Archeological Egypt Tour (07 Days)

Duration: 07 Days / 06 Nights
Sites: Cairo, Giza, Memphis, Sakkara, Abydos, Denderah, West bank, Karnak, Luxor
Run: Everyday

DAY 01 – Arrive in Cairo
Upon arrival to Cairo International Airport, Veni Vidi Travel representative will be waiting for you at the airport holding a sign with your name, he will help and assist you through visa & immigration formalities, baggage claim & customs. Then transfer to your hotel with the remainder of day at leisure regarding to your arrival time. Overnight in Cairo.

DAY 02 – Egyptian Museum, Citadel, Khan El-Khalili
After breakfast at hotel, meet your guide and drive to Egyptian Museum, housing 165,000 Egyptian artifacts, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo attracts millions of visitors a year. The highlight for most are the priceless treasures of King Tutankhamun. His 6 gold gilded coffins dominate the main hall, while his magnificent death mask is the must-see item of the day. Throughout the rest of the museum you will find countless ancient Egyptian artifacts dating back thousands of years. Your guide will introduce you to the most important pieces before allowing you free time to explore at leisure. The Alabaster Mosque at the Citadel of Salah el-Din sits atop a limestone hill overlooking Cairo and is the most important mosque in the city. Still used a place of worship today by the Muslims of Cairo, the architectural masterpiece opens its doors to visitors of all faiths. The lower part of the Mosque is clad inside and out with Alabaster, while the top part is constructed from the limestone cladding removed from the Pyramids of Giza. Inside the mosque your guide will introduce you to the basics of the beliefs of Islam, including a translation of the most common prayers. Continuing to Khan el Khalili bazaar, your guide will give you an introduction to the famous markets which claim to have inspired Christopher Columbus to discover the USA. Enjoy free time to stroll through the maze of streets and try your luck bargaining with the shop owners for a souvenir of your trip to Egypt. Overnight in Cairo.

DAY 03 – Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara
After breakfast at hotel, meet your guide again and travel to the Giza Plateau, around 30 minutes from the city, home to the Great Pyramids and Sphinx. Your qualified Egyptologist guide will introduce you to each of the 3 pyramids from the outside - Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre and Pyramid of Menkaure. You will have time to enter inside one of the pyramids (additional cost), however your guide is not permitted to escort you. Continue across the plateau for a photo opportunity of all 3 pyramids rising from the sands with the Cairo skyline in the background. A short drive to the other side of the plateau finds you standing at the feet of the Sphinx and there is time to explore the surrounds including the ruins of the Mummification Temple. Also in Giza you may visit the Solar Boat Museum (optional), home to the funerary boat of Khufu. Stretching 150 feet (46 meters) in length, the prow sweeps upward with a papyrus end. The boat's state of preservation is remarkable and is one of the best Egyptian finds since Tutankhamun's tomb. Your next stop is a 20 - 30 minute drive away at Sakkara, home of Egypt's oldest pyramid. Built by Imohotep for pharaoh Zoser in 2650BC, the famous Step Pyramid is well preserved. Your guide will give you a brief history of the site before allowing you free time to walk around the perimeter of the impressive structure. Your final stop is at Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. Here you will find artifacts from many of the great rulers of Egypt, including the huge fallen statue of Ramses II. Overnight in Cairo.

DAY 04 – El-Menia, Amarna, Beni Hasan, Ashmonian, Tuna El Gabal
After breakfast, transfer to Cairo train station for transfer to El-menia. Arrival Menia station, start your tour with drive to Beni Hassan, A middle Kingdom necropolis containing 39rock Tombs. Here we will find particularly beautiful fluted columns and exceptional stucco paintings depicting wrestling, farming and Hunting scenes. Later we visit ancient Amarna,the once famous capital of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, who in the 14th century BC broke away from the polytheistic temples and traditions of Thebes and built a new city based around the worship of Aten, a solar deity. After lunch we visit the sites of Ashmonian and Tuna El Gabal , The catacombs of Tuna el-Gebel had the same purpose as catacombs elsewhere. They were graves that could be visited by the deceased's family, safe from the elements of sun, water and wind. Not only inhabitants of Hermopolis were placed to rest here, but also sacred animals. The most sacred animals here reflected the local religious preferences. There are supposed to have been hundreds of thousands of ibis together with a large number of baboons. Overnight in El-Menia.

DAY 05 – Abydos, Denderah, Luxor
After breakfast, drive to Abydos, visit the temple of Abydos, The city of Abydos (ancient name: "Abdjw" ) flourished from the predynastic period (4000 BCE) of Egypt's history down through Christian times (about 641 CE). The site of many tombs of predynastic rulers of ancient Egypt, the area soon grew in religious importance as a cult center for Osiris, first during the Middle Kingdom, when such a tomb of a First Dynasty king, Djer, was identified as the "burial site of Osiris", the mythological god-king of the predynastic Egyptians (referred to as "Osirieon"). This emphasis upon Osiris caused the city to become a pilgrimage site, as well as a desired place for either direct burial or for the erection of cenotaphs (monument erected in honor of a dead person whose remains lie elsewhere). Festivals and the passion plays of Osiris' life and death were performed here from about the 12th Dynasty (1985-1795 BCE) until the Christian era. One of the most significant monuments on the area is that of the Temple of Seti I,which is built to honor Osiris. It is believed that Seti's architects had planned a classic Egyptian temple of straight proportions, but had to change directions when foundation work accidentally uncovered the site of the earlier King Djer tomb, and its Middle Kingdom references as the site of Osiris' burial. Then drive to Qena and visit the Temple of Hathor at Denderah (The visit takes approx. 2 hours). The temple was buried in sand up until mid 1800's. Two Roman fountains flank the path leading to the temple's massive entry gate. The mud-brick enclosure walls also date to the Roman era. Structures within the walls include the temple, a Coptic Basilica, and a temple to Isis. Then drive to Luxor to visit the graceful Temple of Luxor built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II for ritual and festivals and dedicated to the god Amun and see it's gigantic statues and obelisks. Overnight in Luxor.

DAY 06 – West Bank, Karnak Temple, Cairo
After breakfast, Cross to the West Bank of the Nile and visit the wondrous Valley of the Kings, a vast city of the dead, where the magnificent tombs of 62 pharaohs have been discovered. The tombs were carved deep into the desert mountains, richly decorated and filled with treasures for the afterlife of the pharaohs. Visit several of the tombs. Next, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This beautiful monument to the reign of the only female pharaoh rises out of the desert plain in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it. On the way back to your Nile cruise, stop at the famed Colossi of Memnon, two 66ft, 1 thousand ton statues of Amenhotep III. These colossal statues were known by the ancient Greeks to emit haunting voices at dawn. Though damaged by nature and ancient tourists, the statues are still impressive. Noon, visit Karnak Temple, in the north of Luxor, called by some "the Temple of Temples" It is the largest place of worship ever built. Its ancient name Ipet-isut means "the most sacred of places." The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built over more than two thousand years by generation after generation of pharaohs. Within the complex, the great Hypostyle Hall is an incredible forest of giant pillars covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral. After lunch, fly back to Cairo with evening is at leisure. Overnight in Cairo.

DAY 07 – Departure transfer
Decide on your activities with the assistance of your guide. Transfer to Cairo international airport for your onward flight.

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Please take note of the following:
* Please use the ''Travel Enquiry/Reservation Form'' to receive a quote on the above travel itinerary as per your preferred travel dates/month and preferred class of hotel.

What's Included: 
* Hotel accommodations in choice of preferred class
* Qualified Egyptologist tour guide licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism
* All noted sightseeing tours on regular group or private guided basis
* All main entrance fees to sights visited in the itinerary
* Train ticket from Cairo to El-Menia
* Domestic flight ticket from Luxor to Cairo
* Required land transport with A/C minivan including roundtrip airport transfers
* Local taxes and handling services

What's NOT Included:
* International flights to/from Egypt and personal travel insurance, any other expenses not noted in the above included section or airport tax, visa for Egypt (if required), any tips to guide, driver or staff at hotels and cruise, items of a personal nature, Hotel/Cruise extras (minibar, telephone/internet usage, laundry, etc), drinks with meals (except the drinks served with breakfast) and medical services.