In the morning, you will be picked up in an air-conditioned vehicle from your hotel in Cairo. Accompanied by a guide, you will be taken on a tour of the city of Ismailia, popularly known as the city of gardens and flowers. It lies midway between Port Said and Suez, about 120 kilometres from Cairo on the west shore of Al-Temsah Lake. You will visit the following sites:
• Museum of Ismailia: Situated on Salah Salem Street, the museum houses about 4000 artefacts from the Pharaonic, Roman, Greek, Coptic and Islamic era. The museum also has information on the first canal built by the Persian Darius between the Bitter lakes Bubastis, and a masterpiece mosaic of the 4th century illustration characters from Greek mythology.
• Museum of De Lesseps: Ferdinand de Lesseps was a French diplomat and engineer who conceived the idea of a canal through the Isthmus of Suez, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The museum houses De Lesseps Library and his belongings, and lies inside the Suez Canal Rest house. It has Lesseps’ private carriage in a glass enclosure. His bedroom has old photos, books and various utensils.
After exploring the museums, stop for lunch at a local restaurant. You will be dropped back to your hotel in Cairo.