The Holy Family Journey in Egypt

You arrive at Cairo International Airport where we greet you and transfer you to your hotel. Our representative will help you settle into the hotel and its surroundings, and outline the plan for the next few days.

After an early breakfast we drive out of Cairo to Tal Basta. Tal Basta is situated in the township of Zaqazig, close to the Nile Delta and is home to the ruined temple of Bastet. The town is also home to an ancient well which is said to have been one of locations where the Holy Family rested during their exile into Egypt. After touring the temple ruins we continue our journey to Tanis. During Biblical times Tanis was known by the name Zoan, as referred to in the Bible. In the film the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tanis was said to be the hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant. The city was founded late in the 20th dynasty and became the northern capital of Egypt during the 21st dynasty under the rule of Smendes. Tanis then remainder Egypt’s northern capital into the 22nd dynasty. There are many ancient sites at Tanis, including temples and a royal necropolis. In 1939/1940 Pierre Montet discovered the intact burial sites of Psusennes I, Amenemope and Shoshenq II which contained a large amount of Gold, Jewellery, Lapis Lazuli and many other precious items which are now housed in the Cairo Museum.

After time in Tanis we continue on to Ismailia where we will have lunch before returning to Cairo in the afternoon.

Today our tours are centred on Christian churches around the Cairo area. Our first stop is to Al-Matariya which was an important town during Pharaonic periods and was once part of ancient Heliopolis. Legend tells us that the Holy Family rested beneath a tree in Heliopolis, which is now known as the ‘Tree of the Virgin Mary’. The Chapel of the virgin which we will also visit is close by. We then continue to Musturud which is located approximately 10km northeast of Cairo, which was also part of ancient Heliopolis. Whilst in Musturud we visit the Church of the Holy Virgin. The Church is located on the site where the Holy Family are thought to have sought shelter after a long day of travelling. In the crypt of the Church we will see the cave where the family were thought to have rested as well as a well, whose water is said to have magical properties. Our final visit for today is to Bilbeis, where we will visit the Church of the Virgin Maria. After arriving back into Cairo the remainder of the evening is free.

After breakfast, we head to Wadi el Natrun. The name Wadi el Natrun is Arabic for ‘Natron Valley’, which derives from the 8 lakes in the region which produce Natron Salt. During ancient times the region was important for the Egyptians as the Natron Salt which was mined here was a critical part of the mummification process. During their journey into Egypt, the Holy Family was believed to have made a stop at Wadi Natrun. Between the 4th and 7th century the region became one of the most important regions for Christianity in the Middle East. St Macarius of Egypt retired to the desert in the 4th century to live a stoic life and many hundreds of others following suit in the following centuries in search of a simple, holy way of life. These individuals believed that life in the desert would teach them to eschew the things of the world and allow them to follow God’s call in a more individual and direct way. Today only four of the monasteries survive, all of which originally dates back to the 4th century – The monastery of St Macarius the Great, Paromeos Monastery, Monastery of St Pishoy, and the Syrian Monastery. After time spent visiting these monasteries, we return to Cairo where we spend the evening.

Today begins with a visit to Coptic Cairo to see some of the oldest Christian Churches in Egypt. Whilst in Coptic Cairo we will visit many churches but the most significant of these is the Church of St Sergius, which is believed to have been constructed on the site where the Holy Family resided at the end of their journey into Egypt. We will also visit the Churches of St. George, Abu Seifein, and Santa Barbara. Later on we visit the Coptic Museum which is home to an excellent collection of Coptic artifacts and also the Church of Al Adra Al Adawia in the Maadi district of Cairo.

We have an early start today as we have approximately 250km’s to drive to the province of Minya. Whilst in Minya you will visit the Monastery of the Holy Virgin. The rock-hewn church is thought to have been established around 328 AD by Helena, who was the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine. The site’s sanctity derives from the legend that the Holy Family is believed to have sought refuge in a small cave for 3 days. This small cave now houses an icon of the Virgin, which is believed to have magical properties. This evening is spent at a hotel in Minya.

After breakfast in Minya we continue south to the city of Asyut. Whilst in Asyut we will visit the Monastery of the Holy Virgin which is located at the foot of Mount Qusqam. This monastery claims to have been constructed on the site where the Holy Family stayed for 6 months and 5 days, during the exile into Egypt. Jesus was also reported to have returned to this site after his resurrection to consecrate the altar, this is referred to in Isaiah 19:19 ‘In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the heart of Egypt, and there will be a monument to the LORD at its border’. This evening will be spent in Asyut.

After an early breakfast in Assiut, we begin our long journey back to Cairo. We will take a slightly different route to include a visit to the Convent of the Virgin. The Convent is located on the edge of the Assyut Mountains. According to tradition, the convent was founded around a cave where the Holy Family stayed before taking a boat north and returning to Palestine. Over the past few decades, there have been reports of apparitions of the Holy Virgin which have attracted many thousands of pilgrims to the site. During the Moulid (Festival) of the Virgin, up to a million pilgrims come to pray here.

After arriving back in Cairo you have some free time for some last-minute shopping or exploring before your trip ends tomorrow

Your tour ends after breakfast and your time is free until we transfer you to the Airport for your flight back home.