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Page 1 |
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Day 1
Sat, March 25, 2006
No meals
Arrive
Cairo, Egypt |
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Arrive at Cairo
International Airport (CAI) according to your own air schedule, or use
TravelQuest’s special group air program, flying nonstop from New York on
EgyptAir. You might wish to arrive a day or two early to recover from
the long flight and explore Cairo on your own.
Upon arrival, you’ll be met
by our representative, who will assist you through baggage claim,
immigration, customs, and then transfer you to
our hotel in Giza, which is just a 15-minute walk from the Great Pyramids
- the last survivors of the "Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World." The rest of the day is
yours to relax at the hotel, have a
rejuvenating massage, enjoy dinner
at one |
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of the hotel’s restaurants, or experience a sunset visit to the pyramids
and the Sphinx! |
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Overnight: Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel, Giza (3 nights) |
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Day 2
Sun, March 26
B/L
Old Cairo / Egyptian Antiquities Museum |
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Join us for breakfast before
our drive to the heart of Old Cairo and the ancient Roman fortress of
Babylon. Here we will explore the Coptic Museum and the beautiful "Hanging
Church" that is still in use today. We’ll also see Cairo’s oldest
synagogue, Ben Ezra, which dates back to at least the 9th century.
Next, we’ll drive up to the
Citadel, a medieval fortress built by Saladin in AD 1176 using blocks from
the Queens’ Pyramids at Giza. Its main court contains the Alabaster
Mosque, built for the 19th-century ruler Mohammed Ali and modeled after
the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. From there we’ll enjoy spectacular views of
Cairo.
After lunch our last stop of
the day will be the incredible Egyptian Antiquities Museum. We’ll spend
the afternoon viewing treasures spanning 5,000 years — from Egypt’s
prehistory to the Greco-Roman period. You’ll have extra time at the
museum’s prized collection from King Tutankhamen’s tomb before returning
to the hotel in the early evening. |
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Day 3
Mon, March 27
B/D
Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and Sakkara’s Step Pyramid |
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Our entire morning will be devoted to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the
Sphinx. The Great Pyramid of Khufu, built around 2575 BC, stands a
monumental 449 feet high. Travelers participating in our private group
tour of the Great Pyramid of Khufu will enter between the hours of 11:00
a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
The Sphinx was carved from
an outcrop of limestone as a recumbent lion with the face of the pharaoh
Khafre. Despite erosion and abuse, the Sphinx is still an inspirational
sight to behold. We’ll also pay a visit to the recently discovered and
reassembled Solar Boat, which the ancients believed would carry them to
the afterlife.
After a lunch stop back at our hotel, we’ll journey to
the ancient city of Memphis, the capital of Egypt in 3100 BC. We’ll then
travel atop the desert plateau of Sakkara and marvel at the earliest
stone monument in Egypt, a step pyramid built for King Djoser in 2650
BC. After visiting the Djoser funerary complex, we’ll return to our
hotel for dinner and a discussion about tomorrow’s journey through the
desert to Mersa Matrouh. |
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Day 4
Tue,
March 28
B/L/D
El Alamein
WWII Museum and Cemetery / Mersa Matrouh |
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After breakfast, we’ll
board our private motorcoach and drive northwest across the desert
toward El Alamein, the site of the great World War II battle where
German General Rommel and his Afrika Korps were routed by the British
General Montgomery, thus securing Cairo and the vital Suez Canal for the
Allied forces. We’ll stop at El Alamein to visit the war museum and the
Commonwealth War Cemetery. Continuing on to Mersa Matrouh, we’ll have
brief glimpses of the sea, as the highway parallels the Mediterranean
coastline. In the late afternoon we will arrive in Mersa Matrouh and our
hotel with its own private beach. Join us this evening for a pre-eclipse
briefing followed by a buffet dinner. |
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Overnight: Beau Site Hotel (2 nights) |
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| Back to Top |
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Copyright 2005 TravelQuest
International. All rights
reserved. 800-830-1998
Revised: July 29, 2005.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective companies or trademark holders. |
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