Egypt tours of Alexandria and Cairo for land and cruise clients.
Private sightseeing Egypt ports
Day 1: Alexandria
12:15 Pick up from Oceania Insignia & visit the following:
We start with the Royal Library of Alexandria once the largest in the world. It is generally thought to have been founded at the beginning of the 3rd Century BC, during the reign of Ptolemy II of Egypt. It was
Likely created after his father had built what would become the first part of the Library complex, the temple of the Muses – the Mouseion, home of music and poetry, a philosophical school and a gallery for sacred texts.
We visit Pompey’s Pillar, constructed in honor of the Emperor Diocletain. Originally from the temple of the Serapis, it was once a magnificent structure rivaling the Soma and the Caesareum. After his defeat by Julius Caesar in the civil war, Pompey fled to Egypt where he was murdered in 48 BC; mediaeval travelers later believed he must be buried here. In fact, the pillar was raised in honor of Diocletain at the very end of the 4th century. The Pillar is the tallest ancient monument in Alexandria.
Continue to the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa which were accidentally discovered in 1900 when a donkey fell through the ground revealing the underground chambers an tombs. These catacombs represent the largest example of the Roman burial within Egypt. The catacombs are three floors in depth and have hundreds of chambers cut out along passage ways. The first level consists of a Banquet hall, where relatives held a final feast in honor of the deceased. Here there is a mixture of Egyptian, Greek and Roman iconography carved around the tomb of a Roman noble couple.
Proceed to the famous Montazah Palace and its gardens. It was from Montazah that King Farouk departed Egypt in his private yacht when he was overthrown by the revolution of Gamal Abdul Nassar.
Return to ship approximately 20:00
Day 2: Port Said / Cairo
07:15 Pick up from Oceania Insignia & drive to Cairo to visit the following:
We begin early this morning to visit the Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza located on a desert plateau. Three Pharaohs-Cheops, his son Chephren, and Chephren’s son Mykerinus, each built a Pyramid to preserve his mummified body for eternity. Largest is the first, the Great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, erected about 2690 B.C. Its base covers an area of 13 acres. It is 448 feet high and is estimated to contain 2.3 million separate blocks of stone, each stone weighing an average of two and a half tons.
The pyramids are so huge that it is difficult to comprehend their size, but soon you feel the overwhelming impact of their grandeur and beauty. Southeast of the Great Pyramid is the Sphinx, carved out of solid natural rock around 2650 B.C., a monument either to the sun god Ra or to the pharaoh Chephren. The sphinx has the head of a man and the body of a lion, stretched out to a length of 240 feet. The Sphinx faces east to greet the rising sun representing the return of life each day.
Then visit Coptic Cairo. There is evidence of settlement in the area as early as the 6th century BC. Later the Romans, recognizing the strategic importance of the area. This area of Old Cairo encompasses the Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church (the earliest known site of Christian worship in Egypt; the church was built in the 3rd century, though it has been almost entirely replaced through successive restorations), the Greek Church of St. George (the principal Greek Orthodox church of Egypt. It is built atop an old Roman tower and adjoins the Monastery of St. George). It is believed that the Holy Family visited this area and stayed at the site of St. Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga). Continuing on this path brings you to the Ben Ezra Synagogue, which is Egypt’s oldest dating to the 9th Century
After lunch stop, visit the famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is the greatest repository of ancient artifacts in the world, from the famed treasures of King Tutankhamon to the multitude of exquisitely carved statues and sarcophagi dating from the 1st Dynasty, continue to the Khan el Khalili Bazaar in the heart of Old Cairo, the most famous shopping district in Egypt .
Drive back to Port Said. Return to the ship approximately 20:00.
Private Tour includes:
Private English speaking guide Driver and a/c minibus transportation Local taxes and insurance Entrance fees included in Alexandria only (not in Cairo/Port Said on Aug 13)
Extras:
Meals Tips Entrance fees on August 13 in Cairo.
This itinerary is just a sample. We also recommend to overnight in Cairo to save time.