure in Luxor to experience the modern culture, and from there you will be transferred to your hotel for check-in and overnight stay.
Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
Day 8: Luxor / Sharm el-Sheikh Holiday
After breakfast in your hotel you will be transferred to Luxor airport to fly to Sharm el-Sheikh, which is one of Egypt’s most popular destinations for families, friends and couples alike. Once you have checked-in and received your free welcome drink, your time is at leisure. Having spent a week enjoying Egypt’s ancient culture, you can now relax by the Red Sea with options to do scuba diving and snorkeling, and enjoy a varied nightlife.
Breakfast
Day 9: Optional Scuba diving and snorkeling in Sharm el-Sheikh
Dubbed Egypt 's "Garden of Allah ", due to the wealth of colourful underwater life, a Red Sea diving holiday is simply unforgettable. Well-established diving centers will gladly provide you with scuba diving information and arrange courses and daily excursions trip to a selection of many places, from the gigantic coral outcrops of Red Sea to the vertical walls of Ras Mohammed, from the wrecks of Sha'ab Abu Nuhas to the lonely offshore islands of "The Brothers" and "Zabargad".
Breakfast
Day 10: Optional Excursions to Ras Mohammed National Park
Ras Mohammed National Park is a nature reservein a protected area that lies where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba at Sinai’s southernmost point. The arid desert terrain of sand dunes, gravel plains, fossilized corals and Granite Mountains is home to a number of rare mammal species: Dorcas gazelle, Nubian ibex and red fox. Easier to spot are the resident birds like terns, herons, gulls and ospreys. Thousands of white storks pass through Ras Mohammed each year, heading south during September/October and back north during April/May. About 85 flora species, including mangroves, growin the park.
Breakfast
Day 11: Optional Safari Trip to Coloured Canyon From Sharm el-Sheikh
The Coloured Canyon is one of Sinai’s natural wonders. Take a walk between the dramatic sandstone canyon walls streaked with yellows, purples, reds, magentas and gold, making you feel as though you are in a spectacular colouring book. In certain places the canyon walls reach up to 40 meters.
Breakfast
Day 12: Optional Trip to St. Catherine’s Monastery From Sharm el-Sheikh
The Monastery of St. Catherine lies at the foot of the Gebel Musa, or Mount Moses, in the heart of the South Sinai. Fronted by gardens and cypress trees, the monastery is owned and run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Its rich library houses one of the world's largest collections of illuminated manuscripts, coming second only to the Vatican. You can see where the Burning Bush is reputed to have grown and a large number of antique works of art including invaluable icons, beautifully carved doors, exquisite wall paintings and other fine religious ornaments.
Breakfast
Day 13: Sharm el-Sheikh / Cairo / home
After breakfast at your hotel you will be transferred to Sharm el-Sheikh airport to fly to Cairo for some final sightseeing and shopping before your return flight home.
Breakfast
