Luxury on the Nile

A 16- day Grand tour of Egypt with a foray Into the Egyptian Sahara . The Red Sea - Sharm El Sheikh . The Oases of Western Sahara With one night camping in El Farafra Oases
A resort stay on the Red Sea . Including a 5 day Ultra Deluxe Nile Cruise
Using your own free air miles - Boarding in Aswan

DAY 1 - CAIRO
Our Cairo staff greets you and escorts you through the excitement and hubbub of the terminal, and onward to your hotel. Traditional sweets await you, with our compliments. You'll have time to relax and unwind. Visa fee is included & issued upon arrival. Available only to American, Japanese , Canadian, Singaporean & EU citizens, your passport must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of arrival.

Private air condition car for your transfer. Private chauffeur

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 2 - CAIRO (BLD)
Private air condition car for your tour today . Private chauffeur .

Your exploration of ancient Egypt begins today! We'll start after breakfast with the Egyptian Museum. Here you'll see the treasures of the ancient pharaohs: Mummies Hall is included , statuary, and precious stones and metals. Travelers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these sights alone. But there's more, on we go to the Coptic & Jewish ancient quarter then the Royal Manial Palace of the former Crown Prince Mohamed Ali. After lunch Egyptian-style, we'll motor to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids on the edge of Cairo.

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! Conclude a memorable day as we host you on a Nile dinner cruise complete with exotic Egyptian entertainment. Private air condition vehicle, private chauffeur , private Egyptologist.

DAY 3 - CAIRO - El Bahariya Oases (aBLD)
Early morning departure before sunrise to be able to watch the sunrise over the Sahara.
We board a private four wheel vehicle and proceed west on the Sahara Highway, ( 180 Kilometers from Cairo to El Bahariya), visiting Qaser Sleim , Alexander's Tomb & Museum of Golden Mummies . Lunch & Dinner at the hotel Beshimo Lodge Evening Bedouin folk show . Private air condition vehicle, private chauffeur , private Egyptologist.

DAY 4 - El Farafra Oases ( White Desert ) (BLD)
After a morning tour of El Bahariya we head for the White Desert ( 180 Kilometers) , on the way we'll stop ay Crystal Mountain to marvel at the different Shapes of Lime Stones , arrive Farafra Oasis , where we will camp for the night. ( In a tent) , dinner will be camp style. This tour may not be suitable for families with children who may not be used to camping, and the lack of hotel amenities. Guests must show proof of insurance before embarking on any camping trip with us regardless of the destination be it Moroccan Sahara, Tunisian Oases or the Egyptian Western Desert or in Sinai. BBQ dinner at the White Desert.

If you prefer to stay at a hotel then we 'll move back to El Farafra Oases and : Badawiya Hotel

DAY 5 - CAIRO (B)
Early morning camp style breakfast before sunrise, drive back to Cairo ( 380 Kilometers).
Remainder of the day at leisure. Private air condition vehicle, private chauffeur , private Egyptologist.

DAY 6 - ABU SIMBEL / ASWAN ( or Luxor ) (B)
Private air condition car for your transfer. Private chauffeur .

Our Cairo personnel will escort you to the airport to board your flight to Abu Simbel ( via) Aswan.
In Abu Simbel , you will have your PRIVATE air-conditioned vehicle, private driver and private guide, waiting for you to tour the mighty temples of Ramses the Great & Queen Neferatri then fly back to Aswan and the legendary colonial style : Old Cataract ( closed for renovation ), or the Movenpick Aswan or Isis Island Hotel Remainder of the day at leisure.

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 7 - ASWAN (BLD)
American or buffet breakfast at the hotel. Morning tour of the Nubian Museum then on to your Luxury floating hotel. You'll settle in to your cabin on your Luxury Nile cruiser

Sample Nile Cruises: M/S To-Ya, M/S TIYI , M/S Amarco : presidential or Royal suite ,Movenpick M/S Royal Lotus or Movenpick M/S Royal Lily ( Suite ) , Suite on the M/S Mojito , ( suite ) on the M/S Monaco or Sonesta M/S Moon Goddess all suites , where a fruit basket awaits you, then enjoy lunch on board. We'll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful Felucca, the age-old sailing vessel of the river. If you wish, try your hand at camel riding! We'll take a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers. Back in Aswan, we'll board a launch to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters when the High Dam was built.This Island temple of Philae was 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!

Then, back aboard our cruiser, we'll sail down river at a stately pace to Kom Ombo, the twin temple dedicated to the crocodile river god, Sobek. While you are on board the cruise, afternoon tea will be served daily on deck.

The Ultra Deluxe M/S Amarco

DAY 8 - EDFU, ESNA (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages meet us at riverside to take us through Edfu to the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Later, we'll cruise to Esna, and by evening, we'll be in fabled Luxor.
Egyptian sweets platter will be delivered to your cabin today with our compliments.

DAY 9 - LUXOR (BLD)
We'll cross the Nile to view an array of ancient splendors: the tomb chambers of the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens including Nefertari's Tomb ( closed fro most of 2004, that 's why we 'll tour instead the Ancient Worker's Village); and the Colossi of Memnon. In the afternoon we tour the charming Luxor Museum. Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak

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.

as soon as Nefertari is opened again, we will reinstate it in our programs.

The Queen for whom the sun shines :( closed for renovations)
We rise very early in the morning to be able to secure entry to the recently restored tomb of her Majesty Queen Nefertari, wife of the mighty Pharaoh Ramses the Great , limited to the first 100 visitors.
Long before Cleopatra humbled the ruler of Rome, an Egyptian queen held power over the heart and soul of Ramses, Egypt's greatest pharaoh. In the 12th century BC, a brokenhearted Ramses built a grand funerary tomb for Queen Nefertari, "the Beautiful one," in the Valley of the Queens. It's been exquisitely restored with the aid of an American endowment, and is among the rarest sights in all Egypt: the only great tomb ever built by a pharaoh for his late queen. Artistically, it is the closest thing you could ever come to see the original Ancient Egyptian art in all of its glory and finesse. Because of its fragile nature, only a limited number of visitors are allowed entry each day. We are the only company to include a visit to Nefertari's tomb in our daily program. Because of the limited access we must rise early for our visit, appropriate as Ramses named Nefertari "the one for whom the sun shines."

DAY 10 - LUXOR / Sharm , non-stop or ( Via CAIRO) (B)
We'll visit the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the Temple of Luxor before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Sharm El Sheikh or depending on the day of the week it may be via Cairo .Private air condition car always for your transfers. We'll settle you into your Luxury hotel in Sharm : Sonesta , Hyatt, The Ritz Hotel or similar.

DAY 11 - Sharm El Sheikh (BD)
Full days at leisure . Hit the water , or venture into the nearby Bedouin village to see how the local people live-as you like. Dinner is included daily on a complimentary basis at the hotel.

DAY 12 - Sharm El Sheikh (BD)
Full days at leisure . Hit the water , or venture into the nearby Bedouin village to see how the local people live-as you like. Dinner is included daily on a complimentary basis at the hotel.

DAY 13 - Sharm El Sheikh (BD)
Full days at leisure . Hit the water , or venture into the nearby Bedouin village to see how the local people live-as you like. Dinner is included daily on a complimentary basis at the hotel.

DAY 14 - MOUNT SINAI - St. CATHERINE ( Santa Katarina / Catarina ) Monastery (BL)
Relax! This is one more day in "Paradise", enjoy the beach the Egyptian sun and maybe fishing , snorkeling or diving in the Red Sea. Or join us on a complimentary tour to Mount Sinai then 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. We tour the monastery, rich in history,icons and sacred paintings, returning to Sharm late in the evening. You must be in good physical condition if you wish to consider climbing Mt. Sinai. The climb is not recommended for those affected by heights. ( Available only when staying at deluxe hotels : Complimentary half hour massage)

Please advise us early on , if you prefer to do Mount Sinai / St. Catherine's tour by Jeep versus air conditioned sedan / van.

DAY 15 -CAIRO - HOME HOSTED FAMILY DINNER (BD)
Fly to Cairo remainder of the day in Cairo, at leisure.
You'll have one more opportunity to experience the excitement of this great city and, of course, do some last-minute shopping.
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 dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 16 - DEPARTURE (aB)
Private air condition car for your transfer. Private chauffeur .Our Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport, where you'll begin your journey home. Salaam and Bon Voyage!

This tour starts daily in Cairo , throughout the year. Subject to the availability of air space & the Nile Cruise.

Please note that the Nile vessels and cruise itineraries are subject to change.
Click here for more info on these luxurious cruises: Radamis ( Swiss Management) The all suites ultra Deluxe M/S Amarco  ,  M/S To-Yo , M/S TIYI , or the Moon Goddess ,

Ramses the Great Temples at Abu Simbel

RATES per person, in deluxe accommodations, in US$:

For Category " B "
You may mix and match your stay in Cairo between Mena House and the Four Seasons . For Mena House Presidential suite , please add $ 500 per person per night including tax, service charge and breakfast.

- For travel during Easter, Christmas or New Year's, weeks a 20 percent supplement applies.

- Please click here for 4 stars first class accommodation

Rate includes:

• Air transportation within Egypt as mentioned in itinerary, in business class, when available on board subject to according to aircraft configuration.
  
• All tips throughout the trip
  
• All ground transportation, including airport greeting.
  
• Deluxe hotel accommodations, including tax based on: Marriott, Mena House ( New Wing) or The Grand Hyatt downtown overlooking the Nile. . In Sharm El Sheikh: The Hyatt, Marriott , Sofitel , Savoy , Sonesta or similar hotels. ( But 3-4 stars hotels for the oases as listed & one night camping)
  
  
• Luxury Nile cruise, with all meals, a welcome fruit basket, an Egyptian sweets platter, complimentary bottle of water for each guest , delivered to your cabin daily while on board the cruise.
  
• All shore excursions, aboard, these ultra luxury Nile cruises : M/S Amarco , Monaco , M/S Royal Lotus , M/S Mojito , M/S To-Ya, M/S TiYi , Movenpick Radamis, Sonesta, Diamond , or the M/S Liberty , according to availability.
  
  
• Sightseeing with guide and entrance fees to archaeological sites.
  
• Meals as indicated, with preset menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner), American breakfast (aB) in Cairo

• Visa fee upon arrival in Cairo (applicable to Australian, NZ , EU, Mexican , S. African, S. Korean Singaporean, Japan, US, , and Canadian passport holders) , your passport must be valid and in order.

 

 

Suite accommodation on board M/S TIYI Deluxe Nile Cruise

 

 

 

 

Not included: