Egyptian Wonders

A Grand 16 - Day Tour of Egypt With Alexandria and Abu Simbel Temples

Our deluxe tour of Cairo and the Nile gives you an in-depth look at the wonders of Egypt in 16 days . Meet the local, enjoy a home hosted meal. This version included Alexandria and Abu Simbel. Tour departs weekly on Sundays . Extend to to Petra & Jordan

DAY 1 - USA/CAIRO - Weekly - First Sunday of each and every month - Year Round
Your wide-body jet departs the USA bound for Cairo. Overnight across the Atlantic.
Sample carriers : British Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, KLM etc. Egyptair is the only one that's nonstop and get's you to Cairo in the afternoon ( Day 2 ). Egyptair is the only non-stop flight JFK Cairo . With an afternoon arrival.

Air fare add on is available from most major cities in the USA. For West Coast Passengers : You need not to connect via JFK, you will fly LH, BA or AF etc. non-stop to Europe , then connect to another non-stop to Cairo . For JFK Passengers : Please note that Egyptair is the only-non-stop flight JFK Cairo , with a great afternoon arrival time, versus other carriers very late PM arrivals.Air fare is always subject to change, even on a last minute basis. Feel free to handle your own air fare if you prefer to do so : Credit $ 500 to be deducted from any of the listed rates.

For business class upgrades from JFK ( roundtrip) :
Egyptair , Lufthansa or British Airways : Please add : $ 3050 tax included .


For business class upgrades from LAX, SFO, SEA or SAN (roundtrip) :
Lufthansa or British Airways : Please add : $ 4300 tax included .

DAY 4 - GIZA and OLD CAIRO - Wednesday (BL)
In the morning, we visit the majestic pyramids of Giza, Cheops Royal Barge Museum and the timeless Sphinx, including that famous shot on the camel with the Pyramids in the background, this is a PHOTO OP. Not a camel ride, as time is very limited. ( entrance ticket is included for the Great Pyramid , yet please read the note below , as guests must be in good health and physical cndition to climb ) in the afternoon we tour Old Cairo: the Coptic museum, Church of Abu Sarga, and Ben Ezra Synagogue, where we will visit the spot at which, tradition says, Moses was found by the banks of the Nile. Lunch at a local restaurant. Evening Whirling Dervishes performance at Wekalet El Ghouri.

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 . Complimentray 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 ! 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 dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 7 - LUXOR & KARNAK - Saturday (cBLD)
An early flight takes us to Luxor, domestic air fare within Egypt is always included, in economy class, tax included, in Luxor we settle in aboard our Nile cruiser. Following lunch aboard, we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, returning to our vessel in time for tea. Air port / hotels/ Cruise Transfers in Egypt are always provided to our guests on a private basis , private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 8 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS - Sunday (cBLD)
We tour the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb, temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch. In the afternoon, do as you like: Luxor's folksy bazaar awaits you.

DAY 9 - ESNA & EDFU - Monday (cBLD)
We cruise to Esna during the night and pass through the locks. After breakfast we cruise to Edfu and board horse-drawn carriages to get to the fine Temple of Horus. In the evening, we have a jolly galabia party.

DAY 10 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN - Tuesday (cBLD)
We explore Kom Ombo's twin Temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, before cruising south to Aswan. After lunch aboard, we board a graceful felucca for a cruise among the Nile islands .

DAY 11 - ASWAN & Check out - Aswan Hotel- Wednesday (cB)
The mighty Aswan dams and the Nubian Museum are our first goal this morning, followed by a trip by motor launch to the Philae temples. Back on land, we tour of 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, before heading for your hotel: Movenpick Elephantine Island, or the Old Cataract Hotel. Air port / hotels/ Cruise Transfers in Egypt are always provided to our guests on a private basis , private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur

DAY 12 - ASWAN / Abu Simbel / CAIRO - Thursday (cBL)
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 the mighty temples :
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 , fly back to Cairo , 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 13 - Giza , Memphis , Sakkara -Friday (cBL)
In the morning, we visit the majestic pyramids of Giza and the timeless Sphinx. The afternoon is for Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser & Nobles tombs/Mastabas. In the evening, we return to the Pyramids for an awe-inspiring sound-and-light show.

DAY 14 - Alexandria -Saturday (cBL)
We rise early before dawn , leave the hotel around 6 AM . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, private guide .

Drive to Alexandria for a : 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 before heading 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. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel

DAY 15 - CAIRO - Sunday (cBL)
The Culture of Cairo

Today we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions. We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and exotic.

You’ll see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience. Be prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos. It’s all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in traditional modest garb as well as others in Western dress.

Then it’s on to the Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles, swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great decorative traditions. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House, a serene and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain and exquisite furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished way of life—the residence is actually two traditional medieval Cairo houses restored by an English physician to a former king. We’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab an-Nasr, the Gate of Victory in Cairo's old walls. You’ll even see graffiti that survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the British Empire, among the many who passed this way. Dinner at a local restaurant

DAY 16 - DEPARTURE Monday (cB)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Air port / hotels/ Cruise Transfers in Egypt are always provided to our guests on a private basis , private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.  Bon Voyage.

RATES per person in US$

AAir Fare Supplement Notes :

• Our airline partners for departures from New York are : Lufthansa , British Airways, Air France, Egyptair and Olympic Airways.
  
  
• From San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle-Tacoma, Phoenix, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth please add an additional $450; from Chicago or Washington, DC's Dulles International Airport, please ad an additional $350.
  
• Air Fare High Season:
  In addition, for any departures from May 1 through end of Sep , Dec 20 - Jan 2 please add $500 high-season airfare surcharge to the rates shown above. This air fare supplement doesn't apply when you handle your own airfare.
  

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES:

• International airfare from New York, US departure tax.

• Egyptian domestic airfares as described in the itinerary in economy class, with tax included .
  
• All airport transfers and taxes in Egypt.
  
• Abu Simbel tour as listed, private Egyptologist , one way private vehicle, one way flying, as listed
  
• Hotel accommodations (including taxes).
  
• Set-menu (table d'hote) meals as indicated in the itinerary above.
  
• A Nile cruise with all shore excursions and meals.
  
• Guided sightseeing by air-conditioned motor coach, including all admissions fees.
  
• Visa fee is included & will be issued upon arrival for : American, Canadian, Australian, NZ, Mexican , EU , South Africa, Brazilian & Japanese citizens.
  
• 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 Nile Cruise.
  
• Tea or coffee and bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.

• The 14 Day version without International air fare

• Add Abu Simbel Temples in Nubia .
  
• Add Alexandria
  
• Add Jordan
  
• Add a Foray into the Egyptian desert and visit one of the Oases
  
• Mediterranean Fantasies
  Luxury Nile Cruise & The Greek Isle of Santorini. This 12 -day itinerary combines a Nile Cruise of Ancient Egypt with Classical Athens & the romance of the honeymoon Greek Isle of Santorini
  
  
  
• The Wonders of the Near East
  A Private Tour of Egypt Palestine , Israel and Arabia . A Grand 28 -Day Tour of the Middle East

Sample deluxe Nile cruises:
M/S Adonis , M/S Monaco , M/S Mojito / M/S Monte Carlo, M/S Lady Diana ( subject to availability).

Not included:

• Expenses of personal nature, such as phone calls, laundry , beverages, etc
• Tips.
• Travel Insurance

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

Tha Agha Khan in Egypt :

Programmes in Egypt began with the creation of 30-hectare (74-acre) Al-Azhar park on the site of what had been a rubble dump for 500 years. Today, the project has evolved well beyond the Park to include the restoration of 1.5 kilometres of the 12th century Ayyubid wall and several landmark buildings, as well as socio-economic initiatives in the neighbouring Darb al-Ahmar district. These include housing rehabilitation, microfinance, apprenticeships and healthcare. Nurse’s training and early childhood education programmes are also underway in Aswan.

Agha Khan Social Development in Egypt :

Darb Al-Ahmar, one of the
poorest parts of Cairo, is the site for various AKDN social programmes - including restoration of the decayed housing stock - which are designed to help revitalise the historic district. Al-Azhar park, undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, has proven to be a powerful catalyst for urban renewal in the neighbouring district of Darb al-Ahmar -- one of the poorest districts in Cairo. Other AKDN agencies are now working on social programmes in the neighbourhood, including microfinance, education, civil society strengthening and health.

Darb Al-Ahmar Social Programmes
Less than two centuries ago, Darb Al-Ahmar was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Historic Cairo. Today, however, the 92,000 inhabitants of the district are among the poorest. While featuring one of the richest concentrations of Islamic architecture in the world, the district also suffers from a lack of adequate basic infrastructure and services such as water and sanitation. When the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) made a baseline study in 2003, the housing stock was crumbling, piles of trash lined the streets, the historic monuments had come under increasing stress, the neighborhood retained an unsavory reputation and hope among its inhabitants for improvements in the quality of life had dimmed.

Since 2003, AKTC and its partners have created a number of social programmes in Al Darb Al-Ahmar, each of them designed to address a development challenge. Hundreds of families have benefited from improvements to the water supply network, including the replacement of lead junctures. Repair of the electrical systems began in 2007. Parts of the sewage network have been upgraded and expanded into alleys previously not served by these facilities. New drainage works are preventing the pooling of water, thereby reducing the potential for water-borne disease. Environmental programmes have stressed general environmental awareness as well as focusing specifically on environmentally friendly solid waste disposal practices. A programme to remove the trash and rubble that is strewn across many roofs in the area and replace them with vegetable gardens was undertaken. Another project installed water supply cisterns on roofs, addressing a chronic lack of water and water pressure. In addition, to tackle the lack of heating in 25 percent of the area’s homes, a pilot project for affordable solar water heating systems was started.