Cairo & the Coast
A week around the capital, with Alexandria and the Fayoum desert
Everything in Cairo Essentials at an easier pace, plus a Sufi night, a day on the Mediterranean in Alexandria, a day of waterfalls and whale fossils in Fayoum, and a picnic over the old city.
Day by day
The route
Every day below can be moved or swapped. Tell us what matters to you.
- Day 1 · Giza & the Pyramids
Arrival in Cairo
- Pickup at Cairo airport and transfer to the guest house or your hotel
- Welcome drink at a local café: coffee, tea or iced lemon, shisha if you like, and a chat about the days ahead
- Day 2 · Giza & the Pyramids
The pyramids, and the show at night
- The Sphinx and the three pyramids, with a camel or horse ride around them
- Inside the third pyramid, the Queen’s pyramid and two tombs of the pyramid engineers
- The Giza dunes for the panoramic view of all nine pyramids
- Lunch with the family
- Sound and light show from the guest-house rooftop, or a seated ticket if you prefer
- Day 3 · Cairo
Museum, mosques and the bazaar
- The Egyptian Museum
- Islamic Cairo: Amr ibn al-As, Al-Azhar, Muhammad Ali Mosque at the Citadel and Al-Hussein
- Khan el-Khalili bazaar after dark
- Sufi dance show (tanoura) in the evening
- Day 4 · Saqqara, Dahshur & Memphis
Dahshur, Saqqara and Memphis
- Dahshur: the Red Pyramid (you can go inside) and Sneferu’s Bent Pyramid
- Saqqara: the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the tombs
- The open-air museum at Memphis, the old capital
- Day 5 · Cairo
Coptic Cairo and the Nile at sunset
- A walk through Islamic Cairo
- Coptic Cairo: the Church in the Cave (St Simeon), the Coptic Museum and the Hanging Church
- Picnic in Al-Azhar Park with the view over the old city
- Nile dinner cruise with an open buffet and belly dancing
- Day 6 · Alexandria
Alexandria
- Private car to Alexandria
- The Library of Alexandria, the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa and the Roman amphitheatre
- Qaitbay Citadel and Montazah Palace gardens
- Day 7 · Fayoum Oasis
Fayoum Oasis
- Private car to Fayoum Oasis
- Wadi El-Rayan waterfalls, the whale fossils of Wadi El-Hitan and Lake Qarun
- Day 8 · Cairo
A last morning
- Shopping in New Cairo, or a free morning
- Transfer to the airport
Included
- Accommodation in a 3-star hotel or at our guest house
- Entrance tickets and fees for every activity
- Breakfast and lunch every day
- All tips at the sites, so nobody asks you for money
- All ground transport, private
- Domestic flights where the itinerary lists them
Not included
- Egyptian entry visa (on arrival, about $25)
- Dinner, except the dinners named in the itinerary
- International flights
- Drinks
- Tips for the tour team
Where you sleep
Where you sleep
In Cairo you stay at Pyramids Temple Guest House unless you prefer a hotel. Elsewhere, 3-star hotels we have used for years, or as listed.
Prices
per person, USD
| Adult | Student | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 travellers | $1,315 | $1,075 |
Children: Under 5: 50% off · Over 5: 25% off
Accommodation in a 3-star hotel or at our guest house. Entrance tickets and fees for every activity.
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