Essential Cairo

Departing: November 2027 - November 2027

Ancient wonders renewed

Although the modern city was founded in the 10th century, Cairo’s setting at the apex of the Nile Delta has made it a focal point of power for far longer. Just beyond its urban sprawl lie the ruins of Memphis, capital of the Old Kingdom, and the vast cemeteries of Saqqara and Giza, landscapes in which the very vocabulary of kingship, monumentality and sacred geometry was first articulated in stone. Our tour to Cairo is designed as both an invitation and a rediscovery. For those visiting Egypt for the first time, the city offers an incomparable initiation into the ancient world. For returning travellers, this city is equally compelling.

Included

Explore Giza & Great Egyptian Museum, with entrance fees included
All other visits as outlined in the itinerary
Expert Guide Lecturer & professional Tour Manager
4 nights in Cairo
4 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 2 dinners
Tea or coffee with dinner
Private air-conditioned coach travel
Field notes, taxes & gratuities for local staff

Highlights

Stand before the last surviving wonder of the ancient world and experience the moment that no image, however familiar, can quite prepare you for
Discover the complete treasure of Tutankhamun, displayed in its full glory for the first time at the Great Egyptian Museum
Come face to face with Egypt's greatest pharaohs, displayed with exceptional care at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation

Dr Elizabeth Bloxam

Dr Elizabeth Bloxam is a Visiting Professor of Egyptology and internationally recognised scholar of ancient Egyptian society and technology. She has led excavations at sites including Giza and Karnak, directs the Wadi Hammamat Project and is co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Egyptology.

Tour Itinerary

Arrive into Cairo and meet your expert Guide Lecturer and fellow travellers at your hotel.

Meals: Dinner

Today takes you to the very origins of monumental Egypt with a morning visit to Saqqara, the vast necropolis that served Memphis, Egypt's ancient capital, for more than three thousand years. At its heart stands Djoser's Step Pyramid designed, c2650 BCE by the brilliant architect and physician Imhotep. The pyramid's tiered form was a radical departure from the mastaba tombs of earlier rulers, and its surrounding funerary complex hints at the astonishing ambition of the Early Dynastic court. We also visit the newly renovated Imhotep Museum, which displays extraordinary finds from Saqqara. In the afternoon, we explore Giza, where we find the three great pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure and the Great Sphinx. However many times one has seen them in images, the reality is something altogether different.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning is devoted to the Grand Egyptian Museum (‘the GEM’), which is situated on the plateau at Giza within sight of the pyramids themselves. Here we find the greatest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts ever assembled under one roof. Its centrepiece is the complete treasure of Tutankhamun, including objects never before displayed publicly, presented in a sequence of galleries designed to unfold the story of the boy king's life, death and eternal afterlife. Alongside this collection, the GEM's permanent galleries span the full sweep of pharaonic civilisation, from the pre-dynastic period through to the Graeco-Roman era. The scale is genuinely vast. The afternoon is free to spend as you wish – explore further sites in and around Cairo, remain for further discoveries at the GEM or return to the hotel to relax.

Meals: Breakfast

Today we visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC), set beside Lake Ain El-Sira in the historic Fustat district. This wonderful museum traces the full arc of Egyptian culture in a comprehensive, chronological narrative of Egyptian history from prehistory through Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras to the modern day. The museum's crown jewel is the Royal Mummies Hall, where 22 royal mummies (among them Ramesses II, Seti I and Hatshepsut) are displayed with exceptional dignity and scholarly care, each within an individual chamber designed to honour rather than merely exhibit. The remainder of the afternoon is free, and the return to your Zamalek hotel offers a final chance to absorb the city at your own rhythm.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4 National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation

On our final morning in Cairo, we pay a visit to the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, the grand rose-pink building which has presided over the heart of the city since 1902. Though the GEM has assumed the role of Egypt's great showpiece collection, the galleries here still contain some unmissable artefacts. Here we find unparalleled Old Kingdom Art and collections, which include the Fayoum portraits and the Narmer Palette. Later, depart for the airport or continue your trip at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast

Availability & Booking

2027

10th November from $4,340

Call to Book

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