|
In
Search of Ancient Lands
Sharm El Sheikh and St. Catherine Monastery Version
A
16 Day tour of in Egypt with an 8 day Nile Cruise .
See the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the timeless temples along the Nile
in Luxury fit for a Pharaoh.
And the Mighty Temples in Abu Simbel. We use only the finest vessels
Add
a Spa Package to your stay on the Nile Cruise or in Cairo and Sharm
El Sheikh
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 adventure tour and 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
. Add Alexandria
. Click
here to add Sharm El Sheikh and Mount Sinai
DAY
1 - CAIRO Saturday and Thursday , weekly , year round :
Our
representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel.
Visa fee is included and will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport
for : Australian, NZ, American,Western European , Canadian & Japanese
citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid
at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.
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 your name .
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 Sunday & Friday (cBL)
Today we see Cairo's major sights: the Egyptian Museum, including
the Mummies Room. We'll continue to the Coptic Museum, and the
Church of Abu Sergha, and the Beni Ezra Synagogue. We'll see where,according
to tradition, Moses was found along the banks of the Nile. We'll take
our lunch at a local restaurant.
DAY
3 - LUXOR Monday and Saturday (BLD)
Morning flight to Luxor , we'll escort you to your Nile cruise . 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.
Morning tour of 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.
Return
to the cruise for a delicious lunch, complimentary welcome fruit basket
in your cabin. Afternoon at leisure , maybe to explore the local bazaar
on your own. Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak Temple.
DAY
4 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS Tuesday (BLD)
Today we tour the Valley of the Kings, including King Tut's tomb,
Valley of the Queens, including Queen Nefertari's tomb, 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 (BLD)
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 ,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 " Afternoon 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- Fly to Aswan Saturday (B)
After breakfast, check - out. Disembarkation/
Aswan
After breakfast, we check out. Fly to Aswan ( This portion of the
domestic air is part of our inclusions& rate), and the legendary
colonial style : Old Cataract ( Subject to availability) or the Movenpick
Aswan Hotel ( on the Island of Elephantine in the Middle of the Nile
).For First Class hotels we use Basma Hotel or similar.
DAY 11 - Abu Simbel/ Cairo - Sunday (B. Lunch
Box )
Breakfast.
Then it is on to the airport for the short flight to Abu Simbel .
In Abu Simbel : Your private car and private Egyptologist will be
waiting for you
In Ramses the Great Abu Simbel 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 retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments
, and to enjoy our lunch box . Then head back to Abu Simbel Airport
for the flight back to Cairo ( via Aswan)
In
Cairo , our local rep. will assist with your transfer to your hotel.
All transfers in Egypt are always on a private basis . Private air-conditioned
vehicle, private chauffeur.
DAY
12 - CAIRO- Giza - Monday (BL)
Today we drive to the edge of the Sahara to stand in awe in front
of the Giza Pyramids, and the Sphinx, our rate includes as well a
visit to the Solar Boat Cheops Museum . Lunch is included at the Mena
House.
Afternoon walking tour of the charming old bazaar district of Khan
El-Khalili.
DAY
13 - CAIRO- Sharm El Sheikh - Tuesday (BL)
Fly over the Nile Valley , Sinai and the South Canal to Sharm El Sheikh,
private transfers at all times, air fare is also always included .
We land in Sharm and off to your hotel : Renaissance Sharm Hyatt or
similar for DEluxe. Hilton, Sheraton, Sonesta for First.
Relax!
This is your day to absorb all that you've seen and experienced so
far, not to mention the bright Egyptian sun and sparkling sea.
DAY
14 - SHARM / MOUNT SINAI & St. Catherine Monastery- Wednesday
(BL)
Very early in the day, we leave by air conditioned car/coach heading
for Mount Sinai:
In
the cool before sunrise, we drive into the wilderness of Sinai, through
which Moses led his people to the Promised Land. Our goal is the Monastery
of St. Catherine, built on the site of the burning bush at the base
of Mount Sinai.
Only
for those who are fit physically and do not have a problem with heights,
you may wish to climb Mount Sinai ( while we'll provide guide at no
additional charge, you climb the mountain at your own risk ) , those
who decide to ascend the mountain , you will reach the top usually
just before sunrise and on a good day you 'll be able to see Saudia,
the promised land and the rest of Sinai.
Otherwise
we tour the monastery, rich in history, icons and sacred paintings,
lunch box is included, returning to Sharm airport late in the afternoon
, connect to Cairo and your hotel.
DAY
15 - On
Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids
were old ,
Thursday (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
16 - Departure - Friday (cB)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home.
Deluxe
Category
RATES per person in USD:
| |
Outside
Cabin |
Suite on the Nile
Including a private Egyptologist at all times
|
| Triple |
US$
4130 |
US$
5670 |
| Double |
US$
4250 |
US$
6085 |
| Single |
US$
5960 |
US$
7890 |
Sample
Nile Cruise : M/S Mojito, M/S Monaco, M/S Monte Carlo , or similar
Christmas,
New Year's : Dec 20 - Jan 2 & Apr 1-30 : Please add 20% holiday
supplement.
First
class ( 4 stars ) hotels & Cruise : RATES per person in USD $
| |
Outside
Cabin |
| Triple |
US$
3720.00 |
| Double |
US$
3850.00 |
| Single |
US$
5470.00 |
Sample
Nile Cruise : M/S Nile Dream, M/S Ruby , or similar
Christmas,
New Year's : Dec 20 - Jan 2 & Apr 1-30 : Please add 20% holiday
supplement
YOUR
TOUR INCLUDES :
- Egyptian
domestic airfares in Economy class as described in the itinerary.
- All
airport transfers and taxes in Egypt. PRIVATE basis
- 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
- Guided
sightseeing by air-conditioned motorcoach, including all admissions
fees.
- Visa
fee issued upon arrival for American EU , & Japanese citizens,
passport must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of arrival.
- Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance
- Personal
expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages,
and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other
services
- Gratuities
- International
air fare from /to home
- Optional
Excursion
What to Pack:

Most of the year look forward to warm, even
hot weather in Luxor & Aswan, morning & evenings are cooler.
For Shore excursions, we suggest comfortable cotton & natural
fabric lightweight clothing. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.
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
|