Chrismar Travel

Arrive at Cairo International Airport in the Egyptian capital, with a private transfer to your hotel.
Check in.
Overnight in Cairo.

Follow the evolution of pyramid-building, starting with a tour of Sakkara, the former burial place for the royals of Memphis.
Sakkara’s pyramids feature six steps – unlike the smooth-sided ones at Giza – representing a stepladder to heaven. View the famed tomb of King Zoser; the first pyramid ever built and the world’s oldest freestanding stone structure.
At Giza, marvel at the Great Pyramid - built over 4,500 years ago and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.
Nearby crouches the mysterious Sphinx, with a lion’s body and a man’s head adorned with royal headwear.

Explore the fantastic National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) today, located on the archaeological site of El-Fustat in Old Cairo, overlooking the Ain El-Seera Lake. Trace the progress of the Egyptian people from the Dawn of Civilization through to more contemporary times.
This afternoon, visit the richly decorated Mosque of Sultan Hassan, one of the finest in Egypt, before entering the intoxicating Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th century and now a big number of stores selling many things.

With your own Egyptologist, go through the outstanding Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which houses over 120,000 priceless artefacts including the elaborate funerary mask of Tutankhamun made from 11 kg of solid gold.

An early flight takes you south to Luxor, to your lovely hotel. Explore the spectacular Valley of the Kings, where royalty buried their dead along with untold riches in secret tombs.
Admire the magnificent, perfectly uniform terraces of the Hatshepsut Temple, which rises out of the shimmering desert against a backdrop of golden limestone cliffs. Dedicated to the cults of Hathor by Ancient Egypt’s only female pharaoh, this important site was subsequently vandalized by her jealous stepson and successor Tuthmosis III.

Today, visit the impressive Temple of Luxor, once linked to the Karnak by the grand Avenue of Sphinxes which ran in a straight line for almost 3 kilometers.
Later, gain a fascinating insight into the process of post-mortem preservation at the unique Mummification Museum, where you are shown drawings and the accessories used in the embalming process.
After dark, witness an atmospheric sound-and-light show at the Temple of Karnak, narrated by pharaohs of an earlier age.

An air-conditioned vehicle takes you from Luxor to Aswan, where your hotel awaits.
This evening visit the vibrant Aswan Spice Market, featuring an eclectic mix of merchandise from colorful and fragrant spices piled high, to souvenirs produced by local artisans including perfumes, scarves and baskets.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how monuments were built in Ancient Egypt at Aswan’s Northern Quarry, which contains a 2.3 million-pound unfinished red granite obelisk.
Next stop: the stunning Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis and meticulously rebuilt by UNESCO on Agilkia Island in the 1960s when major floods precipitated by the construction of the Aswan High Dam threatened to destroy it.
Cap off the day with a relaxing scenic cruise aboard a felucca, a traditional sailboat that uses nothing more than southerly breezes to take its occupants upstream. Skirt Elephantine Island, dotted with traditional Nubian homes and crumbling ruins, and admire the lush botanical gardens of Kitchener’s Island, planted by a former British Consul General with a passion for flowers.

Transfer to Aswan Airport this morning and take a short flight to one of Egypt’s most awe-inspiring sights – the colossal temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari at Abu Simbel. Built by Ramses the Great on the edge of his empire to impress his might and power upon all those entering Egypt through the south, these massive temples were moved stone by stone in 1964 to higher ground to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
Following your visit return to Aswan and your hotel

Fly to Sharm El Sheikh for some rest and relaxation at a premium resort located on Egypt’s idyllic Red Sea coast.

Spend two whole days getting acquainted with the fine facilities of this fabulous coastal resort.
Should you be tempted to leave, there are plentiful things to see (at additional cost) and do within easy reach including ‘SS Thistlegorm’, one of the finest shipwrecks to dive, and the revered Saint Catherine Monastery, built where God is said to have appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush.
Other recommended activities include a Bedouin-style feast with belly dancing and fire displays and exploring the desert by quad bike or camel.

Spend two whole days getting acquainted with the fine facilities of this fabulous coastal resort.
Should you be tempted to leave, there are plentiful things to see (at additional cost) and do within easy reach including ‘SS Thistlegorm’, one of the finest shipwrecks to dive, and the revered Saint Catherine Monastery, built where God is said to have appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush.
Other recommended activities include a Bedouin-style feast with belly dancing and fire displays and exploring the desert by quad bike or camel.

Classical & South Sinai