In Search of Egypt's
Ancient Lands

The Red Sea and Alexandria Version

A grand 17 Day Tour s in Egypt with an 8 day Nile Cruise and a stay in a Red Sea Resort
in El Gouna or Hurgada . Available in 10 day version
Or the Ultra Deluxe Version

See the Pyramids,the Sphinx, the timeless temples along the Nile in Luxury fit for a Pharaoh. Meet the locals: Enjoy a home hosted meal. Weekly on Sat , year round. Add Petra ?

How would you like to cruise the Nile the way the Pharaoh & Cleopatra did ? These graceful boats will allow you to cruise the great river in a stately Pharaonic style. Our 11-day "soft adventure" cruise visits Cairo, all of Upper Egypt's top sights, and gives you the chance to see the timeless Nile as adventurers have seen it throughout the ages. If you're on your honeymoon, we can provide a private boat . 20-Day including Minya and Tel Al-Amarna

DAY 1 - CAIRO : Arrive weekly on a Fridays or a Saturday ( subject to cruise availability which sails on Day 3 on Saturdays & Mondays) :
Upon arrival, we escort you to your comfortable hotel. Meridien, Hilton or Sheraton. Complimentary visa is issued upon arrival for the following nationalities; American, British, Canadian & Japanese, your passport must be valid for at least 6 month beyond date of arrival.

DAY 2 - CAIRO & GIZA - Sunday (cBLD)
Today we see Cairo's major sights: the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummies Room. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon we see Giza's major sights: Giza Pyramids, and the mighty Sphinx.

DAY 3 - LUXOR Monday (LD)
Morning flight to Luxor , we'll escort you to your Nile cruises . Check- in is at noon, if/when you arrive earlier your cabin may not be ready , yet all the public facilities on board are at your disposal.

complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin.

Special announcement for 2004: Please note that Queen Nefertari's tomb is closed for urgent repairs, so we 'll be touring instead : 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. Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak Temple.

DAY 4 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS Tuesday (cBLD)
Today we tour the Valley of the Kings, including King Tut's tomb, Valley of the Queens, Queen Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. After a shipboard lunch. Sail for Edfu where we dock for the night.

DAY 5 - EDFU & ASWAN Wednesday (cBLD)
In Edfu, we board horse-drawn carriages for the ride to the Temple of Horus. The best preserved temple in Egypt. Returning to our ship, we set sail for Aswan .Complimentary Galabya , you may wish to try on for the evening when there's a jolly galabia party aboard.

DAY 6 -ASWAN & CAMEL CARAVAN Thursday (BLD)
Get ready for the tour of Aswan Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, The Nubian Museum, and Philae Temple an Island temple , 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!

,before we head back for our lunch aboard. In the afternoon we board a graceful felucca and cruise among the islands of the Nile, be our guest if you wish on a complimentary short camel caravan to a near by Nubian Village for tea with the locals. Return to the ship in time for your "High Tea"

DAY 7 - KOM OMBO Friday (BLD)
Morning at leisure or join us for an optional tour to Abu Simbel by plane.
In the afternoon we sail for Kom Ombo. Where we dock for the night.

DAY 8- KOM OMBO Saturday (BLD)
We explore the twin Temples of Haroeris , the Sun God, and Sobek , the Crocodile God, at Kom Ombo, . Returning to our ship in time for tea. We set sail for Luxor.

DAY 9- LUXOR Sunday (BLD)
After breakfast, on to the Gigantic Temple of Karnak & the great temple of Luxor are our goal this morning , after lunch we see the most recent discoveries housed in the relatively new & charming Luxor Museum. Return to our Nile cruiser in time for afternoon tea

DAY 10- LUXOR/ Hurgada or El Gouna Red Sea - (B, D)
Check- out, breakfast on board . Private air conditioned car/van Enjoy the beach or take one of the local optional tours. Breakfast & dinner are included daily

For families with children , this is a children friendly hotels/resorts/destinations !

Day 10 & Day 11- Hurgada or El Gouna
Red Sea - (cB D)
Enjoy the beach or take one of the local optional tours. Breakfast & dinner are included daily , as well as local beer & local wine.
Extend your stay in Hurgada as you wish ( please ask us)

Day 12 - Hurgada or El Gouna
Red Sea - (B,D)
Enjoy the beach or take one of the local optional tours. Breakfast & dinner are included daily
Extend your stay in Hurgada as you wish ( please ask us)

Day 13 - Cairo / Alexandria (cB)
Fly back to Cairo , connect by air or drive ( air conditioned vehicle ) for the transfer to Alexandria and your hotel: Helnan Palestine in Montazah.

DAY 14 - Alexandria (cBL)
Full day tour of the Catacombs, the Roman Amphitheater, Qayet Bey Fortress built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous Alexandria Light House. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

DAY 15 - Alexandria / Wadi El Natroun Monasteries (cBL)
Today we 'll visit the new 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.

A brief stop at " El Selsela" the site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered, as well as Caesar Kiosk. Lunch at a local restaurant , then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library before heading back to Cairo .
We stop at Wadi El Natroun monastery , where early Coptic Christians retreated here to escape the Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun.
Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel .

Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria just after he defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony. He left his coat as a token of respect to Alexander the Great. The search continues for Alexander the Great's Tomb.

DAY 16 - Cairo - Home Hosted Family dinner (cB)
With your travel guide book in hand, explore Cairo as you wish or go on a shopping spree, the choice is all yours.

Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo l! 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, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences. 

DAY 17 - Departure -(B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage

Deluxe Hotels & Cruise : RATES per person in USD $ :


The Deluxe Nile Cruise : M/S Mojito , M/S Beau Soleil M/S Monaco or M/S Monte Carlo
or similar

Dec 20 - Jan 5 & Easter Week : Please add 20 % holiday supplement.

Ultra Deluxe Category Based on :
The Four Seasons ( Standard Room) , the Grand Hyatt ( Grand Suite).
Cairo Marriott ( standard room)
Sonesta Nile Cruises ( All suites Category or similar)
Flying within Egypt in business class

RATES per person, in deluxe accommodations, in US$:

Sample of the The Ultra Deluxe Nile Cruise :

• The Ultra deluxe MS Tuya , M/S TiYi , M/S Amarco
  
• The Movenpick M/S Royal Lilly , Movenpick M/S Royal Lotus or the Movenpick M/S Radamis II
  
• The all suites and with private balconies in each suite the : Sonesta St. George , Sonesta Star Goddess or Sonesta Moon Goddess
  
• Dec 20 - Jan 5 & Easter Week : Please add 20 % holiday supplement to any and all the listed rates .

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES :

• Egyptian domestic airfares as described in the itinerary in " Y " class . Please add $150 to upgrade to business class.
• All airport transfers and taxes in Egypt.
• Hotel accommodations in the category you select , including taxes.
• Pre set-menu (table d'hôte) meals as indicated in the itinerary above.
• Nile cruise based on your category selection, with all shore excursions and meals .
• 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.
• Guided sightseeing by air-conditioned motorcoach, including all admissions fees.
• Visa fee issued upon arrival for EU , American, Australian, NZ, Singaporean & Japanese citizens, passport must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of arrival.

First Class Hotels & Cruise ( 4 stars ) : RATES per person in USD $
Sample Nile Cruises : M/S Nile Dream . M/S Ruby or similar

Other choices:

• Compare with the Moon Goddess Version
  
• The Ultra Deluxe 14-Day version , add Ultra Deluxe Hurgada / El Gouna accommodation ,
  
• Add the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El Sheikh
  
• Add Abu Simbel Excursion ( 11 days ) , also in 13 day
  
• Tour is available also in 10-day , 12-day , 13-days and 15-Days
  
• Compare with the 21-Day including Minya and Tel Al-Amarna
  
• Red Sea version : a 14 Day dream vacation .
  
• Compare with the 17-Day version including Alexandria.
  
• Sailing the Nile on board one of the Former Royal Dahabiyas Yachts
  
• Add Petra Jordan
  
• A grand tour of 17 Days in Egypt with a stay in a Red Sea Resort in El Gouna or Hurgada

• Compare with 21-day version including a one week Nile Cruise

Dining Room Reservations: Meet other passengers :
YOU will not require any, our dining rooms do accommodate all our guests in one seating, one less thing to worry about while you are on the Nile. Enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere with several different languages being heard at dinner.

Clothing on Board: Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing. Swimsuits, sun hat. Dining room dress code is casual for breakfast & lunch, but smart casual for dinner. All ships are fully air conditioned