Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt’s Extraordinary Treasure
Duration: 7 days
Highlights: Cairo - Sharm El Sheikh- Cairo
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Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Cairo
Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you are met by your Tour Coordinator who assists you with immigration and obtaining your luggage. You are then transferred by air-conditioned vehicle to your centrally-located hotel and assisted with check-in.
Overnight: The Four Seasons
Meal Plan:
Day 2 - Cairo
After breakfast at your hotel, you are introduced to your Egyptologist and begin your tour with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Exhibiting over 120,000 objects in its 107 halls, the Museum of Antiquities boasts the world’s greatest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts. Venture into the fascinating Mummy Room within the museum, housing eleven royal Kings and Queens of ancient Egypt, including the Great Ramses II; Egypt’s longest ruling pharaoh.
Enjoy lunch at one of Cairo's finest restaurants.
Next, visit the fascinating Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, reputed to be the largest bazaar in the Middle East. Originally founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th century, the bazaar has now grown to vast proportions. Wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets to find workshops and stalls selling all manner of things from woodwork and glassware to leather goods and perfumes.
Overnight: The Four Seasons
Meal Plan: B,L
Day 3 - Cairo
After breakfast, your day begins with a visit of the Great Pyramids of Giza which are the only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built over 4,500 years ago as giant tombs for the mummies of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, who were father, son and grandson. The pyramids are truly monumental in scale, with the largest, Khufu's, constructed from over two million blocks. The pyramids were not built by slaves but by Egyptian peasants, whose labor in building the pyramids paid their taxes to the Pharaoh, who also fed, clothed and housed them.
Nearby sits the enigmatic Sphinx with the body of a lion and the face of a man wearing a royal head cloth, which workers may have based on King Khafre to guard his enormous funerary monument. About a thousand years after the Sphinx was built, it was covered in sand until a young prince had a dream in which the Sphinx told him that if he cleared the sand away, he would become Pharaoh. This story is told on the Dream Stela that was placed between the Sphinx's paws by King Tuthmose IV.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant.
This afternoon, visit the pyramids of Sakkara. Sakkara is the former necropolis (cemetery) for the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis and the place where the very first pyramids were built as tombs for kings. Instead of the smooth sides featured on other pyramids, the pyramids here feature six steps on the outside, representing the pharaoh's stepladder to heaven. Discover the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the first pyramid ever built and the world's oldest freestanding stone structure. Admire the beautiful tomb art at Sakkara, which gives great insight into the lives of the ancient Egyptians.
Overnight: The Four Seasons
Meal Plan: B,L
Day 4 - Cairo - Sharm El Sheikh
Enjoy breakfast, check out from your hotel and transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Sharm El Shaikh.
Upon arrival, your Tour Coordinator meets and transfers you by air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel for check in. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight: The Four Seasons
Meal Plan: B
Day 5 - Sharm El Sheikh - Ras Mohamed National Park - Sharm El Sheikh
After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to the main jetty in Sharm El Sheikh to board your (private) snorkeling boat. Set off for a full day in Ras Mohamed National Park, one of the world’s most renowned underwater paradises.
Lunch is served on board and at the end of your trip, return to you hotel.
Overnight: The Four Seasons
Meal Plan: B,L
Day 6 - Sharm El Sheikh - St. Catherine's Monastery - Sharm El Sheikh
Collect your breakfast box and meet your guide for an early transfer to St. Catherine’s Monastery. Constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565, the monastery is reputedly built on the original site of the famous Burning Bush of the Old Testament. After your visit to the monastery, you are driven to Wadi El Raha for a light, simple lunch.
After lunch, arrive at the base of Mount St. Catherine and begin your ascent. Please note that you will have the option of riding a camel until you reach the stairs, where you must then continue on foot to the top of the mountain. After reaching the top of the mountain, enjoy the sunset and gaze at the beautiful views. Upon descent to the base of the mountain, you are driven back to your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh.
Overnight: The Four Seasons
Meal Plan: B,L
Day 7 - Depart Sharm El Sheikh
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel.
Your Tour Coordinator is on hand to assist you with check-out procedures. Transfer to Cairo International Airport, where you are assisted through customs. From there, board your onward flight.
Overnight:
Meal Plan: B