From
Marrakech to the Nile
The
Dahabiya Nile Cruise Version
A 17 day North African Dream Vacation
Including a Dahabiya Nile Cruise . We have even included all the tips.
For guests who want the best in Private Touring
Explore
the two gems of North Africa--Morocco and Egypt--on this 17-day
tour edition , that includes a one week Dahabiya Nile Cruise, Cairo
, Luxor Aswan, Edfu, Kom Ombo ,air fare between Morocco & Egypt,
Marrakech and Casablanca . Departure :Weekly Year Round .
More
Choices: Add
Jordan and Petra. Compare with the 10
day , 14 day edition including the
Moroccan Sahara. Add
Istanbul , or the
20 day edition.
Day
1 - MARRAKECH - Saturday: Weekly arrival .... year round : Subject
to availability
Your international flight arrives in Marrakech after completing customs
and immigration formalities, our local rep. escorts us to our hotel.
Your airport transfers are always on a private basis. Private air-conditioned
vehicle, private chauffeur.
DAY
2 - MARRAKECH - Sunday (BL)
We board a horse-drawn carriage for a clip-clop tour of this ancient
royal capital, including the Kotoubia, a former royal palace,
and of course the labyrinthine souks (bazaars). Lunch is included
at a charming local restaurant , private guide .
A
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 Marrakech 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. Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with
your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.
Day
3 - MARRAKECH- Monday (B)
Now that you've got your bearings, today is yours to explore the city
as you wish . Our local guide is available for you to consult with :
you have the car & driver at your disposal today, maybe takes you
to a nearby Berber village, or explore the local souks for a shopping
spree. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
Day
4 - BY TRAIN TO CASABLANCA- Tuesday (BL)
"Getting there is half the fun!" We board the train for our return to
Casablanca, ( your private guide will be with you on board the
train ), cruising through the lovely countryside past green fields,
fruit-laden orchards, traditional villages and modern towns, with the
lofty Atlas Mountains soaring in the distance. Our tour escort
points out interesting features, and fills us in on Moroccan life and
culture. After arriving in Casablanca, we visit the majestic new Grand
Mosque of King Hassan II, second only to the Great Mosque at Mecca
in size. We continue on a panoramic tour of the city and its souks.
Then off to your hotel in Casablanca Private air-conditioned vehicle,
private chauffeur, private guide .
Day
5 - CASABLANCA - Cairo - Wednesday (BLD)
After breakfast , we drive to the airport for our Royal Air Maroc or
Egyptair flight across North Africa to Egypt. Air fare is included
in economy class. Tax Included . Air ticket is issued & delivered
in Morocco.
We arrive in Cairo . Complimentary
visa issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport, valid only for American,
Australian , NZ, Canadians, EU, Mexicans & Japanese citizens. Passports
must be valid for 6 month at least at time of arrival.
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
In Morocco & Egypt : all transfers are with a Private air-conditioned
vehicle and a private chauffeur.
Day
6 - CAIRO- Thursday (BL)
Breakfast at leisure at the hotel. Late start to allow to enjoy a relaxed
morning .
Then early afternoon : We drive through this mystical ancient city ,
we visit the Citadel of Saladin and its Alabaster Mosque, enjoying
spectacular views of the city below. We descend from the Citadel into
Khan el-Khalili, the bazaar district, in search of Egyptian treasures.
Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant
DAY
7 - CAIRO - Friday (BLD)
Today we visit Cairo's most famous monuments: the awesome pyramids of
Giza, the Valley Temple and the timeless Sphinx.
After lunch we drive to Dahshour, the newly opened pyramid field
south of Cairo, where we visit several ancient structures, including
the great pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. DAHSOUR -
we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to Dahshour, 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.
Private
air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and a private Egyptologist.
Day
8 - Saturday - Cairo to Luxor ( or Aswan)
and board your deluxe air conditioned Felucca
Very
early morning breakfast and transfer to Cairo Airport. Flight is included
in our rate, in economy class , tax included . Morning arrival at Luxor
.We'll meet you at the airport , upon arrival in Luxor , we proceed
( private vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide to cross the
Nile to the West Bank to visit :
Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, 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.
Then we escort you to your
deluxe air conditioned Nile cruise felucca or dahabbiya.
Board Luxor ( or Aswan ) .
Embarkation in Luxor for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously
appointed Dahabbiya.
After
lunch, excursion to the West Bank for visits to the burial places of
the Pharaohs - the Valley of the Kings - where Howard Carter discovered
the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of
the Queens, the temple of Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon.
Overnight
moored on the Nile banks of Luxor. Sample
Deluxe Felucca / Dahabia : El Bey (His
Lordship)
. El Hanem (The Lady) , Zahra (Flower) ,
and Nesma (Breeze) , Dongola, Zarafa
Day
9- Sunday - Luxor - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
You will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak,
with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing
28 th Dynasty Luxor Temple ,overnight
moored in Luxor.
Day
10 - Monday - Luxor to Esna - On board your Yacht
Nile Cruise
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to
Esna where your Dahabbiya will moor
Day
11 - Tuesday - Edfu - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved
Temple of Edfu.
Overnight
on board as we will look for an island in the middle of the Nile where
we moor.
Come to Egypt and enjoy your private honeymoon or Anniversary
cruise
Day
12 - Wednesday - Kom Ombo - On board your Yacht Nile
Cruise
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo visit see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated
to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning
sun. Overnight
moored beside a Nile island.
Day
13 - Thursday - Aswan - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
A leisurely day sailing to Aswan where the dahabiyya moors overnight.
Day
14 - Friday - Aswan - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old
Dam (completed in 1902) and the ' unfinished obelisk', lying in situ
since the days of the pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple,
dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters
of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam's construction.
Day
15- Saturday - Aswan - Abu Simbel - Fly back to Cairo
Breakfast aboard the dahabiyya and check-out.
We
bid farewell to the crew, we switch transportation modes and head for
Aswan Airport and your flight back to Cairo and your hotel. Air fare
is always included within Egypt, economy class , tax included
Hotels : City Stars Inter.continental . Nile Hilton , Cairo Conrad or
Grand Hyatt or similar
Abu
Simbel (Breakfast and lunch box )
Private guide in Abu Simbel. Private driver. Private air-conditioned
vehicle
Breakfast aboard the dahabiyya and check-out.
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 , admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after
which retire to a comfortable hotel for our lunch , and refreshments.
Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we head
for Abu Simbel Airport.
Air fare is included : Abu Simbel back to
Cairo , air fare is included with all taxes, with possible free upgrade
to business class, subject to availability. In Cairo , we 'll assist
with your transfer to your hotel
DAY
16 - CAIRO - Sunday (BL)
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought
the Pyramids were old
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
17 - Monday - DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight
home .
Bon Voyage.
Private
air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur
Rates
are per person in USD
|
Deluxe
A |
Deluxe
B |
| Triple |
US$
8550 |
US$
9270 |
| Double |
US$
8670 |
US$
9350 |
| Single |
US$
10,900 |
US$
11,750 |
Hotels
:
Marrakech
In Morocco
Option A : Deluxe
Deluxe Standard 5 stars hotel :
KENZI FARAH or similar www.kenzi-hotels.com/anglais
Deluxe Standard 5 stars Riad - RIAD TIWALINE - www.riadtiwaline.com
In
Egypt : Cairo : Sofitel / Hilton / Sheraton / Grand Hyatt / Conrad/
Inter.Continental
Option B : Deluxe Superior
Marrakech
in Morocco :
Deluxe Superior 5 stars Riad - RIAD KNIZA www.riadkniza.com
Deluxe five stars Superior hotel / Riad : JARDINS
DE LA KOUTOUBIA www.lesjardinsdelakoutoubia.com
In
Egypt : Cairo : Four Seasons Hotel
Your
tour includes:
- Air
fare Casablanca to Cairo in economy class , including tax
-
Domestic airfares within Morocco as well as Egypt, in economy class
, including tax .
- Al
gratuity and tips in Egypt and Morocco.
-
First-class day train Marrakech-Casablanca, including tax and service
- All
airport and train station transfers in Morocco and Egypt as described
in the tour itinerary, always using a private air-conditioned vehicle,
with a private chauffeur.
-
Your hotel room at a carefully-selected deluxe hotels including tax
& service
- Dahabiya
Nile cruise as listed , that include all meals and shore excursions,
all cabins are outside, all with large panoramic windows, tax & service
charges are included. Bottled water ( one per person) delivered to
your cabin daily while you are on board the cruise. Tea or coffee
/bottled water with each meal while on board the cruise.
- B
= Breakfast, (or aB, American Buffet Breakfast),
L = Lunch, D = Dinner
and all Egyptian airport taxes.
- Private
Guided sightseeing as listed in the itinerary including all entrance
fees.
- Private
guide for all the tours in Egypt and Morocco , except while on board
the Nile cruise, you will be part of a 4-6 English speaking group
-
US and Japanese passport holders need a visa to enter Egypt. You will
obtain a visa at the airport upon arrival in Cairo With our compliments,
valid with American or Japanese passport that is valid for at least
6 month . Visas are not required of US and Canadian passport holders
for entry into Morocco.
- Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance
- International
air fare from / to your home country .
- Personal
expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages,
and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other
services
- Optional
Excursion
-
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Click
for 19
day version with a Nile Cruise
and couple of nights at a deluxe camp in the Moroccan sahara
.
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What others say about our service in Morocco
Lebes (Berber greeting) or sbah ikheer (Arabic for good morning)!
Spring break is about over and it's back to work tomorrow. It
will be a shorter week at CAS for me because on Thursday I'll
be leaving for the Optimal Match Conference (SPED and Technology)
in Rabat. Last year I
attended the conference in Madrid, Spain. I'm eager to see if
the teachers from Rome, Paris, and Barcelona who I met last year
will be attending this year. It is great to network with other
teachers and find out about their programs plus hear about new
and innovative strategies. The presenters are from the US.
Paul is currently enroute between Casablanca and Amsterdam with
arrival due in the US at about 5:30 tonight and then back to work
for him tomorrow. We had a fantastic week of touring and seeing
more of
Morocco - a truly remarkable country with beaches, mountains,
deserts, and everything in between in a relatively small area.
Paul will send from his email account a number of pictures which
might give you an idea of
our experiences this past week.
Trekking in the Amizimiz area while seeing the Atlas Mountains
with its picturesque landscapes and Berber villages was quite
remarkable. Our guide Said served us Moroccan tea and a lamb tagine
for lunch in his
home. As you can see from the photo they also decided to dress
us up in the typical Berber attire for lunch.
We continued on with the drive through the High Atlas Mountains
crossing through the Tizi N' Tichka Pass and descended down through
the Draa Valley stopping to see ancient Kasbahs (fortified palaces)
and to the
caravan-town of Ouarzazate (movie site of The Mummy, Black Hawk
Down, Babel, Syriana, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.). Enroute we stopped
to hike up Ait Benhaddou and up the sandstone hill which has been
the site for
a variety of movies including Gladiator. People still live in
this UNESCO World Heritage village including Uemna and her husband.
She invited us in to see her cave dwelling in the side of the
hill and shared delicious
home-grown almonds.
Our next two nights were spent in the desert. The first night
was at Zagora and in the middle of a sandstorm. Paul thinks that
I probably have never been so grouchy upon awaking in the morning
after a night spent trying to breathe while attempting to sleep
in our nomad Berber tent amongst a haze of blowing sand. I think
that the sand is all out of our ears by now. The next night after
some fun camel riding we enjoyed a night on the Merzouga Desert
in a deluxe tent under the stars.
Both nights we had our own private concert with talented musicians
and dancers entertaining us with traditional Gnaouan music and
delicious Moroccan cuisine.
It was interesting to study the information displayed on Paul's
GPS in the mountains, deserts, etc. In the photo you can see our
Moroccan friend and Paul discussing the merits of such equipment.
We read in one
of the tour books that it is difficult for tourists to locate
their reserved auberges (lodging accommodations) or tent sites
and that they are encouraged to call ahead for the GPS coordinates
in order to locate the correct place in the Sahara Desert.
Riding out into the golden dunes near Merzouga on camels to see
the sunset was so much fun while watching four-wheel-drive vehicles
zipping up and down the sand dunes (some in preparation for the
Dakar Rally).
All too soon it was time to start the travel back to Casablanca
via Fez.
On one of our stops we fed peanuts to the Barbary apes near Ifrane.
Staying in the Riad Dar Al Andalous was an experience of seeing
more of the history and culture of Fez. Here we had one more example
of the challenges of communication in a foreign country. Paul
asked if he should pay for a Coca Cola and before he knew it he
was being enthusiastically escorted into the kitchen to meet the
'cook' (Coke).
Living and visiting in an international setting
is truly an exciting and stimulating experience.
A week after leaving Casablanca via train we arrived back in Casa
with our very informative and helpful driver Hamid. Now, we have
the memories and the pictures (and a few souvenirs) to enjoy of
this
adventure in another area of incredible Morocco.
Our time in Morocco is fast approaching an end with one last trip
before returning home to Minnesota. At this point we are thinking
of exploring more of Spain and the Moroccan coast of the Mediterranean.
M'a ssalama (goodbye - Arabic)
Paul and Dixie
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