10-Day Cairo & Alexandria Holiday with Museums
The Citadel, Coptic Cairo, Alexandria, Saqqara and two major museums, mostly as half-day outings. There are no internal flights, and a private Egyptologist joins every sightseeing day.
The short answer
10-Day Cairo & Alexandria Holiday with Museums is a 10-day, 9-night trip to Cairo and Alexandria: 7 nights in Cairo and 2 in Alexandria. It includes an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,248 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Many Egyptian itineraries give Cairo a day or two and hurry on. This holiday stays put. Across ten days, almost all by road, you see the city in half-day outings with time to spare: the Citadel and its mosques, Coptic Cairo, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Saqqara and Memphis, and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation with its Royal Mummies.
Halfway through there are two nights in Alexandria, for the Qaitbay Citadel, Pompey's Pillar, the catacombs, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Graeco-Roman Museum. With no internal flights and only one change of hotel city, it suits anyone who likes a slower rhythm. The standard of hotel is your choice at booking; the sightseeing is the same whichever you pick.
What lingers
- 01The Citadel of Salah El Din and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali
- 02Coptic Cairo, with the Hanging Church, Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue
- 03Two nights in Alexandria: the Qaitbay Citadel, Pompey's Pillar, the catacombs and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
- 04The Grand Egyptian Museum, with the Tutankhamun galleries and Khufu's solar boat
- 05The Step Pyramid at Saqqara and Memphis
- 06The National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation and its Royal Mummies Gallery
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom £1,2483★ hotels | Alexandria · 2 nightsSan Giovanni Stanley Hotel and Restaurant | £1,248May–Sep: from £1,142 | |
| Prestigefrom £1,8155★ deluxe hotels | Alexandria · 2 nightsHelnan Mamoura | £1,815May–Sep: from £1,868 | |
| Luxuryfrom £3,1195★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 7 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Alexandria · 2 nightsSteigenberger Cecil Hotel Alexandria | £3,119May–Sep: from £2,996 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
10 Days / 9 Nights · Cairo · Alexandria · Cairo
- 1
Your representative is waiting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel. There is nothing else on the plan today, so you can rest after the journey. The next day begins gently, with a half-day outing.
- 2
This is a half-day outing of around four hours with a licensed Egyptologist. You see the Citadel of Salah El Din, with its Ayyubid walls and gateway, the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali and the Mosque of Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad, and enjoy the view across Cairo from the terrace. The afternoon is free. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included.
- 3
A second half-day outing, again about four hours. In Old Cairo you visit the Babylon Fortress and the Hanging Church, St George's Greek Orthodox Church, the Church of Abu Serga with its holy crypt, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, pausing for mint tea and pastry. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included.
- 4
After breakfast your private vehicle drives you from Cairo to Alexandria, on the Mediterranean, where you stay two nights. It is largely a travelling day, so you can check in and wander the seafront at your own pace. The guided sightseeing begins tomorrow.
- 5
Your guide takes you to the Citadel of Qaitbay, the 15th-century fort by the harbour, Pompey's Pillar and the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, which blend Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles. You finish at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the modern library near the site of the ancient one.
- 6
The morning is spent at Alexandria's Graeco-Roman Museum, which tells the story of the city under the Greeks and Romans. Your private vehicle then takes you back to Cairo, where you stay for four more nights.
- 7
A half-day visit of about four hours with a qualified Egyptologist. You pass the Hanging Obelisk, enter the Grand Hall, see the Tutankhamun galleries, climb the Grand Staircase for its views and visit the Khufu solar boat museum. General admission, solar boat included, and transport are covered.
- 8
- 9
A visit of about four hours. Your Egyptologist leads you through the main exhibition hall and the Royal Mummies Gallery at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, and you have a set lunch at a nearby restaurant. Guide, museum entrance fees and transport are included.
- 10
After breakfast your driver takes you to Cairo Airport for the flight home, and a representative can help you at the terminal. There are no internal flights on this holiday, so you are not relying on an earlier connection.
Bundled in
- Private transfer
- Airport transfer
- Private Egyptologist
- All entry tickets
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Nine hotel nights with breakfast: seven in Cairo and two in Alexandria
- Private road transfers between Cairo and Alexandria, and airport transfers
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary
- A licensed Egyptologist on all sightseeing days
- A set lunch at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
- Grand Egyptian Museum general admission, including the Khufu solar boat
- Meet and assist at the airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Meals and drinks other than those stated
- The Giza Plateau visit and the inside of the Khufu pyramid
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum early in the day to encounter fewer visitors in the main galleries.
- 02
Wear shoes with good grip at the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, where stairs and stone surfaces can be slippery.
- 03
Sakkara has little shade; bring a sun hat for time among the cemetery monuments.
- 04
Late-afternoon light can suit photographs at Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Pompey’s Pillar.
- 05
Mosque visits may be busier around Friday prayers; an earlier visit can help avoid the busiest period.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about adding the Giza Pyramids, extra nights in Cairo, or a Luxor and Aswan extension or Nile cruise.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want to see Cairo and Alexandria properly and without hurry: museums, old quarters and the coast. Suits couples, friends, families with older children and solo travellers who dislike flying.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who want the Nile temples, Abu Simbel or the Giza Pyramids in the same trip, or who need step-free access to every site.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Mostly half-day outings with free afternoons
- No internal flights and only one change of hotel city
- Alexandria, two major museums, Coptic Cairo and Saqqara in ten days
Things to Consider
- No Luxor, Aswan or Nile cruise
- The Giza Pyramids are not on the plan
- Steps and uneven ground at the Citadel, churches and Saqqara
Where it fits
A good fit if you like a slower trip, love museums or want to add Cairo and Alexandria to a longer stay. The Giza Pyramids are not on the plan, so add them if they are on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many Egypt itineraries dash between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. This holiday does the reverse: nine nights in two cities, with half-day outings, two nights in Alexandria and no flights. The standard of hotel is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Relaxed guided land holiday, no internal flights
- Accommodation
- Hotels in Cairo and Alexandria, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Alexandria · Cairo
- Includes
- 9 hotel nights with breakfast · Private road transfers, no internal flights · Entrance fees to every listed site · Licensed Egyptologist on sightseeing days · Grand Egyptian Museum admission including Khufu's solar boat · Set lunch at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
- Best for
- Travellers who prefer a slow pace · Museum and history lovers · Those who want to avoid flights
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any required travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any personal medication
- Small day bag
- A light scarf for mosques and churches
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothes for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for uneven ground and steps
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees at mosques and churches
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for winter evenings and the sea breeze in Alexandria
Children & families
Children are welcome. Half-day outings and no flights make this one of the easier holidays for families. Every child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room used, so we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Most days are short outings by private vehicle. The Citadel, the Coptic churches and Saqqara have steps and uneven ground, and the Alexandria sites include stairs and narrow passages in the catacombs. The museums mean long walks on smooth floors, with steps in places. Vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us what you need when you book and we will say honestly which parts suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
This holiday has no internal flights and uses private road transfers, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo and Alexandria, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle and to follow the rules on photography and dress at mosques and churches.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Are there any internal flights?
No. Everything is by private road vehicle, including the journey from Cairo to Alexandria and back. You need only an international flight to reach Cairo and to leave.02Do we visit the Giza Pyramids?
Not on the plan. This itinerary does not include a visit to the Giza Plateau. The Grand Egyptian Museum stands next to it, and Saqqara has the Step Pyramid. Ask us and we will add a Giza day.03Does this holiday go to Luxor or Aswan?
No, it stays in Cairo and Alexandria. Our longer holidays add Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and a Nile cruise.04How much sightseeing is there each day?
Most days are a half-day outing of four to five hours, leaving the rest of the day free. The Alexandria days are longer, and the National Museum day includes a set lunch.05Which hotels will we stay in?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the Cairo and Alexandria hotels for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are the same at every standard.06Will I make my international flight home?
There are no internal flights on this holiday, so a delayed domestic connection cannot affect you. Your airport transfer is booked for the last morning, and we suggest allowing extra time for Cairo traffic. If you add flights of your own, buy travel insurance that covers missed connections.07What does the price leave out?
International flights, the Egyptian visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks and meals other than those stated, and personal spending.08When is the best time to travel?
October to April is cooler and the easiest for walking around the sites. Summers are hot, so outings begin early, and Alexandria is cooler than Cairo.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-973510
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days · 9 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Alexandria → Cairo
- Nights
- 7 Cairo · 2 Alexandria
- Includes
- Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers