Emily Johnson
Sept. 10, 2024, 3:58 a.m.This 4-day trip was truly unforgettable! Alexandria's historic sites were fascinating, and the overnight stay there was perfect. Siwa oasis was a paradise. Highly recommended for those looking to explore Egypt beyond Cairo!
1) Day 1-Cairo-Alexandria
Start your private tour to Alexandria from Cairo , starts at 7:00 am with Pickup from your hotel by our Egyptologist, and transfer by Private A/C Vehicle to Alexandria , The distance is 220 k/m Northwest of Cairo . Arrive at Alexandria around 10 am Start your day Tour in Alexandria Visiting The Roman Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa The Catacombs Kom el Shoqafa : Archaeologists believe that the Catacomb of Kom el Shoqafa was started in the 2nd century A.D. and was used to intern the dead for the next 200 years. This was a period in the history of the city of Alexandria when there was a great mixture of different cultures. Of course, there was the ancient history of the great Egyptian kingdoms which went back thousands of years Pompey Pillar: Has nothing to do with Pompey. The story behind the name refers to the possible burial ground of the Roman general when he fled to Egypt and was assassinated after losing a major battle in Greece against Caesar. The red granite column was probably built to honor Emperor Diocletian. Today it stands 25 meters high and is the tallest ancient monument in Alexandria The Citadel of Sultan Qeitbay: The Citadel was built in the 15th Century by the Mamlouk Sultan Qeitbay, To Guard the City against the threat of Crusaders, This wonderful Islamic Monument was built by the use of the ruins of the old Lighthouse that was constructed by Ptolemy 11 in 3rd Century B.c. The Lighthouse was damaged during an Earthquake that Occurred in Egypt in 1303 A.c during the reign of the Mamlouk King Qeitbay
Lunch in Alexandria in Egyptian Restaurant The new Library of Alexandria : The Library of Alexandria was reborn in October 2002 to reclaim the mantle of its ancient namesake. It is not just an extraordinarily beautiful building; it is also a vast complex where the arts, history, philosophy, and science come together. Moreover, the myriad activities it offers have made it a place for open discussion, dialogue, and understanding. Al Montazh Palace : The Montaza Palace gardens are located at the eastern edge of Alexandria on the north coast of Egypt. The complex, which is around 360 acres in size, is a beautiful property that overlooks Al Montaza Gulf. The complex also contains five beaches for swimming: Aida, Cleopatra, Vanessa, Semiramis, and the private beach of Helnan Palestine Hotel. There are all sorts of fun to be had in Montaza. At the end of your tour check into your hotel in Alexandria , Overnight in Alexandria
2) Day 2- Alexandria- El Alamein
Pick up time from your hotel in Alexandria at 07:00 and drive to El Alamein From Alexandria . To: Alexandria , Egypt. Driving distance: 1 m. Duration: 1 min. El Alamein Controlled the north African coast which opens the way to the whole Egypt and the trade routes to the Far East via the red sea and the Indian Ocean. During the second world war, the Axis powers wanted to dominate Egypt in order to close Britain`s sea routes to its colonial empire, which the British desperate to protect. starting in 1940 with the Italian invasion to Egypt via Libya, The coastal town of Al Diffa was the scene of the ongoing battle. El Alamein Museum The small El Alamein museum, about 1 mile west of the British memorial, is located on the north side of the road, for anyone interested in the war Memorabilia. it is worth a stop. Created in 1965 from debris found on the battlefield, It contains uniforms, Weapons, Flags and other war Paraphernalia. Displays include Photographs and the battle sites El Alamein War Cemetery It was designed by Sir Herbert Worthington and is maintained by the British war graves commission in Cairo , Here 7,367 men from Britain, Newzealand, Australia, South Africa, Greece, France, India and Malaysia are buried in individual graves, while 11,945 men, whose bodies were never found, are honoured in the cloister that precedes the graveyard Beyond the cloister is the Individual graves, each, topped with white Marker, Approximately 815 soldiers were identified and their names are inscribed over the graves The German war Memorial Thee kilometres, west of the Italian marker, the German war memorial is a single octagonal building erected in 1959, overlooks the sea, Patterned after the castle del Monte. the memorial contains the bodies of 4280 German soldiers, at the Entrance, it stands an impressive golden mosaic, to the right of the entrance is a small chapel where families and friends honour the dead with wreaths, Photographs and memorial ribbons. The Italian Memorial The Elegant white marble Italian Memorial, the largest structure at El Alamein .stands 5 kilometres beyond the German Memorial, it was designed by Paolo Caccia dominoni who served at El-Alamein and also wrote a book about it In the Entrance, there is a small museum and in the chapel is inscribed ( To 4800 Italian soldiers, sailors and airmen, the desert and the sea did not give back 38,000 who are missing) The main memorial overlooks the sea at the top Then drive to Siwa from El Alamein Enjoy the sunset at Fatnas Lake
Fatnas is a Small island in Birket Siwa, you can reach it by walk or by bike, It is a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the sunset, You will get a spectacular view of the lake with Gebel Bayda and Hamra forming the backdrop to the west, A walk in the Garden show a variety of trees including Banana, dates and olive. Dinner will be served in the hotel.
3) Day 3- Siwa adventure and Safari camping
Breakfast at the hotel. Pick up at 07:00 am from the hotel. You will visit today's Siwa attractions, we will start with Alexander the Great Temple is also known as the Temple of the Oracle. It is believed that Alexander the Great wished to consult the Siwan oracle to seek confirmation that he was the son of Zeus. The Greek god of gods, when he and his entourage arrived at Siwa oasis after a long trip through the desert.
Then drive to the salty lake. The salty water takes you above, You don't need to be a good swimmer. Take care when you swim and don't let the water reach your eyes. as it is really painful. Choose the crystal lake and they are many of them. But keep looking for the purest one, when you see the bottom. Take a bottle of Mineral water to shower with after swimming in the lake, The salt lakes have similar hyper-salinity properties to those of Jordan’s Dead Sea. This also means that the lakes hold great healing properties, much stronger than regular seawater. In all cases, they make for a wonderful swim!
at 11:00 Then proceed to (Cleopatra's bath )The spring of the sun. It has been mentioned by travelers to Siwa, The legend maintains that Cleopatra swam here,
Then Proceed to the temple of Umm Ubaydah or Amun temple, Just 200 m further from the Temple of the Oracle, the temple was erected by the pharaoh Nectanebo of the 30th Dynasty,
This structure is almost completely destroyed, owing to its dynamiting in 1896 by an Ottoman governor eager to acquire building material. An inscribed wall represents all that remains to be seen. Based on earlier drawings by pioneer explorers, however, scholars have deduced that the temple was erected by the pharaoh Nectanebo of the 30th Dynasty.
12:00( Taste the Siwan lunch ) in a Siwan restaurant at Abdo restaurant.
Then you will adventure the desert by discovering the Great Sand Sea. by Jeep 4x4, Visit the hot and Cold spring Bir Waheed Later, we enjoy some traditional Bedouin Tea by sunset& Overnight in desert Camp and Enjoy Bbq Dinner. If you need to Sleep in a Hotel instead of the camp, This is also available. we have nice Ecolodges in Siwa
4) Day 4- Siwa- Cairo
Siwa, Marsa Matrouh, Cairo
Breakfast at the Camp at 07:00 then drive back to Siwa oasis , Visit Shali Fort which is Built on a hill inside a Protective wall originally breached by a single gate, the maze of mud-brick buildings that Comprises the Fortress served the people of the oasis for nearly 8 centuries. The inhabitants had to live in the narrow quarters, sharing their animals, which were herded into the fortress each evening. The huge chunks of salt so prevalent in Siwa oasis were used in the constructions of the fortress, as they helped to strengthen the wall, Rain has unfortunately proved to be more destructive to the fortress than any human invaders
Then proceed to the Mountain of the Dead is a conical mountain a little over a kilometer to the north of Shali. Tombs from the twenty-sixth Dynasty, Ptolemaic, and the Roman periods are cut into the side of the mountain, There are four tombs worth seeing at Gebel Al – Mawta.
Then drive to Cairo , passing by Marsa Matrouh for lunch passing Discover Marsa Matrouh, Egypt’s Mediterranean shore. With sandy white beaches and crystal clear waters, many believe that Cleopatra herself bathed in the tranquil waters of Marsa Matrouh. drive back to Cairo Arrival in Cairo at 20:00