Rhapsody Shore & Land Excursions > Egypt - Sokhna > Cairo, Pyramids & Tombs

Cairo, Pyramids & Tombs

Depart Sokhna in a convoy of luxury air conditioned motorcoaches for Africa's largest city, the teeming metropolis of Cairo. Reaching the outskirts of the city your drive continues southwards to Egypt's first capital, Memphis. Here you will visit the ruins of the temple of Ptah, the fallen colossal statue of King Ramses the 2nd and the Alabaster Sphinx of King Amenhopis the 2nd. A short drive from Memphis lies the oldest, ancient cemetery of Sakkara. The world's first monumental stone building, the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, built by the engineer Imhotep almost 5,000 ago, still stands.

After visiting the complex you continue to one of the Mastabas(funerary chambers) built nearby, such as those of Ptah-Hotep, Mereruca, Idut or Ti for an inside visit.

Return to Cairo where lunch will be served at a leading 5* deluxe hotel. After lunch, proceed to the Giza Plateau where the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza are found. A unique view of the three Pyramids from the Western Plateau affords great opportunities for photographs. Having enjoyed the view from this vantage point, your motorcoach will bring you close to the Pyramid of Chephren where it will park and time will be allocated to enjoy the Pyramids at leisurely pace.

Continue down the valley to visit the guardian of this mortuary complex, the mysterious Sphinx, watching the passage of time and man in eons of silence. Afterwards, a short stop at a Papyrus Institute will introduce you to the process of paper making from reeds, an art discovered by the Ancient Egyptians. A short time will be allocated for souvenir shopping before you commence the return drive to the ship.

 

Special Notes:
Comfortable walking shoes and sun hat recommended

Tour not suitable for elderly and assisted, physically challenged persons.

No fees for cameras and videos at sites visited.

No flash photography allowed inside the Mastabas at Sakkara.

The visit to the interior of the Pyramids is not part of the tour and requires and extra fee. Not recommended for people suffering from claustrophobia or have back and/or knee problems. The corridor is dark and low and at most of the time visitors have to stoop or bend their knees while they walk. The main chamber is totally empty. Very humid and dark inside. No cameras or videos allowed inside.

A lot of vendors sell all sorts of souvenirs at the Pyramids, especially at the Western Plateau. What is being sold as papyrus at extremely cheap prices are nothing but painted banana leaves, not real papyrus.

Please always consult and seek the advice of your guide.

The sequence of visits may vary, depending on the prevailing traffic conditions in Cairo, however all features and inclusions will remain unchanged.

 

Tour Timings:

Tours begin at times suitable for the ship's arrival in port. The breakdown of the excursions is as follows:
00hr00 -> Depart from Sokhna Port
00hr00 -> 02hr15 Drive from Sokhna port to Memphis area
02hr15 -> 02hr45 Visit Memphis area
02hr45 -> 03hr00 Drive time from Memphis to Sakkara
03hr00 -> 04hr15 Visit Sakkara complex and One Mastaba
04hr15 -> 05hr00 Drive time from Sakkara to hotel
05hr00 -> 06hr00 Serving lunch at hotel
06hr00 -> 06hr15 Drive time from hotel to Pyramids
06hr15 -> 07hr45 Visit Pyramids/sphinx area
07hr45 -> 08hr00 Drive time from Pyramids to Papyrus Institute
08hr00 -> 08hr45 Visit papyrus Institute and shopping at Oriental bazaars
08hr45 -> 11hr00 Drive time from Papyrus institute to Sokhna port

 

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