From Tokyo to Cairo

Here's the best of the two worlds & two of the oldest civilizations, Japan & Egypt in 19 days: Weekly on Saturdays, a good look at Tokyo ,Hakone, Kyoto & Nara , Cairo and a 4-night cruise along the Nile, locally escorted. All tips included *

Day 1, Sun - San Francisco or Los Angeles
Board your comfortable JAL jet for your overnight flight across the Pacific. Dinner served on board.
Upgrade to business class on JAL from LAX or SFO for $2000

Day 2, Mon-TOKYO ARRIVAL
Arrive at Tokyo Narita Intl. Airport. After entry formalities you will be met and escorted via Airport Limousine to your accommodations at the KEIO PLAZA INTERNATIONAL HOTEL (5 stars) located in Shinjuku.

Photo Credit : By JNTO

Day 3, Tue -TOKYO (cBL)
The all-day Dynamic Tour begins with the Tokyo Tower for a panoramic view of this metropolis. Enjoy a tranquil opportunity at the Happoen Garden and experience the tea ceremony. LUNCH at the Chinzanso Garden for a Genghis Khan Barbecue treat. Your boat cruise on the Sumida River highlights the new development surrounding the riverside and enjoy browsing through the many colorful "nakamise" arcade shops at Asakusa Kannon Temple. You may return to your hotel or you may end your tour at Ginza and take a taxi or subway to your hotel.

Day 4 , Wed - TOKYO (cBD)
Today at leisure to enjoy this metropolis on your own. The department stores offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of the people. Be sure to visit the basement food area for an endless array of Japanese and western delicacies. Evening special BENTO (Box dinner) while you enjoy a performance of the KABUKI THEATER.

Day 5 , Thu -TOKYO - MT FUJI - HAKONE (cBL)
Morning motorcoach sightseeing excursion to Mt. Fuji and drive to its Fifth Station for a view of the surrounding lakes. Continue to Hakone National Park and LUNCH at the Hakone Highlands Resort.Enjoy a cruise on Lake Ashi and a cableway ride up Mt. Komagatake. Accommodations at the KOWAKI-EN HOTEL. (4 stars) Enjoy the public bath at this Hotel which is invigorating and is a "must."

Day 6, Fri -HAKONE - ODAWARA - TOKYO (cB)
Morning at leisure to enjoy this mountain spring resort. Late afternoon transfer to Odawara Station for your JR Limited Express train to Tokyo. And your hotel: Keio Plaza Hotel. (Or similar) .

Day 7 , Sat -KYOTO - NARA - KYOTO (cB)
Morning Transfer to Tokyo Station to board the JR super Express (Bullet) train to Kyoto. Upon arrival walk to your accommodation at the New Miyako Hotel (5 stars) or similar. Afternoon enjoy a motorcoach tour through the countryside to the ancient capital of Nara visiting Todaiji Temple and its indoor Buddha and Deer Park. Tour The Kasuga Shrine and its 1001 Hanging lanterns. Return to Kyoto early evening.

Day 8, Sun - KYOTO (cB)
A glimpse into the history of Kyoto is significantly presented in your visits today to the Golden Pavilion with its golden splendor reflected like a mirror in the surrounding pond. Walking through the Nijo Castle brings you into the residence of the shogun and understand the formality of the Tokugawa period. The Old Imperial Palace as the former residence of the Imperial Family presents the simplicity and nobility of the era. The Kyoto Handicraft Center gives you an opportunity to observe artisans of the area in their intricate craft as cloisonne, calligraphy and more, take the shuttle back to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure or join one of our optional tours: A- Kyoto including the Heian Shrine. Kiyomizu Temple, Sanjusangendo Hall. B- Night tour including a Tempura dinner and the Gion Corner for a program of traditional Japanese arts.

Day 9, Mon - KYOTO - OSAKA/KANSAI / CAIRO (cB)
Airport Limousine transfer to Osaka Kansai Intl. Airport. Subject to availability we may fly out of Osaka non stop to Cairo, or connect through Tokyo and on to Cairo

Day 10-CAIRO - Tue (cB)
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. For American & Japanese citizens, complimentary visa will be issued upon arrival. You are responsible for having a valid passport. Welcome Egyptian pastries and sweets (hotel room).

Day 11-CAIRO - Wednesay (B)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including Tutankhamon treasures & the Mummies Room , we bring you back to the hotel around noon , remainder of the day at leisure , explore Cairo as you wish, or take on the 12th century district of Khan El Khalili, a shopper's dream. Or maybe just enjoy the pool at your hotel. Breakfast is included at the hotel.

Day 12-CAIRO/LUXOR - Thursday (BLD)
An early flight takes us to Luxor, where we settle in aboard our Nile Cruise. Following lunch aboard, we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, returning to our vessel in time for tea. Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board .
While you are on board the cruise, all meals are included

Day 13 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS-Friday (BLD)
We tour the Valley of the Kings, temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch. In the afternoon, do as you like: Luxor's folksy bazaar awaits you. Room/Cabin amenity tonight:Complimentary local sweets platter. Afternoon tea on board.

Day 14 - ESNA & EDFU - Saturday (BLD)
We cruise to Esna during the night and pass through the locks. After breakfast we cruise to Edfu and board horse-drawn carriages to get to the fine Temple of Horus. In the evening, we have a jolly galabia party. We'll provide you with a complimentary Galabia for your costume galabia party.

Day 15 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN - Sunday (BLD)
We explore Kom Ombo's twin Temples of Haroeris, the sun God, and Sobek, the crocodile God, before cruising south to Aswan. After lunch aboard, we board a graceful felucca for a cruise among the Nile Islands, for those how may enjoy a short camel ride, please join us on a complimentary short Camel Caravan to visit a neighboring Nubian Village for tea with the locals, you may wish to bring a "T" shirt or simple gifts to as give away for the children.
Return to the ship in time for our own afternoon tea on board.

Day 16 - ASWAN - CAIRO - Monday (B)
The mighty Aswan dams are our first goal this morning, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Philae temples. Back on land, we visit an ancient Pharaonic red granite quarry before returning to Cairo by plane. Our rep will escort you back to your hotel.

Day 17 - CAIRO Tuesday (BLD)
Today we tour the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, Royal Palace of Abdeen, Manial Palace , the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. Breakfast at the hotel, lunch at a local restauarnat , dinner & Folk show .

DAY 18 - On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old , Wednesday (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 19 - CAIRO/USA Thursday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. You may fly to LAX or SFO.
Upgrade to business class is available only on Egyptair from TOKYO to Cairo and on to JFK for $2500 including tax.

RATES are per person in USD $ From JFK :

AIRFARE NOTES

Hotel category choice would apply to Egyptian hotels & cruise.
In Japan we'll be using only 5 star hotels, except in Haokne where it is a 4 star hotel.

This tour departs weekly from JFK, LAX, SFO, DALLAS, CHICAGO.

For Easter, Christmas/New Year's week, add 15% to the rates.

The rates include :

• All domestic airfares within the destinations as per itinerary , in economy class , tax included.
  
• Train tickets and transfers within Japan and Egypt.
  
• Hotel accommodations including tax & service charges.
  
• Meals as listed: continental breakfast daily in Japan, but American breakfast or Buffet in Egypt, L/D: preset menu lunch/dinner.
  
• Guided sightseeing as listed including all entrance fees.
  
• International airfares as indicated based on the listed itinerary between the USA, Japan, Egypt and back to JFK Please note that itinerary is subject to change.
  
• Hotels used in Japan ( or similar) :
  Intercontinental Keio Plaza (5 Stars) Kwai -en (4 stars) New Miayko (5 Stars) Hotels used in Egypt:
  * For Deluxe we use hotels such as: Grand Hyatt , Conrad , Hilton/Meridien or similar.
  * For First Class we use: Pyramids Park / Oases/ Maadi Hotel .
  
• Egyptian visa Fee: included and issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport only for Japanese, Canadian, Australian, NZ, EU & US passport holders ).

The rate Does NOT include :

• Trip Cancellatin Insurance, Travel Insurance ( We'll be glad to send you the flyer)
• Beverages.
• Meals that are not specified.

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