From Cairo to the Red Sea
Including Alexandria and Fayoum Oases

12 Days . Tour starts weekly in Cairo, year round
Experience the best of Egypt . You'll see fascinating Cairo and the Pyramids, Alexandria, Aswan , the Fayoum Oases , Luxor of course, and even includes a unique desert beach resort of Sharm El Sheikh

Compare with the 6 day or 9 day version . Add St. Catherine and Mount Sinai . Hurgada Edition on the the Red Sea * The Ultra Deluxe Version * Cairo and Sharm in 8 days. Nile Cruise version  *  Le Meridien Makadi Hotel Hurgada * Alexandria & Fayoum Oases Edition * 11 -Days with Abu Simbel * Live aboard arrivals

DAY 1 - CAIRO - Friday
Our Cairo-based personnel will meet you at the airport and see you to your hotel. Complimentary visa fee is included for American, Australian, NZ, EU & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month at the time of arrival.

Transfers are always with a private air-conditioned vehicle, 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 - Alexandria - Saturday (cBL)
We leave Cairo before sunrise - if you are able to extend your stay in Egypt by one day, then we can overnight in Alexandria tonight to allow for a more relaxed itinerary - ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide): We drive across northern Egypt & the Nile Delta heading northwest for Alexandria
Full day tour of : the Catacombs, the Roman Amphitheater, and Qayet Bey Fortress

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 new site for the Alexandria Library before heading to Wadi El Natroun monastery almost midway to Cairo , 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.

Time permitting 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. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel.

DAY 3 - On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old , Sunday (cBL)
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide): Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun, lunch is included at a local restaurant.

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included

DAY 4 - CAIRO - Monday (BLD)
Today, we'll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. Travellers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these sights, but our day has just started. We'll motor to the edge of Cairo to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. Then it's on to the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. In the evening, it's all aboard! We'll see you to your private sleeping compartment on the train ( rated : modest 3 stars) bound along the banks of the Nile. You'll enjoy dinner in the dining car, as the lights of villages reflect in the river.

DAY 5 - ASWAN, Tuesday (B)
After breakfast on board, the train arrives in Aswan. We start our day with fresh coffee or tea at the hotel , then we'll visit the world famous Nubian Museum, the dams at Aswan, including the High Dam, a modern wonder. At the ancient granite quarry, we'll see an obelisk left unfinished, then board a launch to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters, 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!

DAY 6- Aswan , Wednesday (B)
Tour of Kalabsha Temple dedicated to the ancient god Mandulis, and the goddess Isis . Built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus , the small rock-cut temple of Beit El Wali, built by Ramses the Great , and the small yet charming Kiosk of Qertassi. Then We board a graceful felucca for a cruise among the Nile islands .

DAY 7 - Luxor , Thursday (B)
After breakfast we take a short flight & we'll be in fabled Luxor. All transfers are included. Reminder of the day at leisure.

DAY 8 - LUXOR - Friday (BLD)
We'll cross the Nile and continue 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.

Then it's on to the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch, we'll visit the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the great Temple of Luxor.

DAY 9 - LUXOR, SHARM EL SHEIKH - Dinner with the Bedouins Saturday (BD)
We're headed to a special place, today, off the traditional visitors' itineraries. After breakfast, we'll board our flight for the short trip 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, and observe in the distance the steady line of ships heading to and from the Suez Canal.
Bedouin dinner: With Bedouin themes and Bedouin music on the edge of the Sahara.
After dinner we we spend sometime to watch the night stars and the moonlight before we head back for your hotel

DAY 10 - SHARM EL SHEIKH, DIVE - Sunday (B)
The Red Sea just off "Sharm" is replete with fascinating coral and aquatic species unique to this area.
Full day snorkeling or diving in the Red Sea:
(Includes two dives ,including guide, transfers by jeep, one tank and weights. Non-divers can go along for the ride ,entry to the Ras Muhammed Nature Reserve is included

For scuba dive (at your option, proof of certification is a must).

Your Full day includes transfers from / to your hotel
Diving Equipment list ( included)

• Mask and Snorkel
• Fins
• Half Wet Suit
• Full Wet Suit
• Stab Jacket ( BCD)
• Regulator
• Torch
• Life Jacket
• Compass
• Weight Belt

DAY 11 - CAIRO - Monday (B)
After a sunrise one hour camel ride in the surrounding dunes & Sahara , we'll fly back to Cairo. Local staff will see us to our overnight accommodations.

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The Shark Observatory at the Southern End of Ras Muhammed Wall- Photo : Eric Hanauer

DAY 12 - DEPARTURE FOR HOME - Tuesday (B)
After breakfast, our staff will see you to the airport and assist you with all the formalities before you board your flight for home. Bon Voyage!

This tour starts in Cairo every Monday throughout the year. RATES per person in USD:

Prices include:

• All ground transportation in Egypt as per itinerary.
• Rail transportation with sleeper accommodation as per itinerary.
• Domestic air transportation in Egypt as per itinerary.
• Hotel accommodations, including tax and service charges
• Meals as indicated from preset menu (B = Continental breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
• Guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees.
• Lonely Planet travel guidebook .
• Visa Fee (only for holders of Australian, NZ, Western Europe,Canadian, US, and Japanese passports with six months of validity remaining at time of arrival)

Not included:

• Personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically included
• Gratuities for local personnel
• Travel insurance (please see our brochure)
• International air fare ( we'll be glad to assist upon request

 

Diving in Sharm:Sample Rates are Always per person
Rates are subject to change

1 day : 2 dives USD 85.00 per person
3 days package 6 dives : USD 235.00 per person

Equipment Rental:

Mask- snorkel - fins USD 09.00
Half suit USD 10.00
Wetsuit USD 15.00
Full Equipment USD 30.00

Sample Deluxe hotels in Sharm :Rotana , Sonesta , Hyatt / Marriott or similar
Sample Deluxe hotels in Cairo : Hyatt, Conrad, Sonesta , Meridien, Sheraton or Hilton, or similar

Click here to add a visit to El Djarrah Cave that was discovered in 1873, and then forgotten for more than 100 years. Even today, few visitors are privileged to penetrate its depths to admire its stalactites and ancient rock art

Other Choices:

• Compare with the Hurgada Edition on the the Red Sea
• The Ultra Deluxe Version
• Cairo and Sharm in 8 days. Nile Cruise version  
• Le Meridien Makadi Hotel Hurgada
• Alexandria & Fayoum Oases Edition
• Eleven Days with an overnight in Abu Simbel .
• Live aboard arrivals
• Add Petra Jordan

Trip Notes

You can expect warm and sometimes hot weather in Luxor and Aswan. Mornings and evenings are cooler. For shore excursions, wear lightweight clothing of cotton and natural fabrics. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Honeymoon Wishes: A 14 days edition
A "Dream Come True" tour. 14 days , Cairo and the Pyramids. A Nile Cruise of course, and a beach resort at Hurgada or El Gouna, on the Red Sea. Including the welcome Zaffa (procession that will resemble an Arabian/Egyptian wedding party) with a troupe of dancers and musicians dressed with the Egyptian typical clothes, welcoming guests by singing and dancing Egyptian Folklore).

Des nouvelles découvertes en Alexandrie. . . et plus que jamais à visiter

Même aujourd'hui, les trésors de l'Egypte sont en cours d'être redécouverts- parfois comprennant des millénaires dans un seul emplacement!

Le Bureau de tourisme de l'Egypte a révélé récemment l'existence d'un tombeau Pharaonique datant de 400 AV. J-C sur l'Ile Nelson, à seulement quatre kilomètres de la baie d'Abu Qir d'Alexandrie. Les découvertes par une équipe d'archéologues Italiens ont inclus trois momies, des outils de faïence, des statues, et des figurines parés avec des textes du Livre de la mort.

Mais il y a plus. Les anglais ont coulé la flotte de Napoléon à Abu Qir en 1798, et les excavations ont produit un trésor provenant du combat: des restes de soldats, des marins et des officiers dans leurs uniformes, munis d'engrenage militaires, de chapelets, et d'emballages de cercueils et de corps, tous bien conservés dans les sables Méditerranés. Il y avait même des squelettes des nouveau-nés, démontrant l'accompagnement des officiers par des membres de leurs familles à bord du bateau.

A mesure que ces découvertes sont cataloguées et protégées, beaucoup d'objets seront placés dans la collection du Musée du Château de Qeit Bey, qui emmagasine déjà des vestiges de la flotte de Napoleon, y compris son phare, l'Orient.

Les découvertes récentes joignent la Nouvelle Bibliothèque, inauguré seulement l'année dernière, avec les premières attractions de l'Alexandrie. A la fois il faut mentionner la prochaine inauguration du Nouveau Musée dans un palais historique qui a abri anciennement le consulat des Etats-Unis.

Travel in Style arrangera avec plaisir une visite au site des découvertes, au Musée du Château de Qeit Bey, et à toutes les attractions de l'Alexandrie.