Loading Private Mediterranean Cruise Shore Excursion
Fly from Cairo
Statues in Karnak temple complex near Luxor, Egypt
By Karelj (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Combine with your Princess Cruise, Louise Cruise, Oceanic Cruise, Crystal Cruise, Royal Caribbean or other Mediterranean cruises. If you have only a short time, this is the perfect way. Your few hours in Egypt are filled with exotic sights, sounds, scenes and scents.
Arrive on ANY cruise ship. This is the perfect add on to your Mediterranean cruise. Extensions are available to Aswan, Alexandria, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurgada, Marsa Alam, and Nile Cruises. More cruise Shore Excursions: Barcelona, Cairo, Greece, or Turkey. Compare with the four day Al-Alamein and Alexandria private escapade.
You may start as well from Alexandria or Safaga on the Red Sea
Private Deluxe Mini Coach: Mercedes, Lexus and such sedans are not advisable in Upper Egypt tourist sites due to the terrain, particularly on the West Bank in Luxor.
Rate per person in double:
At the Old Winter Palace in Luxor ( Nile view room): $ 865.00 USD
Rate per person in Single:
At the Old Winter Palace in Luxor (Nile view room): $ 1150.00 USD
Rate per person in double:
At the Steignberger Nile Palace in Luxor ( Nile view room): $ 610.00 USD
Rate per person in single:
At the Steignberger Nile Palace in Luxor ( Nile view room): $ 850.00 USD
DAY 1: Cairo / Luxor
Our local tour escort will pick you up in the early morning from your hotel and escort you to Cairo Airport for your flight to Luxor (always with a private air-conditioned vehicle and a private chauffeur). Air fare is included Cairo – Luxor – Cairo, in economy class, tax included.
Upon arrival in Luxor, we proceed from the airport to the west bank at Luxor – one of the most important archaeological sites in the world (always with a private air-conditioned vehicle, private Egyptologist and a private chauffeur).
Valley of the Kings:
The Valley contains 62 tombs to-date, excavated by the Egyptologists and archaeologists from many countries. Not all of the tombs belonged to the king and royal family. Some tombs belonged to privileged nobles and were usually undecorated. Not all the tombs were discovered intact, and some were never completed.
Time permitting we will include three Royal Tombs of our Ancient Pharaohs including King Tut’s (Tutankhamen).
Hatshepsut, the first Queen to rule as a Pharaoh of Egypt
Name: Ma’at-ka-Ra Hatshepsut
Ma’at-ka-Ra – her name means Truth/Order/Balance (“Ma’at”) is the Spirit/Double (“ka”) of Ra’ Hatshepsut – ‘Foremost of Noble Women’
Although not the only female ruler of Egypt, Ma’at-ka-Ra Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty) is one of the best known (next to Cleopatra). She managed to rule for about twenty years, before disappearing from history, coinciding with Thuthmose III’s becoming Pharaoh in his own right.
We will also stop by the Memnon colossi, before we head to:
Medinet Habu temple
The ancient Egyptian name for Medinet Habu, in Arabic the “City of Habu” was Djamet, meaning “males and mothers.” Its holy ground was believed to be where the Ogdoad, the four pairs of first primeval gods, were buried.
Medinet Habu was both a temple and a complex of temples dating from the New Kingdom. It adjoins the cultivation at the southern end of the Theban necropolis, opposite southern Luxor. The area was one of the earliest places within the Theban region to be associated with the worship of Amun. Hatshepsut and Tutmosis III built a small temple to Amun on the site of an earlier structure. Next to their temple, Ramesses III built his mortuary temple, Medinet Habu’s most conspicuous standing monument.
Video by Oswas
After a very full morning, head back to the hotel and check-in. Enjoy your siesta and a leisurely afternoon. Then we meet up again around 5 or 6 PM for a horse-drawn carriage ride around the town and a stroll through Luxor’s local souks and village.
The souq (open-air market) in Luxor, Egypt
By Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
DAY 2: Back to Cairo (B)
Breakfast is included at your hotel. This morning we head to the mighty Karnak Temple complex – just imagine 20 Vatican’s put together. We stand in awe before the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, then on to the smaller yet most charming Temple of Luxor, dedicated to Amon-Ra, followed by a tour of one of the best displays of antiquities in Egypt, located at the Luxor Museum opened in 1975. Housed within a modern building, the collection is limited in the number of items, but they are beautifully displayed. It is well worth the visit.
Off to Luxor Airport, fly back to Cairo where our local tour escort will assist with your transfer to the international terminal or your hotel in Cairo. Bon Voyage!
Included:
- All airport transfers, always with a private air-conditioned vehicle and a private chauffeur
- Air fare is included: Cairo – Luxor – Cairo, in economy class, tax included
- Guided sightseeing in Luxor, as per itinerary, including all entrance fees (always with a private air-conditioned vehicle, private Egyptologist and a private chauffeur)
- Private English (or other language of your preference) speaking guide
- All admissions, taxes, service charges
- Hotel accommodation as listed, including breakfast, tax and service charge
Rate doesn’t include:
- Any International air fare.
- Any visa Fee
- Trip/travel insurance
- Tips
- Personal Expenses
- Any Beverages
