Cairo & North Coast Discovery, 8 Days 7 Nights

What you see and what you get with this tour!

Includes

• Meet & Greet upon arrival at Cairo International Airport
• Accommodation for 3 nights in a 4* Cairo Hotel
• Accommodation for 2 nights in a 4* Alexandria Hotel
• Accommodation for 2 nights in a 4* Marsa Matrouh Hotel
• All Hotel accommodation on a Half board basis
• Lunch during sightseeing on days 2,3,4,5,6, & 7 is included
• Sightseeing tours include a qualified Egyptologist
• Entrance Fee’s as per the itinerary/programme listed above
• All ground transportation and transfers as per itinerary
• Company representative accompanying transfers
• Modern air conditioned vehicles

Excludes

• Egypt Entrance Visa ($25 per person)
• Beverages, room bills or food extra to programme
• Personal Expenses
• Tipping / Gratuities (client’s discretion)
• Medical Insurance

Additional Information

• Please note check-in is available from 2pm.
• Please note that check-out is 12 noon
• Nile Cruise boats sometimes require an early morning check out
• Once domestic flights are booked they are non-refundable

The highlights visited or experienced throughout the tour.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramids: Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos are the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. The Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids. Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) over an approximately 20 year period. Initially at 146.5 metres, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally, the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface; what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories about the Great Pyramid’s construction techniques. Most accepted construction hypotheses are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

Great Sphinx

It is the largest monolith statue in the world located in the west bank of the Nile in Giza, standing 73.5 metres long, 6 metres wide. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture. It has been built by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of the pharaoh Khafra. The Great Sphinx has the head of pharaoh with a lion’s body, which dates from the time of Chephre.

Egyptian Museum

The museum displays a rare collection of 5000 years of art which is considered the largest most precious collection of Egyptian art in the world. Over 250,000 genuine artefacts are presented, including an exhibit dedicates to Tutankhamen collection of treasure, gold and jewellery which was enclosed in his tomb for over 3.500 years before it was discovered in the 1920 when his tomb was excavated.

Citadel of Salah El Din

The Salah El Din Citadel is a medieval Islamic fortification to defend Cairo from the armies of Crusaders. Located in Mokattam hill near the center of Cairo, was once famous for its fresh breeze and grand views of the city. It is now a preserved historic site, with mosques and museums. Citadel’s location was remained the heart of Egyptian government until the 19th century. The citadel stopped being the seat of government when Egypt’s ruler, Khedive Ismail, moved to his newly built Abdin Palace in the Ismailia neighbourhood in the 1860s.

Mohamed Ali Albatross Mosque

Situated in the Citadel of Cairo in Egypt and commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848.It is the largest to be built in the first half of the 19th century, is, with its animated silhouette and twin minarets, the most visible mosque in Cairo. The mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali’s oldest son, who died in 1816.This mosques one of the landmarks and tourist attractions of Cairo and is one of the first features to be seen when approaching the city from no matter which side.

The Hanging Church

is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by 29 steps; early travellers to Cairo dubbed it “the Staircase Church.” The land surface has risen by some 6 metres since the Roman period so that the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church’s elevated position. The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh century outer porch.

Abu Serga Church

Also known as Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church in Coptic Cairo is one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt. The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, who were soldier-saints martyred during the 4th century in Syria by the Roman Emperor Maximian. The most interesting feature is the crypt where Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus are said to have rested. The crypt is 10 meters deep and, when Nile levels are high, is often flooded.

The Church was built in the 4th century and was probably finished during the 5th century. It was burned during the fire of Fustat during the reign of Marwan II around 750. It was then restored during the 8th century, and has been rebuilt and restored constantly since medieval times; however, it is still considered to be a model of the early Coptic churches. Again, the most precious and ancient of the icons are on the southern wall. A vast central hall is divided into three naves by two rows of pilasters.

Alexandria Library

It was built at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, the ancient library was not only a repository of books; it was also a museum, school and the world’s foremost centre for learning and scholarly research. It was the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major centre of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC till now. The library was rebuilt in 2002 to its wondrous feature today overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Qaeyetbay Citadel

The Citadel of Qayetbay is a 15th century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, built upon/from the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt. It was established in 1477 AD by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa’it Bay.

World War II

At the Second Battle of El Alamein (October 23 – November 4, 1942) Allied forces broke the Axis line and forced them all the way back to Tunisia. Winston Churchill said of this victory: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” After the war, he wrote: “Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat.”

Military Museum

Include many pieces of equipment and other war artefacts are on display. Judging from recent photos on the Internet, it would appear that this museum has been improved a great deal from what it was when we visited in October 1984. This photo also gives a good idea of what the battlefield looked like.

Agiba Beach

Agiba Beach is the pride of Marsa, even if it is no more than 30-40 metres long. It is set between protecting cliffs, and a nice reception area has been built on top on one of these. The sand is cleaner here, and the temperature cooler. But the day ends earlier, as the cliffs take away the sunset hours. But when the clock closes up to 4, climbing up the cliffs is a nice idea, and the views over the coast to the east are stunning.

Rommel’s Cave

Rommel’s Cave is the cave that Rommel used to plan the eastward offensive against the Allied forces that ultimately ground to a halt at Al Alamein.

Wadi El Natrun

Wadi El Natrun is situated 100 km north of Cairo, Egypt, it was called Natrun as it has 8 different lakes in the region that create Natron salt. Wadi El Natrun was very important in the ancient times till Christianity entered Egypt as some people believe that the Holy family passed by Wadi El Natrun during their stay in Egypt. Today Wadi El Natrun contains various monasteries dating back to the 4th century. Wadi El Natrun is a natural depression in the western desert. The word Wadi means in English valley which is surrounded by 10 lakes.

Khan El Khalili

The bazaar district is one of Cairo’s main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike. In addition to shops, there are several coffeehouses, restaurants, and street food vendors distributed throughout the market. The coffee shops are generally small and quite traditional, serving Arabic coffee and usually offering shisha. The al-Hussein Mosque, Al-Azhar University and Midaq Alley are also located in Khan el-Khalili.

Prices

All prices are quoted above in a selection of currencies and these are a based on the US Dollar at the rate of exchange when published. Prices are per person per trip and are valid as stated, except during peak seasons such as Christmas, New Year and Easter holidays where a supplement will be required. Single room occupancy is available against a supplement as stated; sometimes it may be a different rate when not travelling as part of a group. Please contact us anytime to check!

Children Policy

As you will be able to see, we operate a simple children’s price policy as detailed below; please note that any discount does not always apply to any holidays that involve an airfare, we will inform you when we receive your enquiry.

00- 01.99 years                  Free of Charge

02 – 05.99 years                 Free of Charge

06 – 11.99 years                 50% of Adult Price

12 + years                            Full Adult Price

It is important that the ages above refer to the age when travelling.

Payment Policy

It is advisable to reserve your Egypt trip as early as possible, thus ensuring that you can relax with the knowledge that you have secured the best trip for you. To ensure the trip is reserved and secured with Discovery Tours Egypt we will request a deposit of 35% from the total amount due, as you can appreciate this deposit counts towards your final payment. Discovery Tours Egypt is able to accept payment by PayPal, Credit Cards, Bank Transfer and/or Western Union.

Egypt Entrance Visa

Upon arrival to Egypt you need to hold a valid passport with at least 6 months validity beyond your scheduled date of departure. Most countries have the ability to obtain a visa upon arrival for US Dollars $25 per passport. It is suggested that you check with your local Egyptian Consulate before departure if you can obtain a visa on arrival or not.

Tipping & Gratuities (Clients Discretion)

Throughout all our tour pages you will see the words “tipping & gratuities” always shown within the excluded section of the tab on “specifics”.  It is customary in Egypt to express ones satisfaction of the service received from the staff that have looked after him throughout his trip. It is not obligatory however it is well received amongst the staff that will be looking after you; our personal motto is “tip little but often”.

Tipping Kitty

On some tours we have added a tour kitty which is payable in resort at the beginning of your tour. This has been offered to make your life easier and allow the team to tip along the way on your behalf.

Extra’s To Program

All our Egypt tours include the sites as per the program however we do not include the special sites within these; such as entering inside the Pyramids, the Mummies Room at the Egyptian Museum, enter Tomb of Tutankhamen and others. There should always be sufficient time to visit these sites; please liaise with your Egyptologist at the beginning of the tour. They will try their best to provide you with the accurate information, advise you of the extra costs and obtain the tickets for you.

Optional Trips & Excursions

Extra trips and tours may be available from time to time. These are available at extra cost and can be booked and paid for in resort.