The Grand African Tour:
Marrakech, Cairo and Cape Town

Experience the Best of Morocco, Egypt and South Africa
All in 22 days – Including Victoria Falls

Viewing Cape Town From Chapman’s Peak Drive

Airfare is included from Casablanca to Cairo and Johannesburg in BUSINESS CLASS. Tour starts weekly on Wednesday in Casablanca, Year Round. Explore the three gems of Africa–Morocco, South Africa and Egypt–on this tour to Casablanca, Marrakech. The best of Egypt: A good look at Cairo and a 5-day cruise along the Nile, then on to South Africa where you will embark on thrilling game drives near Botswana’s remote Limpopo River to South Africa’s most cosmopolitan city on Table Bay, Cape Town. Let us introduce you to the land… South of the Limpopo.

This is truly an experience for those who have been dreaming to see and enjoy the ultimate African tour from Cairo all the way to Cape Town. This combination of cosmopolitan Cape Town, Victoria Falls, and the Safari Adventure in Botswana is a diverse itinerary offering an array of Southern Africa’s finest travel experiences. Prefer to start in South Africa? please click here.

Day 1: MARRAKECH – Tuesday – Weekly – Year Round
Our international flight arrives in Marrakech. If your flight is only to Casablanca, then it is our pleasure to meet you at the airport in Casablanca and escort you to Marrakech in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a private chauffeur. After completing customs and immigration formalities, our staff will escort you to your hotel, where you can enjoy a welcome warm cup of mint tea and a welcome fruit basket awaits you. Subject to availability: your accommodation will be at one of Marrakech deluxe Riad (Boutique hotels) or a five star hotel.

DAY 2: MARRAKECH – Belly Dance Class – Wednesday (BLD)
We board a horse-drawn carriage for a clip-clop tour of this ancient royal capital including the Kotoubia, a former royal palace, and of course the labyrinthine souks (bazaars). Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. In the early evening, for guests who are interested, please join us for a complimentary one hour introductory class on belly dance and Moroccan Berber dance techniques. An authentic Moroccan dinner is included tonight at a Moroccan local restaurant.

Day 3: MARRAKECH – Thursday (BLD)
After breakfast in your hotel you will leave for Amizmiz, 54 Kilometers from Marrakech. On the way you will see the Oumnast Kasbah then the Lalla Takerkoust Dam built between 1929 and 1935 with its manmade lake. It will take you about an hour to reach Amizmiz, a typical Berber village, where we will tour the Kasbah and the “Mellah” (Jewish quarter). Every Tuesday an important country market is held where all the villagers from the area come for their weekly shopping and gossiping. There you can buy interesting Regragra potteries. Your guide will welcome you in his home for a traditional Berber breakfast then you will start your hiking first through Sidi Hossein valley to reach Tizi Oughourane. On the way you will see picturesque landscapes of the Atlas mountains, Berber villages with their houses built in stone and earth. After a typical lunch accompanied by mint tea you will come back to Amizimiz by a different itinerary and be transferred back to busy Marrakech by late afternoon.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).
This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech! You’ll be invited to a family dinner and, while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences.

Day 4: CASABLANCA – Friday (BL)
“Getting there is half the fun!” We board the train for our return to Casablanca, cruising through the lovely countryside past green fields, fruit-laden orchards, traditional villages and modern towns, with the lofty Atlas Mountains soaring in the distance. Our tour escort points out interesting features and fills us in on Moroccan life and culture. After arriving in Casablanca we visit the majestic new Grand Mosque of King Hassan II, second only to the Great Mosque at Mecca in size. We continue on a panoramic tour of the city and its souks, and then drive to the airport for our Royal Air Maroc night flight across North Africa to Egypt. Air fare is included in business class (tax included).

Day 5: CAIRO – Saturday (BL)
We arrive in Cairo with the dawn. Our representative will greet you at the airport.
VIP Arrival Hall At Cairo Airport
Our representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as  American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order, valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel.

We drive through the awakening city to our hotel for breakfast and a bracing cup of coffee or tea. Then it’s on with your first full day in Egypt where we show you the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, the Mohammed Ali Mosque made of alabaster, Khan El Khalili Bazaar District and Moez Ledeenallah historical district. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Sample deluxe hotels: Fairmont Hotel, Inter.Continental, Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton or similar.  First Class: Novotel or similar. Your room will be booked from the night before to ensure that it is ready for you upon arrival early morning.

Day 6: Giza – Memphis – Sakkara – Sunday (BL)
After breakfast we drive to the edge of the Sahara and visit the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, Cheops personal Royal Yacht Museum (The Pharaoh’s Solar Boat), Memphis and Sakkara including the Step Pyramids, the Nobles Tombs and Imhotep small yet charming Museum. Lunch is included at the Mena House. We will visit Harania village before heading back to your hotel.

DAY 7: ASWAN (or Luxor). Board your Nile Cruise – Camel Caravan! Monday (BLD)
We fly to Aswan and board our Nile cruiser in time for a delicious lunch. A complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin. In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile. Only for those who are interested: a short camel caravan & ride for almost half an hour to visit a local Nubian Village.

DAY 8: ASWAN – KOM OMBO – On Board Your Nile Cruise – Tuesday (BLD)
First we tour new Nubian Museum then the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the island temples of Philae. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples. One large bottle of water is provided daily in your cabin (per person) while you are on board the cruise.

DAY 9: EDFU – ESNA – On Board Your Nile Cruise – Wednesday (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved temple. Re-embarking, we cruise to Esna and its great temple dedicated to Khnum, the creator-god. Evening finds us in Luxor. Cabin amenity tonight: Local Egyptian sweets or a cake for your special occasion.

DAY 10: LUXOR – On Board Your Nile Cruise – Thursday (BLD)
Today we will tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut. We will stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise. Cabin amenity: Complimentary Galabya.

DAY 11: LUXOR – CAIRO Friday (B)
The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the morning, followed by a return flight to Cairo. In the afternoon, wander through the city on your own, or do your last-minute shopping.

Day 12: CAIRO – Johannesburg, South Africa – Saturday
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your Egyptair flight very early in the morning. Air fare is included in Business Class with tax included. Arrive Johannesburg in AM. You’re transferred to Mount Grace Hotel, one of the finest country hotels in South Africa. Set in hills surrounding Rietpoort Valley, it is home to abundant bird life, cascading waterfalls, stone-age relics, and a 400-year-old olive tree. Guests are welcomed with tasteful furnishings and impeccable service. Mount Grace Hotel or Melrose Arch Hotel (D)

Day 13 through 15: Mashatu, Botswana – Sunday through Tuesday
This morning board your SAA Airlink flight to Polokwane Airport (about 1 hour). Upon arrival at Polokwane Airport you will board a charter flight to the Limpopo Valley Airfield where you will be met and transferred to the Mashatu Game Reserve. It is very important to note that a 15 Kilogram luggage limit per person is strictly enforced for all safari flights, drive and camps. Your luggage must be soft bags. For guests who may need to store excess luggage, you may wish to do so at Johannesburg Airport, or better yet, travel light. The Mashaty Main Camp is at the confluence of Limpopo and Shashe Rivers in the Tuli Enclave, a diverse region ranging from savannas to forests to open plains.

In open four-wheel-drive land cruisers, experienced Tswana rangers and trackers provide guests with unequaled close-up game viewing and photographic opportunities. Night game drives dinners overlooking lighted watering hole offer unique views of bush life. Mashatu Main Camp (BLD)

Day 16: Cape Town – Wednesday
Board morning safari flight from Limpopo Valley Airfield to Polokwane Airport, where you connect with the scheduled Airlink flight to “OR Tambo” Johannesburg Airport and connect with onward flight to Cape Town. Very important to note that a 15 Kilogram luggage limit per person is strictly enforced for all safari flights, drive and camps. Your luggage must be soft bags. For guests who may need to store excess luggage, you may wish to do so at Johannesburg Airport, or better yet, travel light.

On arrival, you are transferred to the Radisson Hotel. The hotel is located next to Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. The five-star Radisson Hotel exudes a relaxed charm with the feel of a luxurious beach hotel. Cape Town is cradled by Table Mountain and has immense charm and history. (B)

Cape Town Waterfront

Day 17: Cape Point / Peninsula Tour – Group Tour – Thursday
Travel coastal road that hugs the cold Atlantic Ocean to Hout Bay, a former fishing community that is a popular residential area, but still retains the charm of days past. Continue south to Cape Point in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, where the Atlantic and the Indian oceans meet. Return along the Indian Ocean coast road. Visit a colony of penguins at Boulders Beach. Drive through Simonstown naval base to Kalk Bay. Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, one of Africa’s finest gardens. Radisson Granger Bay Hotel (BL)

Day 18: Cape Town /Johannesburg – Friday
Fly back to Johannesburg. Hotel choices subject to availability: Mount Grace Hotel, Hilton Sandton or Melrose Arch Hotel. Transfers are always included. (B)

Day 19: Livingston – Victoria Falls – Saturday (BD)
All transfers are included. Fly to Livingston. Economy class air fare (including tax) is included.  Accommodations: Royal Livingston Hotel or Zambezi Sun. (BD)

Day 20: Victoria Falls – Sunday
This master work of nature–plunging into a massive ravine and sending up a roar of spray sufficient to sustain a rainforest around its edge–needs little introduction. Our exciting program includes all of the town’s “musts”: two nights luxury accommodations; a guided tour of the falls and nearby artisan village and a Sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River. This tour includes two breakfasts, airport transfers and guided sightseeing. Accommodations: Royal Livingston Hotel or Zambezi Sun. (BD)

Day 21: Victoria Falls / Johannesburg – Monday (B)
All transfers are included as usual. Fly back to Johannesburg. Air fare is included Livingston to Johannesburg. And your hotel: Sandton Hilton. Economy class air fare (including tax) is included.

Day 22: Departure from Johannesburg – Tuesday (B)
Early morning transfer to JNB Airport. End of our service. Bon Voyage!

Remember because there is limited space on the safari vehicle, ONE medium sized bag (soft luggage preferred) is allowed on the safari vehicle per person, plus your carry on.

For Christmas/New Year’s week, as well as Easter season: add 10% to any of the above rates.

INCLUDED:

• Air fare Johannesburg / Livingston / Johannesburg, economy class, tax included.
• Airfare from Casablanca to Cairo and on to Johannesburg, in BUSINESS CLASS, with tax included
• Deluxe Hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
• All airfares within Egypt, in business class, tax included.
• All transfers are on a private basis as per itinerary.
• Private touring on board the Nile cruise: private guide, private chauffeur, private air-conditioned vehicle for the full cruise/shore excursions. Deluxe Nile Cruise with all meals.
• Private touring in Morocco and Egypt, private guide, private chauffeur, private air-conditioned vehicle.
• Preset menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner
• Internal Airfare – Johannesburg – Mashatu – Johannesburg – Cape Town.
• Daily accommodations as shown in the itinerary & all hotel taxes and service charges
• All hotel /airport transfers as indicated
• Transportation in air-conditioned coaches
• Game drives in open 4-wheel drive safari vehicles, conducted by experienced Tswana rangers and trackers Spotlight game drives at night
• Game walks accompanied by experienced Tswana ranger and tracker
• All sightseeing, game viewing, entrance fees and park fees as indicated in the itinerary.
• VIP Arrival Hall Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
• Our representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as  American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order, valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo with our compliments.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Any international airport departure taxes.
• Passport and visa fees (rate covers the Egyptian Visa).
• Shipping charges, and other items of a personal nature such as gratuities to drivers and guides, porters, telephone/telex/fax charges, laundry, and beverages.
• Personal expenses including but not limited to beverages, laundry, communication costs, excess baggage fees (baggage is restricted to 26 lbs (Modify as required) per person in a soft sided bag where charter flights are included)·
• Traveler’s insurance (the purchase of travel insurance is recommended to protect your investment in case of unanticipated curtailment or cancellation of your tour).
• Medical expenses, medical insurance (passenger must show proof of insurance or ask for the flyer to be mailed).
• Gratuities to drivers, guides or tour managers.
• Any sightseeing, safari activities, meals, or other activities not specified in the itinerary or indicated as optional.
• Please note that tipping is discretionary, however, the following guidelines are provided: $5-$10 per day for guides; $3-$5 per day for camp and/or Nile Cruise staff, e.g. waiters, housekeepers, which is a communal tip that is shared among the staff); porters – $1; driver/guides – $2-$5); restaurant waiters/waitresses – 10% of bill; hotel housekeeping – $2 per day.
• Excess baggage charges, shipping charges, items of a personal