9 Days / 8 Nights The Holy Family in Egypt (4 Stars)

Day 1: Cairo
Arrival to Cairo airport, our representative will assist you through passport control formalities, luggage identification & portage will greet you. From the airport you will be transferred by a private A/C car to your hotel Overnight in Cairo.

Day 2: Cairo
Breakfast. 8:00 am Start your full day visiting the Egyptian Museum of antiquities. On display is rare collection of 5000 years of art the largest most precious collection of Egyptian art in the world. Over 250,000 genuine artifacts are presented, including an exhibit dedicated to the Tutankhamen collection of treasures, gold, and jewelry.
A quick break for lunch
Visit Giza Pyramids the Great Pyramids – Cheops, Chephren & Mykerions. Cheops is the most colossal ever built. Next is a close-up look at Sphinx – a huge funeral complex guarded by the legendary lion body with the face of king Chephren. Then visit Khan El Khalili you want, as well as being able to sit and drink tea, coffee, soft drinks or Turkish coffee, and even smoke a shisha (if you wish). You will also find restaurants that serve superb meals here
At the end of this interesting day you will be driven back to your Cairo hotel..

Day 3: Cairo
Once you have had your breakfast your guide will meet you and take you on a full day tour of Cairo. First of all you will be taken to the Citadel of Saladin, built on Cairo’s highest point: Mokattam Hill. Saladin erected the Citadel to protect Cairo, from the crusaders, between 1176 and 1183 CE and nowadays it houses 3 mosques (the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, the Al-Nasir Muhammad Qala’un Mosque, and the Mosque of Suleyman Pasha)
After a quick break for lunch it will be time to visit the area of Cairo dedicated to the Coptic Christians. First of you will visit the Hanging Church (also known as the Suspended Church or Al-Moallaqa). It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on the southern gate of the ruins of the Roman Fortress of Babylon. From here you will go to the Church of St. George. Tradition has it that St. George was kept in a prison close to the church and martyred there. The next stop is the Church of Abu Sarga (St. Sergius). It is the oldest church in Egypt, dating back to the 5th century CE, and it owes its fame to having been constructed over the crypt of the Holy Family where they stayed for three weeks during their escape to Egypt. Finally you will visit the newly refurbished Coptic Museum. Originally built at the end of the 19th century CE, it now occupies an area of 8,000 square metres, which includes the buildings and garden. The Coptic Museum holds about 16,000 works of art, though only 1,200 are exhibited. It is also home to some 6,000 papyrus manuscripts, including the Psalms of David and the manuscripts of Nag Hammadi.
At the end of this interesting day you will be driven back to your Cairo hotel.

Day 4: Cairo/Wadi Natrun/Alexandria
Once you have had your breakfast your guide will meet you and you will start your transfer to Alexandria, via the Wadi Natrun. Mostly famous for the Natrun Salt found here, which was an essential part of the mummification process, the Wadi (or valley) lies about 23 metres below sea level and contains many lakes, where the salt is found, as well as numerous monasteries: the Monastery of the Romans (Deir El Baramus), the Monastery of the Syrians (Deir Al Sorian), and the Monastery of St. Bishoi (Deir Anba Bishoi) being the most well-known and the reason why the area is a major attraction for religious tourists.
After your visit to this fascination location you will continue your journey to Alexandria and your hotel.

Day 5: Alexandria/Cairo
Once you have had your breakfast your guide will meet you and escort you to your air-conditioned vehicle for your day long trip to Alexandria. Upon arrival you will first visit Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, the historical seat of the Pope of Alexandria, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The cathedral is said to stand on the site of the church founded by St. Mark the Evangelist in 60 CE. You will then be taken to see the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, where many ancient Roman and Christians were buried. Next is the Alexandria National Museum, home to many artefacts from the ancient Egyptian, Coptic, Hellenistic, and early Muslim periods. You will stop for lunch when the opportunity arises, but sometime around 1200/1300. Once the tour is over you will be driven back to your Cairo hotel.

Day 6: Cairo/Nile Delta/Cairo
Once you have had your breakfast your guide will meet you and escort you to your air-conditioned vehicle for your day long trip to the Nile Delta; following another part of the journey taken by the Holy Family. First you will visit the Virgin Mary Tree at Matariya. The Holy Family were said to have found shelter beneath the shade of a sycamore tree, whose trunk is said to have opened to protect them from their pursuers. A miraculous spring of water appeared for them to drink from, and in its pool a healing Balsam plant grows until this day. From here you will be driven to Tel Basta (near Zagazig), where it is believed that Jesus made a water spring appear. This spot is now marked by a well. From here you will be taken to the small town of Sakha, where a footmark of Jesus, marked on a rock, is kept in the local church: “the Church of the Holy Virgin”. Hidden for centuries, in fear of robbery, it was rediscovered about 15 years ago and is now kept in a glass case, for its protection. The Coptic name for Sakha is ” Bikha Isus ” which means “the foot of Jesus”
At the end of this exciting day you will be driven back to your Cairo hotel

Day 7: Cairo/St. Catherine
Once you have had your breakfast your guide will meet you and take you, in our air-conditioned vehicle, to St. Catherine. Before leaving Cairo you will visit St. Mary Church in Zeitun, where it is said that the Virgin Mary has appeared on many occasions. From here you will be driven to the Sinai Peninsula via the Suez Canal, stopping for lunch en route, as well as visiting Moses’ Spring, the Pharaoh springs (Hammam Faroun), and the Wadi Feiran. The Wadi Feiran is full of churches, some dating to 300 CE, and you can even find the ruins of a monastery: Deir Al Banat. This area was a Christian centre for monks, priests, and pilgrims on their way to St. Catherine’s Monastery. Upon arrival at St. Catherine you will check in and then have the rest of the day at leisure.
At the end of this exciting day you will be driven back to your hotel

Day 8: St. Catherine/Moses Mountain/Cairo
Early in the morning you will leave your hotel and start the 3 or 4 hour climb to the summit of Mount Sinai, or Moses Mountain as it is also known (depending on the time of year and the fitness of your party). Once you have reached the summit you will glory in the wonderful sunrise and then sit down to enjoy your breakfast (breakfast boxes are supplied for you). After 90 to 120 minutes you will start the descent and then, after 3 hours, will be welcomed into St Catherine’s Monastery. Dating back to the 6th century, this fully enclosed walled monastery holds the remains of what is believed to be the burning bush where Moses was spoken to before receiving the Ten Commandments. After this visit you will start the drive back, in our air-conditioned vehicle, to your Cairo hotel.

Day 9: Final Departure
After breakfast our representative will arrive at your hotel to transfer you to Cairo International Airport for your departure flight.