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Footsteps of Christ

Cairo, Egypt
Not Rated

Duration

9 days

Tour Type

Specific Tour

Group Size

8 people

Languages

English

Overview

The birth of Christ is a story most are familiar with. Yet, for many, the journey taken by the Holy family as they fled the wrath of King Herod is one perhaps a little more steeped in mystery.


We trace the Footsteps of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Joseph in our aptly named tour, visiting incredible sites of historical importance and discovering a side of Egypt many are not even aware exists!

Egypt Deluxe offer a very different insight into this epic odyssey. Your tour is led by one who has insider access and an in-depth understanding of the very history embedded within the country itself: something only a local guide can bring to life. We begin in the enigma that is Cairo, bathing our senses in the side of Egypt that movie directors and authors have loved since time began. Discover the gruesome reality of mummification and begin to get a real sense—not simply of history across the centuries—but that spans thousands upon thousands of years. Suddenly the word “ancient” beings to take on true meaning…

From 7,000 years of time immemorial at the Pyramids of Sakkara, to some of the most important sites in the Coptic Church, we learn not only of Pharaohs and gold-clad queens, but visit caves, monasteries, churches, and locations so achingly holy you’ll be completely enraptured and, perhaps, touched by the divine hand of a higher power older than time itself.

Whatever your religious beliefs, visiting the places where the young Christ caused miracles to occur—such as causing water to well from the ground beneath his feet—is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This luxury upgraded tour ensures a high standard of accommodation throughout, delicious cuisine that showcases the best of Egyptian fare, and a chance to experience Egypt as she’s meant to be appreciated: this genuinely is a trip like no other on Earth.

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HIGHLIGHTS

  • Following the Footsteps of Christ with Egypt Deluxe isn’t simply a tour: this is a complete cultural immersion into what really happened all those years ago. This is only possible thanks to the devotion and knowledge of your tour guide, a local who knows and understands the most intimate secrets of their homeland, and is proud to share with you their passion and history of their incredible country.
  • Be blown away by the secrets of the Egyptian Museum and the hallowed “Royal Mummy Room” where you’ll learn the intricate reasons and skills into the preservation of Pharaohs and Queens who lived thousands of years ago.
  • Tread the very same lands that the infant Jesus and his parents, Joseph and the Virgin Mary, did as they fled King Herod’s panicked slaughter of all baby boys under the age of two years old
  • Visit churches and monasteries built on sites where the Holy family rested on their journey, such as the oldest Coptic church of all, St Sergius and Bacchus, and the holy pilgrimage site of Deir Al Muharraq, where thousands upon thousands take pilgrimage to each year to visit the place where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph rested for their longest stay on their flight from Herod.
  • Take a sunset tour of Egypt’s most iconic site—the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, and spend a day exploring the country’s oldest (and arguably most impressive) pyramid tombs at Sakkara.
  • Dine at some of the country’s most renowned restaurants, experience the herbs and spices that make Egyptian food so delicious and unique, and luxuriate in high-end accommodation each day, ensuring a palatial sleep each and every night—an essential end to each day’s intense explorations.

Itinerary

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DAY 1 - Cairo | Arrival Cairo
DAY 1 - Cairo | Arrival Cairo

Arrive at Cairo International Airport where you’ll be met by your Egypt Deluxe resident tour leader. Enjoy a private, air-conditioned transfer with your group to the luxurious, superbly located Le Meridian Pyramids Hotel & Spa, with rooms that overlook the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing today—The Great Pyramid of Cheops. Enjoy the opportunity to meet and bond with the other members of your group. Steigenberger Pyramids CAIRO

DAY 2 - Cairo | Egyptian Museum - Bab El Fotouh - Khan El Kalili

After an early breakfast we board our transport at 08:00 am to visit what is probably to most fascinating collection of ancient artifacts on the planet—The Egyptian Museum. We savor a late lunch at one of Cairo’s most iconic restaurants, Felfalah, before preparing for a night time tour of this ancient city. Discover the impressive rounded gates of Bab Al Fotouh, where you can read inscriptions carved by the troops of Napoleon, wander the every-changing alleyways of Khan el Khalili, and test your bartering skills in the souks of this bazaar district before shrugging off the chaos of outside for the air conditioned nirvana that is the Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant. Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner.

DAY 3 - Cairo | Memphis - Sakkara - Pyramids

Today is a true combination of exploration and culture. After an early breakfast we hit the road for the easy journey to Memphis. Thousands of years older than its Tennessee namesake, this is home to the second largest sphinx in Egypt and a plethora of towering statues, including that of Rameses II. This UNESCO site will captivate you like no other, not only because of its awe-inspiring history, but the way your guide brings the tales to life. Memphis dates back over 5,200 years, and is the oldest capital city in Egypt. Feast your eyes on amazing antiquities and prized possessions of many pharaohs and kings. From here we head to a sight so many fail to experience, yet is one of the most treasured landmarks in the whole of the country: the Pyramids of Sakkara. This incredible necropolis is home to the oldest of all of the country’s iconic tombs—the Step Pyramid. And at more than 7,000 years old this takes experiencing history to a whole new level! Prepare to gaze in wonder when you enter these sacred tombs, laying a privileged eye upon inscriptions chiseled out by craftsmen not simply of yesteryear, but of an age that we today can only dream of. After a morning that would make the most intrepid of explorer weep with joy, we have a very special treat for lunch: dining at the landmark Cairo restaurant, Abou Shakra. Renowned for the quality of its food, this is the perfect location to wax lyrical about the wonders experienced. As the sun sets we head to what is perhaps the most famous and awe-inspiring location on the planet—the Pyramids of Giza. As our world’s fiery red star sinks below the horizon shadows cast eerie glows on these ancient structures. And as the steely-eyed gaze of The Sphinx slowly fades from view we can only hope, as did the Egyptians who walked the earth many millennia ago, that the sun will once again rise to greet us in the morning. Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel Meals: Breakfast,Lunch.

DAY 4 - Tel Basta | Tel Basta

After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel we hit the road at 08:00 am for our first foray into the very same passage taken by the young boy Christ with his family. We journey 100km north east of Cairo to Tel Basta, formerly known as Babastis. Today the town lies a short distance from Zagazig, the capital in the governorate of Sharqiah. It was here where the young Jesus caused a water spring to gush from the ground for his family to drink from, and we visit the site of this holy well. Prophecies of old foretold that one day a visitor of such hallowed presence would arrive and cause the stone idols that the townsfolk worshipped to crumble. When Jesus arrived this came to pass. Unwilling to accept that a true divine presence had appeared, the citizens of Tel Basta turned against the travelling family, who had to flee from the aggression, heading southwards to safety. There’s much to explore today, so we eat on the run with a delicious packed lunch, before returning to our Cairo hotel in time to freshen up. Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel Meals: Breakfast,Lunch.

DAY 5 - Cairo / Wadi El Natroun | Deir Anba Bishoy - Deir El Baramos

Enjoy an early breakfast before our 08:00 am start towards Wadi El Natroun. The drive isn’t long (about 1 ½ hours), and we soon happen upon this incredible desert depression and it’s four great Coptic monasteries; Deir Anba Bishoy, Deir El Sourian (Virgin Mary), Deir Abu Makaf, and Deir El Baramous. The area is well below sea level, with several alkaline lakes, and rich salt deposits that were mined and used for the mummification process. Your White Pyramid guide will bring the history and legends of the region to glorious life—something that only a true home-grown expert can ever manage. With so much to see we once again appreciate a satisfying packed lunch, before heading, eventually, back to Cairo, the comfort of your hotel and a delicious evening meal. Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel Meals: Breakfast,Lunch.

DAY 6 - Cairo | Coptic Old Cairo Churches

Take advantage of breakfast before heading on a tour of the Old Churches of Cairo. Our first stop is “The Hanging Church”, so nicknamed because of the illusion created by the nave suspended over a passageway, making it look like it’s hanging in mid-air. The official name is The Church of the Virgin Mary, but even its Arabic name of al-Muallaqah translates to “The Suspended”. From one Coptic Church to the next, this time to the oldest of them all, St Sergius and Bacchus, a beautiful building constructed over a cave where Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus took shelter when retreating from the horror that was King Herod’s massacre of first-born sons. The Church of St George is well worth a little of our time, and was mentioned in the History of the Patriarchs of the Coptic Church and by Al-Maqrizi, as is the fascinating Coptic Museum that houses the largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world. We then board out comfortable transport for the short journey to Maadi, a beautiful town just south of Cairo where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus paused as they fled from Herod. Here we explore the Deir Virgin Mary, a church built on the site of an ancient synagogue, with a captivating display of relics on display in the nave. We take lunch floating on the swirling waters of the Nile River, aboard the delightful Andrea Boat Restaurant. Refreshed we head to the town of Mostorod—known in the days of Christ as Al Mahamma (the bathing place) because it was here that the Virgin Mary bathed the infant Jesus and washed his clothes. We have time to visit the Church in her name before heading back to Cairo and contemplate the wonders we’ve experienced today. Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel Meals: Breakfast,Lunch.

DAY 7 - Cairo / Manyia | Manyia

Our biblical journey continues after breakfast as we drive the 6 ½ hours to Manyia, home of the impressive White Monastery. Built in 442 AD, it’s so named after the white color of its limestone walls. It’s one of the oldest Coptic buildings in the whole of Egypt and was constructed on the ruins of a Pharaonic city. The importance of this cultural architecture is wholly evident, and The Supreme Council of Antiquities has invested heavily into the restoration of this beautiful building. We take a picnic lunch on the move today, and then head to the Monastery of the Holy Virgin at Al Quisiy for more exploration, before heading to our hotel for the night, the delightful MG Nefertiti. With views of the mighty Nile and a backdrop of towering cliffs on the western bank, our accommodation provides a luxury location to relax, and reflect on the incredible journey we’ve taken so far. MG Nerfertiti Hotel Meals: Breakfast,Lunch.

DAY 8 - Manyia / Asyut / Cairo | Asyut

We rise early for breakfast before boarding our transport for the 2 hours drive to Asyut. The city has changed names many times over the years, previously being known as Lycopolis and also as Swaty, and was the ancient capital of the 13th Nome of Upper Egypt. This is a very different side of the country to the one most tourists ever get to see. This is important location as we follow the journey of the young Christ, as it was the place where Joseph was told in a dream that it was time to return to Palestine. Once again the services of your Egypt Deluxe guide brings to life this ancient narrative, breathing realism into the tales inscribed and chronicled in Coptic history. Indeed, it was here that many of the vital accounts were faithfully penned by the monks that lived here. We visit the holy Deir Al Muharraq, a monastery where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus hid out in a cave for 6 months and 10 days on their flight from King Herod, their longest resting place in Egypt. There’s much to explore at this fascinating site, the location of an annual pilgrimage for thousands of people each year during the third week of June. The Monastery of The Holy Virgin Mary in Doronka is our next stop, located on the site of the cave believed to be the last destination within Egypt in which the Holy family rested on their journey. We enjoy a leisurely packed lunch before perhaps a well-earned snooze on the four-hour journey back to Cairo. Our hotel for the night is the luxurious Hilton Heliopolis a lively affair as we share memories and experiences with our friends we’ve made on this epic tour. Hilton Heliopolis Hotel Meals: Breakfast,Lunch.

DAY 9 - Cairo | Final Departure

Enjoy a final breakfast with your group before boarding your transfer to Cairo International Airport. Here you can relax in the airport lounge before catching your international flight home. Hilton Heliopolis Hotel Meals: Breakfast.

Included/Excluded

  • 6 nights at Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel based on Premium Pyramids View.
  • 1 night at MG Nefertiti Hotel.
  • 1 night at Hilton Heliopolis based on Guest room with Pool View.
  • All tours as listed in the itinerary.
  • All transfers as listed in the itinerary.
  • All meals as listed in the itinerary.
  • - Egypt entry visa expenses.
  • - Domestic flights.
  • - Tips.
  • - Drinks or any personal expenses.
  • - Any item not mentioned in the included items.

Durations

9 days

Tour's Location

Cairo, Egypt
from $2,340.00

Accommodations

  • STEIGENBERGER PYRAMIDS CAIRO

    Bringing glamorous ancient history to your doorstep

    Amidst the Great Pyramids of Giza, historical landmarks and the Sphinx Airport, nestles the newly launched STEIGENBERGER Pyramids Cairo hotel with its luxury hotel rooms.  Explore the exceptional journey through history where Egyptian heritage meets luxurious European hospitality. The hotel is located just across the New Egyptian Grand Museum and is only 25km away from downtown Cairo. It is the idyllic hideaway for sightseeing and relaxation.

  • MG Nerfertiti Hotel

    Offering a swimming pool and free WiFi, MG Nefertiti Hotel is located in Minya. The property features a lush landscaped garden and rooms with a scenic view of the Nile.
    The spacious rooms are air- conditioned and feature satellite TV, seating area and minibar. They also include a desk. All have a balcony and all are filled with natural sunny light.

  • Hilton Heliopolis Hotel

    Hilton Cairo Heliopolis Hotel features a Casino, 3 tennis courts, and a hot tub. It has 3 swimming pools surrounded by a landscaped garden. WiFi is available in all rooms with charge and free in the Lobby and Restaurant
    All rooms feature touches of Egyptian heritage in their decor. Each air-conditioned rooms has flat-screen TV, a minibar and a work desk. Some rooms have panoramic pool views.

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