Super Cairo: The Great Sphinx, the Giza Pyramids & Much More
| Price: | from 100$ for adults and children aged 12 and older |
from 55$ for children aged 2 to 11 inclusive |
This tour will impress not only lovers of history and ancient mysteries but also those who like contrasts. In the wonderful city of Cairo, the Giza pyramid complex is surrounded by chaotic modern buildings. Such a contrasting view should definitely be seen with your own eyes.
The tour program includes seeing the most well-known landmarks in Egypt, such as the famous Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the legendary Great Sphinx, going on a boat trip along the Nile, Africa’s largest river, and much more. The memories of this incredibly eventful trip will delight you for years!
Travelers can experience deep emotions even on their way to Cairo. For example, during a rest stop which is organized in a wonderful place. According to legend, here Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out. Today, the water from these springs is used to treat various illnesses.
Then the tourists continue the journey by bus and get to another important place which is a car tunnel under the Suez Canal. The tunnel is named after Ahmed Hamdi, who died here. He was an Egyptian engineer and general killed while crossing the Suez Canal during the October War with Israel in 1973. His death day was made the holiday of Engineer Day. Before getting to the Cairo city center, travelers have a good chance to see the New Administrative Capital (NAC) with its modern malls and luxury villas.
Cairo is home to many government buildings, the main Coptic and Armenian Churches, and the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, located on the Tahrir Square. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, also called the Egyptian Museum, was founded in 1902 by the famous French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. The museum in Cairo houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world, and the building of the museum is a great architectural masterpiece itself.
The Cairo Museum boasts a unique collection of ancient artifacts, such as fragments of walls with bas-reliefs, stone sarcophagi and statues, jewelry and coins, mummies and papyri, illustrating life in by-gone eras. In the museum, the ancient history literally comes back to life and becomes visible and tangible like the priceless Khufu (Cheops) Statuette. It’s the only three-dimensional image of the Pharaoh, whose pyramid is the only of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World which has remained largely intact.
Visitors of the museum can examine a gold funerary mask of Tutankhamun which is actually a hallmark of the place, as well as objects found in the tomb of this pharaoh who died at a young age.
The next point-of-interest in the itinerary is the Nile, one of the longest rivers in the world. During a boat trip along the river, tourists can admire bridges, the city skyline and riverside landscapes. After the boat trip, the tour group heads for Giza, getting surprised by chaotic buildings in the suburb of the pyramid complex. After the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the area abounds with unauthorized constructions that make the neighborhoods look awful but have a kind of beauty. However, in order to judge for yourself, you need to see this place with your own eyes.
The first stop is made at Egypt Papyrus Museum founded by enthusiasts. It houses a collection of both historic and modern artworks. Tourists can watch the papyrus making process and buy some pretty items as souvenirs. Any name can be written on them in ancient Egyptian and other languages.
After visiting the museum,tourists will go to a panoramic viewpoint to see all the nine pyramids, including the three main ones, such as the Great Pyramid (also known as the Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu), the Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinos).
Then tourists are allowed to walk around the ancient walls of the pyramids and get inside one of them, the Great Pyramid (the Pyramid of Cheops): to go through a mysterious corridor into the chamber that contained the sarcophagus of the pharaoh.
Another important site is the Great Sphinx, which is the guardian of pyramids cut from limestone blocks. It depicts a mythical creature with the head of a human, and the body of a lion. It’s believed that the face of the Sphinx appears to represent the pharaoh Khafre. It’s the most ancient monumental sculpture in human history. The archaeological evidence suggests that it was created in 2559 BC.
After such an intensive sightseeing tour, you will definitely need to have a meal and relax. For this reason a buffet lunch is included in the tour program. After lunch at the restaurant, the tour group goes to the popular store of oils and cosmetics “Nefertiti”. The store employees will tell tourists all the details about Egyptian herbs and essential oils, perfumes and cosmetics. This information is quite valuable.
