EGYPT: CAIRO – ALEXANDRIA – MEDITERRANEAN IMPRINT

Morning: You have breakfast at the hotel. Then visit Cairo - the capital of Egypt. Cairo is the most populous metropolitan area in Africa with a metropolitan population of more than 20 million people. Cairo is associated with ancient Egypt, because the famous Giza pyramid complex and the ancient city of Memphis are located within its geographical area.
You visit:
● Giza Pyramid Complex - a symbol of ancient Egyptian civilization, also one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There are many legends surrounding the existence of the Pyramids, along with mysterious and frightening rumors inside this giant tomb complex. You will have the opportunity to experience riding camels along the magnificent Pyramids and capture priceless memories.
● The Great Sphinx with the shape of a human head and a lion's body carved on a rock outcrop with a total length of up to 45m. The Great Sphinx is also a famous symbol with the riddle: “What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?”.
Noon: You have lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) - Millennial treasures in a 21st-century space. Hailed as the “crown jewel” of modern Egypt, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is not only the largest archaeological museum in the world, but also a bridge between a glorious past and a brilliant present.
Located right at the foot of the Giza Pyramids, GEM opens up a magnificent space where light, stone and memory blend together.
Visit the outstanding exhibition areas:
Grand Hall: home to the giant statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, nearly 12 m tall – welcoming visitors right from the entrance.
Tutankhamun Gallery: the entire collection of more than 5,000 artifacts excavated from the tomb of the young Pharaoh – including the legendary golden mask and ceremonial chariots.
Egyptian Civilization Exhibition Area: recreating a panorama of 5,000 years of history through statues, inscriptions and exquisite ritual objects.
Evening: You have dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight in Cairo. You stay overnight at the Cairo Hotel.

Morning: You have breakfast and check out. Then, you travel to Bahariya Oasis (370km from Cairo ~4h travel) located southwest of the capital Cairo. Bahariya Oasis rises in the middle of a vast sandy desert with abundant natural hot springs. The springs also give the oasis a lush appearance with thriving natural palm trees and many other fruit trees. Notably, the terrain here is also divided into the White Desert and the Black Desert.
Noon: You have lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: You switch to a Jeep - a vehicle specialized for sandy terrain - then challenge your sense of adventure with high sand dunes like a wall. You visit:
● Black Desert with hundreds of small hills covered in black powder. The Black Desert is considered one of the strangest desert landscapes in the world. In fact, this black powder is sandstone powder – a sign of a volcano that once existed here. You pass by Bedouin Village - a small village nestled in the heart of the desert since ancient times.
● White Desert with only a vast monochrome white. You will have the chance to see many sparkling crystal-like stalagmites – things thought to exist only in caves now present right on this harsh, arid desert land. Besides that, a large area here has many mushroom-shaped rock columns – which will remind you of the Cappadocia wonder of Turkey. Therefore, this area is also considered an open-air contemporary art museum. You are free to stroll on the long, towering sand dunes and watch the fiery red sunset slowly sink below the horizon - one of the most unforgettable experiences of the trip.
Evening: You have dinner with traditional Egyptian dishes, with a special highlight of slightly charred, juicy roast lamb hot over glowing coals. You experience camping in the vast white sand desert under a sky with millions of stars and the galaxy stretching across like a sparkling silk ribbon.
After that, you return to the Oasis Hotel - a unique desert-style hotel area to rest.

Morning: You have breakfast with a prepared breakfast and enjoy it right on the desert sand, enjoying the interesting experience of welcoming the first rays of dawn on the endless horizon. After that, you check out and visit Oasis Spring – one of the rare water sources that sustains life in the arid desert.
Then, you travel to Cairo City
Noon: You have lunch at a local restaurant
Afternoon: You continue traveling to Alexandria City (2.5 hours from Cairo) - founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great - the greatest king in ancient world history and the capital of Egypt for 1000 years and during the reign of Queen Cleopatra. This was also once the most developed city in the world and home to the Pharos lighthouse – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Evening: You have dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight at Alexandria Sea hotel or equivalent

Morning: You have breakfast and check out of the hotel. Then you visit the coastal city of Alexandria - likened to the jewel on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt - an ideal destination for Egyptian tourism with many historical imprints of a period of top-tier development!
● Qaitbay Citadel - built by the Muslim Sultan Qaitbay in 1480 in medieval style, located right on the old foundation of the Pharos lighthouse - which was destroyed by an earthquake around 1100.
● Roman Theater - the “specialty” that Roman civilization left for posterity is theater architecture all over the world. With circular stepped architecture, the Roman theater can hold up to several thousand people while still ensuring the audience can fully follow what happens on stage.
Noon: You visit the seafood market and enjoy delicious seafood freshly caught from the Mediterranean Sea.
Afternoon: You visit:
● Library of Alexandria - built in the fourth century BC – the first library in the world and one of the most important repositories of knowledge of the ancient world. It once held about half a million papyrus books, including famous works by Plato, Aristotle, Homer, Herodotus and many other scholars. The Library of Alexandria was once destroyed and has been reconstructed only 200m from the old library; this new structure carries the meaning of a powerful revival as well as the aspiration to restore the golden age of the Library of Alexandria - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
● Abu Al Abbas El Mursi Mosque built in 1775 and restored to completion in 1863, is the largest and most important architectural work of Muslims in Alexandria city.
After that, you are free to enjoy relaxing moments at many beautifully decorated cafes along the Mediterranean coast of Alexandria.
Evening: You return to Cairo, have dinner and check in to rest. You stay overnight at Turquoise hotel or equivalent

Morning: You have breakfast and check out. Then, you take a domestic flight from Cairo - Aswan - the southernmost city of Egypt located in a beautiful oasis in the Nile valleys - famous worldwide for the giant dam blocking the Nile. Aswan is one of the most elegant and beautiful cities among the districts of Egypt. This is also where trading activities between Egypt and African countries take place. Aswan is also the gateway to Sudan, as well as the intersection between camel caravans and water transport. This is also a famous tourist sanctuary in winter
After about 1 hour and 20 minutes, arriving in Aswan city, you visit the High Dam - proof of mankind's power to conquer nature by blocking the fierce waters of the Nile from harming people, and making the Nile serve human interests in return. The construction of this dam also created a miracle when people successfully rescued the Abu Simbel temple complex from flooding by cutting the entire temple into 20 - 30 ton stone blocks, then moving them to another location and reassembling them perfectly as before.
You switch to a canoe to Philae Island - an island located on the artificial lake downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, visiting the Temple of the goddess Isis – one of the most important goddesses in ancient Egyptian mythology.
Noon: You check in and have lunch on a luxurious and modern 5-star cruise on the Nile. Here, you explore a stretch of the length of Egypt and the scenic spots along the Nile on a premium cruise.
Afternoon: You visit and cruise on the Nile by Felucca boat – a light sailboat powered by wind. You circle around Phelatine Island, Kitchener Island and admire the rich vegetation on the islands; watch the sunset slowly descend over the west bank of the Nile – the sacred mother river of the Egyptians. You can visit Nubian village – an ethnic group dating back to ancient Egypt with a hobby of raising baby crocodiles in the house (at your own expense)
Evening: You have dinner and stay overnight on the 5-star cruise.

Morning: You have breakfast on the cruise. After that, you are free to relax on the cruise or can choose to visit the Abu Simbel Temples complex (at your own expense). The Abu Simbel Temples are a testament to the brilliant history of ancient Egyptian civilization, as well as a testament to the efforts of modern people when trying to save the temple from flooding during the construction of the High Dam and the Aswan Dam. The Abu Simbel Temples worship Ramses II – the greatest Pharaoh along with his wife Nefertari. This place is also famous for the four statues of the creator god Ptah, the sun god Amun, the protector god Re, and Ramses II himself with unique architecture where on February 20 and October 20 every year, sunlight will start shining from outside the gate extending inside, illuminating three statues in turn except for the statue of Ptah because the Egyptians believe that Ptah is eternally a god of darkness.
After that, you continue to sail to Kom Ombo - built during the Ptolemaic period, starting from 332 BC with the appearance of Alexander the Great in Egypt.
Kom Ombo Temple is unique in that it is actually two temples located side by side. One temple is dedicated to Sobek - the crocodile-headed god, while the other temple is dedicated to Haroeris - the falcon-headed god. The two temples share a common entrance and many similar features, but each temple has its own unique elements.
Evening: Arrive in Edfu, you have dinner and stay overnight in Edfu.

Morning: You have breakfast on the cruise. After that, you visit:
● Horus Temple - the temple of one of the iconic gods in ancient Egyptian mythology - the owner of the "Eye of Horus". Legend has it that Horus is the son of the god Osiris and the goddess Isis, in the battle with his uncle Seth, Horus lost his left eye, when the eye was restored, Horus gave that eye to his father hoping his father could be resurrected. For that reason, the Eye of Horus is also a symbol of royal power, rebirth, and health, and is a favorite symbol for creating small jewelry pieces of the Egyptians.
● Esna Lock - If the Nile River is likened to the lifeblood nourishing all Egyptian life, then Esna is the "valve" regulating this bloodstream. You will witness the wonder of the lock crossing project: Filling water into the "lock" to balance the water level of the river ahead and behind, lifting the boat to pass the lock. At the same time, you can also "interact" and trade with the vendors in this area, see their extremely unique way of selling, how to transfer goods from small boats on the water surface up to the large 5-6 story cruise ship.
Arriving in Luxor, you visit Karnak Temple - the most important temple in the complex of temples and tombs of ancient Egypt. With a history spanning over 30 Pharaoh dynasties and over 1000 years of construction and expansion, Karnak Temple is a convergence of architecture, values, and ideologies of Egyptian civilization. This is also an extremely beautiful "virtual living" photo spot with rows of tall, majestic columns standing one after another, showing the greatness of ancient Egyptian constructions.
Evening: You have dinner and stay overnight on the cruise.

Morning: You have breakfast. After that, you say goodbye to the cruise and visit the West Bank area of the Nile River. Ancient Egyptians always believed that "The West Bank of the Nile is the dwelling place of souls, the East Bank belongs to the living". Therefore, all tomb areas are on the West Bank of the Nile River.
You visit:
● Valley of the Kings - where many great Pharaohs are lying peacefully asleep in the sand. Unlike the Old Kingdom period when high-status individuals were buried in Pyramids, during the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom periods, they chose tombs in the Valley of the Kings or the Valley of the Queens. Here, you will have the opportunity to visit the tombs of ancient Egyptian Kings hidden in the sand for thousands of years, or experience one of the most impressive performances – floating on Hot Air Balloons and viewing the Valley of the Kings from above (at your own expense)
● The two colossal stone statues of Memnon - two large stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt during the XVIII dynasty. For the past 3,400 years (since 1350 BC), the two statues have always been located in the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile River from the modern city of Luxor.
Lunch: You have lunch at a restaurant.
Afternoon: You transfer to Hurghada City (400km) located on the Red Sea coast, famous for its beautiful coral reefs, clear blue water, and diverse marine life. This is an important route for trade and exploration throughout history, connecting different regions of Africa and the Middle East. About 70% of tourists come to Egypt for the Red Sea.
Evening: You have dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight at Bella Vista Beach Resort Hotel or equivalent

Morning: You have breakfast at the hotel. After that, you board a cruise ship and explore the Red Sea - a unique sea connecting the Middle East region and the Suez Canal. You will be mesmerized and captivated by the seemingly unreal beauty of this sea with patches of dark blue water mixed with light blue and turquoise, beautiful as a wonderful painting. There will be stops for you to freely swim, snorkel, and use fins. You can also experience scuba diving to explore soft coral reefs of all colors, schools of fish swimming and circling around (at your own expense)
Lunch: You have lunch on the boat
Afternoon: You return to the coastal city of Hurghada.
Evening: You have dinner and are free to explore Hurghada at night. You stay overnight at Bella Vista Beach Resort Hotel or equivalent

Morning: You have breakfast and check out. Then, you travel back to Cairo Capital (463 km ~ 5h travel)
Noon: Arrive at New Cairo - the new capital area of Egypt, you have lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant.
Afternoon: You are free to shop and visit Khan El Khalili Traditional Market - established in the 14th century, this splendid, colorful market is considered the essence of Cairo capital, attracting many tourists and locals who come here to experience medieval shopping with small, winding lanes…
Then the car and tour guide take you to Cairo Airport, to board the flight back to Vietnam (connecting in Doha).
Group flying to Hanoi:
(You have lunch on the plane)
QR1302 Cairo – Doha 19h50 – 23h10 (flight 3h20m)
QR976 Doha – Hanoi 02h45 – 14h00 (flight 7h15m – Transit time 3h35m)
Group flying to Ho Chi Minh City:
(You have lunch on the plane)
QR1302 Cairo – Doha 19h50 – 23h10 (flight 3h20m)
QR970 Doha – Ho Chi Minh City 01h45 – 13h40 (flight 7h55m – Transit time 2h35m)

Afternoon: The group lands at Noi Bai International Airport / Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
You complete immigration procedures. See you again on the next journeys./.