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JOURNEY INTO SINAI
A
9 Day Tour of Cairo and Sinai
Private
Touring, Private Nile Cruising
It’s
a wilderness of unforgiving desert, scorching temperatures, vast silence,
and endless rock. And yet, the Sinai is also the unimaginable and unexpected
beauty of sandstone cliffs transformed into a thousand hues in the passing
of a single day, of monasteries closer to heaven than to humans, and
of hidden oases. Scene of Biblical miracles, of the giving of the Law,
and of historic battles, the Sinai witnesses still the daily miracle
of survival of creatures great and small.
Join
us for an epic journey into Sinai. It took Moses 40 years to cross the
wilderness. We’ll take nine days and eight nights to experience
not only the infinity of the Sinai, but the Pyramids of the Pharaohs,
the romance of Alexandria, and the treasures and rhythms of modern Cairo.
Finally, you can experience all the facets of Egypt in a single journey.
For
live aboard boat arrival at Hurgada or Marsa Alam , please
click here
Day
1: ARRIVAL IN CAIRO
You’ll arrive in bustling Cairo airport, where our local staff
will be on hand to greet you and assist you with the customs formalities.
Welcome to Egypt! We’ll take care of your baggage, and see you
through the streets of Cairo, to your selected accommodations on the
very edge of the great desert near the fabled Pyramids of Giza. Settle
in, rest up from your journey, and stroll around to soak up the sights,
sounds, and aromas of a new world, from carts bearing loads of produce
to markets bursting with brassware and baskets, to savory flatbread
fresh from the oven.
complimentary
visa for American, Australian , NZ , EU , Canadian, S.Korean , Singaporean
& Japanese citizens, passport must be valid at least for 6 month
beyond the date of arrival.
Day
2: GIZA, MEMPHIS, SAKKARA, DAHSHOUR (BLD)
Refreshed with a good night’s sleep, you’ll prepare for
a day rich in experiences with a full American-style buffet breakfast
at your hotel. Then, it’s off the see the Pyramids! Led by a certified
Egyptologist, we’ll appreciate the massive scale of these ancient
structures, and the significance of their alignment. We’ll even
penetrate into the interior of one. Of course, we’ll also view
the mysterious Sphinx. Following lunch at a Giza restaurant, we’ll
head out of Cairo for more exploration to Memphis, the first capital
of the united ancient kingdom of Egypt. At Sakkara, we’ll explore
the step pyramid of King Zoser, perhaps the oldest stone building in
the world, and in Dahshour, the unusual Bent Pyramid. We’ll stop
for dinner before our return to Giza.
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.
Day
3: GIZA, ALEXANDRIA, CAIRO (BLD)
Get set for a day of romantic exploration in the manner of adventurers
of old. After breakfast, we’ll head for the busy central railroad
station of Cairo, where our guide will see us directly to our first-class
coach. All aboard! We’ll ride in comfort through the sprawling
districts of Cairo, northward through the Nile delta and its eternally
green fields irrigated by the river. In a short time, we’ll reach
the coast, and the legendary city of Alexandria. We’ll explore
the city of Antony and Cleopatra in depth, taking in the Greco-Roman
Museum, the Catacomb of Kom El Shugafa, and Pompey’s Pillar, with
a break for lunch in an Alexandrian restaurant. Then it’s back
to Cairo once again through the Nile Delta, and fields that look much
as they did hundreds of years ago. We’ll take our dinner at a
Giza restaurant before retiring to our hotel.
Day
4: CAIRO, THE SINAI, ST. CATHERINE (BLD)
It’s off from Cairo today, and into the wilderness of Sinai! Our
journey is not a quick fly-over, but an in-depth exploration. We’ll
proceed overland to see, feel, hear, and absorb the sights, sounds,
and nuances of this fabled desert. We will have all the contemporary
comforts available, including an air-conditioned vehicle, and stops
at rest houses and restaurants; while we will experience the ageless
thrill of new discoveries around a bend in the road, new outlooks with
the turning of the day. Our route on our first day will cover a full
400 kilometers, eastward through the sands, across the Suez Canal, and
into the jagged landscape of Sinai itself. Of course, we’ll break
the jouney with stops along the way, at the Spring of Mohze, and at
the oasis of Wadi Feiran, mentioned in the Bible as Rephidim, site of
a Greek Orthodox monastery. We’ll luxuriate in the greenery of
palms and fields of grain, before we continue our journey. By evening,
we’ll attain the famous monastery of St. Catherine, where we’ll
check into our accommodations and enjoy our dinner.
Day 5: ST. CATHERINE (BLD)
This morning, in the manner of true desert travelers, we’ll be
up at first light to take advantage of the lingering coolness of the
night as we climb Mt. Sinai itself. With the aid and assistance of our
guide, we’ll find the best trails and footholds on the very rock
where the Law was given to Moses. For many, it will be the culminating
experience of our journey. After our descent, we’ll return to
our hotel for breakfast, then continue our day with a visit to the Orthodox
monastery of St. Catherine, guardian of the mountain. We’ll view
unexpected treasures, including icons and sacred paintings. After lunch,
the afternoon is yours for rest, exploration on your own, or, perhaps,
an optional exploration. Then it’s off into the sands and rock
to set up our camp! Our dinner will be cooked in the open over coals,
and enjoyed as the day fades to a clear night of a million stars. We’ll
listen to the sounds of concealed animals and feel the cool air sweep
over, before we return to the comforts of our lodgings.
Day
6: ST. CATHERINE, RAS SUDR (BLD)
After breakfast, we’ll twist and turn overland through the rocky
and boulder-strewn landscape of the Sinai. The landscape is bare of
life, until the flight of birds overhead, the darting of a fox across
our path, or the passage of men on camels, gives evidence of hidden
oases. Finally, after three hours, we’ll reach a different sort
of oasis, the town of Ras Sudr on the Gulf of Suez. Here, we’ll
discover a modern town complete with all the comforts of any resort,
which will entice us to spend the night. We’ll have lunch at our
hotel, and time on our own for the beach, or, perhaps, for an optional
boat trip or diving.
Day
7: RAS SUDR, SUEZ (BLD)
We’ll have some time early in the day to enjoy the sun and resort
amenities of Ras Sudr before we depart for Suez, 100 kilometers distant.
We’ll gain insight into how world history has been changed by
events that enfolded right here. First, we’ll visit the Suez Canal
itself, a wonder of the nineteenth century. Then we’ll view the
fortifications of the Bar-Lev line, overcome by Egyptian soldiers, who
won the first lasting peace between an Arab nation and Israel. We’ll
continue to the Mubarak Bridge, joining the two banks of the canal,
and finally plunge into the lively contemporary everyday life of Egypt,
with a visit to the fish market in Suez. After lunch, we’ll set
out overland once again for Cairo, a couple of hours away. There will
be time left to take in some of the most ancient sites of this great
city, including the Citadel and the Mosque of Mohammed Ali. We’ll
check into our hotel, but the evening will not be over. After freshening
up, we’ll embark on a Nile dinner cruise, with a treat well deserved
after our desert sojourn: a belly dance show! We’ll learn that
oriental dance is a graceful blend of traditional rhythms and movements.
Day
8: CAIRO (BLD)
After breakfast, we’ll set out for a tour of the metropolis of
Egypt. Of course, we’ll include a visit to the Egyptian Museum,
a true treasure house of wonders, from the mummies of illustrious pharaohs—including
Rameses the Great—to statuary, and hoards of stones and precious
metals. After lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll have your last
afternoon in Cairo to spend as you choose. Perhaps you’ll take
an optional excursion within the city, or to one of the archeological
sites in the desert. Or, you might browse the boutiques near your hotel,
or venture into the vastness of the Khan El-Khalili bazaar district
to harvest treasures ranging from leather ware to brass pots to fine
baskets.
In
the evening we'll treat you to a home hosted dinner with an authentic
Egyptian family.
Dinner
is included at a local home , few visitors do enjoy such opportunity
& experience, come and 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 a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know
your preferences.
Day
9: DEPARTURE FROM CAIRO (B)
After breakfast, our Cairo staff will call for you at your hotel, and
see you to the airport to begin your homeward journey.
Rate
per person in US$:
For
December 20-January 1 and March 15-31, please add 10 percent to these
rates.
|
Deluxe |
First
Class |
| Triple |
US$
2029.00 |
US
$1879.00 |
| Double |
US$
2159.00 |
US
$1909.00 |
| Single |
US$
2960.00 |
US
$2710.00 |
Rate includes:
* Accommodations as selected in Giza, Cairo, and the Sinai, including
taxes and service charges
* Services of a certified English-speaking Egyptologist-guide
* English-speaking personnel to accompany all activities
* All ground transportation along the route described in Sinai, Cairo,
and Alexandria in air-conditioned motor coach
* First-class train transportation between Cairo and Alexandria
* All admission fees to sites mentioned
* Airport greeting, and transportation to hotel on arrival, and to airport
on departure
* Nile dinner cruise
* Baggage handling
* All meals as described with a set menu (B=buffet or continental breakfast,
L=lunch, D=dinner)
* Entry visa for Egypt
* One small bottle of mineral water supplied to each guest daily
Not
Included:
*
International air fare
* Trip interruption and cancellation insurance (please see our insurance
brochure ).
* Optional tours
* Gratuities
* Expenses of a personal nature, and beverages
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