Marrakech to the Nile
Explore the two
gems of North Africa--Morocco and Egypt--on this 10-day (9-night) tour
to Casablanca, Marrakech, Cairo and Luxor. A bonus: journeys by train
across the Moroccan countryside, and up the Nile!
Departure
weekly, on Tuesdays, year round.
Compare with the 2 week version . Add
a Nile Cruise
DAY 1
- OFF TO MOROCCO! Tuesday
Board a comfortable Royal Air Maroc jet at New York's John F. Kennedy
International Airport for your nonstop flight to Casablanca. For most
west coats travelers, it will be British Airways, Lufthansa etc.
Day
2 - MARRAKECH - Wednesday (D)
Our international flight arrives in Casablanca
( or Marrakech - subject to availability) . After completing customs and
immigration formalities, we connect with our domestic flight
which takes us south to mystical Marrakech. Our
staff escorts us to our hotel, where we enjoy a
Moroccan-style welcome dinner.
DAY 3
- MARRAKECH - Thursday (BL)
Breakfast is included at the Hotel.
We board a horse-drawn carriage for a clip-clop tour of this ancient royal
capital, including the Kotoubia, and a former royal palace,
lunch is included in a charming local restaurant.
Afternoon walking tour of the labyrinthine souks (bazaars).
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 4
- MARRAKECH Friday (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Now that you've got your bearings, today is yours to explore the city
on your
own. If you prefer, join one of our optional tours (for an additional
fee): one takes you to a nearby Berber village, another
takes you into the souks for a shopping spree.
Day 5
- BY TRAIN TO CASABLANCA Saturday (BL)
"Getting there is half the fun!" We board the train for
our return to
Casablanca, cruising through the lovely countryside past
green fields, fruit-laden orchards, traditional
villages and modern towns, with the lofty Atlas
Mountains soaring in the distance. Our tour escort points out
interesting features, and fills us in on Moroccan life
and culture. After arriving in Casablanca, we visit
the majestic new Grand Mosque of King Hassan II,
second only to the Great Mosque at Mecca in size. We continue on
a panoramic tour of the city and its souks. After lunch
, we drive to the airport for our Egyptair or Royal
Air Maroc night flight across North Africa to Egypt. Breakfast
, Lunch.
Day
6 - CAIRO Sunday (B)
We arrive in Cairo with the dawn, complimentary
Egyptian visa fee (valid only for Australian, NZ,
EU , American & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at
least 6 month upon arrival). A visa will be issued
at the airport upon arrival in Cairo Drive through
the awakening city to our hotel for
breakfast ( included) and a bracing cup of coffee or tea. Refreshed,
we visit the Citadel of Saladin and its Alabaster Mosque, enjoying spectacular
views of the city below. We descend from the Citadel into
Khan el-Khalili, the bazaar district, in search
of Egyptian treasures. The rest of the day is yours:
find a little local restaurant for lunch, go museum-hopping, take a nap,
or stroll along the Nile, as you like.
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 7 - CAIRO Monday (BLD)
Today we visit Cairo's most famous monuments: the awesome pyramids
of Giza, the
Valley Temple and the timeless Sphinx. After lunch we drive to Dahshour,
the newly opened pyramid field south of Cairo, where we
visit several ancient structures, including the
great pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops.
In the evening, enjoy a dinner cruise on the Nile with belly dance and
folk show.
Breakfast , Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8
- LUXOR Tuesday (BL)
Very early breakfast at the hotel, we head for the airport around
5 AM for our flight to Luxor, from the airport in Luxor we proceed to
cross the Nile
to visit the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon. After
lunch in Luxor, we tour the stupendous Great Temple of Amon at Karnak,
and visit the Sacred Lake and red granite quarry with its
huge unfinished obelisk. We take a quick look at
the great temple of Amon Ra at Luxor on our way
to the airport for our flight back to Cairo. Breakfast , Lunch
DAY
9 - CAIRO-Home Hosted Dinner Wednesday (BL)
The world-famous Egyptian Museum, which holds
the treasures of Tutankhamon, is our first stop
today, after which we wander the narrow streets of Old Cairo
(once a Roman fort). We go on to the Jewish Quarter, then the Coptic
Christian Quarter, stopping at the churches of Abu Serghius
and Al Molaka, the Coptic Museum, and the Ben Ezra
synagogue. After lunch at a typical local restaurant,we
head back to th e hotel. Breakfast
, Lunch
Day 10
- DEPARTURE (aB)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight
to Casablanca, and on to New York. Breakfast. Bon Voyage
Rates
(per person in US $ )
|
Deluxe
Hotels |
First
Class |
In
Triple occupancy
|
US$
4350.00 |
US$
3890,00 |
Double
|
US$
4378.00 |
US$
3930.00 |
Single
|
US$
5560.00 |
US$
5220.00 |
Your tour includes:
* International
air fare from JFK, roundtrip, including tax. Add on air from: most of
the West coast cities: $350 on British Airways , Lufthansa
or Air France
* Domestic airfares
within Morocco and Egypt , including tax
* First-class
day train Marrakech-Casablanca ,
including tax and service
* All
airport and train station transfers in Morocco and Egypt as described
in the tour itinerary
* Your
hotel room at a carefully selected deluxe, first class or tourist
class hotel, whichever you prefer, including tax
& service
* Meals
as described in the itinerary, and indicated by the symbols: aB =full
American-style or buffet breakfast, B = continental breakfast, L =
set-menu lunch, D = set-menu dinner
* Guided
sightseeing as listed in the itinerary including all entrance
fees
* Easter, Christmas
& New Year's "20% supplement will apply to the rates.
The
tour does not include:
|
