Egypt 16 - 23 October 2010

Heritage of Industry is now able to announce full details of the trip to Alexandria, Ismailia and Cairo.

Please click here to download the detailed itinerary, including costs and application form.

The outline is now as follows :

Day 1 : Late afternoon coach transfer from Cairo to Alexandria, overnight at hotel. An alternative of rail travel is also available.

Day 2 : In the morning we will tour the New Alexandria Library including the world's largest reading room, museums, galleries, the rare manuscript restoration unit.  We will also hear about the library’s unique structural engineering challenges.

In the afternoon, we will visit the tram workshops of the Alexandria Public Transport Authority which operates trams from the UK, Germany and Japan. This will be followed by a trip by private tram to Raml terminus in central Alexandria

In the evening, dinner will be at the Montazah Palace Gardens.

Day 3 : In the morning we visit the Alexandria Western harbour and will have a private visit to King Fuad’s yacht al-Mahrusa which is currently being refurbished. The tour will include the working port and its small museum.

Lunch is at the Greek Club, adjacent to Qaitbey fort overlooking the ancient Eastern Harbour.

In the afternoon there will be a visit to Qaitbey fort followed by the Catacombs, Pompey’s Pillar and the Greco-Roman cistern.

In the evening we can attend a lecture and see a film by J Y Empereur, who is Director of the Centre d'études Alexandrines and leader of archeological research in Alexandria underwater, followed by Dinner, accompanied by members of the University engineering faculty.

Day 4 : In the morning we will transfer by coach to the Mercure Hotel at Ismailia on the shores of Lake Timsah

After lunch we will have a private visit to De Lesseps's House followed by a private cruise on Lake Timsah and the Suez Canal.

In the evening there will be a lecture by Engineer Mamdouh Hamza on the special challenges relating to the excavation of the Suez Canal

Day 5 : In the morning we visit the Suez Canal Authority Research Centre, which will include the model testing facilities and the wave basin.  We hope also to visit the Wadi Tumilat canal built by Darius I (522-486 BC)

In the afternoon transfer by coach to our hotel in Cairo.

At sunset we will visit the Pyramids for the Son & Lumiere performance.

Day 6 : In the morning we will visit the Egyptian National Railways engineering base and workshops followed by the Railway Museum.  This will be followed by a Reception where we will get the chance to meet some senior railway personnel.

The afternoon is at leisure.

In the evening there will be a reception for Mamdouh Hamza and other senior Egyptian engineers followed by a lecture by Mamdouh Hamza who is structural engineer for the Alexandria Library, Mubarak Water systems and Cairo’s Metro system.

Day 7 : Is at leisure, giving members of the tour the opportunity to visit the many exciting attractions of Cairo, not least the Archaeological Museum and The Pyramids.

There will be an optional coach trip to the Media tower to take a ferry up the Nile to the Nileometer which determined traditional annual taxation rates.

In the evening we have a Nile dinner cruise with entertainment.

Day 8 : Transfer to the airport

The tour will be led by David Wardrop who has high level contacts in engineering, archaeological and government areas in Egypt and has been involved with the construction of the Library from an early stage.

The tour starts from and returns to Cairo, to allow everyone the maximum flexibility at the start and finish of the tour for other activities in Egypt and so that they may take advantage of the best value flight arrangements.