School Trips

• Departure from Montreal Airport (P.E. Trudeau) on an international flight bound for Cairo.

Note: Arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before departure. You will be met and assisted by a Miaterra representative.

❖ Meals included: Dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Arrival in Cairo.
• Personalized welcome and assistance before going through customs (visa, luggage, etc.) and transfer to the hotel to check in.
• Dinner at the hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Tour of the famous landmarks in the capital region:

• Pyramids of Giza: a vast funerary complex housing the tombs of the pharaohs and comprising three great pyramids. The Pyramid of Khufu, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World to have survived to the present day, is among these imposing remnants of ancient Egypt. It appears that the pyramids were built approximately 4,500 years ago and that their construction was facilitated by the existence of a branch of the Nile River—now dried up—which would have allowed for the transport of stones from nearby quarries. However, the engineering challenges involved in their construction still leave many unanswered questions in the scientific community today.
• The Sphinx, a monument carved from a single block of limestone, stands before the three famous pyramids. It is the largest monolithic sculpture in the world.
• The Muhammad Ali Mosque, also known as the Citadel: a major Islamic shrine in Cairo built in the heart of the citadel in the^19th-century Ottoman architectural style for Viceroy Muhammad Ali Pasha, considered the father of modern Egypt. It is to him that Egypt owes its entry into the industrial era, which made the country one of the world’s leading cotton producers. He was behind the first initiatives to build railroads and dig canals for the transport of goods destined for export. Egypt owes him significant social reforms, notably the country’s first military, medical, and pharmacy schools.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Activities to explore iconic aspects of Egyptian culture:

• Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), a recently built museum that is the largest dedicated to ancient Egyptian history. Its monumental collection is the culmination of decades of archaeological research focused on the country’s history. Visitors can see everything from colossal statues of pharaohs to the most common household objects of ancient Egypt.
• A papyrus-making workshop led by an experienced papyrus maker, where students will have the opportunity to try their hand at the basics of this traditional Egyptian craft.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

• Transfer to Cairo Airport to catch an internal flight to Aswan.
• Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

• Visit to the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the worship of Isis, the goddess who protects the home; this site was the last place where this cult was practiced. It was, in fact, the last bastion of the religion of ancient Egypt, which experienced sporadic resurgences until the early5th century CE.

• A visit to a Nubian village and meeting a people rich in traditions and craftsmanship.

• Return to the hotel in Aswan.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: air-conditioned vehicle.

• Drive to Kom Ombo.
• Visit to the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the gods Sobek (god of fertility) and Haroëris (benevolent god and protector of Upper Egypt in the 2nd century B.C.). Arrival by boat, offering a breathtaking view of the site.
• Trip to Aswan.
• A hieroglyphic writing workshop that will introduce students to the basics of Ancient Egyptian in a fun way, allowing them to decipher phonetic symbols and draw their own first names inside a royal cartouche.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: air-conditioned vehicle.

• Trip to Luxor.
• Tour of the Luxor Temple, dedicated to the worship of Amun. This temple was an integral part of the religious urban layout of ancient Thebes, as the religious ceremonies performed there mirrored those of the great Karnak Temple, located less than 2 km away. The Opet Festival, one of the most lavish festivals of ancient Egypt, was celebrated here. The avenue lined with sphinxes and its grand, harmonious colonnades are sculptural features of great interest.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Drive to the Valley of the Kings, which stretches along the west bank of the Nile and is renowned for housing the tombs of the New Kingdom pharaohs (^{16th–11thcenturies} B.C.) and their families. Tour of three temples with richly decorated tombs.
• Return to hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Lodging: 4* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• AM: Drive in an air-conditioned vehicle to Hurghada.
• PM: Time spent relaxing and enjoying the sea and the beach in this dreamy seaside resort on the Red Sea. A little paradise with crystal-clear waters!

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

• AM: Half-day beach outing on the Red Sea coast.
• PM: Transfer to the airport and internal flights to Cairo.
• Arrival, welcome, and transfer to the hotel in Cairo to check in.
• Dinner at the hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner / Accommodation: 4* hotel / Transport: air-conditioned vehicle.

A grand tour of the El Fayoum region, a cool oasis an hour south of the capital:

• Pottery workshop led by local artisans, who are true ambassadors of the region’s traditional craftsmanship, a specialty of the area.
• Dinner prepared by villagers, featuring regional specialties.
• Sandboarding down the sandy plateau of El Fayoum—a one-of-a-kind experience!
• A memorable 4×4 ride through the desert.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Transportation: air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

• Transfer to Cairo Airport and international flight to Montreal.

• Cairo: 4-star hotel (to be determined)
• Aswan: 4-star BASMA Hotel or equivalent
• Luxor: 4-star hotel (to be determined)
• Hurghada: 4-star FORT ARABESQUE RESORT or equivalent

• International flights (including baggage allowance of 23 kg per person, maximum)
• 2 internal flights: Cairo–Aswan and Hurghada–Cairo (with a maximum of 1 piece of luggage weighing 23 kg each)
• Personalized Assistance and Welcome Service at the Montreal and Cairo Airports
• Airport shuttles
• Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver
• 4-Star Accommodations
• 3 meals a day
• All activities and site admissions listed in bold on the itinerary and conducted in the company of a local guide
• A certified local guide who speaks French and accompanies the group at all times, along with French-speaking Egyptologists
• “Comprehensive Coverage for Youth and Chaperones” insurance policy from Manuvie
• Tips
• All taxes
• Organization from A to Z
• 24/7 Support from Voyages Miaterra

• Visa
• Beverages
• Personal Expenses