Alexandria Extension

Day 1: Cairo

You are picked up from your downtown hotel at about 8am in a private car for the three hour journey to Alexandria. You generally arrive around midday and in the afternoon your local guide takes you to the new Alexandria Museum (included in the price), containing a fine collection of artefacts discovered in and around the city. The remainder of the day is free, but some worthwhile highlights include the Amphitheatre (entry US$5) and the splendid Roman Catacombs (entry US$3), built in the 2nd century AD and one of the best examples of private tomb construction from this period. Your guide can help arrange visits to these sites.

Day 2: Alexandria (El Alamein)

Today is free for you to soak up the atmosphere of this temperate coastal city. It is possible to make a day trip out to the WWII battlefields at El Alamein (to be booked locally). Other options include: - Qaitbey Fortress, now a naval museum, where you can see what remains of the famous Pharos (lighthouse) once considered one of the seven wonders of the world. - Enjoy a drink in the classic Cecil Hotel, built in 1930 and now one of the city’s great institutions. - Explore the bazaar on Nokrashi Street. - Visit one of Alexandria’s famous cafes, including ‘Pastroudi’s’ or ‘Trianon’. This evening consider splashing out on a seafood dinner at one of the city’s many excellent restaurants. El Alamein Nothing quite conjures up the hostile desert conditions endured by both Allied and German forces than the landscape around El Alamein. From Alexandria you drive west along the coastal road before turning south towards El Alamein. It is a journey of around 2-3 hours and on arrival you visit the small military museum housing a variety of tanks, armoured vehicles and other wartime memorabilia. You also visit the nearby Allied Cemetery before returning to Alexandria. A picnic lunch is included.

Day 3: Cairo

After breakfast you return to Cairo by private car, arriving around midday, where your trip ends.

Tour Grade: Culture

Whether you’re taking in man’s greatest works at places like Petra or Angkor Wat, experiencing grand set-pieces like the Trans-Mongolian Railway or trying your hand at regional specialities like tango in Buenos Aires, getting to grips with local cultures is what travel’s all about. A few tips from a local guide and a sense of adventure are pretty much all you need. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get the lowdown on high Tibet among Lhasa’s magisterial temples; follow up Delhi’s eye-popping bustle with a fix of its fiery food; and mix manic markets and Incan masterpieces in Peru.