Felucca On The Nile
20-Days Adventure . An In-Depth Tour of The Nile Valley
Private Cruise Sailing On the Nile

In 20 days - Embarkation Luxor - One way sleeper train / one way flying
Meet the locals in Egypt as we sail on board your intimate size sailing Dahabia boat
Compare with the 12-Day Version

You've seen those graceful white-sailed feluccas cruising past Pharaonic temples in 19th-century paintings of Egypt. Well, here's your chance to go back in time! But with Today's comfort
Join our small group on a romantic felucca , sailing boat as we cruise the Nile on this 14-day soft-adventure tour which includes an overnight train journey on the Nile Express - Weekly departure, year round - Add a one week stay at an all Inclusive resort in Hurgada on the Red Sea .
Click here for images of your Royal Barge . Larger Parties looking for your private Cruise: Yachts on the Nile . Four air-conditioned Deluxe Dahabbiya with six cabins each

DAY 1 - CAIRO, Weekly Year Round on Saturdays :
Your flight arrives in Cairo. Our staff escorts you from the airport to your hotel. Complimentary visa issued upon arrival for American ,Canadian, Australian, NZ & Japanese citizens, passports must be valid at least for 6 month upon arrival. Welcome complimentarily Egyptian sweets & pastries (hotel Room).
Tour starts in Cairo weekly , year round. For a 10 days program please, Click here.

DAY 2 - CAIRO (B) Sunday
Full day at leisure to adjust to the time difference. Rest relax, and get ready for your exploration of the Nile Valley.

DAY 3 - CAIRO, Monday (cBL)
Morning walking tour through the medieval maze of Khan el-Khalili district covering : Wekalet El Ghouri , Saladdin's Citadel, and the Alabaster Mosque built by Mohammed Ali. After lunch at a local restaurant, an afternoon leisurely walking tour of the 12th century district of Khan El Khalili and Al Moez street one of the best preserved medieval time districts,before returning to the hotel . remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 4 - CAIRO, Tuesday (cBL)
Today your adventure begins with Egypt's most awesome wonders: We continue our , we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza.

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, depending ).

Then on to the treasure-filled Egyptian Museum including the treasures of Tutankhamon and the Mummies room. We'll have lunch in a typical Cairene restaurant to get you into the spirit of your Egyptian adventure.

DAY 5 - Sakkara, Memphis, Dahshour , Wednesday (cBLD)
The morning is for Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser & Nobles tombs/Mastabas.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.
Continue 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. Evening departure by the sleeper train Wagons-Lits. Leaving Cairo at 07:30 PM, dinner is served on board ( always private compartment).

Day 6 - LUXOR - Thursday (B)
Arrive early morning. We'll meet you at train station, and escort you to your hotel .
Breakfast will be served at your hotel in Luxor, room will not be ready for you to check-in.Have breakfast , coffee / tea . Meet with your local guide to go over your program, and answer any questions you may have Remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 7 - LUXOR Friday (B)
Today We tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, including the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
Then it is on to Madinet Habu and the 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 , stopping also at the Colossi of Memnon before heading back to Luxor . Remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 8 - LUXOR /Denderah Abydos Temples- Saturday (BL)
After breakfast, check-out , we drive inland to tour Denderah & Abydos Temples. Among the best preserved in Egypt. This temple as a sight to hold. Indiana Jones would have felt at home, with the massive stones & underground passages :

DENDERAH IN A DAY

We'll travel to Denderah to visit the Temple of Hathor, one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt, and also one of the most important. In the ancient beliefs, Hathor was the consort of the god of daylight, ruler of the west, and protector or the underworld. In the manner of wise desert wayfarers, we'll leave before dawn to take advantage of cool temperatures. Our air-conditioned van will take us through timeless Nile-side villages, where life revolves around the irrigation and harvest of crops. Finally, we'll reach the temple precincts. We'll take note of the unusually deep tombs, and pass under the celebrated Zodiac, in a chapel dedicated to Osiris. (Denderah is the traditional site of his rebirth.) Our full day will also include a visit to Abydos, traditional home of Osiris, god of the underworld, and a stopping point on the journey of wayfaring souls. We'll enjoy a box lunch, and return to Luxor late in the afternoon

Day 9 - LUXOR Sunday (B)
Today we stand in awe before the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor. Remainder of the day at leisure

Day 10 - LUXOR , EDFU / ROYAL CLEOPATRA Monday (BLD)
Breakfast at the hotel. Board your private air conditioned vehicle to Edfu : Upon arrival, check-in , and board your private Felucca: The Royal Cleopatra . Modest accommodation 3 stars . Welcome drink served upon arrival "Karkadeh - Local herb tea". Lunch box will be served. Welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin, watch sunset as we sip tea on deck. Dinner follows (camp style meal) , then to bed, with the ripples of the Nile gently rocking you to sleep

Day 11 -CRUISING Tuesday (BLD)
Breakfast in your cabin, or on the sun deck,tour Esna Temple, discovered in late in the 19th Century, it was well protected & preserved , buried under the main village's square for thousands of years.

Enjoy a grand day of sailing on the Nile watching villages & scenery that changed little since Biblical times. We enjoy lunch at one of the small islands on the way.
Camp style meals after we sail out of Luxor.

Day 12 - EDFU Wednesday (BLD)
Breakfast on board. We sail further upstream heading for Edfu.
Enjoy a grand day of sailing on the Nile watching villages & scenery that changed little since Biblical times . Watch sunset as we sip tea on deck. Dinner follows, then to bed, with the ripples of the Nile gently rocking you to sleep. Reach Edfu and dock for the night. A galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.

Day 13 - EDFU/ Aswan Thursday (B)
After breakfast on board in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best preserved. We return to Royal Cleopatra to continue on sailing heading for Kom Ombo. We visit its twin temple dedicated to the crocodile god of the Nile, then on to Aswan.

DAY 14 - ASWAN , Camel Caravan Friday (cBLD)
Today , we visit the mighty Aswan High Dam and the temples of Philae.

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!

Then we hop aboard our camels for a mini- caravan to a nearby Nubian village to see how the locals people live.

DAY 15 - ABU SIMBEL - Saturday (cBL)
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.
and a light lunch Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples . Overnight in Abu Simbel.

Evening Sound & Light show .

DAY 16 - ABU SIMBEL -Cairo -Sunday (cBL)
Early morning breakfast and rush to Abu Simbel to watch the sunrise . Before we head for the Airport , and your flight back to Cairo and our hotel .

On Board The Royal Cleopatra

Private Cabins

DAY 17 - CAIRO, HOME HOSTED MEAL Monday (cBLD)
We embark on a full-day tour of the Egyptian capital, visiting its ancient walls and gates, the eerie City of the Dead necropolis, the former Royal palace of Abdeen , and the bustling camel market. At the end of the day, you'll have years of stories to tell at home!

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 18 - ALEXANDRIA , Tuesday (cBL)
We speed across the Delta in your comfortable air conditioned vehicle , we visit the Greco Roman Museum, the Catacombs, Kayet Bey Fortress and the Roman Amphitheater before we head back to Cairo. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Conqueror of the Mediterranean Coast - Alexander the Great
In 332 BC, Egypt was laboring under Persian military control when Alexander the Great arrived to drive out the invaders without the shedding of a drop of blood. The Persian governor surrendered and the conquering hero was hailed as a liberator and given Egypt's double crown symbolizing control of Upper and Lower Egypt. Alexander reinstated Egypt's traditional government and founded the city of Alexandria at the country's most important crossroads: where the Nile meets the Mediterranean.

Today, we'll get to known Alexandria in depth, as we visit the Greco-Roman Museum, the Roman Amphitheater, the Koum El Shougafa Tombs. Lunch is included in an Alexandrine restaurant.

Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria just after the Roman Emperor 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.

A brief stop at " El Selsela" the site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered, as well as Caesar Kiosk , then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library before heading back to south. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel. 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 19 - Cairo , Wednesday (cB)
Full day at leisure . Or explore on your own with the guide book on hand.

DAY 20 - DEPARTURE, Thursday (cB)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage
Tour departs weekly , year round. For a 10 days program please, Click here.

Dec 20 -Jan 3 : Please add 15 % Holiday Supplement

Rates per person in US $

	Deluxe Hotels	First Class
Triple	US$ 4700.00	US$ 4020.00
Double	US$ 4820.00	US$ 4209.00
Single	US$ 6059.00	US$ 5701.00

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Your Tour Includes:

• Abu Simbel excursion by car, including entrance fees & local guide.

• Meals as indicated: cB = Continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu dinner

• All airport, dock and train station transfers in Egypt.
• Guided sightseeing as per itineraries including all entrance fees .
• Resident guide/Egyptologist onboard the Royal Cleopatra .

• One bottle of water for each guest on board / per day while on board Royal Cleopatra.
• Welcome fruit basket.
• Complimentary Galabya.

• Hotel accommodations in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor according to the tour itinerary

• Sailing boat cruise as described in the tour itinerary on M/S Royal Cleopatra with private cabin, private bath.
  
• All domestic air , sleeper train & first class train tickets in Egypt as listed.
• Egyptian visa fee for limited number of nationalities such as : American, EU , Australian, Canadian, NZ & Japanese citizens.

Rate doesn't include:

• Trip cancellation nor travel insurance, which you may purchase if you like, please ask us for the flyer.
• International air fare .
• Tips

Sample Hotels:
All will be confirmed and submitted for your review & approval before you send us your deposit.

For Al Moudira in Luxor : Please add : 50 $ USD per person in double/Tripe , or $75 In Single . Always per night
For the Old Winter in Luxor : Nile View ( Subject to Availability ) : Please add : $ 75 per person in double / Triple , or $ 130 USD $ per person in single. Always per night

For a 10 days program including a felucca sailing. Click here.

The Royal Cleopatra is a traditional wind-driven sailing craft, and is subject to the uncertainties of wind, weather and riverine traffic conditions on the Nile. We will do our best to follow published itineraries, but they must be considered tentative in all cases. We reserve the right to modify or cancel any sailing itinerary as conditions warrant. In case of insufficient wind, weather danger or difficult riverine traffic conditions on the Nile or through the Nile locks, or other cause of cancellation, we reserve the right to accommodate Royal Cleopatra passengers aboard a deluxe Nile cruise vessel, and / or to transport passengers between some sites by motor vehicle along the Nile, to be able to keep up with the itinerary , at our option.

Royal Cleopatra's Lay Out

What other guests say about Royal Cleopatra ?

Jan 2005 :

Wallace Party - On the Royal Cleopatra - Private cruising on the Nile :

Hi,

I've been meaning to email you since we arrived home - the trip was Great!!! All the crew was helpful and friendly - they had their work cut out for them helping us with the old ladies, but they were fabulous with them .

everyone had a fantastic time-the accommodations were lovely and the food delicious. Id certainly recommend it to others!!

Finally, Ahmed, our tour guide was the best - again, friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to be with for 5 days - as much as we loved our guide in Cairo, we were sad to leave Ahmed!!

Thanks for everything

Jen

Royal Cleopatra is a modified felucca type vessel, officially called a sandal , is modestly furnished and crewed by it's own private staff of 5 members: Captain, Sailor, Chef, Housekeeper, and Resident Tour Guide. There are exactly two cabins on-board the vessel, each with its own bathroom.

Normally, we have the resident tour guide stay on-board with our guests, in the rear guide's cabin. However, and upon your request , for added privacy while you are on board , we would ask the resident tour guide to meet you at all sight seeing excursions along the way.

In addition, the craft is powered by sails only. We have a private tug boat (Called Garrar - In Arabic!) that would accompany you along the way, in-case of wind loss.


Although a very ancient way of traveling the Nile (ie. Felucca Style) - Felucca, Sandal, and Dahabia Private Charter has become a growing trend for vacationing in Egypt. Especially for those repeat customers, that want a new experience (rather than a typical Nile Cruise).

For your private Cruise

Yachts on the Nile
Four air-conditioned Deluxe Dahabbiya or Felucca