Start with a pickup from your central Cairo or Giza hotel by private, air-conditioned vehicle. Meet your Egyptologist guide, and set off to explore the city’s highlights. If there’s something you want to see more of, let your guide know: your tour is private, so the itinerary can be tailored to your interests and will last between 6-8 hours.
Visit the Giza Plateau in the el-Giza district, to admire the three Giza pyramids. Marvel at these massive ancient burial tombs, built around 2,500 BC, and learn how and why they were constructed.Get free time to enter one of the pyramids (additional cost) and explore its empty inner chambers independently — your guide is not permitted to enter with you.
Gaze up at the colossal Sphinx, the enigmatic statue of a human-headed lion that guards the pyramids, and if you wish, visit the Solar Boat Museum (additional cost); home to the funerary boat of Khufu, the pharaoh for whom the Great Pyramid was built. Admire the beautiful wooden boat, once used to transport Khufu’s body to the site, and learn how its remnants were discovered and reassembled.
Then, head inside Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, home to some 120,000 incredible ancient artifacts. Let your guide introduce you to some of the highlights, including the star attraction: the treasures of Tutankhamun. Admire the boy king’s gold death mask, coffins and funerary treasures, and learn about his short and troubled reign. Then, enjoy some free time to explore the museum at leisure.
Finish with a visit to Khan el-Khalili bazaar, Cairo’s main souk. Meander through the bustling lanes and perhaps haggle for goodies such as gold, rugs, spices and other wares.
If you’ve upgraded to include lunch, take a break for your meal as you travel between the sites. In addition, pay a short visit to a papyrus institute to see how time-honored papyrus artworks are created. See some artists in action and if you wish, purchase some papyrus paintings.
When the time comes, your tour ends with a drop-off back at your hotel.
