Giza Pyramids, Saqqara, and Memphis
- Meet your tour guide at your hotel in Aswan and transfer to Aswan Airport to catch your flight to Cairo.
- Have breakfast and head to the Giza Plateau to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) and the 3 small pyramids. You will continue to explore the rest of the Giza Plateau, including the sight of Khafre's (Kaphren) Pyramid - Khufu's son and the second-largest pyramid on the Giza site - the remains of the funerary temple, the Pyramid of Mankawra (Mykerinus), and 3 small pyramids.
- Proceed to visit the Great Sphinx, the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body, which dates from the time of Chephren.
- Visit the Valley Temple, which belongs to the pyramids of Chephren. This temple definitely served two functions: first, it was used for the purification of the mummy of the king before burial; second, it was used for the mummification process of the king. After visiting the pyramids, continue across the plateau for a photo of the three pyramids rising from the sands, with the Cairo skyline in the background. Have lunch at a local restaurant.
- Move on to visit the Step Pyramid of Zoser, the world's oldest major stone structure. It was built in the 3rd Dynasty, around 2630 BC, for King Djoser. Also see the Museum of Imhotep, a high official's tomb, King Titi's Pyramid, King Unas's Pyramid, and the Pyramids of Dahshur from a distance.
- Transfer to Memphis, founded by King Menes. It was the capital of Old Egypt during the Old Kingdom and was considered a center of rule and culture for over 3,000 years, as the first capital of Egypt. The city reached a peak of prestige under the 6th Dynasty as a center for the worship of Ptah, the god of creation and artworks. The Alabaster Sphinx that guards the Temple of Ptah memorializes the city's former power and prestige. The Memphis triad, consisting of the creator god Ptah, his consort Sekhmet, and their son Nefertem, formed the main focus of worship in the city. Memphis declined briefly after the 18th Dynasty with the rise of Thebes and the New Kingdom, and was revived under the Persians before falling firmly into second place following the foundation of Alexandria. Also see the Statue of Ramses II, which stands 16 meters high.
- Head back to the hotel.
Overnight in Cairo.
(Meals: breakfast, lunch)