Recommended flight for the trip Paris – Cairo

              EgyptAir: 4 p.m. Paris C. D. G. —9:20 p.m. Cairo (direct flight lasting 4 hours 20 minutes)

              Transavia: 11:20 a.m. Paris Orly – 5 p.m. Cairo (direct flight lasting 4 hours 40 minutes)

Alternative option

              Air France: 8:10 p.m. Paris C. D. G. – 1:30 a.m. ⁺¹ Cairo

You will be met with a sign bearing your name in the arrivals hall and assisted with obtaining your visa before being escorted through the Fast Track queue for immigration formalities.

After collecting your luggage, you will be taken by private transfer to your hotel, where you will be welcomed by your tour guide for a friendly get-together.

Overnight at your hotel.

Breakfast at your hotel.

At 8:00 a.m., meet your French-speaking guide and your tour leader to begin your first day in Cairo.

The morning begins with a tour of the main galleries of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), situated near the Pyramids of Giza, is the largest museum dedicated to ancient Egyptian civilisation. The result of more than 20 years of construction and an investment of over a billion dollars, it was designed to trace nearly 5,000 years of Pharaonic history through exceptional collections. Its monumental architecture, inspired by the legacy of the ancient pharaohs and reimagined in a contemporary style, houses vast exhibition spaces, including the spectacular Grand Hall dominated by the colossal statue of Ramses II and the Grand Staircase, offering a view of the Pyramids of Giza. The museum houses over 100,000 artefacts, including the complete treasure of Tutankhamun, as well as numerous major pieces from the former Egyptian Museum in Cairo and various archaeological sites across the country. Conceived as a cultural and scientific centre of international stature, the GEM is now established as one of the greatest museum projects of the 21st century.

At 10:00 a.m., exclusive access to the Conservation Centre of the Grand Egyptian Museum. The Conservation Centre of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM-CC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive conservation centres in the world. Opened in 2010 as part of the second phase of the Grand Egyptian Museum project, it covers 32,000 m² and fulfils a dual role: ensuring the conservation and preparation of artefacts for the museum’s exhibitions, whilst conducting advanced research in conservation science. The GEM-CC is a leading centre for heritage conservation, developing new preservation methods, training specialists and providing technical support to institutions. With a multidisciplinary team, it handles a wide variety of heritage objects and has 19 specialist laboratories as well as six storage facilities, covering conservation, preventive conservation and documentation.

Back at your hotel for lunch.

After lunch, enjoy some free time to relax.

The late afternoon is set aside for a visit to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, after closing time.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, situated on the famous Tahrir Square, is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East and one of the world’s most iconic museums dedicated to ancient Egypt. It houses over 170,000 artefacts and boasts the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. Its exceptional collections trace more than 5,500 years of history, from the Predynastic Period (around 5,500 BC) to the Greco-Roman era (AD 364). Monumental statues, sarcophagi, mummies, jewellery and royal treasures bear witness to the wealth and grandeur of Egyptian civilisation.

At the end of the day, enjoy dinner at the Khan El Khalili restaurant, in an authentic Middle Eastern atmosphere, to discover the traditional flavours of Egyptian cuisine.

Overnight at your hotel.

Breakfast at your hotel.

The morning begins with a private tour of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology (IFAO). Founded in 1880 by the Egyptologist Gaston Maspero, the IFAO is now one of the leading research centres dedicated to the study of Egyptian civilisations. Since 1907, it has been housed in the Mounira Palace, a former princely residence which also accommodates its printing press – one of the few in the world specialising in scholarly publications on ancient Egypt, equipped with typefaces capable of printing hieroglyphs as well as Greek, Coptic and Arabic.

It was from here that some of the most significant projects in modern Egyptology were launched: the transcription of hieroglyphic texts at sites such as Edfu, Philae and Saqqara; the publication of Arabic manuscripts; and landmark excavations at Tell Edfu, North Karnak and the artisans’ village of Deir el-Medina.

To this day, the IFAO continues its research into the successive civilisations of Egypt, from prehistory to the Arab-Islamic period. With a team of 120 Egyptian and French staff, it carries out around twenty excavation missions each year across the country, from the desert oases to the banks of the Nile, making this place both a living testament to the history of archaeology and an ever-active research centre.

Private lunch at the IFAO.

In the afternoon, a tour of the Solar Boat of Khufu.

The Solar Boat of Khufu is one of the major treasures of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Built around 4,600 years ago during the reign of Khufu, this funerary vessel, over 42 metres long and made from pieces of acacia and Lebanese cedar, is considered the oldest known boat in the world and the most significant preserved wooden artefact from antiquity.

Discovered in 1954 in a pit at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza, where it had been buried to accompany the pharaoh into the afterlife, it has survived the millennia in a remarkable state of preservation. After more than ten years spent reassembling it, the First Boat was transferred intact to the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2021, thanks to an exceptional operation carried out following several technical and archaeological studies.

The second boat, from which the wooden components began to be extracted in 2014, has also been brought to the museum, where its restoration and reconstruction are taking place in full view of the public.

Now on display in a building specially designed for them, the two boats bear witness to the exceptional scientific and heritage significance of these unique artefacts, whose purpose is thought to be linked to the pharaoh’s funeral journey or his passage to the afterlife alongside the sun god Ra.

Continue your visit with private access to the galleries dedicated to Tutankhamun.

In the history of ancient Egypt, Tutankhamun is not regarded as one of the most powerful or influential pharaohs. He ascended the throne at a very young age, around the age of 9, in the 14th century BC, during a period of transition following the reign of Akhenaten and his religious upheavals. His reign, lasting around 10 years, was relatively short, and he is not known for any great conquests, major reforms or monumental constructions comparable to those of pharaohs such as Ramses II or Khufu. His historical significance lies mainly in the restoration of the ancient cults following the period of Akhenaten.

Conversely, his fame today is immense and far exceeds his actual role in pharaonic history. Tutankhamun has captivated the public’s imagination ever since the British Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered his long-forgotten tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922. Whilst most royal tombs had been plundered over the centuries, that of the young pharaoh still contained an exceptional treasure: his famous gold death mask, his throne, jewellery, furnishings and more than 5,000 objects buried with him, many of which remained hidden from public view for a long time.

Having been exhibited in numerous cities around the world, these treasures are now on display at the GEM, where they form one of the museum’s most iconic collections and offer an exceptional insight into the richness of Pharaonic civilisation.

Dinner at a restaurant opposite the Pyramids of Giza, serving refined cuisine that celebrates Egyptian traditions in an unforgettable atmosphere.

Overnight at your hotel.

Breakfast and checkout from your hotel (until noon).

Private transfer to the airport.

Independent return flight

Recommended flights for the Cairo – Paris trip

              EgyptAir: 10:45 a.m. Cairo – 2.25 p.m. Paris C. D. G. (direct flight lasting 4 hours 40 minutes)

              EgyptAir: 5:15 p.m. Cairo —9.05 p.m. Paris C. D. G. (direct flight lasting 4 hours 50 minutes)

              Transavia: 3:35 p.m. Cairo – 7:35 p.m. Paris Orly (direct flight lasting 4 hours 40 minutes)

Alternative option

              Air France: 3:25 a.m. Cairo – 7:00 a.m. Paris C. D. G.