Deluxe Nile Cruise ,Honeymoon on the Nile,1001 Egyptian Nights, vacation in Egypt,Egyptian Tours

DAY 2 - CAIRO
On arrival, we escort you to your comfortable hotel. Complimentary visa is issued upon arrival for the following nationalities; American, Australian, NZ, EU , Canadian , Japanese and Singaporean , your passport must be valid and in order .

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 3 - CAIRO- Sailing on the Nile - (cBLD)
Today we see Cairo's major sights: 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.

DAY 4 - DAHSOUR - HOME HOSTED MEAL (cBLD)
After breakfast, we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. The museum of the Royal Barge of Cheops The museum is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years , the wooden boat was readied for the king's daily journey with the sun god, Ra . Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt.

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!

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 or at your hotel.

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 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 dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 5 - The Red Sea resort of Sharm (cB)
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 is included daily

DAY 6 - Sharm El Sheikh, Snorkel or Dive- (cBD)
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 8 - AQABA, PETRA - (BLD)
We'll drive to the port of Nuweiba, where we'll board the Red Sea ferry. Across the water to Aqaba Jordan , our Jordan-based representative waits to greet you. You'll drive north under a towering ridge of mountains, and arrive at your hotel in Petra for the night. Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American , Australian, NZ , Canadian, EU , Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival). Lunch is included today.
Complimentary welcome dinner tonight at the hotel.

DAY 9 - PETRA (BLD)
We'll spend the entire day at Petra, the stunning desert city hewn by the Nabateans from solid cliffs of pink and violet sandstone. Petra was known in the bible as Sela, and rediscovered only in 1812. You'll feel like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark as you penetrate into the city through a narrow sandstone gorge, the Siq, and wander among the Temple of the Winged Lion, tombs, Roman theater, and the imposing Treasury. Lunch at a charming local restaurant . Dinner at the hotel.

DAY 10 - Back to Sharm El Sheikh (B)
Our staff escorts you to the Aqaba port in time to board the ferry back to Nuewiba, where our rep will meet you and escort you back to your hotel in Sharm

DAY 12 - LUXOR and Denderah - (cB+ Lunch box + D)
An early flight takes us to Luxor,along the Nile in fabled Upper Egypt, after a brief stop at your hotel.
We'll head to Denderah in a day excursion , to visit the best preserved temple in Egypt, then its back to Luxor. Get ready for an evening sound & light show at Karnak temple. Dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 13 - Board your Nile Cruise - VALLEY OF THE KINGS (cBLD)
Today's tour include 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. 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 in your cabin.

Queen Nefertari's tomb will be closed until further notice for urgent repairs, so we 'll be touring instead : Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, 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.

DAY 14 - ESNA & EDFU- (cBLD)
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 15 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN , CAMEL CARAVAN - (cBLD)
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 affords 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 16 - ASWAN & ABU SIMBEL/CAIRO (cBD)
The mighty Aswan dams are our first goal this morning, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae , 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!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld.

Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect
the world.

Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless
Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Back on land, we visit an ancient Pharaonic red granite quarry, then Nubia Museum before 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,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.

Fly back to Aswan and connect with our returning flight to Cairo .Dinner at the hotel in Cairo

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. Read more.

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. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy loved Egypt, and Egypt still loves her.

DAY 17 - Departure -(cB)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage

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 8 guests in your party, as you'll have always your own private car/driver/guide.

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. Smart Casual dress is suggested for dinner . No tie / Formal dress requirement

Do we get sea sickness while sailing the Nile ?
This is river sailing, so do not expect any waves , no rough seas ! Your Nile cruises is actually a floating hotel that moves from place to place along the Nile. Actual cruising times are short and pleasant.

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.

Not included:

Airport taxes
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
Optional Excursion

CRUISE THE NILE IN LUXURY...

Mark Twain did it. Rockefeller did it. More recently, First Ladies Barbara Bush and Laura Bush, and pop music legend Lionel Richie did it:

cruise Egypt's timeless Nile in luxury.

Only a few Nile cruisers qualify as the most luxurious vessels on the Nile. In order to meet the requirements of Nubian Nile Cruises, they must be the newest and best, with up-to-the-minute facilities and all possible luxury services such as deluxe staterooms with private bath
(shower and/or bathtub), 20-inch satellite TV, large picture window, minibar, individual climate control, electronic entry system and security deposit boxes, hair dryer and direct-dial telephone.

The service onboard, under the watchful control of companies renowned worldwide for excellence, must be flawless and exceed guests’ expectations, and also reflect the warm traditional hospitality of the Egyptian people.

Few vessels qualify.

Amarco

Lounge and Billard on board the Deluxe Amarco Nile Cruise

The brand-new, ultra-luxurious Amarco, launched in late 2003, has 51 staterooms, all with large picture windows and Internet access. Four junior suites (well equipped for handicapped passengers), two Presidential suites and two Royal suites accommodate special guests.

The Amarco is the only vessel on the Nile with a true mini-gym (not just an exercise room), and a mini-spa with two saunas, two massage rooms and steam rooms. Two elevators take guests (especially those who find stairs difficult) between decks.

Clients of Travel In Style.com receive special consideration on these luxury cruises. If you reserve your Presidential or Royal Suite through Travel In Style.com , we will provide you with a private valet to take care of your personal and touring needs, and a private guide and Egyptologist to answer any questions you may have about the wonders around you. Two
guests in each suite will be entitled to a 30-minute massage. Just for fun, we'll even engage a local fortune-teller, knowledgeable in the mystic secrets of ancient Egypt, to read the future in your palm or your coffee grounds! These special services are not available to other
passengers, even those who reserve Presidential Suites by other means.
You must reserve through Travel In Style.com to enjoy them.

Though the Nile is timeless, life is short. You may only cruise the Nile once. Make it the voyage of a lifetime aboard one of the ultra-luxury vessels available in North America through Travel in Style, Inc. (www.travelinstyle.com).

Our Nile cruise passengers come from all countries of the world, more from Europe, but also from North America, South America and Asia, and naturally they'll often keep the company of their own language and culture.

Your patience and extra efforts to interact are sure to bear rewards.
Some guests from the USA did bring up the issue that in some cases the boat did have 2 or 3 English speaking couples onboard, and that they expected more !
Most sailings have a few native English speakers, though the numbers, of course, vary by season, and are not guaranteed.

Mediterranean Fantasies
Luxury Nile Cruise & The Greek Isle of Santorini

This 12 -day itinerary combines a Nile Cruise of Ancient Egypt with Classical Athens & the romance of the honeymoon Greek Isle of Santorini
Arrive any day (subject to cruise availability: Mar-Oct)

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 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.

"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 Travel in Style.

1001 Egyptian Nights Petra Edition

1001 Egyptian Nights
Petra Edition