Located near the Mediterranean Sea in Northern Egypt, the small village of El Alamein is a gateway to the broad and barren plains of North Africa's deserts. Meaning 'two flags' in Arabic, El Alamein's geography placed it between two colliding forces.

By the summer of 1942, the Allies were in trouble throughout Europe. The Russians had been pushed back on their front, U-boats were having a major effect on Britain in the North Atlantic and Western Europe seemed to be falling under the control of the Germans. This left the Mediterranean as the major supply route and the war in the desert of North Africa was pivotal. If the Afrika Korps got to the Suez Canal, the ability of the Allies to supply themselves would be severely dented. The psychological blow of losing the Suez, the oil in the Middle East and North Africa would have been Catastrophic.

El Alamein was a last stand for the Allies in North Africa. To the north was the Mediterranean Sea and to the south was the Qattara Depression. El Alamein was a bottleneck. In August of 1942, into this bottleneck came Rommel with 110,000 men and 500 tanks from the south and Montgomery leading more than 200,000 Allied (Commonwealth) troops and more than 1000 tanks from the North. The Allied victory marked the beginning of the end for the Axis Powers in North Africa, crushing the mystique surrounding the "Desert Fox." By November of 1942, Rommel had started his retreat.

Departing the pier, your private shore excursion will begin as you travel along the Mediterranean coast during the 1 hour and 45 minute drive to El Alamein. Upon arrival you will visit the Alemein War Cemetery. In the Commonwealth section of the cemetery are more than 7,200 graves of soldiers from the African Campaign of World War II, predominately from the Battle of El Alamein. The barren plain of sand that surrounds the cemetery gives it a very surreal feeling.

You will then visit the Military Museum, built in 1965 and remodeled in 1992 during the 50th anniversary of the battle. Germany, Italy and England contributed information and military items during the renovation. The building consists of five halls containing displays of weapons, military garb and battle strategies.

The excursion continues with a short drive west of town to Tel el-Eisa Hill, where the citadel-like Cemeteries of the Italian and German soldiers are located. The German cemetery is a mass single tomb with the remains of 4,200 German soldiers, built in the style of a medieval fortress. The Italian cemetery is a mausoleum containing several galleries of tombs, many simply marked "Ignoto", unknown. After your visit, begin your drive back to Alexandria.