Christian Biblical Tours - Egypt Travel Consultant

Egypt is mentioned throughout the Bible with tales of the Great Exodus and the flight of the Holy Family into the land of the Pharaohs. Christianity in the country has a long history, and this tour aims to visit many important ancient Christian sites and locations mentioned in the Bible including some said to have been visited by the Holy Family during their journey through the country! 5 nights Cairo + 2 nights Alexandria + 1 night Ismailia + 1 night Suez + 1 night St. Catherine including transportation, sightseeing and private Egyptologist tour guide.

Day 1 – Arrival day

Welcome to Cairo! Your tour begins when you are greeted by our representative who will assist you through immigration and customs formalities. After you have collected your luggage, he will then take you, in our deluxe vehicle to your hotel for check in & overnight.

Meals: Onboard

Day 2 – Egyptian museum & Coptic quarter

Breakfast at hotel is followed by a visit to the Egyptian Museum: gaze at the wonders of King Tutankhamen; lose yourself in the many rooms and galleries, where thousands of artifacts are awaiting your visit.

ِAfter lunch; We will take you to Cairo famous Churches, including: The Hanging Church and the Church of St. George the Martyr, 2 churches built into the walls of the Fort of Babylon and its remains could be Cairo’s oldest structures; and the Church of Abu Serga (St. Sergius), where, it is said, the Holy Family took shelter in a cave, with the church being erected her to commemorate this. Later on you will visit the Coptic Museum which is home to an excellent collection of Coptic artifacts. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel and overnight.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Day 3 – Cairo / Alexandria (Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Wadi Al Natrun)

Breakfast at hotel and check out, then you will be taken on a tour of the pyramids & sphinx at Giza. The majestic sight of these enormous structures rising out of the desert is a breathtaking spectacle. You have another guided tour around the sphinx and some free time to walk around and take photos.

Following your tour of the Giza plateau you will be heading north towards Alexandria. Along the way we will visit the monasteries around Wadi Natrun and have a picnic lunch. The monasteries around Wadi Natrun were born from Christian hermits who sought to emulate St Anthony by forming these remote communities. The four monasteries were constructed in the 4th century; however each of the monasteries has been totally ruined and reconstructed at least once in its life. Much of what you see today dates to the 18th century. After time at Wadi Natrun our journey continues north to Alexandria where we will spend the evening. After checking into your hotel the remainder of the evening is free for you to get accustomed to your new surroundings.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Day 4 – Day tour Alexandria

After breakfast you will have a full day tour of Alexandria. Your tour of the city includes the Roman Amphitheatre, which has twelve semi-circular marble tiers and is in remarkably good condition, Pompey’s pillar, and the Catacombs of Kom al-Shoqafa, which is the largest Roman cemetery in Alexandria. Dating from the beginning of the Second Century AD this fascinating underground cemetery displays a unique blend of Pharaonic and Roman art.

Later in the afternoon you will enjoy an outer view of Qait-Bay Fort and the famous Library of Alexandria. Lunch will be served during the tour at local fish restaurant, then you will be transferred back to your hotel in Alexandria and overnight.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 5 – Alexandria / Ismailia (Tanis)

Breakfast at hotel and check out, then you will leave Alexandria and follow the Mediterranean coast to Ismailia. Along the way we make a stop along the Nile Delta to visit the town of Tanis. During Biblical times Tanis was known by the name Zoan, as referred to in the Bible. The city was founded late in the 20th dynasty and became the northern capital of Egypt during the 21st dynasty under the rule of Smendes. Tanis then remainder Egypt’s northern capital into the 22nd dynasty. There are many ancient sites at Tanis, including temples and a royal necropolis. In 1939/1940 Pierre Montet discovered the intact burial sites of Psusennes I, Amenemope and Shoshenq II which contained a large amount of Gold, Jewellery, Lapis Lazuli and many other precious items which are now housed in the Cairo Museum. After time in Tanis we continue on to Ismailia where you will overnight.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 6 – Ismailia / St. Catherine

Breakfast and check out then you will cross the Suez Canal and drive into the Sinai Peninsula to St. Catherine’s Monastery. St. Catherine is located at the foot of Mount Sinai, although known as St. Catherine’s, the full official name is ‘The sacred and imperial Monastery of the God-trodden Mount of Sinai’. The Greek Orthodox monastery is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and has been declared the world’s oldest working Christian monastery – although, the Monastery of St Anthony also holds claim to that title. The monastery was built between the years 527 and 565 around the ‘Chapel of the Burning Bush’ which was built at the site where Moses is reported to have seen the burning bush. Check in your basic hotel in St. Catherine and dinner before getting some rest as you have a very early start tomorrow.

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7 – Mount Sinai (Hiking) / Suez

At approximately 0130 you will begin your hike to the summit of Mount Sinai. Bedouin tradition says that Mount Sinai is the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Some Christian traditions however, place this event at the nearby Mount Serbal. A monastery was founded at the foot of Mount Serbal in the 4th century; it was only in the 6th century that the monastery was moved to its current location at the foot of Mount Catherine, and is now known as St Catherine’s Monastery. You should reach the summit of Mount Sinai in plenty of time to watch the spectacular sunrise over the Sinai Mountains. After your descent you will have time for some breakfast before visiting St Catherine’s Monastery, home to an important icon collection. You will also have time for lunch at St Catherine’s before we continue our journey to Suez. After checking into the hotel you will have some free time.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 8 – Suez / Cairo (St. Paul & St. Anthony monasteries)

Breakfast at hotel and check out, then following the Gulf of Suez south to the town of Zafarana. Here you will visit the Monasteries of St. Paul and St. Anthony. The Coptic monastery of St. Paul lies in Egypt’s eastern desert far from any other ancient ruins. St. Paul is said to have been born to rich parents, however by the age of 16 both of his parents had died. Paul gave up his inheritance and gave his life to God, seeking refuge in a cave in the Eastern desert, where he lived until the age of 113. St Paul lived a life of extreme austerity, and is said to have been fed half a loaf of bread each day by a raven. At around 340AD the well-known desert monk St Anthony is said to have visited St Paul just before he passed away. Legend has it that when Paul died, 2 lions dug his grave. St Anthony then buried Paul and designated him a saint. It was above St Paul’s cave that the monastery you see today was built. It dates back to around the 5th Century. The monastery of St Anthony was founded around 356 AD just after the death of St Anthony, on his burial site. Although a Coptic monastery today, throughout its history, the monastery was often multi-faith, home to monks from many different Christian religions. Amazingly the monks who inhabited the monastery today still speak Coptic; a religion directly descending from that of the ancient Egyptians.

Today, St Anthony’s is a self-contained ‘desert village’ with a bakery, a mill, gardens and 5 churches. The best of these churches is that of St Anthony himself. Recently the Egyptian Council of Antiquities and the American Research Centre in Egypt collaborated to restore many of the exceptional wall paintings. Many of these paintings date back as far as the 7th and 8th centuries and depict holy knights in bright colours and the hermit founders of the monastery. After spending time at these historic monasteries, we drive back to Cairo, check in your hotel and overnight.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 9 – Fayoum oasis (bucket-wheels, Karanis Museum & Qarun lake)

After an early breakfast you will head out of Cairo to the Oasis town of Fayoum. Whilst at the Oasis you will see the famous bucket-wheels and will have the chance to visit the Karanis Museum and the remains of the ancient Roman city. You will have lunch beside the banks of Karun Lake before returning to Cairo in the afternoon & overnight.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Day 10 – Cairo (Sakkara & Memphis areas)

Breakfast at hotel is followed by a full day tour. In the morning you will be taken to Sakkara to see the very first pyramid ever built; the Step Pyramid of Djoser. After lunch, you will be heading off to the ancient capital of Egypt: Memphis. The Colossus of Ramses II dominates the museum here; do not forget your camera! At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel and overnight.

Meals: Breakfast & lunch