Tour Description

Beginning in Cairo you will visit the Giza Plateau and the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara followed by visits to some of the most famous religious sites in Cairo.
Your visit to Alexandria and the Mediterranean Sea will cover the ancient and the modern parts of the city
Fayoum is a fertile desert oasis south of Cairo which give you a close up look at the local life of the farmers and craftsman famous for their pottery.
In Fayoum is Qarun Lake, considered the oldest natural lakes in the world, the third largest lake in Egypt. Lake Qarun is also an internationally designated “Important Bird Area,” where thousands of migratory birds rest during their winter migration pattern south. Flamingos, grey herons, spoonbills and many duck species, to name a few, flocked to the lake during the fall. The lake provides food, shelter and breeding grounds for a wide variety of resident and migrating birds, including several endangered species.
Tour departs each Saturday

SUMMER
USD1200 Per person on twin-share basis
USD1575 Single Room

WINTER
USD1350 Per person on twin-share basis
USD1720 Single Room

Tour Highlights

Cairo
Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara
Egyptian Museum - Khan el Khalili Bazaar
Coptic Cairo - Cave Church
Alexandria Day Tour
Pompeys Pillar
Citadel of Qaitbay
Seafood Lunch on Mediterranean Sea
Modern Library of Alexandria
Tunis Pottery Village
4WD Safari
Qarun Lake
Meidum Pyramid

Day 1: Arrival Day Cairo

Welcome to Egypt!
Welcome to the history and mystery of this Ancient Land – The Land of the Pharaohs.
Our Pink Lotus Tours airport representative will be meet you upon arrival in Cairo International Airport.
He will assist you with arrival procedures including the purchase of your entrance visa*
After collecting your luggage, you will be transferred to your first hotel, just near the Pyramids.
Once the hotel check-in is complete your tour manager will update you with plans for the next few days.
Depending on your arrival time you can choose to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities or book in for the Sound and Light show at the Pyramids this evening. (Show is optional and at your own cost)
*Entrance visa is currently USD25, please ensure you have the cash with you to give to the representative on arrival.
Meals are at your leisure today
Hotel: Steigenberger Pyramids or similar

Day 2: Giza Plateau and Saqqara

After breakfast, you will meet your Egyptologist/Tour Guide at the hotel to start the journey at the very beginning, the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the first free standing building of stone in the whole world dating back to 2700 BC.
With so many new discoveries in recent times there is always so much to see in this Ancient necropolis.
Lunch will be served at a local restaurant
Later we explore the Giza Plateau, your chance to personally stand where the Ancient Egyptians stood thousands of years ago, next to the Great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one that still exists.
We continue our adventure with a camel ride through the Sahara for those who are interested (optional extra cost).
We finish our visit to the plateau with the Guardian Angel of the area, the monolithic and iconic Sphinx.
The day is not over yet, we will now experience how the ancients recorded their history on the first paper ever produced, Papyrus, at a government regulated Papyrus Institute.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Hotel: Steigenberger Pyramids (or similar)

Day 3: Egyptian Museum Islamic Cairo

After breakfast step into the energy of the city that never sleeps, we experience the crazy Cairo traffic as we drive into downtown Cairo and Tahrir Square, scene of the 2011 revolution and location of the Egyptian Museum.
The current Egyptian Museum was built before the discovery of the treasures of King Tutankhamen and his famous solid gold funerary mask so it is overflowing with ancient artefacts and would take many, many visits to see in its entirety so we highlight the best of the best.in the hotel visit Egyptian Museum
Try some local food such as Koshari or Shwarma
Later, visit of Islamic Cairo with its thousand minarets etc. - followed by the Citadel with the mosque of Mohamed Ali, walk in the streets, souk, shopping in the souks of Khan el Khalili
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Hotel: Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel

Day 4: Coptic Cairo & Cave Church

Breakfast at the hotel, then departure for the St Simon monastery in the Garbage City district;

We will discover the largest church in the Middle East (20,000 faithful) as well as the discovery of the Essene cave, discovered by chance during the development work, transformed into a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Saint Paul the first Christian Hermit.
For lunch we will taste some local Egyptian foods.

Afternoon visit of the Coptic district in Cairo, whose churches have housed the Holy Family.

(Hanging Church, Church of Abu Serga & Ben Ezra Synagogue), and then we visit Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque inside the Citadel of Salah El Din.
Return to hotel and dinner is at your leisure
Hotel: Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel or similar

Day 5: Alexandria Day Tour

Depart early for Alexandria Pompey’s Pillar, a Roman triumphal column the largest of its type constructed outside Rome. It was built between 284-305 A.D. in honour of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. You will then explore the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

After a delicious seafood lunch by the Medierranean Sea, visit the Citadel of Qaitbay, a 15th-century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean coast, in Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1477 AD by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay. The Citadel is situated on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island

The next stop will be at the modern library of Alexandria, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which houses millions of books in its six specialized libraries.
Return to Cairo
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Hotel: Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel

Day 6: Fayoum Oasis

Check out of your Cairo Hotel and drive to Fayoum Oasis

Enjoy a 4WD desert safari, with sandboarding and exploring the fertile oasis

Lunch will be a very local experience
Afternoon sail in Lake Qarun to take in the sunset
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Overnight in Tunis Village

Day 7: Meidum Pyramid - Return to Cairo

Enjoy a delicious breakfast before checking out of the hotel.
Visit Meidum Pyramid
Started as a Step Pyramid but then converted into a true pyramid, the pyramid at Meidum marks the transition from the Early Dynastic Period to the Old Kingdom.
Recent archaeological research has led to the assumption that Snefru built this pyramid before his 15th year, and then abandoned the site to start a new royal cemetery at Dashur, some 40 kilometres to the North.
Return to Cairo and check in to Airport Hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8: Departure Day Cairo

A representative of Pink Lotus Egypt Tours will transfer you to Cairo International Airport and assist with all check-in procedures.
Meals: Breakfast

Package Includes

Meet & Assist upon arrival in Cairo
Private Transfer from airport to hotel
5 night in Cairo hotel –Steigenberger Pyramids or similar
1-night Fayoum Oasis Hotel - or similar
1-night Airport Hotel Le Meridien or similar
Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner as mentioned
Transportation to sites
English Speaking Egyptologist/Guide
Alexandria Day Tour including Seafood Lunch
Qarun Lake Sailing
Desert Safari
Local visits in Fayoum Oasis
Local taxes & charges

Package Excludes

International Flights - Travel Insurance
Entrance visa
Personal items
Meals not mentioned in itinerary
Drinks of any kind
Entrance Tickets to sites (to be advised upon booking)
Tipping for all service, drivers, hotel staff, safari driver etc (to be advised upon booking)
Tipping/Gratuity for your Egyptologist (Industry standard recommends around US8-10 per day however tipping is a personal thing based on reward for effort and how much you enjoy your tour)
Single Supplement USD 400