Port Said to Tanis (San El Hagar) — Wheelchair Accessible Shore Excursion

Description

Tanis — San El Hagar in Arabic — was the capital of Egypt during the 21st and 22nd dynasties, around 1000 BC. It’s the city where the pharaohs of the biblical era ruled, and where the “Tanis Royal Tombs” were found in 1939 — intact royal burials with silver coffins, gold masks, and jewellery. It’s often compared to Tutankhamun’s tomb in importance, but it almost never appears in standard shore excursion programs.

The site is 100km southeast of Port Said, about 1.5 hours each way on a good road. For wheelchairs, it’s manageable. The main monument area — the Great Enclosure of the Temple of Amun — is on flat ground with sand paths. The royal tombs are underground but there’s a lift down to the entrance and the main tomb chamber is accessible. The site museum is small and level.

The van is a Toyota HiAce with a rear lift and tie-downs. Air conditioning.

What the day looks like

Leave the terminal at 8:30. Arrive Tanis around 10. First stop is the main temple enclosure — the fallen obelisks, the colossi of Ramses II, and the remains of the temple walls. About 45 minutes.

Then the royal tombs. The entrance is a lift down to the underground level. The tomb of Psusennes I is the highlight — his silver coffin was found intact, and the burial chamber is on the accessible route. About 30 minutes.

Then the site museum — small, but it has some of the smaller finds that didn’t go to Cairo. About 20 minutes.

Lunch on the way back at a local place. About 150-250 EGP per person. Not included in the price.

Back at the ship by 3pm.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off at the Port Said cruise terminal
• Round-trip wheelchair-accessible van
• English-speaking driver
• Fuel, tolls, parking

Not included

• Tanis site entry (80 EGP per person)
• Royal tombs entry (included with site ticket)
• Lunch
• Licensed guide (can be added for $70)
• Gratuities

Good to know

• Tanis is genuinely uncrowded. You may be the only visitors on site. This is rare in Egypt.
• Some of the paths between the temple and the tombs are sand. The driver will take you as close as possible to each section, and there’s a paved route for the main highlights.
• The site has very little shade. Bring water and a hat. Best between October and April.
• If you’re interested in the archaeology but want a guide who knows the site properly, tell us when booking. The $70 guide option is worth it here — the site’s history is not obvious from the ruins alone.