A 10 Day Private Vacation in Egypt
including 5 day Luxury Nile Cruise

Start in Cairo
Choose your own travel date, daily arrival in Cairo, year round

Enjoy the ultimate version of this Egyptian adventure. Enjoy the most luxurious steamer accommodation available: and stay at the Four Seasons Hotel. Leave any day (Subject to availability of air space and Nile cruise). Figures from Mark Twain to tycoons to heads of state have journeyed to Egypt for the adventure. Treasures and sights unfold at a stately pace: ancient columned temples, tombs containing inestimable riches, green fields irrigated by life-giving waters, looming desert ridges. Of course, there are excursions before and after to the mysterious Sphinx.

DAY 1 – CAIRO – This is a Private Tour. Choose Your Own Arrival date. (Subject to cruise availability)
Our local representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel.

VIP Meet & Greet
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

DAY 2 – CAIRO (BLD)
Private air condition car for your tour today. Private chauffeur. Private Egyptologist. Your exploration of ancient Egypt begins today! We’ll start after breakfast with the Egyptian Museum. Here you’ll see the treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, and precious stones and metals. Travelers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these sights alone. But there’s more, we’ll motor to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids on the edge of Cairo. Taking a camel ride is entirely your own choice! Lunch is included at the Mena House. Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant.

DAY 3 – ABU SIMBEL / ASWAN (or Luxor) (B. Lunch Box. D)
Very early breakfast is included at your hotel in Cairo. Please alert our local rep. in Cairo if you prefer vegetarian meals for your Lunch Box today (must be ordered the night before). Always: Private air condition car for your transfer. Private chauffeur.

Our Cairo personnel will escort you to the airport to board your flight to Aswan and connect by air to Abu Simbel, where your PRIVATE car, driver and guide will be waiting for you at ABU SIMBEL airport, tour the mighty temples of Ramses the Great & Queen Neferatri then fly back to Aswan and your suite at the Movenpick Aswan (The legendary colonial style: Old Cataract remains closed for renovations).

Ramses the Great’s huge desert temple at Abu Simbel marked the southern border of the pharaoh’s dominions. Rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser by an international effort, it is a marvel of sacred engineering. Twice a year – and only then – the sun penetrates to the Holy of Holies, illuminating the stone figures of Ramses and Nefertari. Afternoon High Tea included on the famous terrace over looking the Nile, where Agatha Christie wrote “Death On the Nile.” Remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner is included as well at the Old Cataract.

DAY 4 – ASWAN – Board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
American or buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning at leisure. Board the cruise from Aswan or Luxor. By noon we’ll escort you to your Luxury floating hotel. You’ll settle in to your cabin on your Nile cruiser, where a fruit basket awaits you, then enjoy lunch on board. We’ll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful Felucca, the age-old sailing vessel of the river. If you wish, try your hand at camel riding! We’ll take a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers. Back in Aswan, enjoy a welcome dinner on board your cruise.

DAY 5 – ASWAN / KOM OMBO (BLD)
Board a launch to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters when the High Dam was built. Then, back aboard our cruiser, we’ll sail down river at a stately pace to Kom Ombo, the twin temple dedicated to the crocodile river god, Sobek. While you are on board the cruise, afternoon tea will be served daily on deck.

DAY 6 – EDFU, ESNA- We Include Esna Temple Tour (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages meet us at riverside to take us through Edfu to the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Later, we’ll cruise to Esna. We sail to Esna and tour its temple, while the cruise ship goes through the locks, and by evening we’ll be in fabled Luxor. Egyptian sweets platter will be delivered to your cabin today with our compliments.

DAY 7 – LUXOR (BLD)
We’ll cross the Nile to view an array of ancient splendors: the tomb chambers of the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens; and the Colossi of Memnon. Then we’ll tour Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum and the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

Then it is off to tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon’s tomb and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut. We will stop at the Colossi of Memnon before we tour the charming Luxor Museum. In the evening your guide will call on your for a horse-drawn carriage ride to tour Luxor souks and water front.

Video by Murphy Travels

In the evening, we’ll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias (a Galabia will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments). The galabia is the flowing national costume. While you are on board the cruise, afternoon tea will be served daily on deck on board the Nile cruise.

The order of sites/tours may change depending on the cruise ship confirmed, yet you will not miss any site/ item listed here.

DAY 8 – Fly Back to CAIRO (BD)
After breakfast we’ll visit the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the Temple of Luxor before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Cairo. Private air condition car for your transfer. Private chauffeur. We’ll settle you into your hotel. Dinner is included at La Bodega Restaurant or similar.

DAY 9 – CAIRO (B)
One more day in Cairo at leisure. You’ll have one more opportunity to experience the excitement of this great city and, of course, do some last-minute shopping.

DAY 10 – DEPARTURE (B)
Private air condition car for your transfer. Private chauffeur.Our Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport, where you’ll begin your journey home. Bon Voyage! Please note that the Nile vessels and cruise itineraries are subject to change.

Hotels or similar: Cairo Conrad. InterContinental Hotels Cairo. Cairo Sheraton. Cairo Marriott or similar And accommodation on board the Cruise: Movenpick Royal Lilly, Movenpick Royal Lotus, Sonesta M/S Moon Goddess, or similar (subject to availability)

Nile View Room ate the Four Seasons Cairo and the Oberoi Hotel in Aswan or Garden view room at the Sofitel Cataract or similar Hotels. And accommodation in a Suite on board the Cruise: Mozart Suite on the Sonesta Star Goddess or similar (subject to availability).

Rate includes:

• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.
• Air transportation in Egypt, domestic flights in Egypt in business class.
• All airport/cruise/hotel transfers, including airport greeting. Always on a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle and private chauffeur.
• All guided sightseeing in Cairo and Abu Simbel on a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle and private chauffeur, private Egyptologist, while on board the cruise you are part of a 10-15 English speaking group.
• Deluxe hotel accommodations, including tax based on your choice from the rates listed above.
• Nile cruise, with all meals and shore excursions, based on your choice from the rates listed above.
• Sightseeing with guide and entrance fees to archaeological sites.
• Meals as indicated, with preset menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
• Private air conditioned vehicle for all Cairo touring and transfers.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Large bottle of water (per person) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Tea or coffee an bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.

Not included:

• International air fare and tax.
• Tips.
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• Personal expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages, and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other services

• Days are warm, and sometimes hot, in Luxor and Aswan, while evenings and mornings can be cooler.
• Comfortable walking shoes and clothing of natural fabrics are suitable for shore excursions.
• On board, dress is relaxed for breakfast and lunch, smart casual for dinner. Take a sun hat and, of course, a swimsuit.
• All ships are fully air-conditioned. Typical amenities (which vary from vessel to vessel; inquire for details) include large view windows; in-cabin minibar, hair dryers and safes; and pools, boutiques, and dance lounges.

Women of the Nile
Insights for Women Travelers

Men are welcomed as well
A Grand 10 – Day Adventure
Tour starts First Thursday of each and every month

Egyptian women’s roles in home and society are changing dramatically. They welcome new educational and career opportunities, but want to preserve traditions and family values. Come with us to meet Egypt’s women, see how they live, share meals with them, and go beyond misconceptions – beyond the veil. We’ll meet artisans and learn their crafts, travel through striking landscapes, and explore the deep history, art, culture and society of the Nile Delta and old Cairo Coptic biblical quarter from a woman’s point of view.

DAY 1 – CAIRO- First Thursday of each and every month
On arrival, our local representative will  greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

DAY 2 – CAIRO – Friday (BLD)
We start with the best of Cairo: the Egyptian Museum including King Tut’s “Gold Treasures Pavilion” as well as the “Royal Mummies ” Pavilion, Citadel of Saladin and its Alabaster Mosque, where you will participate in a ” Q & A ” presentation on “Women in Islam ” as well as “Women in Egypt”.

After lunch at a charming local restaurant, we wander through the alleys of the 12-century district of Khan el-Khalili with it’s Caravanserai, Medieval Trade Centers, and bazaar shops that changed little since 12-13 century. You ‘ll have some time to wander on your own maybe in search of souvenirs.

Finally we walk the narrow streets of Old Cairo, once a Roman fort, later the Jewish Quarter, then the Coptic Christian Quarter. We visit the Coptic churches of Abu Serghius and Al Molaka, the Coptic Museum, and Ben Ezra synagogue. While we are at one of the churches or the Coptic Museum we’ll discuss how the Nile Delta environment and local Egyptian tradition has affected women in the Nile Valley regardless of their religion.

In the evening we will attend a local performance at Wekalet Al-Ghoury before we head back to your hotel for dinner.

DAY 3 – Aswan (or Luxor) – Saturday (BD)
After an an early breakfast we head for Cairo Airport to board you flight to Aswan, where we’ll settle you into your hotel.

Tour of Kalabsha Temple dedicated to the ancient god Mandulis, and the goddess Isis. Built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus, the small rock-cut temple of Beit El Wali, built by Ramses the Great, and the small yet charming Kiosk of Qertassi. Afternoon tour of the Nubian Museum, then a short camel caravan & ride to visit a local Nubian Village for tea with the local women in their homes.

DAY 4 -Abu Simbel / ASWAN, Nile Cruise Sunday (BLD)
Cruise is from Aswan or Luxor, we ‘ll confirm the availability at the time of booking.

Abu Simbel: We’ve planned our visit to Abu Simbel to be a highlight of your Egyptian adventure. Rising before dawn, we drive along the shore of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the great temples while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun’s light still golden‹just right for photographs. In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramsis are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple by ourselves in the quiet of the morning, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we begin our leisurely drive back along the shore to Aswan, arriving in time for a late lunch on board your Nile cruiser. In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile.

DAY 5 – ASWAN & KOM OMBO – Aboard Your Nile Cruise – Monday (BLD)
First we tour 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. In the evening, we have a jolly galabiyas party. A Galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.

DAY 6- EDFU & ESNA – Aboard Your Nile Cruise -Tuesday (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. Evening horse-drawn carriage ride to explore Luxor water front and local souks.

DAY 7- LUXOR – Aboard Your Nile Cruise – Wednesday (BLD)
Crossing the Nile, we tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, we tour as well the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut & Colossi of Memnon, then on to the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank where you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs. Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak, please bring a jacket with you.

DAY 8 – LUXOR & CAIRO Thursday (B)
Morning tour of one of the local girls school, you may wish to bring with you a small gift of school supplies, pencils, notebooks etc. to give to the children.

Tour 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 9 – CAIRO Friday (BLD)
MEET AMERICAN & EUROPEAN WOMEN IN CAIRO
In the morning, we visit the majestic pyramids of Giza, the Valley Temple and the timeless Sphinx. After lunch we drive to Dahshour, the newly opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit several ancient structures, including the great pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops.

On our way back to Cairo, we stop at the village of Harania. After a brief tour we’ll have a group discussion that will include an American or a European woman /women who settled in Cairo to share their own insight on/about the Egyptian Society & Egyptian Women. These guests will join you for lunch at a charming local restaurant.

Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! 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. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 10 Departure Saturday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage!

The rates include:

• All airfares within Egypt in economy class tax included.
• All transfers within Egypt on private basis.
• Preset menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
• Guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees.
• Hotel as listed, including all tax & service charges.
• All Nile cruise shore excursions, entrance fees, the service of an English Speaking guide.
• Welcome fruit basket upon check-in on board your Nile cruise and a welcome drink upon arrival on board
• Large bottle of water per person per day delivered to your cabin.
• All outside cabins, including all tax & service charges.
• All meals while on board the Nile cruise: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
• Afternoon tea is served daily onboard your Nile cruise
• One small bottle of water per person with each meal
• Tea or coffle with each meal on board the cruise
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages.
• Gratuities
• International airfares to or from your home country
• Additional meals, drinks and services
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

A Grand Private 10-day Tour of Egypt

Abu Simbel Little temple.
By Karelj (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Day 1: CAIRO – Daily Arrival – Choose your own date – Subject to cruise and air space availability
This is a private tour:
Cairo Airport: upon arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

DAY 2: CAIRO  (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum including the “Mummies Room” and King Tut’s Gold Treasure Pavillion. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz or Hadaik El Azhar restaurant, on to Al-Azhar Park and El Darb El-Ahmar, then the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster, then wander through the alleys of the charming Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district. The Agha Khan Development Network The Azhar Park Project in old Islamic Cairo and the Conservation and Revitalization of Darb al-Ahmar historical treasures.

DAY 3: CAIRO – (BL)
After breakfast, drive to the edge of Cairo. We are now in Giza – stand in awe in front of the Sphinx, and the mighty Pyramids of Giza. Complimentary short camel ride is included to allow you a photo with the Pyramids in the background Time is limited, so please do not go for what the camel driver tries to convince you, i.e. go for a long ride around the Pyramids. Lunch is included at the Mena House. After lunch we head for Memphis & Sakkara, visiting some of the Mastabas and Zoser Step-Pyramid as well as the Serapeum Stop at Haraniya before we head back to your hotel.

DAY 5: ABU SIMBEL (Private car/driver/Guide) (BLD)
After breakfast we fly over Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the great temples while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun’s light still golden; just right for photographs. At the airport in Abu Simbel, your private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide will be waiting for you: In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple in the quiet of the morning, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which we fly back to Aswan in time for lunch on board your Nile cruiser. Welcome fruit basket and Egyptian pastries in your cabin. Evening Sound and Light show at Philae Temple.

Visiting Abu Simbel. Photo by Diana and Maha.

Jacquie Kennedy and Abu Simbel:
All Americans alive during the 1960s remember President John F Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Most Americans from that time also remember Abu Simbel, the dramatic, ancient Pharaonic temple threatened by the rising waters blocked by the new Aswan High Dam. It’s worth remembering that it was Jacquie Kennedy who provided crucial support for the mammoth rescue project. Without her help, Abu Simbel might have been lost. Read More

DAY 6: ASWAN – KOM OMBO (BLD)
Today we inspect the Aswan High Dam and the older Victorian-era dam below it, then visit an ancient red granite quarry. An unfinished obelisk here, in excellent condition, testifies to the workmanship of ancient Egypt’s artisans. Boarding a motor launch, we return to the Philae temples to inspect in daylight the impressive structures which served as the backdrop to last night’s sound-and-light drama. Back on our Nile cruiser, we cast off and cruise downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples dedicated to Sobek, the Nile crocodile god, and Haroeris, the solar disc.

DAY 7: EDFU – ESNA (BLD)
Our riverboat ties up at Edfu, and we climb aboard horse-drawn carriages for a short clip-clop ride through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved. After our visit, we re-embark and cruise to Esna, where we pass through the Nile locks. By evening, we reach Luxor.

DAY 8: LUXOR (BLD)
Today we tour some of Egypt’s greatest wonders: the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes, and, in the nearby Valley of the Queens, the great funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

Deir El Medinah, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank where you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

We also stop at the Colossi of Memnon, mammoth seated statues now standing alone in a farmer’s field. In the evening, we attend the sound-and-light show at the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak.

DAY 9: LUXOR – CAIRO (B)
We return to the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak to inspect it in the daylight, then move on to the smaller but still huge Temple of Luxor. Followed by Luxor Museum & the Ancient Workers Village: Deir El Medinah, the best kept secret in Luxor. Our touring done, we return by air to Cairo and your hotel, of course as always, all your domestic air fare and transfers are included in our rate.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! 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. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 10: DEPARTURE (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage!

General Notes:

• For Easter, Christmas and New Year’s Weeks, a 20 % holiday surcharge will apply.
• Upgrade to the Ultra Deluxe Category:
  Supplement 25 % to be added to the deluxe “A” rate (subject to availability).
• M/S Tuya, M/S TiYi, Movenpick deluxe: Royal Lotus or the Royal Lilly, or the M/ S Radamis II . The all suites M/S Amarco. Sonesta M/S Moon Goddess, all cabins with private balconies
• Air Fare Notes:
  • For departures from Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego or Seattle, please add US$ 450 per person to the rates. DC, Denver Chicago, Miami, Orlando: $ 400
  • Air fare supplement: Doesn’t apply when you handle your own air fare: For May – Sep 15: departures, please add a summer airline surcharge of $450 per person to the rate
• Package Rates are subject to change without notice.

All Suites Amarco Ultra Deluxe Nile cruise

Your tour includes:

• All airfares within Egypt, with taxes in economy class
• All transfers in Egypt always on a private basis: private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
• Hotel accommodations, including tax and service charges.
• Nile cruise; including all guided shore excursions with your own private guide, entrance fees the sequence of sights visited between Aswan and Luxor is subject to change according to vessel requirements, and the cruise may begin in either Aswan or Luxor.
• Meals as indicated in the tour itinerary: B = continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner.
• Bottled water (one per person) delivered to your cabin daily while on board the cruise.
• Tea or coffee as well as bottled water with every meal while on board the cruise.
• Cairo Guided sightseeing by private air-conditioned motor coach or car as per itinerary, including all entrance fees.
• VIP Arrival Hall At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

Not included:

• Travel Insurance.
• Any item of personal nature, i.e. laundry, phone calls. etc.
• Tips.
• Any item that’s not specifically listed in the “inclusions”.

Deluxe – A:
Cairo Hotels: Conrad / Hyatt / Cairo Marriott or similar.
Nile Cruise: M/S Monaco. M/S Mojito, or similar

Deluxe – B:
Cairo Hotels: Hilton, Sheraton or similar
Nile Cruise: M/S Lady Diana. M/S Florence, or similar

First Class:
Cairo Hotels: Oases or similar
Nile Cruise: M/S Nile Dream. M/S Ruby, or similar

Abu Simbel Temple
By Than217 at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

It’s worth remembering that it was Jackie Kennedy who provided crucial support for the mammoth rescue project. Without her help, Abu Simbel might have been lost.

No one questioned that the temple must be saved. UNESCO developed a marvelous plan to cut the huge monument into 1,423 stone blocks and move it 200 meters (219 yards) north and 63 meters (207 feet) higher, just above the estimated level of Lake Nasser, the vast inland sea that would be created by the new dam.

But who would pay? As a developing country, Egypt could not shoulder the burden alone. Other countries could contribute, but only one country–the United States of America–truly had the resources for this monumental rescue effort.

No matter how much wealth there is, it is never enough. Many legitimate, worthwhile projects compete for funds. What Abu Simbel needed was an advocate, someone who recognized the temple for the irreplaceable world art treasure that it was.

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, already famous for her grace, refinement, and sensitivity to the arts, saw the need to work for the salvation of Abu Simbel. It was she who urged Congress to allocate $10 million for the rescue effort (a sum roughly equivalent to $100 million today). It was an enormous amount of money, but she saw that America must step up to the challenge of saving this treasure of worldwide importance for all time.

The rescue funds were approved by Congress and the temple was saved.

In appreciation for her efforts, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser presented the First Lady and the president with a 4000-year-old Egyptian statue (which is now preserved in the John F Kennedy Library & Museum in Boston).

President Nasser wanted also to give a gift of thanks to the people of the United States for their valuable support. He asked Mrs Kennedy to choose an appropriate monument. She suggested the small Temple of Dendur (c. 15 BC), and the gift was readily approved. The temple was brought to the United States in 1965 and installed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967.

Times change, leaders come and go, but some acts of support and generosity are remembered through the decades.

We Owe This to Jackie Kennedy!

The Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
By Yair Haklai (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy loved Egypt, and Egypt still loves her.

For more background information about the process involved in bringing this project to fruition, check out “An Adventure in Democracy”, a website by the Baruch College of the City University of New York where they are processing a collection of papers belonging to the New York Bureau of Municipal Research. There you will find a post with papers relating to Jackie Kennedy and the saving of the temples.

blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/ipaprocessing/2015/03/dear-jackie-save-abu-simbel/

A Private Grand 10-day Tour of Egypt

With a once in a lifetime experience:
Add a private tour and private opening of
Seti I – The Mighty Pharaoh’s Tomb
(not open to the general public)

The Book of Gates in the tomb of Seti I.
By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Day 1: CAIRO – Daily Arrival – Choose your own date – Subject to cruise and air space availability
This is a private tour:
Cairo Airport: upon arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

DAY 2: CAIRO  (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum including the “Mummies Room” and King Tut’s Gold Treasure Pavillion. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz or Hadaik El Azhar restaurant, on to Al-Azhar Park and El Darb El-Ahmar, then the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster, then wander through the alleys of the charming Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district. The Agha Khan Development Network The Azhar Park Project in old Islamic Cairo and the Conservation and Revitalization of Darb al-Ahmar historical treasures.

DAY 3: CAIRO – (BL)
After breakfast, drive to the edge of Cairo. We are now in Giza – stand in awe in front of the Sphinx, and the mighty Pyramids of Giza. Complimentary short camel ride is included to allow you a photo with the Pyramids in the background Time is limited, so please do not go for what the camel driver tries to convince you, i.e. go for a long ride around the Pyramids. Lunch is included at the Mena House. After lunch we head for Memphis & Sakkara, visiting some of the Mastabas and Zoser Step-Pyramid as well as the Serapeum Stop at Haraniya before we head back to your hotel.

DAY 4: ASWAN – Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
We fly to Aswan (or Luxor) and board our Nile cruiser in time for a morning tour of the Nubia Museum followed by a delicious lunch on board. In the afternoon we transfer to a graceful felucca, the traditional Nile sailboat, for a cruise amidst the rocky islands beneath the Aswan High Dam. If you wish, join us on a mini-camel caravan ride to a nearby Nubian village for tea with the locals. In the evening, we take a short ride by motor launch to the Temples of Philae, on an island in the Nile, for a sound-and-light show which explains the Nile’s endless history.

DAY 5: ASWAN – KOM OMBO – Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today we inspect the Aswan High Dam and the older Victorian-era dam below it, then visit an ancient red granite quarry. An unfinished obelisk here, in excellent condition, testifies to the workmanship of ancient Egypt’s artisans. Boarding a motor launch, we return to the Philae temples to inspect in daylight the impressive structures dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS:

The Mystery of Isis
Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld.

Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world. Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Back on our Nile cruiser, we cast off and cruise downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples dedicated to Sobek, the Nile crocodile god, and Haroeris, the solar disc.

DAY 6: EDFU – ESNA – On Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Our riverboat ties up at Edfu, and we climb aboard horse-drawn carriages for a short clip-clop ride through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved. After our visit, we re-embark and cruise to Esna, where we pass through the Nile locks. By evening, we reach Luxor.

DAY 7: LUXOR – On Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today we tour some of Egypt’s greatest wonders: the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes, and, in the nearby Valley of the Queens, the great funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. We also stop at the Colossi of Memnon, mammoth seated statues now standing alone in a farmer’s field.

Cairo and Luxor. Video by Stephen Joos.

Tour: Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum and Deir El Medinah, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank where you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs. In the evening, we attend the sound-and-light show at the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak.

DAY 8: LUXOR – CAIRO (BL)
We return to the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak to inspect it in the daylight, then move on to the smaller but still huge Temple of Luxor. Followed by Luxor Museum.

Then head back to the West Bank for a true very special experience:

Tomb of Seti I: The Mighty Pharaoh:
For preservation purposes, the tomb is closed to the general public and visiting requires special permits. Please book at least 60 days in advance to allow us to secure the permit in time.

Our tour includes special and private access to Seti I’s tomb, the largest and most exquisitely decorated of the 62 sepulchers in the Valley of the Kings. Although famous for being the father of Ramses II, Seti I was considered a great leader during his 11 year rein, known for his military achievements and cultivation of the arts. Despite Seti I’s short life, his tomb is the most completely decorated, preserved and finished in the valley. Every inch of the passageways and chambers in the 446 foot long tomb are not just painted, but are also fully decorated with highly refined bas-relief. The quality and extensiveness of the design set the standard for all the Pharaohs that came after.

The discovery of this spectacularly preserved tomb in 1817 by the circus strongman-turned-Egyptologist, Giovanni Battista Belzoni, made headlines that ignited Egypt-mania throughout Europe. Excitement for Seti I’s tomb struck again in 2007 when further excavation by Egyptian antiquities chief at the time, Dr. Zahi Hawass found a 570 foot passageway descending from the tomb. Entering into Seti I’s tomb, we will capture the spirit of discovery of these archeologists as we explore one of Egypt’s most treasured and rare experiences. Our touring done, we return by air to Cairo, and your hotel.

DAY 9: Full Day – The Culture of Cairo (BL)
Today we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions. We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and exotic.

You’ll see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience. Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos. It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.

Then it’s on to the Blue Mosque, Wekalet El Ghouri Caravan-serai. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House, a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the British Empire, among the many who passed this way.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! 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. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 10: DEPARTURE (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage! Add an extra day in Cairo or add the Abu Simbel Temples.

A Grand Private Tour of Egypt

Here’s the best of Egypt in only 10 days. All transfers are on a private basis. Private touring in Cairo. A good look at Cairo and a cruise along the Nile.

For a once in a lifetime experience add a private tour and private opening of Seti I – The Mighty Pharaoh’s Tomb (not open to the general public).

Day 1: CAIRO – Daily Arrival – Choose your own date – Subject to cruise and air space availability
This is a private tour:
Cairo Airport: upon arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

DAY 2: CAIRO  (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum including the “Mummies Room” and King Tut’s Gold Treasure Pavillion. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz or Hadaik El Azhar restaurant. On to Al-Azhar Park and El Darb El-Ahmar, then the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster, then wander through the alleys of the charming Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district. The Agha Khan Development Network The Azhar Park Project in old Islamic Cairo and the Conservation and Revitalization of Darb al-Ahmar historical treasures.

DAY 3: CAIRO – (BL)
After breakfast, drive to the edge of Cairo. We are now in Giza – stand in awe in front of the Sphinx, and the mighty Pyramids of Giza. Complimentary short camel ride is included to allow you a photo with the Pyramids in the background Time is limited, so please do not go for what the camel driver tries to convince you, i.e. go for a long ride around the Pyramids. Lunch is included at the Mena House. After lunch we head for Memphis & Sakkara, visiting some of the Mastabas and Zoser Step-Pyramid. Stop at Haraniya before we head back to your hotel.

DAY 4: ASWAN – Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
We fly to Aswan (or Luxor) and board our Nile cruiser in time for a morning tour of the Nubia Museum followed by a delicious lunch on board. In the afternoon we transfer to a graceful felucca, the traditional Nile sailboat, for a cruise amidst the rocky islands beneath the Aswan High Dam. If you wish, join us on a mini-camel caravan ride to a nearby Nubian village for tea with the locals. In the evening, we take a short ride by motor launch to the Temples of Philae, on an island in the Nile, for a sound-and-light show which explains the Nile’s endless history.

DAY 5: ASWAN – KOM OMBO – Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today we inspect the Aswan High Dam and the older Victorian-era dam below it, then visit an ancient red granite quarry. An unfinished obelisk here, in excellent condition, testifies to the workmanship of ancient Egypt’s artisans. Boarding a motor launch, we return to the Philae temples to inspect in daylight the impressive structures dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS.

The Mystery of Isis
Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld.

Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world. Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Back on our Nile cruiser, we cast off and cruise downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples dedicated to Sobek, the Nile crocodile god, and Haroeris, the solar disc.

DAY 6: EDFU – ESNA – On Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Our riverboat ties up at Edfu, and we climb aboard horse-drawn carriages for a short clip-clop ride through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved. After our visit, we re-embark and cruise to Esna, where we pass through the Nile locks. By evening, we reach Luxor.

Video by SP9WUN Travel Channel

DAY 7: LUXOR – On Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Today we tour some of Egypt’s greatest wonders: the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes, and, in the nearby Valley of the Queens, the great funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. We also stop at the Colossi of Memnon, mammoth seated statues now standing alone in a farmer’s field.

Tour: Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum and Deir El Medinah, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

In the evening, we attend the sound-and-light show at the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak.

DAY 8: LUXOR – CAIRO (BLD)
We return to the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak to inspect it in the daylight, then move on to the smaller but still huge Temple of Luxor followed by the Luxor Museum.

Then on to the best kept secret in Luxor: We head back to the West Bank to tour Medinet Habu Temple, the Ramesseum Temple and the Colossi of Memnon, then on to Deir El Medinah where on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs. Our touring done, we return by air to Cairo, and your hotel.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! 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. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 9: Full Day – The Culture of Cairo (BL)
Today we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions. We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and exotic.

You’ll see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience. Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos. It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.

Then it’s on to the Blue Mosque, Wekalet El Ghouri Caravan-serai. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House, a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the British Empire, among the many who passed this way.

DAY 10: DEPARTURE (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage! Add Abu Simbel Temples.

General Notes:

• For Easter, Christmas and New Year’s Weeks, a 15% holiday surcharge will apply.
• Rates are subject to change without notice.

Your tour includes:

• All airfares in Egypt, with taxes in economy class, with tax
• All transfers in Egypt.
• Hotel accommodations, including tax and service charges.
• Nile cruise; the sequence of sights visited between Aswan and Luxor is subject to change according to vessel requirements, and the cruise may begin in either Aswan or Luxor.
• Sample Deluxe boats: M/S Adonis, M/S Mojito, M/S Monaco, M/S Monte Carlo, M/S Beau Soleil, Queen of Hansa, M/S Granada, or similar.
• All meals and shore Excursions while on board the cruises.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the cruises.
• Tea or coffee with every meal while on board the cruise.
• Meals as indicated in the tour itinerary: B = continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner.
• Bottled water (one per person) delivered to your cabin daily while on board the cruise.
• Cairo Guided sightseeing by private air-conditioned motor coach or car as per itinerary, including all entrance fees.
• VIP Arrival Hall At Cairo Airport
  Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

Not included:

• Travel Insurance
• Any item of personal nature, i.e. laundry, phone calls. etc.
• Any item that’s not specifically listed in the “inclusions”
• For PRIVATE GUIDE/CAR/DRIVER on board the Nile cruise

Deluxe – A:
Cairo Hotels: Conrad / Hyatt / Cairo Marriott or similar.
Nile Cruise: M/S Monaco. M/S Mojito, or similar

Deluxe – B:
Cairo Hotels: Hilton, Sheraton or similar
Nile Cruise: M/S Lady Diana. M/S Florence, M/S Granada or similar

First Class:
Cairo Hotels: Oases or similar
Nile Cruise: M/S Nile Dream. M/S Ruby, M/S Granada or similar

The best of Egypt in only 9 days
Private touring in Cairo
Weekly Year Round

Felucca on the Nile in Aswan, Egypt.
Photo by Przemyslaw “Blueshade” Idzkiewicz. Wikimedia Commons

A good look at Cairo and a 5-day cruise along the Nile, with air fare from the USA. Arrive any day of the week. All transfers are on a private basis.

DAY 1 – DEPART – NEW YORK – Daily (Subject to availability)
Air fare add-on available from major cities. Board your Lufthansa, Swiss, Air France or British Airways wide-body jet at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport for your transatlantic flight. Egyptair is the only non-stop flight JFK Cairo with an afternoon arrival into Cairo.

For West Coast guests:
You need NOT to fly via New York. When you fly onboard Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, etc, then you fly non stop from the West Coast to Europe then connect to Cairo.

For business class upgrades from JFK (round trip):
Egyptair, Air France Lufthansa or British Airways. Please add $ 3050, tax included.

For business class upgrades from LAX, SFO, SEA or SAN (round trip):
Lufthansa, Air France, or British Airways. Please add $ 4300, tax included.

Day 2 – CAIRO
On arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport. No photos required.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments. If you wish to add an extra night in Cairo? Please click here.

DAY 3- CAIRO (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummy Room and the fabulous treasures of Tutankhamon, and the Pyramids of Giza. Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King’s Chamber. Your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (included) is entirely your own choice! the Sphinx, the Citadel of Saladin,and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. In the evening, we return to the pyramids for a memorable sound-and light show.

DAY 4 – ASWAN – CAMEL CARAVAN (BLD)
We fly to Aswan and board our Nile cruiser in time for a morning tour of the Nubian Museum followed by a delicious lunch on board. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastries in your cabin.

In the afternoon we transfer to a graceful felucca, the traditional Nile sailboat, for a cruise amidst the rocky islands beneath the Aswan High Dam. If you wish, join us on a mini-camel caravan ride to a nearby Nubian village for tea with the locals. In the evening, we take a short ride by motor launch to the Temples of Philae, on an island in the Nile, for a sound-and-light show which explains the Nile’s endless history. Interested in adding and touring Abu Simbel?

Video by wywoo225

DAY 5 – ASWAN & KOM OMBO (BLD)
Today we inspect the Aswan High Dam and the older Victorian-era dam below it, then visit an ancient red granite quarry. An unfinished obelisk here, in excellent condition, testifies to the workmanship of ancient Egypt’s artisans. Boarding a motor launch, we return to the Philae temples to inspect in daylight the impressive structures dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS:

The Mystery of Isis: Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis:

“I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra! Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world.

Back on our Nile cruiser, we cast off and cruise downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples dedicated to Sobek, the Nile crocodile god, and Haroeris, the solar disc.

DAY 6 – EDFU – Our Tour Includes ESNA Temple (BLD)
Your riverboat passes through Esna Locks, at which time your guide will take you on a tour of Esna Temple, onward the cruise sails further north and ties up at Edfu, and we climb aboard horse-drawn carriages for a short clip-clop ride through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved. After our visit, we re-embark and cruise to Esna, where we pass through the Nile locks. By evening we reach Luxor.

DAY 7 – LUXOR (BLD)
Today we tour some of Egypt’s greatest wonders: the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes, and, in the nearby Valley of the Queens, the great funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. We also stop at the Colossi of Memnon, mammoth seated statues now standing alone in a farmer’s field.

Deir El Medinah, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

In the evening, we attend the sound-and-light show at the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak.

DAY 8 – LUXOR – CAIRO (BL)
We return to the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak to inspect it in the daylight, then move on to the smaller but still huge Temple of Luxor. Followed by Luxor Museum. Our touring done, we return by air to Cairo. Lunch is included at your hotel.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! 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. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 9 – DEPARTURE (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage! Add an extra day in Cairo?

• For Easter, Christmas and New Year’s Weeks, a 10 % holiday surcharge will apply
• Children 2-up to 12 years of age: Discount 30%
• Air Fare Notes:
  For departures from:
  • Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia: Pleas add $ 250. Per Person.
  • Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Miami. Orlando: Please add $ 350 per person to the listed rates.
  • For Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego or Seattle, Denver, please add US$ 450 per person to the rates.
  • For Washington DC, Chicago: $ 300
  • Air fare supplement: Doesn’t apply when you handle your own air fare: For May – Sep 30: departures.
• Package Rates are subject to change without notice.

 Your tour includes:

• All airfares in Egypt, with taxes in economy class.
• Round-trip transatlantic airfare, in economy class, including air taxes, from New York to Cairo and return on Egyptair (the only non-stop NYC – Cairo). British Airways, Air France, Swiss, Lufthansa or another IATAN airline, subject to seat availability at the time of reservation. (air fare is always subject to change).
• All transfers in Egypt on a private basis.
• Hotel accommodations, including tax and service charges.
• Nile cruise; the sequence of sights visited between Aswan and Luxor is subject to change according to vessel requirements, and the cruise may begin in either Aswan or Luxor.
• Sample Deluxe boats: M/S Adonis, M/S Mojito, M/S Monaco, M/S Monte Carlo, M/S Beau Soleil, Queen of Hansa, M/S Solitaire.
• All meals and shore Excursions while on board the cruises.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the cruises. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin, on board your Nile cruise.
• Tea or coffee with every meal while on board the cruise.
• Meals as indicated in the tour itinerary: B = continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner.
• Bottled water (one per person) delivered to your cabin daily while on board the cruise.
• Cairo Guided sightseeing by private air-conditioned motor coach or car as per itinerary, including all entrance fees.
• VIP Arrival Hall At Cairo Airport
  Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

Not included:

• Travel Insurance
• Tips
• Any item of personal nature, i.e. laundry, phone calls. etc.
• Any item that’s not specifically listed in the “inclusions”

DRESS CODE: What to Pack. Clothing on Board the Nile Cruise

For PRIVATE GUIDE/CAR/DRIVER:
For the full duration of the Nile Cruise & shore excursions: please add $250 per person. This supplement doesn’t apply when you have at least 6 guests in your party.

Deluxe – A:
Cairo Hotels: Conrad / Hyatt / Cairo Marriott or similar.
Nile Cruise: M/S Monaco. M/S Mojito, or similar

Deluxe – B:
Cairo Hotels: Hilton, Sheraton or similar
Nile Cruise: M/S Lady Diana. M/S Florence, or similar

First Class:
Cairo Hotels: Oases or similar
Nile Cruise: M/S Nile Dream. M/S Ruby, or similar

Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Egypt
By Daniel Mayer (Own work)
[GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

• Char (sometimes written as Shaar/Sha’ar) Hashamayim (Ismailia Temple), now known as Adly Street Synagogue, downtown (established in 1903-5).
• Ashkenazi Synagogue, al-Noubi Street off al-Geish Street, Ataba (built in 1887).
• Kubbeh Synagogue, Misr-Sudan Street, Kubbeh Gardens
• Hanan (Nessim Iskinazi) Synagogue, El-Daher
• Heliopolis Synagogue.
• Meir Y. Biton Synagogue, Orabi and Road 13, Maadi
• Midrash Synagogue, Beit Mosseri, Haret al-Yahood
• Ben Ezra Synagogue, Old Cairo
• Neve Chalom, Abbassia
• Issa (sometimes written as Etz) Haiim, Abbassia
• Moshe al-Dar’i in Abbassieh, Cairo

The synagogue, completed in 1903-5 stood at the epicenter of the new European district of Ismailia named in honor of Khedive Ismail Pasha who founded the district.In the late 1940s Temple Ismailieh was gradually referred to as the “Adly Synagogue.” after the street where it is located.

Source: Ahram Weekly 9-15, 1999. The oldest existing synagogue in Cairo, Ben Ezra Synagogue was originally a church, built in the sixth century near the Roman Fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo. In the ninth century Jews bought the church and a large piece of land surrounding it. For the Jews, the synagogue has great historical, spiritual and religious importance: it is also supposed to be the first place where Moses prayed. This famous synagogue in Fostat (Old Cairo) was called originally the synagogue of ‘the men of Israel’, built in the year 882 on the remains of the basilica of a Coptic church that had been sold to Jews. It became known as the Synagogue of Elijah the Prophet and as the Ben Ezr Synagogue. One of the most famous Jews of the Middle ages, Moses Maimonides (Moshe Ben-Maimon -HaRambam), physician, philosopher, authority on religious law, worshipped at this synagogue while living in Cairo, as a result of which it was popularly called the Maimonides Synagogue. During a restoration process in the 1890’s, a discovery took place: a medieval Geniza (hiding place) was found. Sacred books and worn-out scrolls of the law were put away in the Geniza. Thus, thousands of original documents of the Middle Ages were found. From the 1980’s the synagogue went through a restoration process and today it is an historical monument and one of the most visited Jewish sites.

Source: Child’s Exercise Book, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Cairo, 10th century Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv University. The mutual architectural influence of Jews, Muslims and Christians appears clearly in the Ben Ezra Synagogue. Christian influence shows in the building style itself, which is reminiscent of a basilica. The ceiling is supported by 12 marble columns. Motifs used in many churches, like vines, sheaves of wheat and olive branches are also in evidence. Islamic influence is even more evident on the carved wood and the two chandeliers, on one of which are engraved the names of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs. On the other, the name of Sultan Qalawun is inscribed, also in Arabic. Jewish symbolic and decorative elements include the star of David and the menorah.

Sample tour in Cairo (lunch included):
Today we see Cairo’s major sights: the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummies Room. We’ll continue to Royal Manial Palace of former Crown Prince Mohamed Ali, on to the Coptic Museum, and the Church of Abu Sergha, and the Beni Ezra Synagogue. We’ll see where, according to the legend, Moses was found along the banks of the Nile by the Queen of the Nile and Pharaoh’s wife. We’ll take our lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy a walking tour of the ancient Khan El Khalili Bazaar district, before we head back to your hotel.

Source: Egyptian Maill, August 13, 1994. In 1933, Meyr Yehuda Biton and his wife Regina Chamma Levi purchased from the Delta Land Company the plot of land totaling 3,174 sq.m. at the intersection of Mosseri Avenue (now Orabi Street) and Road 13. Using their own funds plus those donated by Maadi’s Jewish community at that time, the Bitons commissioned engineer Isaac Kipnis to build the Maadi temple which was duly inaugurated in 1946.

Source: Cairo Jewish Community’s Newsletter, July 1996, vol 1, issue 2. Ashkenazi Synagogue was built in 1887, in Haret Al-Noubi, Ataba, Cairo.

• Eliahou Halevi (or Hanabi) synagogue (Nabi Daniel Street), a 150-year-old synagogue, it is the only active synagogue in Alexandria,and houses the treasures of the seven other older and / or closed Alexandrian synagogues.
• Menashe (Menashe Street)
• Zaradiel (Midan Street)
• Green (Moharram bey district)
• Marakesh (No. 31 Midan Street)
• As for the great Diploston synagogue, alas it is yet to be discovered, the search goes on, it was said to be so huge that during prayer time a man had to stand in the middle of the synagogue to signal with a cloth or a turban the correct moment for the Amen to people at the back.

Interested readers may find the more information, history & details on the pages of the Historical Society of Jews From Egypt. On Jews in Alexandria and Egypt in general.

Honeymoon Wishes Vacation

Hurgada, Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh and Alexandria
Private touring at all times
All in 9 Days

Perfect for Honeymooners and families looking
for that extra special Mediterranean getaway

Planetarium beside Bibliotheca Alexandrina
photo: nomo/michael hoefner www.zwo5.de

Day 1: CAIRO – Daily – Year Round
Arrive in Cairo. Our local representative will be waiting for you with a sign and a warm welcome and will whisk you to your comfortable hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments.

For Deluxe category: We suggest the InterContinental Hotels or similar.

For the Ultra Deluxe Category: We suggest the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel overlooking the Nile, the J. W. Marriott Hotel if you prefer to be closer to the airport, or the Fairmont Hotel Cairo.

The J. W. Marriott Hotel Cairo

DAY 2: Cairo / Hurgada or El Gouna Red Sea  (B)
After breakfast, we head for Cairo Airport and your flight to Hurgada. Deluxe and Ultra Deluxe rates do include business class flights within Egypt.

For Ultra Deluxe category: Our number one choice is the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurgada

For families with 2 children: (must be younger than 12 years of age) we suggest the Suite category.

the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurgada

For the Ultra Deluxe category our number one choice is the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurgada
A secluded haven on the Red Sea Coast, celebrating rare marine life, nature’s fabulous colours and the timeless beauty of the sea. Nature’s colours come to life at The Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh with white sand, aquamarine waters and vibrantly-hued marine life. In exotic Egypt, this exclusive luxury resort on the Red Sea Coast is situated on 48 acres with a private beach. The architecture of the resort reflects the style of the region, resplendent with domes, arches and columns. Peace and privacy pervade this all-suite resort, with private courtyards complemented by soothing interiors and luxurious bathrooms.

Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurgada Suite

Rooms and suites at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh Hurgada
All 63 Deluxe Suites and 21 Superior Deluxe Suites are spacious and elegantly appointed and have luxurious bathrooms with separate shower stalls. Their sunken marble baths overlook a private open-air walled garden. In addition, there are 12 larger Grand Suites have their own private swimming pool, heated in the cooler months.

There are 6 Royal Suites. These beautiful apartments have a separate living/dining room, adjoining pantry and a guest bathroom. As well as an open private courtyard with swimming pool, the Royal Suites feature an outdoor dining pavilion.

The pavilion at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh Hurgada

Day 3 & Day 4: Hurgada or El Gouna Red Sea (B)
Enjoy the beach or take one of the local optional tours. Breakfast is included daily

Day 5: Hurgada / Cairo – Alexandria (B)
After breakfast, we head back to the airport and fly back to Cairo. Where, our local guide and driver will meet you at Cairo Airport and escort you from Cairo to Alexandria and back after you finish touring Alexandria.
You ‘ll have your own private air-conditioned vehicle and private chauffeur.

The drive is about three and half hours. Flights are available. Reach Alexandria in time for your check-in at the hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure to enjoy the beach and your hotel facilities. In the evening, your guide will call on you for a drive to the Ram downtown area and tea or coffee (included) at one of the local cafes.

For the Ultra Deluxe Category you have the choice between:
A suite at the legendary deluxe Helnan Palestine Hotel, overlooking the Mediterranean, and Al-Montazah Royal Palace of the former Royal Family of Egypt, and a standard room at the Four Seasons Hotel San Stefano Alexandria.

Four Seasons San Stefano Alexandria

The new Four Seasons San Stefano Alexandria, Egypt
Welcome to Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano, Egypt. Edging the Mediterranean in a setting of legendary glamour, discover an intimate enclave within the stately Grand Plaza shopping and residential complex. Indulge in classically elegant accommodations, European spa treatments and terraced restaurants with fresh sea breezes. Four Seasons care outshines all else in Alexandria.

Day 6: Full Day – ALEXANDRIA  (BL)
We’ll get to known Alexandria in depth, as we visit the National Museum in Alexandria, the building was originally built in 1926 for the US consulate in Alexandria and is a masterpiece in 1920’s architecture & Mediterranean style buildings.the Roman Amphitheater, the Koum El Shougafa Catacombs, Eliahou Halevi (or Hanabi) synagogue (Nabi Daniel Street), a 150-year-old synagogue, it is the only active synagogue in Alexandria,and houses the treasurers of the seven other older and / or closed Alexandrian synagogues, and an afternoon horse-drawn carriage ride on the water front, and inspect the exterior of the mosque of the Alexandrine local “saint”: Morsi Abu-Al-Abbas, a leisurely walk through the local souks and Zanket-El Setat to get a fell of this charming old part of Alexandria, followed by Lunch (included) in an Alexandrine restaurant.

Octavious visiting Alexander the Great’s Tomb in Alexandria.
Octavious had just defeated Cleopatra and Marc Anthony armies. He left his coat at Alexander the Great’s tomb as a token of respect.
The search continues for Alexander the Great’s Tomb.

Day 7: Full Day at leisure – ALEXANDRIA (B)
Breakfast is included daily at the hotel. Full day at leisure to enjoy the beach and your hotel.

Day 8: From Alexandria to Wadi El-Natroun and Cairo (B. Lunch Box)
Breakfast is included at your hotel. Lunch Box prepared by the chef at your hotel. Private air-conditioned deluxe mini-coach, always private chauffeur and private Egyptologist. Today, suggest that we start no later than 8 AM to avoid the heat: Tour of Qayet Bey Fortress built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world: the famous Alexandria Light House. Pompey’s Pillar and the Serapeum housing the huge mummified Bulls that were were worshipped by Ancient Egyptians. Then a brief stop at “El Selsela” the site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered, as well as Caesar Kiosk, then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library.

Video by Teresathetraveler

We head south and on to Wadi El-Natroun, deep in early Egyptian Church territory and early Christianity in Egypt. Wadi El Natroun is almost half way between Alexandria and Cairo, we tour the Coptic Monasteries, where early Egyptian Coptic monks and Popes took refuge escaping the Vatican aggressive effort to bring the Egyptian Church into the fold. Reach Cairo late afternoon and your hotel.

DAY 9: DEPARTURE (B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport for your flight home.

Included:

• Private air conditioned deluxe sedan, or deluxe mini-coach, private chauffeur, as per itinerary.
• Private English (or other language of your preference) speaking guide, escorting you Cairo Alexandria Cairo
• All tours, guided sightseeing with admissions, taxes, service charges as per itinerary.
• Breakfast daily at the hotels, lunch – Pre-set menu during your full days of tours, as per itinerary
• Hotel accommodation with tax and breakfast
• Domestic flights within Egypt in economy class tax included, for Deluxe and Ultra Deluxe it is in business class.
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required).
• Egyptian Visa will be issued 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 at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets 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, then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments.

The Ultra Deluxe including the choice of staying at the Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano, Egypt. Edging the Mediterranean in a setting of legendary glamour, discover an intimate enclave within the stately Grand Plaza shopping and residential complex. Indulge in classically elegant accommodations, European spa treatments and terraced restaurants with fresh sea breezes. The care at the Four Seasons outshines all else in Alexandria.

Ultra Deluxe Rates per person in US $

• The Four Seasons San Stefano Alexandria
• The Helnan Palestine Hotel
• The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh
• Four Seasons in Cairo

Children (younger than 12 years of age) maximum 2 children sharing with 2 adults, must be in a suite. In this case each child will pay only: $ 1160 USD

The Four Seasons San Stefano Alexandria, Egypt

Rate doesn’t include:

• Any International air fare
• Trip/travel insurance
• Tips
• Personal Expenses
• Any Beverages

The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurgada

Dining at the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurgada

8 Day Tour

Boarding Aswan and including
Ramses The Great Mighty Abu Simbel Temples

Abu Simbel temples, Egypt
Rémih [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

DAY 1 – CAIRO – Arrival
VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks 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 at least for 6 month 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 you 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 with our compliments. Weekly on Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays & Wednesdays, year round.

DAY 2 – CAIRO (BL)
Today we get to know the great Egyptian capital on a full-day tour. We start at the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummy room & Tutankhamoun Treasures, then go on to visit the majestic pyramids of Giza and the timeless Sphinx, and conclude with the 12th century district of Khan El Khalili. Lunch is included at Al-Azhar Park.

DAY 3 – Aswan (or LUXOR) / Edfu (BLD)
An early flight takes us to Abu Simbel, where your private guide, private chauffeur and private air-conditioned vehicle will be waiting for you to tour of Ramses the Great two mighty temples:

In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which we head back to Abu Simbel Airport and fly back to Aswan, (Cruise embarkation may also be from Luxor).

Check-in on board your cruise, settle on board, then visit the Aswan High Dam, the red granite quarries of the ancient pharaohs, and the temples of Philae, reconstructed on an island in the middle of the Nile, rescued from rising waters, dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS:

Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth. Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world. Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

After a shipboard lunch, we set sail for Kom Ombo, where we explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek. We continue our cruise to Edfu, where we dock for the night. Welcome complimentary fruit basket.

DAY 4 – EDFU & Luxor (BLD)
We board horse-drawn carriages (or motor vans) for the ride to Edfu’s Temple of Horus, one of the best-preserved Ancient Egyptian temples on the Nile. After lunch, we continue our cruise down the Nile to Luxor. Afternoon tea is served on the sun-deck. Dinner & entertainment on board. Complimentary Galabya, maybe to wear it for tonight’s costume party.

DAY 5 – Luxor (BLD)
Today we tour the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple of El Deir El Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch,we tour the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, the “mother” of all temples, and the smaller yet charming Temple of Luxor, Afternoon tea is served on deck. Dinner & folk dance show on board. Complimentary Egyptian sweets/pastry tonight.

DAY 6 – Disembarkation – Fly Back to CAIRO (BD)
Check-out after breakfast. We return by plane to Cairo and our hotel. Experience Cairo as you like. Now’s a good time to do your souvenir and gift shopping in the city’s fabled bazaars. Dinner is included at La Bodega Restaurant or El Sid restaurant or similar.

DAY 7- MEMPHIS / SAKKARA / DAHSOUR (BL)
Enjoy American or Buffet breakfast before we explore the great Egyptian capital in this full-day tour of Memphis, the Step Pyramid of Sakkara and DAHSOUR. We’ll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King’s Chamber (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid, depending). Continue to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure:

The “Discovery” of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru’s pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza’s Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru’s–miraculously–is still in place.
Lunch is included at the Mena House.

DAY 8- DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage!

Please add a supplement of 10% to these rates for December 20 to January 3, or during Easter Week.

Rates include:

• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required).
• Egyptian Visa will be issued 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 at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet 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, then you claim your luggage After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments.
• Domestic airfare within Egypt in economy class tax included,  tickets issued & delivered in Cairo.
• All transfers within Egypt, always on a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
• Bottled water (one large bottled per person) delivered to your cabin daily while you are on board.
• Tea or coffee and small bottled water with each & every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise, and a welcome fruit basket in your cabin upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Pre set menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
• Hotel accommodation,including tax & service charges.
• Guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees
• Nile cruise including all meals & shore excursions. For a private Egyptology while on board the cruise, please add $250 per person, this will include as well private air conditioned car /driver for the duration of the Nile Cruise.

Rates do not include:

• Any international airfare
• Travel Insurance
• Tips

Clothing on board:
Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing, swimsuits, sun hat. Dinning room dress code: Casual for breakfast & lunch, smart casual for dinner. All ships are fully air conditioned.

DRESS CODE:
All of our Nile cruise vessels are fully air conditioned. Onboard dress is casual except at dinner, when smart casual is the rule. Lightweight cotton and other natural fiber clothing is best, with swimsuits and sun hats for the sundeck and pool. Bring a light sweater or light jacket for cool mornings and evenings, but most days are warm to hot, with very little rain. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for shore excursions.

What to Pack:
Most of the year look forward to warm, even hot weather in Cairo, Luxor & Aswan, morning & evenings are cooler. During Winter… very rare do we get rain, if so, very brief showers. No need for real rain wear/gear.
Before sunrise, after sun-set, you’ll need a light jacket, or light sweater.

For Nile cruise shore excursions, we suggest comfortable cotton & natural fabric lightweight clothing.

Comfortable walking shoes are essential for all tours in Cairo or Upper Egypt.