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Great
Egypt
The Nile and the Nubian Sea
A 15 - day tour- Thursday Arrival into Cairo - Weekly
- Year Round
This
inclusive tour shows you the true grandeur of Egypt, with visits to
the timeless monuments of cosmopolitan Cairo, a cruise to the temples
along the Nile, and a voyage to the ancient sites on the vast inland
sea of Lake Nasser in Nubia. It's all of Egypt in 15 day
Abu
Sir Pyramids Fields are closed for now
In some cases they may appear - in error - on some of our web page
Day
1- CAIRO- weekly
in Cairo on Thursdays , year round
Arrival
in Cairo. Visa fee for Egypt , visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo
Airport for a limited number of nationalities such : American , Australian,
NZ, EU , Canadian and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having
your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of
your arrival in Cairo
. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you
(private vehicle) to the hotel.
DAY
2 - CAIRO- Friday (cBL)
Today we see Cairo's major sights: the Egyptian Museum, including the
Mummies room, Giza Pyramids, the Solar Boat Museum housing the
oldest known Royal Barge that was found next to the Great Pyramid of
Cheops, and was supposed to be ready for the Mighty Pharaoh in his "after
Life" journey !. We tour as well the enigmatic Sphinx.
Add Extra Night :
To add Memphis , Sakkara , Coptic Cairo and more, please click here
DAY
3: OLD CAIRO- Ottoman Cairo Home Hosted Dinner - Saturday
(BL)
Coptic Cairo :The treasure filled Coptic , churches & Synagogue
are our goal this morning. After which we tour the former Royal palace
of Abdeen, where Sadat welcomed Nixon in the 70's , Nixon was the first
American president to visit Egypt since Roosevelt made a brief visit
during W.W.II
We
enjoy lunch at the famous El Khan restaurant then embark on a walking
tour of the legendary 12th century district of Khan El Khalili including
the Caravanserai: Wekalet el Ghouri & the 15th century Ottoman style
house of Beit El Kritlya ( Gayer Anderson Museum), we conclude the tour
with a tour of the stunning Islamic
Ceramics Museum, housed in the restored palace Prince Ibrahim Pacha
, minutes from the Marriott Hotel .
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
a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your
preferences.
Day
4 : Cairo / Luxor - Sunday (B)
Early morning flight to Luxor and your
hotel. Afternoon
complimentary guided tour of the Luxor Museum.Then on to visit the
new & old "Qurna" or Gurnah" : In Ancient times as
well as in a more recent history, the locals populated the West
Bank and lived in series of villages near the tombs they built for their
kings & queens. The largest of these villages is Gurnah or Qurna
, these villages continue to grow in population in spite of the damage
caused to the nearby tombs, the house are an example of the traditional
Egyptian rural homes, the houses are usually built of mud break mixed
with straw, the New Gurnah was designed by the famous Hassan Fathy ,
author of " Architecture for the Poor", we conclude the afternoon
by a visit to the nearby Nobles Tombs , can not guarantee which ones
will be open as they are rotated , but you may visit : tomb of Rekhmire
, Senoufer , or Ramose .
Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak. Dinner is included
at your hotel.
DAY
5 : LUXOR , - NILE CRUISE - Monday (BD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel . Morning at leisure .
Our local rep will escort you to your Nile cruise in time for lunch
.
The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple
of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon, return to the cruise in
time for tea, served on sundeck. Dinner and dance on board.
DAY
6 : LUXOR , EDFU - NILE CRUISE - Tuesday (BLD)
Today we have a full day touring:
This morning we cross the Nile to the West Bank : tour of the hidden
ancient "Workers village " or Deir El Medinah,
the first known "Workers Village" these were the true creative
heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of
the Nile Kingdom.
Deir
El Medinah is on Luxor's west bank you 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.
We
also tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings including
King Tut's Tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut , and the
Colossi of Memnon before we head back to the cruise for lunch.
The gigantic Great Temple of Amon
at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the
afternoon. Afternoon tea served on deck. As we sail to Edfu , where
we dock for the night.
Complimentary
Egyptian sweets & pastry.
DAY
7 : EDFU & ESNA /ASWAN - Wednesday (cBLD)
In Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through
the town to the temple of Horus, Egypt's best preserved. Re-embarking,
we cruise to Kom Ombo visit its twin temple. Evening finds us in Aswan
.
DAY
8 - NILE CRUISE - ASWAN - Thursday (cBLD)
Morning visit to Aswan dam, the unfinished Obelisk, and
the Island temple of Philae , 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!
before heading for our Nile Cruiser in time for lunch, complimentary
fruit basket & bottle of mineral water (awaits you in your cabin),
afternoon sailing on the Nile by felucca. . Evening Nubian Folklore
show on board.
DAY
9 -CAMEL CARAVAN - ASWAN - From Nile Cruise to Lake Nasser Cruise -
Friday (cBLD)
After breakfast, check out . A short Camel Caravan and ride to a Nubian
Village for a visit with the locals!! followed by a transfer to your
Lake Nasser cruise across Nubian heartland.
We board our lake cruiser. Complimentary welcome fruit basket in ear
cabin. After lunch aboard, we visit the Temple of Kalabsha, originally
constructed in Pharaonic style, but later remodeled in Greco-Roman style
and dedicated to the god Mandoulis. Next we visit Beit el Wali,
a work of Pharaoh Ramses the Great, followed by a stop at Kertassi
Kiosk, dedicated to the goddess Isis. We dine aboard our floating
hotel.
DAY
10 -Lake Nasser CRUISING - Saturday (BLD)
Lake Nasser, Egypt's great man-made inland sea formed by the waters
held behind the Aswan High Dam. As we head south towards Wadi
el Seboua, you have time to relax on deck, take a dip in the pool,
read up on Egyptian history, and get to know your fellow travelers.
DAY
11 - WADI EL SEBOUA, DAKKA & AMADA - Sunday (BLD)
Our first port of call is at the Temple of Wadi el Seboua, dedicated
by the mighty Ramses the Great to two of ancient Egypt's most powerful
gods. Our next stop is Dakka Temple, followed by a visit to Amada
and the tomb of Penout, the powerful viceroy of Nubia, one of ancient
Egypt's richest regions. Known as the "Land of Gold," Nubia
was famous for the stream of gold, ivory, precious stones and minerals
which made their way from Africa to Egypt via the Nubian Nile. We dock
at Kasr Ibrim, where we dock for the night.
DAY
12 - KASR IBRIM & ABU SIMBEL - Monday (BLD)
As the sun brightens the lake shore we gaze at the citadel of Kasr Ibrim,
a once-mighty fortress which time and weather have rendered fragile,
the only structure of its kind still extant in Nubia. We learn about
the history of Nubia and this fortress, then, after lunch, set sail
for Abu Simbel. Arriving at the great temple, we have time to explore
its colossal facade and surroundings before enjoying dinner and spectacular
sound-and light show with the temple as our backdrop.
DAY
13 - ABU SIMBEL / ASWAN / Cairo - Tuesday (BD)
Get up early today to enjoy the extraordinary vision of the temple of
Abu Simbel at dawn, when the sacred sunlight penetrates deep
into its holy of holies as its architect intended. The morning sun bathes
the ruddy stone in golden light, providing perfect conditions for photography.
We fly to Cairo , transfer to your hotel.
DAY
14 : CAIRO Wednesday (B)
Full day at leisure , enjoy Cairo on your own, maybe return to the Museum
for a second visit.
DAY
15 - DEPARTURE Thursday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home.
RATES
are per person
|
Deluxe |
First
Class |
| Triple |
US$
3790.00 |
US$
3550.00 |
| Double |
US$
3885.00 |
US$
3620.00 |
| Single |
US$
5050.00 |
US$
4710.00 |
Rates
include:
- All
transfers in Egypt on private basis.
- Guided
sightseeing as listed including all entrance fees.
- Hotel
and cruise accommodations.
- All
shore excursions on board the cruise as listed, including all entrance
fees.
- Complimentary
welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
- Complimentary
welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
- Large
bottle of water ( per person ) delivered to you cabin daily while
you are on board the Lake Nasser & the Nile
Cruise.
- Tea
or coffee an bottled water with each / every meal while you are on
board the Lake Nasser & the Nile
Cruise.
-
Meals as listed including cB = Continental Breakfast, L = Lunch, D
= Dinner.
- Domestic
airfare within Egypt "Y" economy class.
Not
included:
- Insurance
of any kind .
- Tips
-
International air fare Please ask us about our special air deals
to Cairo.
- Visa
fee for Egypt , visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for
a limited number of nationalities such : American , Australian, NZ,
EU , Canadian and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having
your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date
of your arrival in Cairo
. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort
you (private vehicle) to the hotel.
DRESS
CODE :
What to Pack: Clothing on Board the Nile Cruise
Please
click here for sample Deluxe ships on Lake Nasser
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