Egypt - itinerary suggesions please!
 

Hi,

My 70 year old aunt and I are going to Egypt in November, and I am looking for some suggestions on an add on for an additional day in Cairo. We are working with iExplore, and our itinerary is below. The options for the Cairo day is either Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo, Darshur or Khan el-Khalili bazaar (not shopping, but going into the traditional, older areas).

Thanks all in advance!

Day 01: Cairo, Egypt
Arrive Cairo and transfer to your hotel for overnight.
Day 02: Cairo
After breakfast depart for a full day excursion to Giza, Sakkara and Memphis.

Day 03: Cairo - Luxor - Valley of the Kings
Transfer to the Cairo Domestic Airport to board your flight to Luxor. Upon arrival in Luxor, transfer to your cruise boat, moored in private dock. The staff will assist you with check-in.

Day 04: Luxor - Esna

Day 05: Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo

Day 06: Kom Ombo - Aswan
Aswan High Dam
Nubia Museum
**We opted to skip the quarry and unfinished obelisk in favor of the museum

Day 07: Aswan - Abu Simbel- Cairo

Day 08: Cairo
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities: Your Egyptologist will escort you today on a fascinating tour of 7,000 years of Egyptian history with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The Museum houses the world’s greatest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts, including 12 rooms filled with golden treasures from the world-famous tomb of the boy-king Tutenkhamun.

Day 09: Open - help!

Without knowing your interests, I wouldn't necessarily try to recommend one over another. However, there are other options that can wait till you check into your Cairo hotel. Most hotels can arrange tours with their own agencies, usually at a pretty good price. Even a private tour - we did a 14-hr tour to Alexandria that way. We also had a tour that did Coptic and Islamic Cairo, along with Old Cairo all in one day (this might also be available on a tour offered by the hotel but can certainly be arranged). Another option is arranging for a cab for the day. I know someone who did Darshur and old Memphis this way, and it won't be expensive if you're staying in Giza. Finally (we'd booked 4 extra days in Cairo at the end of our tour), we returned to the museum to spend a full day on our own, to see things at our leisure (instead of a 2-hr tour). Just a few possibilities.

You have Kom Ombo for day 05 and day 06. Are you visiting Kom Ombo twice? Personally I didn't care for Kom Ombo, but maybe it looks better early in the morning or when the sun is setting.

I didn't visit the Answan High Dam myself, but maybe a better choice would be to see Philae instead? You could also maybe do the Philae Sound and Light show on the evening of Day 06. There's a little bit of walking during the show before you get to sit down but it's not much, so I don't think it'll affect your aunt.

If you and your aunt are in Cairo on a Wednesday or Saturday then I would highly recommend seeing the free sufi dancing show one one of those nights. It's superb.

The High Dam is a waste of time. You just drive onto it and look out at the lake. You don't get to see the "engineering" like you do at Hoover Dam.

I would agree with SDGleen - Memphis and the magnificent pyramids of Sneferu at Dahshur and Meidum would make an excellent day out from Cairo. The pyramid sites will be relatively quiet and free from the madding crowds. Perhaps you grab some of the audio guides listed on www.iconicguides.com before you go. It's a new site specialising in audio guides for independent travellers and covers ancient sites in Egypt, Greece and Japan. Much cheaper and more flexible than perhaps joining a traditional tour group. Just a thought!