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Escape the crowded cruise line tours on this excellent, professionally guided excursion to the highlights of incredible Cairo, Egypt. Your tour departs the pier for the approximate three-hour drive through the flat desert landscape to Africa's largest city: Cairo. Upon reaching the outskirts of Cairo, you will proceed to the Giza Plateau to discover the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza. It is here that three pharaohs - Cheops, his son Chephren and grandson Mykerinus - erected grand tombs to protect their mummified remains in the afterlife. Free time will be taken for photos and for those wishing to walk closer to the pyramids. You will then drive to the high western plateau for panoramic views and photo opportunities of the valley and all the pyramids below.
Next, travel to the guardian of the mortuary complex, the mysterious Sphinx. Carved out of a solid natural rock around 2650 B.C., the Sphinx has the head of a man and the body of a lion, and stretches out to a length of 240 feet. You will have approximately 30 minutes of free time for photos and to explore. Following your visit, you will have lunch at a nearby hotel. After lunch, a stop will be made at the Papyrus Institute to see demonstrations on how the ancient Egyptians made paper from reeds from the Nile. Spend some free time for souvenir shopping in the adjacent bazaar.
Your last stop on this excursion is the magnificent Egyptian Museum, the most important depository of Egyptian antiquities in the world. The museum is home to over 120,000 items, only a portion of which are on display in its more than 120 rooms. The artifacts date from 2700 B.C. to the 6th century A.D. It includes thousands of statues, jewels and the treasure of the boy king Tutankhamun. Your tour does include a visit to the King Tut gallery, which includes the golden mask and items from the treasury. It does not include a visit to the Royal Mummy room. Following your tour, you will begin the return drive to Alexandria.
