Egypt

Departure from Montreal airport (P.E. Trudeau) on a flight to Cairo.

Note: Arrival at the airport at least 3 hours before departure.

❖ 5* hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Arrival in Cairo. Welcome and transfer to hotel for check-in.

❖ Meals included : Breakfast / Accommodation : 5* Hotel / Transport : Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for a day of discovery of the famous monuments of ancient Egyptin the capital region:

• Pyramids of Giza Giza Pyramids: a vast funerary complex housing the tombs of the pharaohs and comprising three great pyramids. The pyramid of Cheops, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World to have survived to the present day, is one of these imposing vestiges of Egyptian antiquity. It seems that the pyramids were erected some 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 enabled the stones to be transported from nearby quarries. However, the engineering challenges involved in their construction still leave many questions unanswered in today’s scientific world.
• The SphinxThe Sphinx, a monument sculpted from limestone, stands in front of the three famous pyramids. It is the largest monolithic sculpture in the world.
• Dahshuranother royal necropolis of the great Egyptian dynasties, housing 2 pyramids built at the request of King Snefru. The first, known as the Rhomboid Pyramid, and the second, known as the Red Pyramid because of the red limestone used in its construction, shared the same ambition and the same challenge. However, only the second project was successful, leading to the construction of the^1st smooth-sided pyramid. The Red Pyramid thus officially became King Snefru’s resting place, after which his son Cheops had Egypt’s largest pyramid built using newly-acquired construction techniques.
• SaqqarahSaqqarah, a vast ancient Egyptian necropolis where royal tombs stand side by side with more modest burials, provides us with a wealth of evidence about daily life in ancient Egypt.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, dinner / Accommodation: 5* Hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

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

• Discover the Lake Qârun(Moéris), a very important reserve for the region, as well as a body of water much frequented by fishermen and winged fauna.
• Visit the Wadi El Rayan Fallsthe highest waterfalls in the country, offering a view in stark contrast to the surrounding arid landscape.
• Dinner prepared by villagers, featuring Egyptian specialties.
• Sandboard on the sandy plateau, a unique experience!
• Memorable ride in 4X4 in the desert.
• Visitpottery workshopsa local specialty.

❖ Meals included : Breakfast / Accommodation : 5* Hotel / Transport : Air-conditioned vehicle.

Visit the capital and its many attractions:

• The Great Museum of Egypt (GEM), recently built, is the most important museum dedicated to Egyptian antiquity. Its monumental collection is the culmination of decades of archaeological research focused on the country’s history. On display are colossal statues of pharaohs, right down to the most common domestic objects of ancient Egypt.
• Khan el Khelili Bazaarthe best-known market in the Middle East, is a bustling place renowned for its many stores selling local products and souvenirs. (Colorful lamps, fabrics, copper objects, jewelry, spices, perfumes, musical instruments, etc.).
• Al Mo’ez StreetAl Mo’ez Street is an open-air museum, a must-see opportunity to immerse yourself in the Islamic world! This is one of the city’s oldest streets, home to some of the country’s most remarkable Islamic monuments and buildings.

❖ Meals included : Breakfast / Accommodation : 5* Hotel / Transport : Air-conditioned vehicle.

Visit the capital’s places of worship:

• Mohammed Ali Mosque Mohammed Ali Mosque: Cairo’s most important Islamic sanctuary, built in the heart of the citadel in the ^19th century Ottoman architectural style for Viceroy Mohammed-Ali Pasha, considered the father of modern Egypt. He was responsible for Egypt’s entry into the industrial age, making the country one of the world’s leading cotton producers. He was behind the first initiatives to build railroads and dig canals to transport materials for export. Egypt owes him a debt of gratitude for major social reforms, including the country’s first military, medical and pharmacy schools.
• Al-Rifa’i Mosque Built between 1869 and 1911, this neo-Mamluk mosque also features a number of borrowings from European architecture. Its construction was part of the modernization of Cairo at the end of the ^19th century. A small pedestrian street separates it from the Sultan Hassan Mosque, built five centuries earlier.
• Sultan Hassan Mosque Built in the ^14th century in pure Mamluk style. Originally, this religious complex also housed a Sunni teaching school.
• Coptic CairoCoptic Cairo, a district that bears witness to the city’s Christian life. The Copts belong to the Alexandrian Church of Mark the Evangelist, and form one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

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

• AM: Fly to Hurghada.

The town and its beaches stretch for almost 40 km along the Red Sea, making Hurghada the country’s leading seaside resort. World-renowned for its clear waters and coral reefs, Hurghada welcomes visitors from all over for diving and windsurfing.

PM : Guided city tour of Hurghada. Visit Hurghada’s Grand Mosque, harbour and fish market.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation: 4* hotel.

• Free time to enjoy this little paradise on the shores of the Red Sea. Beach and optional activities.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation: 4* hotel.

Free time to enjoy this little paradise on the shores of the Red Sea.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation: 5* cruise / Transport: air-conditioned vehicle and boat.

Drive to Luxor and board the cruise ship. Departure to discover the majestic monuments on the banks of this mythical river:

• Temple of Karnakthe largest religious complex in the city of Thebes in ancient times, when Thebes was the name given to Luxor. The complex of magnificently decorated and sculpted temples, chapels, colonnades and corridors is undoubtedly the longest construction project in history, spanning more than 2,000 years.
• Luxor Templededicated to the cult of Amun, this temple was an integral part of the religious urbanism of ancient Thebes, since the religious ceremonies performed here echoed those of the great temple of Karnak, less than 2 km away. The Opet festival was celebrated here, one of the most sumptuous feasts in ancient Egypt. The sphinx-lined aisle and its large, harmonious colonnades are highly interesting sculptural features.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Transport and accommodation: 5* cruise.

Departure in an air-conditioned vehicle for a grand discovery tour:

• Valley of the Kingsstretching along the west bank of the Nile, is a region renowned for housing the tombs of New Kingdom pharaohs (^16th to ^11th BC) and their families. Visit 3 temples with richly decorated tombs.
• Hatshepsut TempleHatshepsut Temple, an ancient funerary temple comprising a well-preserved complex of chapels, galleries, terraces and porticoes carved from limestone. The imposing construction is said to have taken just 15 years.
• Colossi of Memnongiant stone sculptures on the west bank of the Nile, on the road leading to Thebes, the last remains of a huge temple that no longer exists.

Sailing to Edfu.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation and transport: 5* cruise.

• Temple of Edfudedicated to the cult of Horus, god of royalty and great protector of the pharaohs. Built under King Ptolemy in^3rd B.C. in the Pharaonic style. This temple is the^2nd largest sanctuary in Egypt after Karnak.
• Temple of Kom Ombodedicated to the gods Sobek (fertility god) and Haroëris (beneficent god and protector of Upper Egypt in the^2nd century BC). Arrival by boat, offering a breathtaking view of the site.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation and transport: 5* cruise.

• Temple of Philaededicated to the cult of Isis, the patron goddess of the home, this site was the last place where this cult was practiced. In fact, it was the last bastion of ancient Egyptian religion, which continued to flourish until the beginning of the^{5th century} AD.
• Aswan High DamThe Aswan High Dam, built on the Nile in the 1960s, is considered one of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams. The project was designed not only to generateelectricity for the country, but also to provide a water reservoir and flood control system for agriculture.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Accommodation: 5* hotel / Transport: air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

Continue by bus in a south-westerly direction:

• Abu Simbel templesTwo architectural jewels dating from the ^13th century BC, carved out of a rocky cliff of ochre and pinkish hues, dedicated to the cult of several deities, but also to that of Pharaoh Ramses II, himself deified. The pharaoh was the initiator of this great construction project, by which he wanted to mark his power over the territory and gold resources of Nubia.
• Return to Aswan airport and internal flight to Cairo.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle and international flight.

Transfer to Cairo airport and flight to Montreal.

• Cairo: 5* Hotel CONCORDE EL SALAM or equivalent
• Hurghada: Hotel 4* FORT ARABESQUE or equivalent
• Nile: 5* cruise (name of cruise ship to be determined, as cruise departure times vary according to the day of the week)

• International flights
• 2 Domestic flights: Cairo – Hurghada and Aswan – Cairo
• Shuttles to and from airports
• Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver
• All accommodations (4 and 5 stars)
• 2 meals a day (on average)
• All activities and admissions to sites shown in red on the program and accompanied by a local guide, except admission to the Wadi El Rayan waterfalls, which costs $10 per traveller.
• Certified French-speaking local guide present with the group at all times, except during the beach stay and the Hurghada-Louxor trip
• Visit the temples of Abu Simbel
• Visit to the GEM (Great Museum of Egypt)
• Village dinner in the El Fayoum region
• Sandboarding down the El Fayoum plateau
• A 4X4 ride in the desert
• All taxes
• 24/7 support
• Organization from A to Z

• Visa
• Some meals
• Beverages
• Tips
• Personal expenses
• Optional activities