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North
Africa Crossing
A 14- Day 1001 Arabian Night Tour of Egypt and Libya
Here's
the best way to see the best of North Africa : Egypt, the Libyan &
Egyptian Desert
Add a Nile Cruise in Egypt
: 14-day or 19-Day.
Add
Tunisia ? .
Arrive from Tunisia by road or fly into Tripoli.
Weekly year round - Add
Tunisia , or Morocco
,
add Spain
and Andalusia
Libya
far more than vast sweeps of desert. As you'll see on this tour, Libya
is a country of extraordinary and unexpected variety, so rich that it
was coveted and conquered in turn by Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians,
Romans, and Byzantines-all of whom left their mark. During six days
with five overnights, we'll travel to the province known to the Greeks
as Cyrenaica, and see the ruins of Cyrene, Apollonia, Ptolemais and
Gasr. We'll ascend to Jabel Akhdar, where the precious moisture allows
a unique flora and fauna flourish. And we'll follow the route of Rommel's
famed Afrika Korps to where it met its match at Tobruk in World War
II. And then it's onward, to continue your travels through Egypt. The
connections are seamless, thanks to our inside knowledge and local contacts
.
DAY 1 -Tunisia / Libya or Fly Into Tripoli (LD) Weekly on Monday
year round
Arrive from Tunisia across the border, or fly into Tripoli.
You'll head out after breakfast, and in short order, reach Tunisia's
eastern border. After you pass through the formalities of customs and
immigration at Ras Ajdir, our Libyan personnel will take over and see
to your needs for the rest of the way. Our journey continues by road
to Sabratha, site of a fine Roman city. We'll tour the ruins and visit
the classical museum, and learn about Libya's key position on ancient
trade routes. In the afternoon, we continue on into Tripoli, the busy
capital of Libya, and settle into our lodgings for the next three nights.
You can relax in the evening, or venture out to explore the modern quarters
of the town, or the winding lanes of the old city.
DAY
2 - TRIPOLI (BLD) Tuesday
After breakfast, we'll take you for a drive through town to the Tripoli
Museum, housing treasures of Libyan history from Roman times and earlier.
We'll venture into the Old Town, and along the winding lanes of the
souks, where in age-old fashion, merchants and customers haggle over
local handicrafts and produce, treasures from across the desert, and
practical items from over the seas. We'll see the venerable arch of
the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, the Gurgi Mosque, and the Karamanly
Museum. Afterwards, you'll be free to explore on your own, and possibly
to return to the souks to try your hand at bargaining for some of the
crafts and treasures that you spied earlier.
DAY
3 - LEPTIS MAGNA, SILIN (BLD) Wednesday
We'll spend most of today at Leptis Magna, about 130 kilometers from
Tripoli. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered the best-preserved
Roman city in Africa. The enormous amphitheater and the remains of fine
buildings testify to the city's former importance. After gaining insights
into the old city at the ruins and in the museum, we'll continue to
the delightful and largely intact Roman villa at Silin, with its remarkably
lifelike mosaics and frescoes.
DAY
4 - BENGHAZI, PTOLEMAIS (BLD) Thursday
We'll head off after breakfast to the airport, and board our plane.
It's a flight of under an hour to Benghazi. From there, we'll set out
immediately for the ancient port of Ptolemais, founded by the Hellenic
dynasty of Egypt. We'll view the great cisterns and Mausoleum, and more
artifacts in the museum, where we'll learn about the kingdoms that vied
for Libya in ancient times. Then it's off to the surprisingly fertile
highlands of Jabel Akhdar. In Gasr Libya, we'll see a Byzantine church
with a mosaic floor, and view another mosaic with the only panels known
to show ancient Alexandria. Our stop for the night is El Beyda, where
we'll lodge in the modest and welcoming three-star Gasr El Beyda Hotel.
DAY
5 - CYRENE, APOLLONIA, TOBRUK (BLD) Friday
We set out after breakfast for Cyrene, the Greek city that once rivaled
Athens. Impressive temples to Zeus and Apollo remain Then it's off to
Apollonia, Cyrene's ancient port, with a surviving Byzantine palace,
theater, and baths. Late in the afternoon, we'll reach Tobruk, where
we'll overnight at the comfortable Masira Hotel.
DAY
6 - TOBRUK, ON TO EGYPT and Mersa Matrouh (BL)
Saturday
We've followed in the path of Rommel to reach Tobruk. Today, we'll learn
about the titanic and bloody clash of forces that marked the turning
point of World War II, and pay a moving visit to the cemeteries where
lie the dead from both sides. Rommel's push ended here, but not yours.
You'll continue to the border of Egypt, where our Libyan personnel will
bid you goodbye, and entrust you to your Egyptian hosts. On to Mersa
Matrouh and overnight at a modest 4 stars hotel. ( Always with private
facilities)
DAY
7 - EL ALAMEIN (BL) Sunday
We'll cross into another era of history today, as we motor westward
through the dunes along the Mediterranean coast, following the route
of Field Marshall Montgomery to El Alamein. Here we'll visit the fields
of battle where Rommel's advance on Cairo was finally halted. We'll
visit the museum. Lunch included at el Alamein, before we head back
to Mersa Matrouh, remainder of the day at leisure
DAY
8 - SIWA, ORACLE OF AMON (BLD) Monday
It's back to ancient days as we follow the pilgrimage route of Alexander
the Great to the Oracle of Amon. He marched westward along the Mediterranean
coast, then inland (south) to the great oasis of Siwa. His aim was to
visit the great temple of Amun which, tradition says, his legendary
"ancestors" Heracles and Perseus had visited. He entered the temple
and was hailed by the priests as pharaoh, the son of Amun. He then had
a private audience with the High Priestess of the oracle, who proclaimed
him to be a god, the son of Zeus. She predicted that he would conquer
vast territories. He did. Leaving Egypt, he marched into Persia conquering
all who came before him, all the way to what is now Lahore in Pakistan.
On
his return trip, however, he fell ill and died at the ripe age of 33
in Babylon.
Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria just after
he defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony ( 30 B.C) . He left his coat
as a token of respect to Alexander the Great. The search continues for
Alexander the Great's Tomb.
According to ancient inscriptions, Alexander's body was returned
to Egypt and buried but where?
Both
Siwa and Alexandria are possibilities. His tomb has not yet been
identified for sure. At Gebel Mawta, we'll see tombs of the Greco-Roman
era, including one that's reputed to be Alexander's own tomb. At Siwa,
we'll see an ancient fortress with winding alleyways, and the Temple
of Amon, where Alexander's divinity and legitimacy were proclaimed.
Within a short distance, we'll traverse centuries as we visit Cleopatra's
Pool, a Roman outpost, and a Ptolemaic temple. Our lunch break will
be at the springs of Ain Sharouf, where we might get to take a dip.
DAY
9 - SIWA, ALEXANDRIA (BLD) Tuesday
We'll retrace the desert route to Alexandria this morning (the portion
never completed by Rommel), As the gateway to Egypt, the Nile and Africa,
Alexandria has been contested by armies and navies ever since. In 1798,
Lord Nelson defeated Napoleonıs navy just east of Alexandria.
In 1807 the British occupied the city. In 1941, General Erwin Rommel's
Afrika Korps stormed across North Africa all the way to El Alamein,
only 70 miles west of Alexandria. Rommel was driven back in desperate
fighting by British forces under the command of Field Marshal Bernard
Montgomery, yet another of the many generals to have struggled for control
of this strategic land.
Today
you 'll have the rest of the day free, to stroll the Corniche, acquire
mementos of our trip, or look in on daily life in the ancient capital
of Cleopatra. Lunch is served enroute . Dinner is included at the hotel
in Alexandria.
DAY
10 - ALEXANDRIA (BL) Wednesday
Conqueror of the Mediterranean Coast - Alexander
the Great
In 332 BC, Egypt was laboring under Persian military control when
Alexander the Great arrived to drive out the invaders without the shedding
of a drop of blood. The Persian governor surrendered and the conquering
hero was hailed as a liberator and given Egypt's double crown symbolizing
control of Upper and Lower Egypt. Alexander reinstated Egypt's traditional
government and founded the city of Alexandria at the countryıs most
important crossroads: where the Nile meets the Mediterranean. . Today,
we'll get to known Alexandria in depth, as we visit the Greco-Roman
Museum, the Roman Amphitheater, the Koum El Shougafa Tombs, the fortress
of Kayet Bey, and the Museum of the Crown Jewels. After lunch in an
Alexandrine restaurant, on to
: Qayet Bey Fortress housing recovered items from the
French Fleet & Napoleons Flag Ship " L'Orient", sunk by
the British & Admiral Nelson, east of Alexandria.
Napoleon
in Egypt:
From
the Pharaohs to Napoleon: Discoveries Continue in Alexandria. Even today
( Sep 2003) , the treasures of Egypt are still being rediscovered—sometimes
spanning millennia in a single location!
The
Egyptian Department of Antiquity recently revealed the existence of
a Pharaonic tomb dating from 400 BC on Nelson Island, just four kilometers
from Alexandria’s Abu Qir Bay. Finds by a team of Italian archeologists
included three mummies, along with earthenware utensils, statues, and
figurines adorned with texts from the Book of the Dead.
But
that’s not all. The English sank Napoleon’s fleet
at Abu Qir in 1798, and the excavations yielded a treasure
trove from the battle: the remains of soldiers, sailors and officers
in uniforms, along with military gear, rosaries, and coffins and body
wrappings, all well preserved in Mediterranean sands. There were even
skeletons of newborns, as family members accompanied officers aboard
ship.
As
these exciting discoveries are catalogued and protected, many are sure
to be placed in the collection of the Qeit Bey Castle Museum, which
already houses relics from Napoleon’s fleet.
Qayet
Bey Fort was
built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous
Alexandria Light House. A brief stop at " El Selsela" the
site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered,
as well as Caesar Kiosk. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the Crown
Jewels Museum, then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library
before heading back to your hotel.
DAY
11 - ALEXANDRIA/ Wadi El Natroun / Cairo (BL)
Thursday
After
breakfast we 'll visit the new museum in Alexandria , the building was
originally built in 1926 for the US consulate in Alexandria and is a
masterpiece in 1920's architecture & Mediterranean style buildings
on to Wadi El Natroun monastery almost midway to Cairo in the middle
of the Sahara , where early Coptic Christians retreated here to escape
the Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria
is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun. Reach Cairo late
afternoon and your hotel.
DAY
12 - Pharaonic Giza (cBL) Friday
Today we tour Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser
& Nobles tombs/Mastabas, The Serapeum, Unas, Pyramid of Teti and
key Mastabas.
In the afternoon the tour takes us to Dahshour, the pyramid field
south of Cairo:only-opened few years back after Sadat signed the peace
treaty with Israel, and the Army did let go of this strategically "important"
area.
DAHSOUR - we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, 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. We'll tour as well the famous "Bent" Pyramid.
DAY
13- CAIRO -Home Hosted Family Dinner (cBLD)
Saturday
The Culture of Cairo
Today
we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its
daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions.
We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense
variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and
exotic.
You’ll
see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience.
Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos.
It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in
traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.
Then
it’s on to the Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles,
swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great
decorative traditions. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House,
a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain
and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished
way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval
Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll
stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab
an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll
even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the
British Empire, among the many who passed this way.
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
14 - RETURN HOME (B) Sunday
After breakfast, our Cairo staff will accompany you to the airport,
where you'll board your flight to start your journey home. This tour
departs weekly .
Photo
Credit Osama Abdel A'al - Click here for more images from
the Oases
RATES per
person in USD
| Sharing
in : |
Category
A Hotels |
Category
B Hotels |
| Triple Occupancy
room |
US$
3580 |
US$
3210 |
| Double Occupancies |
US$
3650 |
US$
3255 |
| Single Occupancy
|
US$
4975 |
US$
4425 |
International
airfare is not included from / to your home country
Category
A class hotels :
Five-star Sheraton / Hilton / Meridien in Cairo
Five-star Corinthia
Bab Africa in Tripoli (www.corinthiahotels.com)
Alexandria : Sheraton, Hilton, Palestine Montazah Hotel
Siwa Oases Egypt:Hilton
Borg El Arab or Safari Paradise Siwa
Category
B class hotels :
Novotel / Maadi / Oases in Cairo
Yosser Hotel in Tripoli (newly renovated, near old town and Tripoli
Museum)
Alexandria
: Sheraton, Hilton, Palestine Montazah Hotel
Siwa
Oases Egypt:Hilton
Borg El Arab or Safari Paradise Siwa
In
Libya, surprises are the order of the day! An invitation to a refreshing
glass of mint tea while you browse in a shop . . . an encounter with
a humble desert dweller . . . a gust of wind and a swirl of sand, followed
by perfect stillness, and vistas under an endless blue sky.
You'll find sometimes that your tour schedule will be switched to accommodate
changes in conditions. You might even start with your last day and proceed
resolutely to the first! Your hotels will have facilities that match
their ratings, and idiosyncrasies in service on the upside and downside,
but always with a warm welcome.
It's all part of the experience and privilege of going where few have
gone. Be flexible and ready for surprises. If that's not you, don't
worry, we offer myriad options elsewhere tailored to your requirements
and expectations.
Rate
Includes:
- Hotel
accommodation with tax as listed , and two nights in troglodyte
accommodation
- All
transfers in Egypt & Libya .
- Guided
sightseeing including all entrance fees as per itinerary , always
by air conditioned sedan/van or mini bus ( 15 - 24 seater) .
- Pre
set meals as listed including B = Breakfast,
(or cB, Continental Breakfast), L
= Lunch, D = Dinner
- Cairo
& Libya and travel guide books.
- Egyptian
Visa:
Will be issued on a complimentary basis for American, Australian,
NZ, EU , Mexican , Canadian , Singaporean & Japanese citizens,
your passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of
arrival.
Not
Included :
- Any
International Airfare from/to
your home country
- Tips.
- Beverages
with meals
- Travel
Insurance ( we'll be glad to mail you the flyer)
- Visa
for Libya , please secure in your home country prior to arrival. Or
add $ 75 per person, to secure it upon arrival in Libya , American,
Canadian, EU, Japanese nationalities, your passport must be valid
for 6 month beyond the date of arrival. No Israeli visa stamps.
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. 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. Read More
Tripoli
hotels ( Five Stars ) :
Corinthia ( Bab Africa ) ( Five star Superior)
Al Mahari . Al Kabir . Bab Al Bahr .
North
Africa Grand Crossing 18- Day : Tunisia, Libya and Egypt
Libya
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