Cleopatra's Egypt

This morning we visit the pyramid complexes on the Giza Plateau, including the Great Pyramid – a true wonder of the ancient world, where atmospheric passageways lead to the breath-taking grand gallery and royal burial chamber. We also explore the Solar Boat Museum, which houses an original pharaonic ship, the Valley Temple of Khafra and the enigmatic Great Sphinx, whose limestone form has occupied this spot for more than 4,000 years. In the afternoon we enjoy a visit to the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where the world’s most extensive exhibitions in pharaonic artefacts can be seen. Among the many treasures on display are the solid gold mask of Tutankhamun, and the Narmer Palette, thought to depict the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

This morning we discover the rich Islamic culture and history of Egypt at the spectacular Sultan Hassan Mosque, the Al Rifau Mosque and the bustling and vibrant Khan al Khalili. After lunch, we explore the Coptic culture and history of Egypt at the Museum of Coptic Art, and visit one of Cairo’s oldest churches, the ‘Hanging Church’.

We start our day with a visit to Saqqara, a vast necropolis to the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. We discover the incredible Step Pyramid of Djoser and the smooth-sided Pyramid of Unas, the Mastaba of Mereruka, the Serapeum, catacombs for the sacred Apis bulls and resting place of the body of Alexander the Great on its journey to Alexandria. We also visit the Imhotep Museum, home to unique exhibits found during excavations nearby. After lunch we visit Memphis which served as the country’s capital during the Old Kingdom. Today this bustling ancient city is reduced to an open-air museum, its highlight the extraordinary fallen colossus of Ramesses II.

This morning we depart Cairo and travel to the Mediterranean coast and Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great and the capital of the Ptolemy dynasty. Famous for its library, Alexandria was one of the greatest cities of the Hellenistic and Roman world. After check-in at our hotel we National Museum of Alexandria with its excellent collection of Greaco-Roman material. After lunch we visit Fort Qaitby, built on the site of the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the wonders of the ancient world.

We spend the day in Alexandria exploring the major monuments of the ancient city. We visit the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa an underground labyrinth of decorated tombs from the Roman period, we also visit Pompeys Pillar, the site of the Serapeum, the temple dedicated to the god Serapis and his consort Isis and one of the most important temples of the Hellenistic world. We explore part of the civic centre of Roman Alexandria at Kom al Dikka, with its major monuments including an Odeon type building and a fine house, the Villa of the Birds. We finish our day at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the modern Library, here we will see superb mosaics recovered from the royal palace of the Ptolemies.

We start the day with a visit to the beautiful Ptolemaic catacombs at Mustapha Kamil and the in the afternoon we travel west of Cairo to visit the Coptic pilgrimage centre of Abu Mina, dominated by the remains of the 6^th century church dedicated to St. Menas. Afterwards we travel on to Abu Sir, ancient Tapaposiris where the Ptolemaic temple and a funerary monument modelled on the Pharos were built on a ridge between lake Mareotis and the Mediterranean.

This morning we return to Cairo and make our independent onward journeys.