Egypt Your Way

(for the Independent Traveller)
10 days / 9 Nights With Abu Simbel
Click here for the 9 days edition

Compare with the 12-Day version with the Red Sea . . Add Petra and Jordan

Imagine having friends in Egypt. They speak the language, of course, and know all the ins and outs.
They'll meet you at the airport, check the train schedules and buy your ticket, get you to the station, and make sure that you have a comfortable room reserved at your next stop.

You'll look after yourself most of the time during your travels. But your friends will be on hand to answer questions, and lend a hand when you need one. With Egypt Your Way, you'll have those gracious friends-our local personnel.

They'll look after the essentials while you choose exactly what to see and when to see it. You'll have two nights each at hotels in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan, breakfast included, as well as two exciting nights aboard the Nile Valley train. Beyond that, it's all up to you.

Gaze at the wondrous Sphinx and the Pyramids, and stay to bargain for a camel ride-you've got the time! Or join newfound friends for a dinner cruise on the Nile. Wander the bustling streets of Cairo, where a surprise awaits you at every turn. Or decide at the last minute to take a flying visit to Abu Simbel from Aswan. Our local personnel will always be available to assist with upgrades and optional tours, without a highly scheduled itinerary.

Weekly on Saturdays. Or arrive any day for an additional $100. Year round.

DAY 1 - CAIRO- Saturday
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Complimentary visa is issued upon arrival only for American, Australian, NZ , EU , Canadian, Brazilian , Mexican & Japanese citizens,, passports must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of your arrival.

DAY 2 - CAIRO- Complimentary HOME HOSTED MEAL-Sunday (B)
On your first full day in Egypt with your guide book at hand explore on your own maybe : the Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home ( subject to availability at the time of booking) :
Meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town).
Need an extra day in Cairo ? Please compare with our 11 day version

DAY 3 - Board the OVERNIGHT TRAIN- Monday (B)
In the evening, it's all aboard! We'll settle you into your first class train , bound for Aswan, in a private wood-panelled sleeping compartment on the train, we speed along the banks of the Nile , you'll enjoy dinner on board , as the lights of villages reflect in the river. We rate the sleeper train : 3 stars modest. If you prefer to fly , please add : $ 150 per person in double, in which case you 'll spend the night in Cairo , and fly tomorrow morning.

DAY 4 - Aswan - Tuesday (B)
After breakfast on board, the train arrives in Aswan, where we'll escort you to your hotel . Explore Aswan on your own : you may wish to Tour 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.

DAY 5 - ASWAN - ABU SIMBEL - Wednesday (B)
This morning we start with an early breakfast at the hotel, then we head by a private air conditioned vehicle and your private driver and Egyptologist and head along Nasser Lake and on to Abu Simbel , to visit these mighty temples ( 3 and half hour drive each way ) :
In the larger Ramses the Great 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, then drive back to Aswan , and your hotel.

Air port / hotels/ Cruise Transfers in Egypt are always provided to our guests on a private basis , private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur

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

DAY 6- LUXOR Thursday (B)
Transfer to Aswan Railway station , board your first class air conditioned train bound for Luxor. Evening arrival.

DAY 7- LUXOR - Friday (B)
Own activities, suggestions :
Crossing the Nile , you may wish to tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

DAY 8 - LUXOR / Overnight train - Saturday (B)
Again you are on your own, Suggested tours: The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor. Followed by a transfer to Luxor Train Station. Once again it's all aboard! We'll settle you into your first class train , bound for Cairo , in a private wood-panelled sleeping compartment on the train, we speed along the banks of the Nile ,you'll enjoy dinner on board.

DAY 9 - CAIRO - Sunday (B)
Early morning arrival. Transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, wander through the city on your own, or do your last-minute shopping.

DAY 10 - CAIRO- Monday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.

RATES per person in USD

This tour starts weekly in Cairo.

For Easter , Christmas/New Year's week, add 10 % to the rates.

The rates include :

• All Sleeper train tickets , first class , air conditioned, within Egypt , private sleeping car compartment.
• Transfers within Egypt, including meet & assist.
• Preset menu continental or buffet B = Breakfast.
• Complimentary visa is issued upon arrival only for American, Australian, NZ , EU , Canadian, Brazilian , Mexican & Japanese citizens, passports must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of your arrival.
• Hotel accommodation as listed, including all tax & service charges.
• Air ticket Aswan Abu Simbel Aswan.
• Entrance fees for Abu Simbel temples.

Rate does not include:

• Guided sightseeing ,entrance fees.
• 
  International airfares to or from Cairo.
• Tips.
• Insurance ( we'll be glad to send you the flyer)

The King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid was not meant to be visited:
Getting to it is challenging, and once you enter, it is very difficult to turn back. The stone passage is only wide enough for one person. You must be in good physical condition, able to climb several flights of stairs, bend double, crouch and duck-walk for short distances. The King's Chamber itself is the world's most claustrophobic place, with dim light and heavy, hot, oxygen-poor air. There is no ventilation. If you are at all sensitive to claustrophobia or confinement, or if you have any sort of respiratory condition, for your own safety and the safety of others, you must not enter the pyramid because it is impossible to remove a person or to bring aid to them quickly