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Egypt's
Highlights
The 8 Day Version
An 8
Day tour of Egypt. This exceptional package includes Egypt's highlights
,in all its variety, from the wonders of the Great Pyramids to the Great
temple of Karnak. You'll explore the kingdom of Ancient Egypt ; Cairo,
Gize, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Luxor, by air
Compare
with the: 6 day or 12
Day version . Add
Alexandria
DAY
1- CAIRO -Saturdays - Weekly - Year Round
Our Cairo-based personnel will meet you at the airport and see you to
your hotel near the fabled Nile.
Visa Fee is included , and issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport ,
(Only for holders of U.S.,and Japanese passports with six months of validity
beyond the date of arrival).
Fascinating Cairo awaits you! The spice shops, cafés, peddlers from bygone
days, modern-day professionals, and an unforgettable array of sights,
sounds, and aromas.
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 - Sun (BL)
Today, we'll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures
of the ancient pharaohs: 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 onward to the Citadel of Saladin and
the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. Lunch will be served at a local
restaurant. Evening Sound & Light show at Giza.
DAY 3 - ASWAN -Mon(B)
After an early breakfast we fly to Aswan , where we'll settle you into
your hotel.
This morning we'll visit the dams at Aswan, including the High Dam, a
modern wonder in this ancient land. At the ancient granite quarry, we'll
see an obelisk left unfinished
You may
have seen already by now feluccas sailing the Nile. Now we'll experience
Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail in one of these graceful craft.
Then its siesta time by the pool.
In the afternoon
board
a launch on Lake Nasser to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising
waters.
Evening Sound & Light show at Philae
DAY
4 - ABU SIMBEL- Tue (BL)
Abu Simbel We've planned our visit to Abu Simbel to be a highlight of
your Egyptian adventure. Rising before dawn, we drive along the shore
of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above
the horizon. We reach the great temples while the air is clean, clear
and cool, and the sun's light still golden‹just right for photographs.
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. We explore these fine temple
by ourselves in the quiet of the morning, admiring their ancient aura
and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments.
Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we begin our
leisurely drive back along the shore to Aswan,
Lunch will be served in Abu Simbel or Aswan.
In Aswan : Late
the afternoon we tour the Nubian Museum .
DAY 5 - EDFU / KOM OMBO / LUXOR - Wed (BL)
Proceed to Luxor by an air - conditioned car/coach ,driver & guide
. Visiting en route the temples of Edfu & Kom Ombo. Lunch box included
. Late afternoon arrival at Luxor.
Isis Hotel Group - Luxor and Aswan
DAY
6 - LUXOR , Ancient Workers Village - Thu (B)
Cross
the Nile very early AM, to the west bank to
to 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.
Queen Nefertari's Tomb is closed for urgent repairs :
As
soon as it is restored & opened to public: we'll take you there :
The
Queen for whom the sun shines :
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 broken-hearted 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 seeing 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.",
We
'll always be touring these array of ancient splendors: the tomb chambers
of the Valley of the Kings; the imposing -temple of Queen Hatshepsut ;
and the the Colossi of Memnon.
In
the afternoon we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic Great
Temple of Amon at Karnak.
 DAY
7 - CAIRO - Fri (B)
Morning arrival, our local rep will escort you to your hotel. Breakfast
will be served at the hotel. You'll make your own program for your last
full day in Cairo. Perhaps you'll do some shopping at the fabulous Khan
El-Khalili bazaar, or return to the fabulous Pyramids, or take an optional
tour, or spend the day with new friends. Don't miss your chance to mingle
with the crowds, the peddlers, and the street entertainers who give life
to Cairo!
Complimentary
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 a quiet evening with your
travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.
DAY 8 - DEPARTURE
FOR HOME - Saturday (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. For
extending to Jordan and camping in Wadi Eum, please click here.
Compare with the 12 day version
.
Bon Voyage!
This
tour departs starts weekly in Cairo , year round.
For Christmas, Easter, New Year's , please add : 15 % supplement to the
rate.
RATES per
person in USD
| |
Deluxe |
First
Class |
| Triple |
US$
1350.00 |
US$
1250.00 |
| Double |
US$
1480.00 |
US$
1310.00 |
| Single |
US$
2289.00 |
US$
2080.00 |
Easter
& Dec 20 - Jan 3 : Please add 15 % supplement
YOUR
TOUR INCLUDES:
* Domestic airfare as described in the itinerary.
* All airport transfers and taxes in Egypt.
* Hotel accommodations including taxes.
* Set-menu (table d'hôte) meals as indicated in the itinerary above.(B
= Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
* Guided sightseeing as per itinerary, by air-conditioned motor coach,including
all admissions fees.
* Lonely Planet travel guidebook .
* Visa Fee is included , and issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport
, (Only for holders of U.S., Australian, NZ, EU and Japanese passports
with six months of validity beyond the date of arrival).
Children's
Discount : 10 years of age or younger, sharing
room with parent, receive a discount of 20 percent.
Not
included:
Personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned .
Gratuities for local personnel .
Travel insurance (please see your insurance agent )
The
Gems of the Near East
Tour Egypt, Palestine , Israel and Greece
The
Ultimate Private Adventure Tour of the Near East
Triangle of Ancient Lands . Come with us on a grand 10-day
(or 14-day) triangle tour of these three awe-inspiring lands of antiquty
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