Egypt 9 Days: Cairo, Luxor, Sharm, St. Catherine

Egypt 9 Days: Cairo, Luxor, Sharm, St. Catherine

                

Day 1: Cairo Airport – Cairo Hotel

Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport you will be met after the passport control by your tour manager who will help you through your customs formalities then escort you to your hotel for check in and overnight.

Day 2: Memphis - Sakkara - Giza Pyramids - Sphinx - Cairo Hotel - Sound & Light Show (B) 

Breakfast, meet your Egyptologist guide (8:30 AM) drive to Memphis at the edge of the western desert (35 min. drive) the capital of Egypt until the end of the first Kingdom about 2270 BC, one of the most important cities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. You will be visiting Memphis open air Museum the most important piece is Ramses the second statue about 20 meters long. Close to Memphis you will drive to Sakkara the City of the dead with the famous step Pyramid of Zoser the greatest Pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty 2650 BC, the step pyramids is known to be the first stone building ever build in the world. Then you will be visiting a Mastaba (Tomb) for the Nobel Mereruka from the old kingdom the tomb have beautiful colored paintings about life in Egypt during the old Kingdom. Drive to the Pyramids of Giza, in front of Kefren Pyramid stands the alabaster Sphinx, which was discovered in 1912 carved from a single piece of stone, it is a lion with a portrait of a Pharaoh's head, it is also believed by many to be a likeness of Pharaoh Kefren. Drive back to your hotel (16:00). Evening drive to Giza Pyramids to attend the Sound and light show at Giza pyramids; the show narrates part of the Pharaonic history in an artistic musical show, the show lasts for 45 minutes.

Day 3: Egyptian Museum - Old Cairo - Khan El Kalili Bazaar - Cairo Hotel (B)

Breakfast, 09:00 meet your Egyptologist guide and drive to Down Town visit the Egyptian Museum (2 hours tour), which contains a vast collection of Pharaonic antiquities including the fabulous treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon. Continue your tour to Old Cairo visiting the old Coptic Churches the Hanging Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary built in the 3rd century and the Church of St. Sergius built in the 4th century and visit the oldest Jewish Synagogue of Ben Ezra. Drive to visit the medieval Citadel of Salah El-Din, built in the 12th century and contains many structures, the most impressive of which is the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali. It was designed in the early 19th Century by a Greek Architect from Turkey the style is based on the Ottoman mosques of Istanbul. Continue your tour visiting Khan El Kalili bazaar area (the old market) drive back to your hotel. 

Day 4: Cairo Hotel - Cairo Airport - Luxor - Karnak & Luxor Temple (B)

Breakfast, check out and transfer you to Cairo Airport & help you for check in for your flight to Luxor. Upon arrival to Luxor you will be met and start your tour by visiting the east bank. The Karnak Temple is the largest religious complex in the world it was continuously built by generations for 2000 years, the temple was mainly dedicated to the God Amon Ra. The most celebrated feature of Karnak is the great hypostyle hall that covers 600 square meters; a forest of 134 columns supports the ceiling all decorated with religious scenes. Then visit the Luxor Temple, about 10 minutes drive from Karnak Temple. Amenophis the 3rd started building the temple and parts of it were completed by Ramses the 2nd, and 2 of his seated colossal statues flank the doorway of the temple. Transfer to your hotel about 12:00 noon. Free afternoon. 

Day 5: Colossi of Memnon - Valley of the Kings & Queens - Hatshepsut Temple - Sharm El Sheikh (B, D)

Breakfast, 07:00 meet your Egyptologist guide and drive to the west bank. First stop will be at the Colossi of Memnon, where is the remains of the monumental avenue witch used to be lead to the temple of Amon-Ofis the 3rd, the temple has unfortunately disappeared. Continue to the Valley of the Kings where about 64 pharaohs tombs were discovered. You will have the chance to enter the tomb of king Ramses the 6th which is famous with its magnificent ceiling colored paintings, and the tomb of Tutmose the 3rd characterized by its concise graphic style. In the Valley of the Queens visit the tomb of queen Thiti and the tomb of Prince Pra-her-Umenef, one of Ramses the 3rd sons. Drive to Eldeir El Bahari to visit the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut built about 1460 BC, an architectural masterpiece designed by the architect Senmut. Return transfer to your hotel about 11:30. You will be met and transferred to Luxor Airport for your 1 hour flight to Sharm El Sheikh. Transfer to your Sharm El Sheikh hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Leisure Sharm El Sheikh (B, L, D)

Free Day in Sharm (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner+ Soft Drinks)

Day 7: Leisure Sharm El Sheikh (B, L, D)

Free Day in Sharm (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner+ Soft Drinks)

Day 8: Sharm El Sheikh - St Catherine (B, D)

Check out from hotel, drive 2.5 hours to St Catherine. Dinner and overnight at your hotel, early rest.

Day 9: Climb Mount Sinai - St Catherine Monastery - Nuweibah Port (B, L)

2:00 AM wake up call, drive 10 minutes to Mount Sinai, start to climb 2 hours the mountain, where it is believed that God delivered his 10 commandments to Moses at its summit. Watch the sunrise from the summit, climb down, back to the hotel for breakfast. You visit then St. Catherine Monastery. The monastic order was founded in the 4th century AD by the Roman Empress Helena who had a small chapel built beside what was believed to be the Burning Bush from witch God spoke to Moses. The chapel is dedicated to St. Katherine, the martyr of Alexandria. The monastery houses many attractive and rare Icons from 6th century to the 18th century and an important library that poses many historical hand written bibles and many important historical messages and agreement. Lunch at hotel, drive to Nuweibah Port, to take the fast ferry to Aqaba Port in Jordan, you reach in the late afternoon/evening time.