A Grand 15- Day Tour of Egypt : Including : Alexandria and Fayoum Oases
This exceptional package includes Egypt in all its variety,
from the wonders of the Great Pyramids to a Nile cruise,
and even the unspoiled beaches of the Red Sea.
As well as the mighty temples at Abu Simbel

Click here for the 19 -day edition with the the Greek Isles
Add Italy . Combine with Israel and Palestine

DAY 2 - CAIRO- Sailing on the Nile - Tuesday (BLD)
Today we see Cairo's major sights: Tahrir Square , 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. We'll take our lunch at a local restaurant.
Enjoy a 30 minute felucca sailing on the Nile to see Cairo from a different angle before we head back to your hotel. Dinner is included at your hotel

DAY 3 - DAHSOUR - Wednesday (BL)
After breakfast, 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 your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (Included) is entirely your own choice!

We'll visit as well the Cheops Solar Boat Museum, housing the Royal Barge of the Mighty Pharaoh, the oldest known wooden boat to survive from the Pyramids Builders era.

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 a local restaurant . Evening Sound and Light show by the Pyramids.

DAY 4 - The Red Sea resort of Sharm ,Thursday (BD)
Breakfast is included at your hotel. Head for the airport and a short flight to Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy this unique desert beach resort.
Relax by the cerulean waters, take a camel ride at your option.
Breakfast & dinner included

DAY 5 - Sharm El Sheikh, Snorkel or Dive- Friday (BD)
The Red Sea just off "Sharm" is replete with fascinating coral and aquatic species unique to this area. You'll spend the full day today exploring these wonders as you snorkel or scuba dive (for which proof of certification is a must ). There's also time to relax, take an optional excursion, or look into the life of the Bedouins who have made a way of life in the desert. Evening Bedouin Dinner.

DAY 6 - LUXOR - Board Your Nile Cruise -Saturday (BLD)
An early flight takes us to Luxor, upon arrival , our local rep. will be waiting at the airport will be waiting with a sign in your name , off to your Nile cruise , check-in , a welcome drink will be served upon arrival. Get ready for lunch on board ,in the afternoon we visit the great temples of Luxor and Karnak, then return to our Nile cruiser in time for afternoon tea . Cabin amenity : One large bottle of mineral water in your cabin daily . A welcome fruit basket in your cabin.

DAY 7 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS- On Board Your Nile Cruise - Sunday (BLD)
Today's tour includes the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, as well a visit to the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb , temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch. Afternoon tea is served daily on board . Complimentary welcome fruit basket in your cabin.

DAY 8 - ESNA - EDFU- On Board Your Nile Cruise - Monday (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. A Galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.

DAY 9 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN , CAMEL CARAVAN -Tuesday (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 .Then to really immerse yourself, try your hand at a complimentary camel riding! We'll take willing passengers on a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers. Only Travel In Style & Nubian Nile Cruises afford this unique opportunity to meet & interact with local Nubians. We are proud to offer this insight into the Nubian way of life. Back in your cabin : Complimentary Egyptian pastry & sweets platter.

DAY 10 - ASWAN - Check out Wednesday (B)
The mighty Aswan dams are our first goal this morning, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Philae temples, this 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!
Back on land, we visit an ancient Pharaonic red granite quarry, before we head to your hotel in Aswan :

Deluxe : Elephantine Island Aswan Movenpick

First Class : Basma or similar

DAY 11 - ASWAN - ABU SIMBEL/CAIRO Thursday (BL)
After breakfast we tour the Nubia Museum before we head for the airport and a short flight to Abu Simbel. There we'll marvel at the temples dedicated to Ramses the Great and Queen Neferatri, saved from rising waters of the Nile when the High Dam was built, fly back to Aswan and connect with our returning flight to Cairo .Dinner at the hotel

ABU SIMBEL

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 temples, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which we begin our leisurely drive back to Abu Simbel Airport

Jacquie Kennedy & Abu Simbel Temples in Egypt :
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. Arrive early in Egypt, extend one day to be able to see Abu Simbel . Read More

DAY 12 - Cairo -Friday (B)
Breakfast is included at the hotel . Morning walking tour of Khan EL Khalili ancient Bazaar district , and Muiz Ledeenallah " medieval pedestrians only area)

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 ! 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 13- ALEXANDRIA - Saturday (BL)
A full day of guided tour, covering the highlights : The Greco Roman Museum, the Roman Catacombs, Pompey's Pillar and the subterranean tombs of the sacred bulls , tour Kayet Bey Fortress (the old site for the Ancient Lighthouse ) . Lunch at a local restaurant followed by a tour of the Crown Jewels Museum and the Roman Amphitheater, before we head back to Cairo , time permitting we will stop for a brief visit at Wadi El Natroun Monastery ..

DAY 14 - Cairo Fayoum - Sunday (BL)
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old

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 15 - Departure - Monday (cB)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage

RATES per person in USD

Sample Nile Cruises:
Deluxe Nile Cruises :M/S Monaco ,M/S Monte Carlo , M/S Mojito , M/S Beau Soleil ,M/S Florence , M/S Royal Ruby . M/S Lady Diana . M/S Adonis or similar
First Class : Nile Dream , Ruby or Similar

DINING NOTES
The set-menu meals included in your tour are indicated in the itinerary: B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner. On our luxury Nile cruise vessels, our spacious dining rooms accommodate all passengers at one seating, so there is no need to worry about making reservations , one less thing to worry about while you are on the Nile. Enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere with several different languages being heard at dinner.

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES :

• Egyptian domestic airfares ( economy class ) as described in the itinerary. With possible free upgrade to Business class when you book Deluxe category ( subject to availability)
  
  
• All airport transfers and taxes in Egypt.
  
  
• Hotel accommodations (including taxes).
  
  
• And set-menu (table d'hôte) meals as indicated in the itinerary above.
  
  
• Nile cruise 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 motor coach, including all admissions fees.
  
  

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.

More choices :

• Your Own Forum on Egypt and Jordan
  A Monthly Roundtable on Middle East History, Politics, Economics and Beliefs
  Egypt and Jordan in 14 Days
  
• Compare with the 19 -day version with the Greek Isles
  
• Or the 15-Day version with Alexandria & Fayoum Oases
  
  
• Add Arabia : Dubai and Petra Jordan .
  
• Add India .
  
• Combine with Israel and Palestine
  

The Physically Challenged Passengers in Egypt

Egypt presents challenges to the traveler in a wheelchair, but we are determined to make it possible for everyone to enjoy Egypt's wonders.

Here's what the wheelchair traveler may expect:

1. Airport arrival in Cairo may not be as smooth as at some more handicapped-ready airports, but it presents no big problems.

2. A number of five-star hotels in Cairo are well prepared to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs.

3. Most museums are not well prepared to receive wheelchair travelers, so their visits may be limited to certain exhibits, for example, those on the ground floor.

4. Some outdoor sights, such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and some temples along the Nile, are more or less readily accessible. Your Egyptian guides will display ingenuity in overcoming small barriers to access so that you can enjoy these wonders. It may be necessary in some places for the traveler to be carried by guides up or down steps or steep ramps to allow wheelchair access.

5. Unfortunately, some sights are inaccessible to wheelchairs, such as most of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings (including that of Tutankhamon).

6. At Luxor a suitable ramp connects the Nile cruise boat dock to street level. There are a few small steps which can be negotiated by wheelchair with the crew's help (our crew members are always available to help). At Aswan there is no ramp, but rather two flights of 20 steps each. Travelers will need to be carried between street and boat levels by our crew.

7. The gangway of some of the Nile cruise vessel is wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, but the angle of ascent may be steep and the guest may have to be carried aboard. Onboard, most of the ship do not have an elevator, but wheelchair travelers can be accommodated in a wheelchair-friendly cabin on the same deck as the reception and dining rooms.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops . . . Are You Up to the Adventure?

A journey into the heart of the Great Pyramid is a real-life Indiana Jones adventure. But it can also be a taxing and frightening one.

You'll follow claustrophobic passages cut into the heart of the pyramid, feel the pull of the mass of stone directly above. For better or worse, you have placed yourself in the hands of the engineering expertise of the ancients.

As you continue along the unventilated passages, the oxygen becomes depleted, the air becomes noticeably warmer and more pungent. The ascent of steep stairways consumes more energy than you imagined, and you find yourself short of breath. Lighting is dim, every footstep must be carefully calculated. Low passageways repeatedly oblige you to advance while bent down, and your muscles protest. Where walls disappear into the dark above, you feel wedged into a shaft. Despite warnings, and your own resolve, claustrophobic feelings are hard to suppress.

Finally, you behold the King's Chamber at the heart of the Great Pyramid. The effort to reach it has made the reward more exhilarating than you imagined. If only you can face the return.

Is the King's Chamber for you? If you're not used to bending and regular exercise, you might find the challenge beyond your capabilities. Turning back is more difficult the farther you go, and the experience could leave you aching for days afterwards.

Be realistic about yourself, your abilities, and your disposition. And remember that there are many other rewarding sights and adventures at Giza, without the physical challenge and risks of the King's Chamber.

The decision is up to you.

Nefertiti Turns Egypt Upside Down!!

The first bloodless religious revolution against the established church in Ancient Egypt
And the seat of power that rested with the priests in Karnak .
Nefertiti conducts the religious ceremony at the Temple of Aton
wearing only a see-through cloak and thong-style panties !

Nefertiti Turns Egypt Upside Down!! 1350 BC - Queen Nefertiti is reported to have led her Egyptian subjects on a wild spree of idol-smashing, temple-destruction, and forced migration, all part of a campaign of religious reformation. In Egypt a temple painting of a well-endowed Nefertiti in a chariot, wearing only a see-through cloak and thong-style panties, may explain why it was easy for Egyptian to follow her to the end of the Earth.

"From now on, there will be only one Deity, and that Deity is Aten, the Sun Disc," she has commanded.

Reliable sources in the Nile Valley report that all temples to gods other than Aten have been closed, and that a hefty fine will be imposed on anyone caught with an outlawed statuette.

Idols are to be smashed immediately, and the shards turned over to the priests of Aten.

"The capital of Egypt will now be at Tel El Amarna," reads a decree widely circulated in cuneiform on clay tablets.

"All priests are to settle within one hour's journey of the new Temple to Aten. All bidders on public works contracts will likewise have their head offices within the same specified distance."

Egyptian leaders in exile have disputed the motives behind the upheaval. "It's just a ploy to concentrate power and wealth in her hands and those of her husband, Ikhnaton," stated one defrocked priest.

"Everybody knows that Nefertiti has risen to her position on qualities that have nothing to do with religion.

She isn't called Incarnation of Beauty for nothing," he added, referring to the literal meaning of her name. The source asked not to be identified, fearing reprisals. Tel El Amarna, Nile Valley, 2004 - from Paul Glassman, special correspondent "Wow," commented Joe Shiner, an agro-businesman from Des Moines, as he toured the main temple at Tel El Amarna. "It's one thing to hear that Nefertiti was a real beauty. But it's quite another to visit in person and learn the real story." "Until I came here, I didn't know that she was behind the idea of having only one god-even before the Hebrews and Christians and followers of Mohammed.

"And now that I see her picture, I can understand why people followed her. This is not what I expected . . . not at all!" Mr. Shiner gestured as he spoke to a temple painting of a well-endowed Nefertiti in a chariot, wearing only a see-through cloak and thong-style panties.

"If she was my queen, I'd follow her to the end of the . . . "
Mr. Shiner's comments were interrupted by the approach of his wife.

Disclaimer: The facts presented are as accurate as can be ascertained from the archeological record. Mr. Joe Shiner is a composite of the satisfied clients of Nubian Nile Cruises .