The Holy Family (More than 2000 years ago)
Christian Program 11 Days
8 Nights Cairo / 1 Night El - Arish / 1 Night Saint Antony

Day 1:
Arrive Cairo International Airport ,meet and assist by Pima Tours Representative with the sign of your name and assisting you through passport control formalities, luggage identification & portage then transferring you by air-conditioned private Limousine to your hotel in which you will be assisted by Pima Tours representative for check-in.Overnight at hotel in Cairo.

Day 2:
Breakfast at your hotel, then drive to El Arish city at Northern Sinai,enjoy the Palm beach at Mediterranean Coast .Overnight at hotel in El Arish.

Day 3:
After breakfast, Drive from El Arish to Cairo through the religious road. Among the sites that enjoy popularity the Towns of Bubastis (Tell Basta) Bilbeis , Back to Cairo.Overnight at hotel in Cairo

Day 4:
After breakfast drive to Samannud and Shaha in the Delta ,where annual pilgrimages are made. After few hours Driving .drive back to Cairo. Overnight at hotel in Cairo.

Day 5:
Breakfast at hotel , drive to Wadi el Narun, Arrive to Wadi Al Natrun where the Holy Family rested. Back to Cairo.Overnight at hotel in Cairo

Day 6:
After breakfast drive to El Matariya (ancient Heliopolis) enjoys great popularity as the place where the Virgin rested beneath a tree called the “THE VIRGIN ‘S TREE” at Mataria . drive back to Hotel, Overnight at hotel in Cairo.

Day 7:
Breakfast at hotel, Dive to Old Cairo where you can find Church of Saint Sergius (Abu Sarga)is situated to the North of the Coptic Museum. The church is dedicated to two Roman officers Sergius and Bacchus who were martyred in Syria in 303.The earliest part of the building dates from the fifth century and was built over the cave where,according to tradition,the Holy Family hid during their Flight into Egypt.Hanging Church (al Muallaqa)this Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary is known as the “Hanging or suspended”Church because it rests on the two southwestern bastions of the old Roman fortress of Babylon. Drive to Maadi Church.Back at hotel.Overnight at hotel in Cairo

Day 8:
After breakfast, Full day sightseeing tour to visit The Pyramids and the Sphinx,one of the seven wonders of the world, The Ancient Egyptians built The Pyramids to be tombs to preserve the bodies of their dead kings, Especially that believed in resurrection and immortality, Le Sphinx a mythical statue with the body of a lion and the face of man, sighnifying wisdom and power. The Solar Boats (The Boats Of Cheops) the ancient Egyptians carved spacious areas in the rock, near the pyramids. they placed wooden boats, to be at the disposal of the king when he went on his journey of day and night with the sun God Ra, in the after world. Memphis, the old pharaonic Capital Of Egypt, Sakkara complex with Pyramid of King Zoser. Transfer to your hotel in cairo, Overnight at hotel in Cairo.

Day 9:
Breakfast at hotel, Transfer to St. Antony Monastery , St. Paul by Private A/C Car (the distance will take about six hours driving), Arrival St. Paul & St. Antony Monastery, stay at Monastery for one Night, at next day Drive back to Cairo by Private A/C Car.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.
Christian monasticism was founded towards the end of the 3rd century A.D.in the Eastern desert of Egypt by St. Antony the Great, who is one of the patron saints of our church (click here). In 330 A.D. one of St. Antony's disciples, St. Macarius the Great (300-390) established ascetic life in the Natrun Valley (Wadi el Natrun) assisted by St. Ammon who was another disicple of St. Antony. At first, monks used to live in separate caves or cells which later increased in number. Later on, simple forts called "keeps" were where the monks used to live because they were constantly attacked by foreign invaders. The monastery evolved when these keeps and cells were enclosed by a wall to secure the safety of the monks and thus, become a community within itself.
The following options are summaries of various monasteries in Egypt. These monasteries have a substantial history and their presence in Egypt has been a source of great blessings for the Copts of Egypt as well as those who visit them. In the following options, you will be introduced to the history of a particular monastery and (in most cases) be presented with photos to accompany the text. We hope that these pages will help you in understanding the Coptic monastery in general and we urge you to continue to visit this page, as we update our current monastery information regularly as well as add new monasteries to enjoy.

Day 10 :
Arrival Cairo, transfer to your hotel, Overnight at hotel in Cairo.

Day 11 :
Breakfast at hotel, meet Pima Tours Representative to transfer you to Cairo International airport for final departure .

Coptic and Muslim sources are not always in agreement on the route taken,nor on the duration of the visit. Copts believe that the Holy Family remained in Egypt for a little over three and a half years, while Muslim traditions have seven years-but such differences only serve to strengthen the tradition. Among the sites that enjoy popularity as places where the Holy Family rested are the towns of Bubastis (Tell Basta),Bilbeis, Samannud,and Sakha in the Delta, where annual pilgrimages are made. Babylon (Old Cairo) and the church of the Holy Virgin on the banks of the Nile at Maadi ,a suburb south of Cairo,are also hallowed sites.The latter is believed to mark the point where the Family embarked by boat for Upper Egypt. Mataria(ancient Heliopolis) enjoys great popularity as the place where the Virgin rested beneath a tree, refreshed herself, and washed the clothes of the Child in the spring. Many towns have a mulid or annual festival in honor of the Virgin. One of the most important is the pilgrimage on August 22 to Gebel al Tair (Mount of Birds), on the east bank of the Nile almost opposite Samalut in Middle Egypt.Another site popularly associated with the Flight is the village of Durunka, some ten kilometers south of Asyut where an important mulid is held each year.The monastery of Saint Mary Deir Durunka, like that of Gebel al Tair,is situated near the cliff face. Another monastery of Saint Mary known as Deir al Muharraq (the Burnt Monastery) is the largest and wealthiest monastery in Middle Egypt. It is situated in the western desert north of Asyut, and is best approached from Qusiya.