3-Day Private Guided Highlights Tour: Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria

Get to the heart of Cairo and discover Alexandria too on this 3-day private tour, led by an Egyptologist guide. On the first day, visit the Giza Plateau, home to the UNESCO-listed pyramids, Valley Temple, and Sphinx, explore the open-air museum at Memphis, and discover the tombs and pyramids of the necropolis at Saqqara. Day two begins at the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, before you stroll through the streets of Old Cairo, visiting the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, and Roman-era Babylon Fortress. After lunch, head to the medieval Citadel of Saladin, marvel at the Alabaster Mosque, and delve into the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. On the third day, you'll drive to Alexandria: descend into Roman catacombs, see Pompey's Pillar, the Temple of Serapis, and the Citadel of Qaitbay, and admire the spectacular new library of Alexandria, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The tour is by private, air-conditioned vehicle and includes lunch and entrance fees.

Day 1: Cairo, Sakkara and Memphis (L)
After morning pickup from your Cairo hotel, travel with your private guide to the Giza Plateau, home to the UNESCO-listed pyramids. Behold the Great Pyramid of Cheops, and the two pyramids of Chephren and Mycerinus as you learn how they were built between 2500 and 2400 BC. 

Enjoy panoramic views from a viewpoint higher up the plateau, and take a short camel ride. Then, travel back down to admire the Great Sphinx and Valley Temple, a ruined complex believed to have been used for mummification.

After lunch at a local restaurant, travel south to Memphis, ancient Egypt’s first capital. Explore the open-air museum and see its two showpieces: the giant, fallen statue of Ramses II and huge Alabaster Sphinx.

Finally, continue to the ancient necropolis of Sakkara. View the Step Pyramid of Djozer, the world’s oldest stone structure; and visit the nearby tomb of Kagemni, an Egyptian noble, dating from around 2300 BC.

Afterward, return to Cairo for a hotel drop-off.

Day 2: Cairo (L)
Start with a hotel pickup and spend the morning at the spectacular Egyptian Museum, home to the world’s biggest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. View the highlights of the collections, including the glittering treasures of Tutankhamun, animal mummy room and statues of the heretic king, Akhanaten. If you wish, pay a visit to the Royal Mummy Room to see its stunning mummified pharaohs, including Ramses II.

Next, enjoy a tour of Old Cairo, seeing the famous Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, and remnants of the Roman fortress of Babylon.

Then, following lunch, head to the hilltop 12th-century Citadel of Saladin, and take in the beautiful Mohammed Ali Pasha Mosque whose dome and minarets dominate Cairo’s skyline.

Lastly, delve into the chaotic Khan El-Khalili, the city’s oldest bazaar. Haggle for souvenirs at the colorful stalls before a drop-off back at your hotel.

Day 3: Alexandria (L)
Following hotel pickup, soak up views of the Nile delta as you travel north to Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city. Sitting on the Mediterranean coast, this vibrant city was founded in 312 BC by Alexander the Great and is famous for its Greco-Roman relics.

After roughly three hours on the road, arrive and enjoy a guided tour of the top sights. Descend into the Roman catacombs of Kom el Shoqaffa, and see fascinating attractions such as Pompey’s Pillar, the ruined Temple of Serapis, and Fort Qaitbay, built on the site of Alexandria’s famous ancient lighthouse.

Break for an included seafood lunch, and then visit the spectacular modern city library, a sun-shaped building that commemorates the fabled Library of Alexandria, once the largest in the ancient world.

Afterward, return to Cairo where your three days of sightseeing concludes with a hotel drop-off.

Please note: hotel accommodations on this tour are not included.