CAIRO

Cairo- the capital of Egypt is also the 13th largest city in the world. Situated on the River Nile, Cairo is famous for its own history – the ancient, Pharonic history it represents which is preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city and in Old Cairo. By day, modish visitors can lose themselves amongst the 120,000 relics of the Egyptian Museum or spend time shopping – either for jewellery, leather goods at Khan El Khalili, one of the oldest souks in the world & the busiest in the Middle East, or for high end fashion from international designers at many malls like City Stars Mall, First Residence Mall etc. Cairo’s charm lies in the blend of African, Arab and European influences, the timelessness of the old and the energy of the present. Modern Cairo has a history as old as time. Mosques, churches and museums compete for attention with sheesha pipes, a pulsating nightlife and belly dancers. Cairo is all worlds in one- it is ancient & modern, fast & slow with nightlife like nowhere else on earth. It is truly a city that never sleeps!!

DAY 1
Arrive at the Cairo International Airport and clear through the immigration. Transfer to your booked in hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Meet at the hotel lounge at 1800hrs and transfer to the Nile cruising dinner for an oriental night. Tantalize your taste buds with authentic Egyptian dinner as you tantalize your senses with the oriental belly dancing. Later transfer to your booked in hotel for overnight.
DAY 2
After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to experience the historical Cairo. Lunch is at a local restaurant on this day. Highlights of the day:

• The pyramids of Giza– The great pyramids are the only ones surviving of the seven wonders of the ancient world. They are Egypt’s most visited monuments and among the worlds greatest tourist attractions.
• The sphinx- Carved from a single piece of stone, it is a lion with the head of a pharaoh thought to be the portrait of Chepren.
• Egyptian museum- Called the museum of the Egyptian antiquities, it is one of the greatest museums you will ever see, housing an unrivalled collection of antiquities reaching back 5000 years.

Transfer to your hotel thereafter for dinner & overnight

DAY 3
After breakfast at the hotel, proceed for a full day cultural tour of Old Cairo. This area is the oldest part of Cairo and predates what is now modern Cairo. It is believed that there was a settlement here as early as the 6th century BC. Later, the Romans built a fortress here, which we know today as “Babylon”. Some of these Roman walls still exist today. After the spread of Christianity throughout Egypt, it became a Christian stronghold, with as many as twenty churches built within an area of just one square mile.  Now only five remain, along with the earliest mosque ever built in Egypt. After the fall of Jerusalem in around 70 AD, the area saw an influx of Jews and its here where Egypt’s oldest synagogue, Ben Ezra is located. Highlights of the day.

• Ben Ezra Synagogue – Modest in appearance, delightful in interior and boasting of legends, the Ben Ezra synagogue is the supreme Jewish monument in Cairo. Legends claim that the synagogue is built on the spot where pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in the bulrushes and where Jeremiah spoke to survivors after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The most important recent event is the finding of medieval manuscripts in 1894. The collection, called Geniza, counted more than 250,000 pages, dating to the period between 1002 and 1266
• Church of St.Sergius (ABU SERGA)- A 5th century basilica built over crypt where the Holy Family is believed to have stayed during their flight into Egypt.
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• Church of St.Mercurius (ABU SEFEIN) – boasts a unique collection of Coptic art including 175 icons that depict scenes from the old and new testaments, wall paintings, etching and stained glass.
• Al Azhar University and Mosque – Al-Azhar is today the most important religious university in the Muslim world, with as much as 90,000 students. It is perhaps the oldest university in the whole world . The heart of Al-Azhar is the mosque quarters. Unlike so many mosques around the Muslim world, it is fully open for visitors. The architecture is stunning, the size of the roofed hall is quite impressive.
• Pharonic Village – Take a step back in time about three thousand years back to be exact. Just a few miles from the center of Cairo is a time machine waiting to take you on a fantastic journey to the days of the Pharaohs, a time brought to life by an incredible group of actors and actresses, faithful and exact reproductions of buildings, clothing, and lifestyles. At the Pharonic Village, visitors sail on comfortable motorized barges down a network of canals and view incredibly accurate tableaux of the recreation of ancient Egyptian life. Over a hundred actors and actresses perform all the daily activities and arts of the ancient Egyptians, including agriculture, pottery, sculpture, weaving and much more. Everyone that would have existed in an ancient Egyptian city is here in the modern recreation, from pharaohs to fishermen, from potters to priests and because of this attention to detail, the Pharaonic Village is more than education and entertainment; it is a vital resource in the preservation of knowledge of the ancient world.
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• The Khan-El-Khalili – The most famous of oriental bazaars, Khan El Khalili is a treasure of trove of medieval craftsmanship. Here you can shop to your total hearts content for the Egyptian artifacts or order yourself a sheesha.

Transfer to your hotel thereafter for dinner & overnight
DAY 4
Breakfast at the hotel and the rest of the day at leisure.
DAY 5
After breakfast, checkout of the hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure shopping at the many souks and malls in Cairo. Transfer thereafter to the airport for your flight back home.