Overview
Most visitors come to Egypt for the Nile, but some of its most unforgettable places lie far from the river. This seven-day journey takes you from the pyramids of Cairo to the Mediterranean shore of Alexandria and then deep into the Western Desert, to Siwa Oasis, a green island of palms, springs and salt lakes on the edge of the Great Sand Sea.
In Cairo you see the Giza pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. In Alexandria you walk the Library and Qaitbay Citadel and feel the sea breeze. Then the road runs west and south through the desert to Siwa, where you wander the mud-brick Shali Fortress, visit the Temple of the Oracle where Alexander the Great is said to have been welcomed, swim in Cleopatra’s Spring and ride in a 4×4 across the dunes to float in a salt lake as the sun sets.
Siwa has its own language, customs and pace of life, and it feels like a different country. You sleep in an eco-lodge among the palms, eat local dates and olives and listen to the silence of the desert at night. It is the perfect journey for travelers who want to see an Egypt beyond the classic route.
If you are looking for a Cairo, Alexandria and Siwa Oasis tour that mixes pharaohs, sea and sand, this seven-day trip is the answer. EgyptLens arranges the private vehicle, the Egyptologist, six nights in hotels and eco-lodge with breakfast and all the entrance fees.
Highlights
- Giza pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Alexandria's Library and Qaitbay Citadel
- Shali Fortress and the Temple of the Oracle at Aghurmi
- Cleopatra's Spring and the Mountain of the Dead
- 4x4 excursion to the dunes with a float in a salt lake
- Eco-lodge stay among the palms of Siwa
