Day one makes the drive from Port Said to the Giza Plateau, where the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Sphinx, and the Valley Temple of Khafre stand at the desert's edge, 4,500 years old. In the afternoon you browse the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, Cairo's great medieval market of spice, brass, and lantern shops, before checking into your hotel. Optional add-ons: enter the Great Pyramid ($11 USD per person), a camel ride (about $15 USD), or the evening Sound and Light Show at the pyramids.

Day two visits the Egyptian Museum, with its mummies and pharaonic treasure, then climbs to the Citadel of Saladin for the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali and a view across the rooftops. You walk a stretch of Old Cairo before turning back toward Port Said, with your guide timing the return so you reboard your ship with room to spare. Modest dress is needed for the mosque.