Cairo
Cairo, “Al Qahira", is Egypt's capital and usually the starting and ending point of all itineraries. The largest city in Africa, Cairo is home to 18 million people. Although today’s modern bazaars are but a pale reflection of former worldwide trade, the city remains a crossroads between Africa and Arabia, as well as a meeting ground for Europe and Asia, thereby playing a crucial role in East-West relations. Today the city throbs with ever increasing energy. In Cairo there is much to be seen; but when time is limited we select those key sites which are essential, and leave the rest for those with a more flexible schedule. Among those key sites in Cairo are the following:

The Pyramids at Giza
The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx are Egypt's most visited monuments, ranking among the world's greatest tourist attractions. The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the only surviving “Wonder of the Ancient World”. For centuries the great pyramids have intrigued and puzzled visitors, and even in the 20th century it is difficult to stand before them and not be overwhelmed. For 4 1/2 millennia, surviving the rise and fall of great dynasties, and outlasting Egypt's many conquerors, they have shared the desert plateau of Giza with other monuments: smaller attendant pyramids, some for royal wives; rows of mastabas, the tombs of 4th and 5th dynasty princes and nobles; and the imposing figure of the enigmatic sphinx. Also located at the pyramids is the impressive Solar Boat Museum.

The Great Sphinx
Legends and superstitions surround this relic of antiquity, and the mystery of its long forgotten purpose is almost as intriguing as the sight of the structure itself. Known in Arabic as Abu el Hol, which means “father of terror”, the feline man was called a sphinx by the ancient Greeks because it resembled the mythical winged monster with a woman's head and lion's body who proposed a riddle to the Thebans and killed all who could not guess the answer. Carved almost entirely from one huge piece of limestone left standing in the quarry from which Cheops had the stones cut for his pyramid, the sphinx is about 50 meters long and 22 meters high. It is not known when it was carved, but one theory is that it was Chephren who thought of shaping the rock into a lion's body with a god's face, wearing the royal headdress of Egypt. Another theory is that it is the likeness of Chephren himself that has been staring out over the desert sands for so many centuries.

Sound and Light Show at Giza Pyramids
In the evening, visit Giza to see the famous “Sound and Light” show at the pyramids. Seating is on an outdoor terrace, with the desert as stage, and the Great Sphinx and Pyramids as players. Listen to the voice of the Sphinx telling their ancient history, and enjoy the spectacular lights, which vividly reveal the majesty and mystery of these monuments.

Memphis and Saqqara
Since the founding of Memphis at the time of King Menes’ unifier of Upper and Lower Egypt, Saqqara has served as the necropolis, or burial ground, for kings and nobles. The kings of the 1st dynasty built mud brick "fortresses," which may have served as their tombs or cenotaphs. King Zoser, in the 3rd dynasty, chose Saqqara as the site for his funerary complex, the first ever constructed in stone, and here he raised his Step Pyramid - the earliest large stone structure in the world. In the 5th and 6th dynasties, the ruling monarchs built limestone-cased, rubble filled pyramids, and inside them they inscribed the earliest of the pyramid texts. Their nobles constructed huge mastabas near their rulers, and at Saqqara they commissioned some of the finest Old Kingdom drawings. The capital city of Memphis lies southeast of the cemetery at Saqqara. Nearly as famous as its sister-city Thebes (Luxor) to the south, Memphis was an administrative center throughout the history of ancient Egypt. Even in the 12 century AD the extensive ruins caught the eye of Arab travelers, but today the remains lie scattered throughout the cultivated fields, much of the stone long eaten away by the damp valley soil.

The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
Completed in 1902 and located in downtown Cairo, the Egyptian Antiquities Museum is a treasure-house of riches and contains the world’s finest collection of pharaonic artifacts. Your guided tour offers a vivid introduction to the successive periods of ancient Egyptian history. View artifacts dating back to 4000 BC, such as the famous Palette of King Narmer (3100 BC), the New Kingdom Hathor Shrine of Tuthmosis III, and over 1,700 delicate treasures from the tomb of the boy-king Tut ankh amun. These including four gilded shrines and the exquisite golden funerary mask. Complete your tour of the museum with a visit to the famous “Mummy Room”, where some of the mightiest pharaohs in history, including Tuthmosis IV and Ramses II, lie in state.

Islamic Cairo & Khan el Khalili Bazaar
Perhaps the most fascinating parts of Cairo are the old Islamic sections. A typical itinerary always includes the Sultan Hassan Mosque, the Citadel of Salah el Din including the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, and the largest bazaar in the Middle East, "Khan el Khalili". The Sultan Hassan Mosque was built between 1356 and 1363 AD, with stones that historians believe were taken from one of the pyramids of Giza. The interior is devoid of decoration to make it easy for worshippers to concentrate on prayers. Hundreds of chains, which once held oil lamps, still hang from the ceiling of each hall. The Citadel of Salah el Din was begun in 1176 as part of a plan to enclose all of Cairo, for the first time, within a system of walls. Though over the years it has been altered significantly, the city has never been without a military garrison. Located on the highest point of the southern enclosure, and visible from nearly everywhere in the city below, is the Mohammed Ali Mosque. Built between 1830 and 1848, the mosque was designed by a Greek architect in accord with purely Ottoman models, owing nothing to Egypt but the materials from which it is made, and a few intermingled pharaonic and Mamluk decorative motifs. It adds a wonderful picture-postcard element to the city's skyline. Mohammed Ali Pasha himself is buried here. The Khan el Khalili bazaar is a shopper's paradise. Once famous for its Turkish goods, it now serves as the tourists' bazaar offering everything from jewelry to antiques to carpets and much more. The fun here is the bargaining process.

The classical programs for Cairo arrival are as follows : Program 1 - Program 2 - Program 3 - Program 4 - Program 5