Holly Land Journey in Egypt

Join us for this 11 day tour on a unique itinerary that offers a great insight into the varied history of this magical country. Beginning in Cairo with a trip to the Pyramids this tour then heads north to the city of Alexandria before crossing the Suez Canal into the Sinai and a trip to St. Catherine’s Monastery and Mt Sinai. The tour then returns to Cairo via fascinating monasteries and also includes trips to Fayoum Oasis and Saqqara.

Day 1 – Arrive into Cairo

Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival into Cairo our representatives will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for the start of your tour.

(No meals)

Day 2 – Cairo. Visit Museum and Coptic Cairo

Our tour of Cairo begins early this morning and we have the chance to visit the Egyptian Museum – home to countless ancient artifacts including the Tutankhamun exhibition. We then continue our tour of Cairo with a trip through the maze like streets on the way to exploring the fascinating churches of Coptic Cairo – both the hanging church of St. Mary’s (one of Egypt’s oldest churches), St. George’s Church and St. Sergio which is believed to have been visited by the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

(Breakfast included)

Day 3 – Cairo. Pyramids Tour. Drive to Alexandria via Wadi El Natron

Your tour of ancient Egypt continues in style this morning with a trip to Giza to view the world famous Pyramids.  Enjoy a fully guided tour of these beautiful monuments before having the chance to explore on your own. We then depart Cairo for the trip to Wadi El Natron – this area has always played an important part in monastic life hence the various monasteries found there that sometimes doubled as fortresses. Throughout the ages Wadi El Natron was sacked several times and almost destroyed by plague but today it stands as testament to the belief and hard work of the monks who returned again and again to rebuild the ancient Christian stronghold. From here we head north to the city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast.

(Breakfast included)

Day 4 – Alexandria. Local tours

After breakfast we begin our tour of the city. Alexandria was founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great. The city has had an integral role throughout history and various civilizations have left their mark on the city resulting in many unique sites such as the Alexandria Library, the ancient catacombs and the Roman Amphitheatre.  We have the chance to visit all these sites as well as Fort Qaitbay and Pompey’s Pillar.

(Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 5 – Alexandria – Ismailia via Tanis

We depart Alexandria early this morning to begin the drive to Ismailia. On the way we will stop off at Tanis which is believed to be the biblical city from which the Exodus began. Following a tour of the necropolis and local temples we then carry on to Ismailia. Known in Egypt as the City of Beauty and Enchantment it is located on the west bank of the Suez Canal and was built during construction of the canal itself and thus still retains a large number of French and British buildings.

(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 6 – Ismailia – St. Catherine’s

Today sees another early start as we depart Ismailia to cross the Suez Canal either by tunnel or bridge and then head into the Sinai to travel on to the monastery at St. Catherine’s. Upon arrival we check into the hotel, enjoy some refreshments and relax in preparation for the climb later this evening.

(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 7 – St. Catherine’s – Suez.

We rise early this morning to witness the remarkable desert sunrise from high up on Mt Sinai before descending to St. Catherine’s where we have chance to visit the Monastery and also use the facilities to freshen up and enjoy breakfast. This afternoon we complete our journey through the Sinai, arriving into Suez on the Mediterranean Sea in the early evening.

(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 8 – Suez – Cairo via Zafarana

Before making the drive back to Cairo this tour stops off at the small village of Zafarana to visit the Coptic monasteries of St Paul and St Antonio. We arrive back into Cairo this afternoon where we will check into the hotel.

(Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 9 – Cairo. Tour to Fayoum Oasis

We depart Cairo this morning for the drive southwest to the Oasis town of Fayoum. Founded in around 4000 BC it is not only one of the oldest cities in Egypt but the in whole of Africa. Here we will visit the Karanis Museum and the remains of the old Roman city before visiting the famous water wheels located here and understand how these ancient artifacts worked. Lunch is then spent on the shores of the idyllic Karun Lake before we travel back to Cairo this afternoon.

(Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 10 – Cairo. Saqqara and City tour

Our final full day in Cairo begins with a trip to Memphis before we make the short drive to the huge ancient necropolis found at Saqqara. Built in the third dynasty and designed by renowned architect Imhotep, Saqqara is famous for its dramatic stepped Pyramid – the oldest pyramid in Egypt. Arriving back in Cairo we then enjoy lunch at Naguib Mahfuz located in the medieval streets of Khan-el-Khalili bazaar. We then explore the sites and sounds of bustling Cairo and visit the nearby Citadel and its famous alabaster mosque.

(Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 11 – Cairo. Departure transfer to the airport

Free day to explore Cairo. Optional tours available. Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

(Breakfast included)