CAIRO
ST. CATHERINE
MOUNT SINAI
SHARM EL SHEIKH

Welcome to Egypt 🇪🇬 ☀️

Overview
Your journey begins in Cairo — the political, intellectual, and symbolic heart of Egypt for more than a thousand years. This arrival day is intentionally unhurried, allowing space to settle into the country while receiving a clear historical orientation that frames everything to come.

Itinerary

Private Transfer to Hotel
You are welcomed on arrival at Cairo International Airport and transferred privately to your 5-star hotel.

Hotel Check-in & Orientation
After reaching your hotel, your tour manager assists with check-in and walks you through the itinerary, confirming pickup times and logistics for the days ahead.

Meals: —
Overnight: Cairo

Visits: —

Overview
A full day devoted to Egypt’s earliest monumental landscapes — the desert plateau of Giza, where the pyramids and Sphinx define the age of the pharaohs, and Saqqara, where Egypt’s first experiments in stone architecture reshaped the history of royal burial. The day moves between scale and origin: standing before the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, then tracing the beginnings of pyramid construction at Djoser’s Step Pyramid. It combines the most iconic symbols of ancient Egypt with the deeper architectural and ideological roots that made them possible.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup – From Your Hotel
Begin the day with pickup from your hotel, where your guide and driver meet you for departure toward Egypt’s earliest pyramid landscapes.

Pyramids of the Giza Plateau
Visit the Great Pyramid of Khufu together with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, exploring the architectural precision, symbolism, and desert setting that shaped the foundations of Old Kingdom kingship.

Panoramic Views and Photo Stops
Enjoy key viewpoints over the plateau where all three pyramids align against the desert horizon.

Valley Temple and Great Sphinx
Visit the Valley Temple of Khafre, built from massive limestone blocks and used for royal ritual. Stand before the Great Sphinx, carved directly from the natural bedrock and guarding the entrance to the plateau.

Saqqara Necropolis
Continue to Saqqara—Egypt’s oldest royal burial ground. This vast desert plateau holds tombs, mastabas, and monuments spanning thousands of years, offering a clear view of how ancient funerary traditions evolved long before the Giza pyramids were built.

The Step Pyramid of King Djoser
Enter the Egypt’s first monumental stone structure and the earliest pyramid in history. Designed by the architect Imhotep, it marks the beginning of Egypt’s pyramid age and represents one of the most influential innovations in ancient architecture.

Return to Hotel
Settle into your private transfer back to your hotel in Cairo for a relaxed evening at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Cairo

Visits:
• Giza Pyramids
• Great Sphinx
• Valley Temple
• Saqqara Necropolis
• Step Pyramid of Djoser

Overview
Immerse yourself in Cairo’s cultural and architectural heritage through three of its most defining landmarks: the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, and the historic quarters surrounding Khan el-Khalili. The day balances depth and atmosphere — from viewing Egypt’s most significant archaeological collections, to standing within the city’s great medieval fortress, to walking through the narrow lanes of Islamic Cairo where centuries of craftsmanship, trade, and daily life are still visible.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup – From Your Hotel
Begin the day with pickup from your hotel, where your guide and driver meet you for departure toward Cairo’s cultural and historic core.

Grand Egyptian Museum
Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to an unparalleled collection of artifacts, including the complete treasures of Tutankhamun, monumental statues, and masterpieces spanning pharaonic history.

Citadel of Saladin
Enter Cairo’s great medieval fortress, founded in the 12th century by Salah al-Din (Saladin) — one of the most influential military and political figures of the Middle Ages. From this commanding position atop Mokattam Hill, Saladin reshaped Cairo’s defenses, establishing a fortified seat of power whose walls, gates, and terraces still define the skyline. Within this enclosure, dynasties that followed added their own mosques, palaces, and ceremonial spaces, creating a layered architectural record that spans the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Muhammad Ali eras.

Muhammad Ali Mosque
Built between 1830 and 1848 under Muhammad Ali Pasha, this landmark adopts Ottoman-inspired design while representing Egypt’s own 19th-century ambition. Its alabaster interiors, high domes, and expansive terrace form one of the city’s most recognizable silhouettes, offering wide views across Cairo.

Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad
Completed in 1318, this Mamluk royal mosque functioned as the Citadel’s central congregational mosque, hosting the sultans for the weekly Friday prayer — the most important communal service in Islam. Its green-tiled dome, finely carved stucco, and elegant minarets offer a direct connection to Cairo’s medieval architectural core and the Citadel’s earlier period of dynastic rule.

Khan el-Khalili & Islamic Cairo Atmosphere
Stroll through the vibrant bazaar and the surrounding historic lanes where artisans, cafés, and workshops sit within centuries-old architecture. This area captures the lived texture of Islamic Cairo, full of movement, color, and traditional craftsmanship.

Return to Hotel
Settle into your private transfer back to your hotel in Cairo for a relaxed evening at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Cairo

Visits:
• Grand Egyptian Museum
• Saladin Citadel
• Muhammad Ali Mosque
• Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad
• Khan el-Khalili

Overview
Travel east from Cairo into the landscapes associated with the earliest stages of the Exodus narrative. This day moves from cultivated land into widening desert corridors, visiting spring sites, wilderness plains, and high ridges traditionally linked to the journey toward Sinai. The focus is clarity and context — understanding how geography, terrain, and ancient routes shaped the stories connected to Marah, Elim, the Desert of Sin, and Rephidim — before reaching the highlands surrounding St. Catherine.

Itinerary

Early Morning Pickup – From Your Hotel
Begin the day with early morning pickup from your hotel, departing east toward the desert landscapes associated with the Exodus route.

Marah
Visit the area traditionally associated with Marah, described as the first water stop after crossing into the wilderness. The name refers to water that was considered “bitter,” meaning difficult or unsuitable for drinking. Today, the landscape includes a series of small wells and shallow basins that show how scarce and unreliable water sources could be along early desert routes. Marah gives a factual sense of the challenges travelers faced and why such locations became significant reference points in historical narratives.

Elim
In the biblical account, Elim is described as an oasis with “twelve springs and seventy palm trees,” a phrasing that likely reflected the oasis’ abundance and its suitability as a rest point for traveling groups. Today, the region contains clusters of natural springs, palm groves, and small basins that mirror how an ancient oasis would have supported water collection, shade, and temporary settlement. The phrase is kept not for symbolism, but because it anchors Elim’s historical role as a reliable and welcoming water source along the route.

Desert of Sin
The Desert of Sin refers to a broad wilderness corridor between Elim and the Sinai highlands. It is the setting for the account of manna and quail, and its geography explains that tradition clearly: expansive sand plains, low ridges, and uninterrupted horizons where nomadic groups would have moved slowly between water points. It offers a sense of the scale, exposure, and emptiness that shaped the early journey.

Rephidim
Rephidim is traditionally associated with two key moments: the lack of water and the battle with the Amalekites, during which Moses’ raised hands determined the outcome. The landscape today consists of intersecting wadis, stone terraces, and elevated viewpoints, giving a realistic picture of how groups might have gathered, camped, and defended themselves in these natural formations. It provides one of the clearest geographical contexts for understanding the narrative.

Arrival in St. Catherine
Reach the basin surrounding St. Catherine, where the desert terrain narrows into a sheltered highland area at the foot of the mountains. This shift in landscape prepares the rhythm of the journey for the ascent of Mount Sinai the next morning.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: St. Catherine

Visits:
• Marah
• Elim
• Rephidim
• Desert of Sin

Overview
A day shaped by scale, silence, and sacred history. Before dawn, you ascend Mount Sinai — a summit long associated with revelation and spiritual encounter — reaching the peak as the first light unfolds across the surrounding mountains. After the descent, the focus turns to the monastic world of St. Catherine: an enclosed sanctuary of manuscripts, icons, and ancient traditions preserved for more than 1,500 years. The day concludes with a complete shift in atmosphere as you travel toward the Red Sea, where the quiet desert is replaced by open coastline and a more relaxed rhythm.

Itinerary

Mount Sinai Sunrise Ascent
Begin the climb before dawn, moving through the mountain paths in the cool early hours. Reaching the summit at sunrise offers a clear and unobstructed view of the surrounding ranges — a landscape of granite peaks, deep valleys, and shifting light. The ascent is not rushed; the experience is focused on the calm, the elevation, and the sense of arriving into a space long considered sacred.

St. Catherine Monastery
Enter the fortified enclosure of St. Catherine Monastery, one of the world’s oldest continuously operating Eastern Orthodox monastic communities. Its position at the base of the granite mountains creates an atmosphere that is restrained, quiet, and deeply rooted in history. Inside the walls, chapels, courtyards, gardens, and monastic quarters reflect a religious tradition that has continued uninterrupted for more than fifteen centuries. The architecture is functional rather than decorative, shaped by the needs of isolation, protection, and prayer. Taken together, the landscape and the enclosure form a self-contained world — a place where early Christian practice, survival in the desert, and long-term preservation of sacred knowledge all converged.

The Burning Bush
Visit the site traditionally identified as the Burning Bush — preserved within the monastery walls and considered the spiritual core around which the monastic settlement was founded.

Moses’ Well
Within the monastery grounds lies Moses’ Well, a freshwater source that has supported life in this valley for centuries. Long before the monastery was built, the well enabled early communities and travelers to remain in an otherwise severe desert environment. Its survival into the present—still functioning within the monastery walls—illustrates why this location became a focal point for settlement, worship, and continuity. The well anchors the monastery to a far older history: a reminder that spiritual centers often grew around places that first sustained human life.

Manuscripts & Icon Rooms
Within the monastery’s inner buildings are the manuscript and icon rooms, housing one of the most significant collections of early Christian texts in the world. The holdings reflect the intellectual life of Eastern Christianity — biblical manuscripts, patristic writings, liturgical books, and theological works preserved in Greek, Arabic, Syriac, and other early Christian languages. These spaces illustrate how the monastery functioned not only as a place of devotion, but also as a center of scholarship that safeguarded Christian learning for more than fifteen centuries.

Drive to Sharm El Sheikh
Travel south across the Sinai Peninsula toward the Red Sea. The terrain gradually shifts from high mountains to open desert corridors and finally to the coastline. Upon arrival in Sharm El Sheikh, check in at your resort for an evening of rest.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Sharm El Sheikh

Visits:
• Mount Sinai
• St. Catherine Monastery
• The Burning Bush
• Moses’ Well

Overview
A full day designed for rest. The Red Sea offers calm water, warm air, and space to slow down after the Sinai journey. Whether you choose to stay by the sea or join an optional marine excursion, the pace is intentionally light.

Itinerary

Leisure Time in Sharm El Sheikh
Spend the day as you prefer — swimming, reading, enjoying the coastline, or simply allowing the body and mind to settle after days of travel and exploration. Resorts in Sharm offer quiet corners, shaded terraces, and easy access to the water.

Optional Experience: Ras Mohammed National Park
For those who wish to explore, Ras Mohammed offers one of the most striking marine environments in Egypt. Coral shelves, lagoons, and clear turquoise water make it ideal for snorkeling. The experience is accessible, visually rich, and suitable even for those with no prior snorkeling experience.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Sharm El Sheikh

Visits:
• Optional: Ras Mohammed National Park

Overview
Return to Cairo for a final evening in the capital. After days shaped by movement, landscapes, and layered histories, this day shifts intentionally into a lighter rhythm. The transition from the Red Sea to the city gives space to decompress, restore your pace, and process the breadth of the journey so far. The evening in Cairo is open by design — a quiet pause before departure, with room to rest or enjoy the city in a way that feels natural and unhurried.

Itinerary

Morning at Leisure
Begin the day slowly. Whether by the sea, at the pool, or simply resting, this quiet morning creates a natural pause after the Sinai and Red Sea days.

Drive from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo
The journey follows a well-maintained highway that cuts through the Sinai’s interior. The first stretch passes low granite and sandstone mountains near Sharm El Sheikh, then moves into long, open desert flats with wide horizons. The landscape is quiet and minimal — subdued colors, low ridges, and occasional Bedouin settlements appearing at a distance. As you approach Cairo, the scenery shifts again: desert plains give way to outer districts, cultivated land near the Nile Valley, and finally the structured density of the capital.

Arrival in Cairo
Upon reaching the capital, settle into your hotel for a relaxed evening. The time is yours — whether to rest, enjoy dinner, or simply let the experiences of the oasis and desert settle in.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Cairo

Visits: —

Overview
Your last morning in Egypt is kept calm and unhurried. After days of exploring this country — its history, landscapes, food, people, and the rhythm that connects ancient tradition with modern life — this is the moment to simply take in what the journey has meant. The departure is structured to give you space to reflect, settle, and carry the experience with you as you leave.

Itinerary

Private Transfer to Cairo International Airport
After breakfast, your driver meets you for your airport transfer. The transition is clear, organized, and smooth — a quiet close to your time in Egypt and a steady beginning to your onward travels.

Meals: Breakfast

Visits: —