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Day
1 - CAIRO - All transfers and tours in Cairo are always on a private
basis.
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, and private guide
for your tours.
Our representative greets you at the airport, helps with formalities,
and whisks you to your hotel. Visa fee is included. Visa will be issued
upon arrival for " American, Australian , NZ , Canadian, EU , Singaporean
& Japanese Citizens, you are responsible for having your passport
valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of arrival.
Visa
will be issued upon arrival.
As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some
stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops,
at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers. There
you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign
with the name you prefer to use for the sign .
Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp
from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport
officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport
as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist you
in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting the terminal,
our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel
DAY
2- CAIRO (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including
the Mummy Room and the fabulous treasures Tutankhamon, 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
3 - ASWAN - Kalabsha & CAMEL CARAVAN (B)
We fly to Aswan and on to your hotel. Settle in for a brief rest before
we head out for a
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,
as well as the
Nubia Museum
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. For those interested , 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
4 -ABU SIMBEL (BLD)
Very
early breakfast. 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 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 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
in
time for lunch
on board your Nile cruiser . Please note that you'll need to wake
up before sunrise, the drive to Abu Simbel is about 3 hours or more .
If you would rather fly , please add $100 to any of the listed rates.
On board the cruise : A Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastries in
your cabin.
Jacquie
Kennedy & 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
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 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
6 - 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
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 (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.
Dinner at the hotel
DAY
9 - CAIRO / ALEXANDRIA (cBD)
Early breakfast at the hotel before we head to Alexandria by private car/driver,
dinner at your hotel , subject to availability and your hotel category
choice: the Cecil Hotel with the old world charm, or Hilton / Sheraton
or Palestine Montazah Hotel.
DAY
10 - Alexandria (BL)
Full day tour of the Catacombs, the Roman Amphitheater, and
a brief stop at : Qayet Bey Fortress housing some of
the recovered items from the French Fleet & Napoleons Flag Ship "
L'Orient", sunk by the British & Admiral Nelson, east of Alexandria.
Qayet
Bey Fort was built
on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous Alexandria
Light House. 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 to
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. Afternoon walking tour of Alexandria
local souks and Zanket El-Setat. In the evening your guide will call on
you for a night out on the town and el-Raml downtown district.
Day
11 - Alexandria - Wadi El Natroun - Cairo (cBL)
Breakfast
at the hotel. Off to
Cairo in your private air conditioned van .
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
Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria .
Just after he defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony ( 30 B.C) .
He left his coat as a token of respect to Alexander the Great.
The search continues for Alexander the Great's Tomb.
DAY
12 - CAIRO - Family Hosted Dinner (cBL)
The Culture of Cairo
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 Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles,
swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great decorative
traditions. 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 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.
You
may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt
, small souvenirs of your home town)
Day
13 -On
Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids
were old (BL)
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide):
Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun,
lunch is included at a local restaurant.
The
wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue
for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains,
oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.
Join
us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of
camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota
Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and
soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive
toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as
it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was
a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.
We’ll
visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside
the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s
village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught
fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and
discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating
crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll
also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local
artisans are on display.
Then
it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll
head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient
lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic :
Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost
forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop
and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea
creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth
in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.
The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal
evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site.
It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have
helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan
discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary
feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi
-El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales
were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender
body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are
exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the
Zeuglodon Isis Whales .
In
the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land
transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser
with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included
DAY
14 - DEPARTURE (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight
. Bon Voyage . Extend to Petra
Rates
per person in US $
| |
Deluxe |
First
Class |
| In
Triple Occupancy |
US$
3845.00 |
US$
3470. 00 |
| In
Double Occupancy |
US$
3995.00 |
US$
3590. 00 |
| In
Single Occupancy |
US$
4895.00 |
US$
4190. 00 |
For
Easter, Christmas and New Year's Weeks, a 20 % holiday surcharge
will apply.
Your
tour includes:
- All
airfares within Egypt, in economy class with taxes, to upgrade to business
class within Egypt, please add $ 150 to any of the rates
- All
transfers within 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 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.
- Complimentary
Lonely Planet travel guidebook to Egypt
-
Tips to all your drivers, guides, porters, and the crew on board your
cruise
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"
- Airfare
from / to your home country
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.
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Choices:
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