River Nile, Cairo, and Alexandria Tour

We will pick you up from your chosen location. If you are flying into Cairo, this includes full meet and greet service as soon as you disembark from your plane, including tourist visa if required. We will then transport you to your 5-star hotel, your home for the next two nights.

Today we will visit the last remaining Ancient Wonder of the World – the Great Pyramids at Giza. Take your time to appreciate the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The northernmost and oldest pyramid of the group was built for King Khufu. Called the Great Pyramid, it is the largest of the three. The middle pyramid was built for King Khafre, and the southernmost and last pyramid to be built was that of Menkaure. The largest of the three pyramids is truly an astonishing work of engineering. It was built over a twenty-year period. The sides are oriented to the four cardinal points of the compass, and it was built using around 2,300,000 limestone blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 tons. For centuries, the Great Pyramid was encased in smooth limestone, but this was plundered to build Cairo.

The Great Sphinx is part of Khafre’s pyramid complex. It represents Ra-Harakhte, the sun god, as he rises in the east at dawn, but the face of the Sphinx is a portrait of Khafre himself. It was carved from an outcropping of limestone left after quarrying the stone for his father’s pyramid. Unfortunately, the great sphinx has deteriorated over the millennia and was extensively renovated in ancient times. More recently it was mutilated by the Sultan Mohammed an-Nasir in AD 1300; and lost its nose in 1798, when Napoleon’s soldiers used it for target practice.

There are several options to see the Pyramids and Sphinx in the way that suits you best – if you feel more adventurous you can try a horse or a camel, or if you prefer a more relaxed mode of transport, you can take a horse drawn carriage.

Overnight Cairo

Morning – The Egyptian Museum

No visit to Egypt is complete without seeing the astonishing collections in the Egyptian Museum. Don’t miss the King Tutankhamen exhibition or the incredible artefacts of King Akhenaton, the heretic pharaoh who created his own religion. Later on the tour you will be visiting the city he built to worship his new religion.

Afternoon – The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

After lunch at Studio Masr in Al Azhar Park, where you will have a fantastic view of the Mohamed Ali Mosque and the Citadel, we’ll head to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the home of the 22 mummies moved in the Golden Parade, as well as many other wonderful artefacts from Ancient Egypt and other periods in the history of this incredible country. You will see many artefacts from Ancient Egyptian life including agriculture, writing, fashion and makeup as well as fascinating items from Coptic and Islamic Egypt.

Overnight Cairo

This afternoon we will be focusing on the Egyptian Royal Family. Our first visit will be Montazah Palace, set in extensive gardens and overlooking a truly beautiful stretch of coast. Built at the beginning of the 20th century by Khedive Abbas II, a relative of King Farouk, the palace mixes Turkish and Florentine architecture. Once you’ve had a look at the palace, take a stroll round the gardens which are filled with many varieties of trees and plants, or stop for a cup of tea in one of the cafes. There are also several greenhouses, home to an impressive variety of plants.

Our last stop for today will be the Royal Jewellery Museum, which displays the collectibles of the Egyptian royal family, founded by Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1805 and which continued to rule for 150 years, until 1952. The palace itself serves as a striking backdrop to the magnificent possessions owned by the family. The possessions amassed by the family over the period of their rule are on display in the various halls. The lavish lifestyle of the family is reflected in a gold chessboard, golden binoculars encrusted with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and gold cups inlaid with precious stones. Also on display are elaborate jewellery sets commissioned by the greatest designers in Europe, which once adorned the queens and princesses of Egypt’s royal family. It also contains one of the most elaborate bathrooms you will ever see in your life.

Overnight Alexandria

A busy day ahead as we see more of the wonders of Alexandria. On our itinerary today will be:

Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria Library) – Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a major library and cultural centre and is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the largest libraries worldwide, which was lost in antiquity. An architectural marvel, the library has shelf space for eight million books, and also houses, amongst other things, a planetarium and four museums.  

The Citadel of Qaitbay is a 15th-century defensive fortress established in 1477. The Citadel is situated on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island at the mouth of the Eastern Harbour. It is considered one of the most important defensive strongholds, not only in Egypt, but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast. It formulated an important part of the fortification system of Alexandria in the 15th century.

The catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, meaning “Mound of Shards, is a historical archaeological site and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. The necropolis consists of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funerary cult with Hellenistic and early Imperial Roman influences. 

Pompey’s Pillar is a Roman triumphal column set up in honour of the Roman emperor Diocletian. The giant Corinthian column originally supported a colossal statue of the emperor in armour.

The Alexandria National Museum contains around 1,800 artifacts that narrate the story of Alexandria and Egypt. The museum focuses on three collections – Pharaonic, Hellenisitc and Roman period, and the Coptic and Islamic world.

The Ancient Roman Theatre is an archaeological site featuring the remains of an ancient Roman theatre, baths & a villa with mosaics.

Overnight Alexandria

Today we return to Cairo, and this marks the end of our tour. If you are leaving Egypt we will take you to Cairo airport, right through to your gate. By why not extend your holiday in this remarkable country? See our website for many more tours, or consider a relaxing break on the Red Sea, where you can snorkel or dive, or just soak up the sun.