2 day trip to Cairo from Hurghada by plane

Highlights:

No holiday to Egypt would be complete without a visit to its ancient capital - Cairo. Visit all of the magnificent sites that you would normally on a one-day trip, such as: the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum. Then on day 2 you can really start to get an insight into Egyptian history and culture with visits to the mountain-top Citadel with its alabaster mosque and shopping in one of the oldest bazars in the whole of the Middle East – Khan El Khalili.

DAY 1:   Cairo Tour

Hotel pick up

You will be picked up at about 04.30 am by A/C VAN by our rep and transferred to Hurghada Airport to Fly to Cairo. The flight takes approximately 50 minutes.

Visit the Egyptian Museum

You will start the tour by visiting the world- famous Egyptian Museum. The museum, spanning two floors, houses a vast 120,000 masterpieces from different eras and periods in Egyptian history. The most popular exhibits are that of treasures relating to the Pharaonic Kings and Queens, such as the child king Tutankhamen and the room of mummies. In the latter, visitors can learn more about mummification art in ancient Egypt.

Discover the Nile by Felucca “included”

After your visit to the Egyptian museum, you will have the chance to relax and float on a Felucca (small motor boat) on a trip along the longest river in the world. Here you can take time to absorb the panoramic views of the city in the summer breeze.

Stop for Lunch

Next we will take a break to enjoy a delicious lunch in a restaurant with wonderful views of the Nile. Drinks are not included.

Visit Pyramids & Sphinx

After lunch, we will cross the Nile and travel to Giza to the ancient pyramids, constructed in around 2560BC. There will be the option at this point in the tour to go inside one of the three ancient pyramids.

After that we will walk down to the edge of the plateau to King Kafra Valley where you can take your first glimpse of the Great Sphinx and its temple. The Great Sphinx of Giza is a mythological creature, formed of a human head and the body of a lion which standing at over 20 metres high 73 metres long is a magnificent sight to behold.

Shopping

Our final stop of about one hour, at the end of the first day, will be for shopping. Here you will have the chance to buy authentic and traditional Egyptian souvenirs and gifts produced by local craftspeople. We will spend time at the Papyrus Institute, where you will be given a demonstration on how this famous paper is made and where you will also have the chance to purchase papyrus art. We will also visit a perfume shop, where you can shop for Arabian scents and beautifully decorated perfume bottles.

Overnight stay

At the end of the day, our guide will transfer you to your 4* hotel in the city which we will have pre-booked for you.

Optional evening excursions

You will have a free time in the evening, where we can arrange the following for you if you wish : Nile Cruise & Dinner with Tanura show and belly dance on a floating hotel (45 Euro per person) or Watch Sound & Light show at the Pyramids (25 Euro per person).

DAY 2: Cairo Tour

Pick up from your hotel in Cairo.

After having your breakfast at your hotel, our guide will come to pick you up at around 9am to start the second day of your tour.

Saladin Citadel Tour

Our first stop will be the mountain-top Citadel of Saladin, a spectacular fortress built by King Saladin in 1170AD to protect the old city of Cairo. He gave the order for the building of an impenetrable bastion overlooking Cairo.

The citadel became the centre point of a wall to protect the medieval city of Cairo from the Crusaders. Later the citadel was extended during the reign of the Mamluk Sultan Al Nasir Mohamed and the Ottoman sovereign Mohamed Ali. Our guide will walk with you to the top of the citadel, where you will see impressive views below of modern and ancient Cairo. Take a short photo stop before continuing to the prime attraction: Mohamed Ali mosque, better known as the alabaster mosque.

The Alabaster Mosque

The alabaster mosque was built by Mohamed Ali between 1828 and 1848 following the ottoman architectural style which with its pencil-shaped minarets share striking similarities to Istanbul's Blue mosque.

Stop for Lunch

Next we'll stop for a lunch in the centre of Cairo City, offering a large range of options to suit all tastes.

Coptic Cairo and the Hanging Church

Saint Mark brought Christianity to Egypt in the 1st  century under the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero and today approximately 20 per cent Egypt's population are Coptic Christians. The Hanging Church, known as ' Al-Moallaqa' in Arabic meaning 'The Suspended', is one of the oldest and most famous Coptic churches in the world. There has been a church on this site since the 3rd century.

It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on the southern gate of the Roman Fortress. Logs of palm trees and layers of stones were constructed above the ruins of the Roman fortress to be used as a fundament. The Hanging Church is a unique church and has a wooden roof in the shape of Noah’s ark. From the 7th century to the 13th century, the Hanging Church served as the residence of the Coptic Patriarch. Al-Moallaqa has witnessed important elections and religious ceremonies. 

As you walk through the beautiful outdoor courtyard, you will see the Mosaics which tell the story of the Nativity. We will also see the thirteen pillars representing Jesus and his twelve apostles. Once inside the church, you will be able to see the barrel-vaulted roof as well as icons and decorated screens made of ebony inlaid with ivory depicting the Virgin Mary and Christ.

Khan Al khalili Souq

The next stop on our tour will be an unforgettable walk through the sounds, sights and smells of the Khan El Khalili Souq. As you enter the souq, you will feel like you have taken a step back in time or into the pages of such stories as A Thousand and One Nights or Aladdin. The souq is considered to be one of the major shopping places for locals and tourists alike. Wander the narrow cobbled streets, observe Egyptians haggling for goods or playing backgammon and drinking coffee in one of the many cafes.

Here you too can shop till you drop! Pick up some antiques or souvenirs, such as colorful glass lamps, spices, silk scarves or traditional hand-made carpets. Or if shopping is not really your thing, take a leaf out of the local’s book and come here to sit in one of the coffee shops and enjoy a shisha (water pipe) and sip mint tea while soaking up the atmosphere.

Return to Hotel in Hurghada

At the end of the day our guide will drop you off at the airport in Cairo to catch your flight. Upon arrival at Hurghada Airport, our rep will meet you and transfer you back to your hotel.