Escape to the Sun
The Best of Egypt and the Nile

A Grand 14- Day Tour of the Nile Valley , the Sinai and the Red Sea.
Cairo , Alexandria, Deluxe Nile Cruise and Sharm El Sheikh
on the Egyptian Riviera on the Red Sea
Board the Nile Cruise in Aswan - St. Catherine & Mount Sinai are of course included

Our special 14 -day locally escorted tour shows you the top sights in Cairo, Alexandria with four days (three nights) cruising on the Nile, including domestic air fare in Egypt. Add Abu Simbel , or Alexandria ?

Compare with Private Touring, Private Nile Cruising

DAY 1 - CAIRO
Our local rep. meets you at the airport and escorts you to your hotel.Visa maybe issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as : American, EU , Canadian , EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. For Americans , please pay the $ 15 USD fee in cash upon arrival . You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name you after you clear the passport and customs formalities.

Weekly on Sundays , Mondays & Tuesdays & Wednesdays, year round
Click here for  the 7 day or 9 day edition

DAY 2 - CAIRO (aBLD)
Today we get to know the great Egyptian capital on a full-day tour. We start at the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummy room & Tutankhamoun Treasures, then go on to , Saladin's Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque, Sultan Hassan Mosque , El Rifai Mosque, and the Khedivi Tombs in the City of the Dead.
Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant , and conclude with the 12th century district of Khan El Khalili.
Evening folklore dinner and Show that includes Belly Dance and or Nubian Dance / Whirling Dervishes Dance.

DAY 3 - CAIRO (aBL)
Further exploration of ancient Egypt ! We'll start after breakfast with the to OLD CAIRO : the Coptic & Jewish ancient quarter , the Hanging Church ( El Moalaka) , , Beni Ezra Synagogue , then the Royal Manial Palace of the former Crown Prince Mohamed Ali, the Nilometer . After lunch Egyptian-style, we'll motor to the Islamic Art Museum , Gayer Anderson Beit El Kretlia Museum

Lunch is included at a local restaurant. And a special treat tonight : Home Hosted Dinner.
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 4 - Aswan / Abu Simbel / Nile Cruise / Edfu (aBLD)
An early flight takes us to Aswan , ( Cruise embarkation may also be from Luxor).
In Aswan we connect by air to Abu Simbel , group tour of these two mighty temples:

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 , admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which you had back ( group transfer to Abu Simbel Airport. Connect in Aswan for your flight back to Aswan ( All domestic flights are included)
At Aswan Airport: Our representative escorts you to your Nile Cruise

( Cruise embarkation may also be from Luxor). A brief stop at the cruise to freshen up, then it is on to a complimentary short camel ride to a nearby Nubian Village for tea with the locals.

Back to the cruise , settle on board your Nile cruises, then visit the Aswan High Dam, the red granite quarries of the ancient pharaohs , and the temples of Philae, reconstructed on an island in the middle of the Nile , 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!

After a shipboard lunch, we set sail for Kom Ombo, where we explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek. We continue our cruise to Edfu, where we dock for the night.
Welcome complimentary fruit basket.

DAY 5 - EDFU & Luxor (BLD)
We board horse-drawn carriages (or motor vans) for the ride to Edfu's Temple of Horus, one of the best-preserved Ancient Egyptian temples on the Nile. After lunch , we continue our cruise down the Nile to Luxor. Afternoon tea is served on the sun -deck. Dinner & entertainment on board. Complimentary Galabya, maybe to wear it for tonight's costume party .

DAY 6 - Luxor (BLD)
Today we tour the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut's Temple of El Deir El Bahari , and the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch,we tour the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak , the "mother" of all temples, and the smaller yet charming Temple of Luxor, Afternoon tea is served on deck. Dinner & folk dance show on board. Complimentary Egyptian sweets/pastry tonight.

DAY 7 - LUXOR / SHARM EL SHEIK (B)
Morning check -out from your Nile Cruise.
We fly over the Sinai peninsula to Sharm El Sheik, and head for the beach!

Add an extra night in Luxor ?

DAY 8 - SHARM EL SHEIK (B)
Relax! This is your day to absorb all that you've seen and experienced so far, not to mention the bright Egyptian sun and sparkling sea. Divers ? Click here

DAY 9 - MOUNT SINAI (BL)
Our knowledgeable guides arrange a pre-dawn departure into the still-cool wilderness of Sinai, through which Moses led the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. Our goal is the Monastery of St. Catherine, built of rock at the base of Mount Sinai, at the site of the Burning Bush. We tour the monastery, rich in history, icons and sacred paintings, then return to Sharm El Sheik.

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

DAY 10 - CAIRO (B)
We return to Cairo by plane. In Cairo enjoy a free day in the Egyptian metropolis. Experience Cairo as you like. Now's a good time to do your souvenir and gift shopping in the city's fabled bazaars.

DAY 11 - GIZA / MEMPHIS / SAKKARA / DAHSOUR
GIZA / MEMPHIS / SAKKARA / DAHSOUR / Camel Ride
(aBL)
Enjoy American or Buffet breakfast before we explore the great ancient Egyptian capital of a first UNITED KINGDOM in the Nile Valley : The mighty Memphis :
in this full-day tour as we head for Giza Plateau :
Visit the majestic pyramids of Giza and the timeless Sphinx, enjoy a short camel ride and the famous photo op with the Pyramids in the background . Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King's Chamber (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid ) then on to Memphis , the Step Pyramid of Sakkara , the Nobles tombs and Mastabas , including Merurka's , Ti and others.

On to DAHSOUR and Meidum Pyramids , 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.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria just after he defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony. He left his coat as a token of respect to Alexander the Great. The search continues for Alexander the Great's Tomb

DAY 12 - Alexandria (aBL)
Early morning departure by private air conditioned van . In Alexandria : Full day tour of the Catacombs, the Roman Amphitheater, Qayet Bey Fortress , 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 , then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library

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.

Day 13 Wadi El Natroun - Cairo (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel . Private car /van , private Guide and we head south back to Cairo .
We stop at Wadi El Natroun monastery , 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. Lunch enroute ( modest meal/snack/lunch box)
Reach Cairo early evening

DAY 14 - DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home . Bon Voyage

Weekly on Sundays , Mondays & Tuesdays & Wednesdays, year round
Click here for the 7 day edition

RATES per person in USD $

Ultra Deluxe Nile Cruises: M/S Amarco , Queen TIYI , Radamis , Royal Lotus , Philae , Amarco : Please add 20 % supplement to the  deluxe rate

Your suite on board the M/S Amarco

Nile cruise includes all meals & shore excursions.
For a private Egyptology while on board the cruise , please add $100 per person , this will include as well private air conditioned car /driver for the duration of the Nile Cruise.
This tour starts weekly in Cairo , year round.

Rates include:

• Domestic airfare within Egypt, tickets issued & delivered in Cairo. Economy class
  Complimentary upgrade to business class with the purchase of Deluxe category
  
  
• All transfers within Egypt.
  
• Bottled water ( one large bottled per person) delivered to your cabin daily while you are on board.
• Tea or coffee and small bottled water with each & every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket in your cabin upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
  
• Pre set menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
  
  
• Hotel accommodation ,including tax & service charges.
• Guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees
  

• Nile cruise including all meals & shore excursions.

Rates do not include:

• Any international airfare.
• Tips.
• Travel Insurance
• Visa maybe issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as : American, EU , Canadian , EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. For Americans , please pay the $ 15 USD fee in cash upon arrival . You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name you after you clear the passport and customs formalities.

Clothing on board :
Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing, swimsuits, sun hat. Dinning room dress code : Casual for breakfast & lunch, smart casual for dinner. All ships are fully air conditioned.