2-Day Cairo and Luxor Tour from Ain Sokhna with Flights and Temples

• Meet your representative at the port upon your cruise ship's arrival by the exit door, holding a sign with your name. Enjoy a private shore excursion from Ain Sokhna Port to Cairo, approximately 1 hour away by air-conditioned vehicle, with one stop in the middle of the journey in case you need a rest.
• Then, drive to enjoy an excursion to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), along with the 3 small pyramids.
• Continue exploring 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 - as well as the remains of the funerary temple, the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mykerinus), and 3 small pyramids.
• Further, proceed to visit the Great Sphinx, the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body, which dates from the time of Chephren. The tour also includes a visit to 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 carrying out the mummification process of the king.
• After visiting the pyramids, continue across the plateau for a photo opportunity of the three pyramids rising from the sands, with the Cairo skyline in the background.
• Proceed to have your lunch at a local restaurant.
• Next, head to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo. It is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities and dates back some 5,000 years of art, considered the largest and most precious collection of Egyptian art in the world. Over 250,000 genuine artifacts are presented, with a representative amount on display and the remainder in storerooms. The Egyptian Museum is filled with thousands of Pharaonic artifacts, including the golden treasures of King Tutankhamen. Fascinating objects such as jewels, headdresses, alabaster vases, and toys from ancient Egypt are on display, and many priceless statues and other artifacts can also be seen that were enclosed in his tomb for over 3,500 years before it was discovered in the 1920s when his tomb was excavated. The Egyptian Museum is one of the first stops on most people's itineraries when travelling to Egypt. This distinctive museum, which houses a vast store of priceless objects from earlier times to the Greco-Roman period, is well worth seeing.
• Go to Old Cairo to visit fascinating built wonders such as the Hanging Church, which was built in the 3rd and beginning of the 4th century, also in the Basilica style, as well as the Abu Sirga Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue, which dates back to the beginning of the 15th century AD. It was built in the Basilica style above the cave in which the Holy Family took refuge. End your tour in Cairo with a visit to Amr Ibn El-Aas Mosque, the very first mosque built in Egypt.
• Later, transfer to Cairo Domestic Airport to fly back to Luxor, where you will be met by a company representative and transferred by private air-conditioned van to your hotel in Luxor.

Overnight in Luxor
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Your tour representative will pick you up from your hotel in Luxor. Start your visit on the West Bank, where you can see the Valley of the Kings, which was created and used from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC. It contains some 60 tombs, starting with Thutmose I and ending with Ramses X or XI. The official name of the site was The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in The West of Thebes, or more usually, the Great Field. The most famous tomb is KV62, the Tomb of King Tutankhamun. The discovery of King Tut's tomb was made by Howard Carter in 1922, and Tutankhamun's tomb was the first royal tomb to be discovered that was still largely intact.
• Then, continue the tour to the Hatshepsut Temple at El Deir El Bahary. This impressive temple was dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. It rises out of the desert in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it.
• Proceed to the two colossal statues of Amenhotep III. The Colossi of Memnon are the two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For 3,400 years, they have sat in the Theban necropolis, across the River Nile from the city of Luxor. The original function of the Colossi was to stand guard at the entrance to Amenhotep's memorial temple, or mortuary temple.
  Move to the East Bank to explore Karnak Temple, the largest place of worship ever built. In ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten, it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two-thirds of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, evidenced by the stupendous buildings at Karnak. Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. The Temple of Karnak is actually three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometres north of Luxor, Egypt, situated on 100 ha (247 acres) of land. Karnak is actually the site's modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning 'The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places'.
• Next, head to Luxor Temple. It was built by Amenhotep III in the 18th Dynasty in the New Kingdom, and it was completed by Ramesses II during the 19th Dynasty. King Ramses II was the most famous king in the 19th Dynasty. He ruled Egypt for about 67 years. It was dedicated to the great god Amun-Ra, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu, together representing the Theban triad.
• Enjoy visiting the Obelisk of Ramses II in front of the 1st Pylon. It was called 'Ipet resyt', which means the Southern Opet or the Place of the Seclusion of Amun-Re. It was directly connected to the Temple of Karnak, the main cult center of Amun-Re or Amun-Min, the sky god or the ithyphallic fertility god. The Temple of Luxor has, since its inception, always been a sacred site.
• After Egypt's pagan period, a Christian church and monastery were located here, and after that, a mosque (the 13th-century Mosque of Abu el-Haggag) was built that continues to be used today. You will then be transferred to Luxor Domestic Airport and back to Cairo.
• Finally, you will be escorted by your guide back to your cruise ship in Ain Sokhna Port.

NB: Departure time from Cairo depends on the departure time of your ship at Ain Sokhna Port.