From Tokyo to Cairo

Here's the best of the two worlds & two of the oldest civilizations, Japan and Egypt
All in 20 days : , a good look at Tokyo ,Hakone, Kyoto , Nara , Cairo
and a cruise along the Nile, locally escorted

Day 1 - Sunday - Arrival Tokyo - Weekly year round
Arrive at Tokyo Narita International . Airport. After entry formalities you will be met and escorted you to board the Airport Limousine , the coach will stop at your hotel : the KEIO PLAZA INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
located in Shinjuku, or similar .

Day 2, Monday -TOKYO (B)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. We allowed for this extra day , to rest after the transPacific flight .
Enjoy Tokyo as you wish, full day at leisure

Photo Credit : By JNTO

Day 3, Tuesday -TOKYO (BL)
The all-day Dynamic Tour begins with the Tokyo Tower for a panoramic view of this metropolis. Enjoy a tranquil opportunity at the Happoen Garden and experience the tea ceremony. LUNCH at the Chinzanso Garden for a Genghis Khan Barbecue treat. Your boat cruise on the Sumida River highlights the new development surrounding the riverside and enjoy browsing through the many colorful "nakamise" arcade shops at Asakusa Kannon Temple. You may return to your hotel or you may end your tour at Ginza and take a taxi or subway to your hotel.

Day 4 , Wednesday - TOKYO (B)
Today at leisure to enjoy this metropolis on your own. The department stores offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of the people. Be sure to visit the basement food area for an endless array of Japanese and western delicacies.

Day 5 , Thursday -TOKYO - MT FUJI - HAKONE (BL)
Morning motorcoach sightseeing excursion to Mt. Fuji and drive to its Fifth Station for a view of the surrounding lakes. Continue to Hakone National Park and LUNCH at the Hakone Highlands Resort. Enjoy a cruise on Lake Ashi . Accommodations at the KOWAKI-EN HOTEL. (3 stars)
Enjoy the public bath at this Hotel which is invigorating and is a "must."
Please note that large suite cases are not allowed onboard i, they will catch up with you in Kyoto, so please make sure that you have a carry on bag for your night stay at Hakone.
In Japan , only one large suite case is transported free of charge between cities , for the 2nd suite case you 'll be charged $ 10 ( subject to change , payable only locally , on the spot .

Day 6 , Friday -Hakone - NARA - KYOTO (B)
Morning Transfer to Tokyo Station to board the JR super Express Shinkansen (Bullet) train to Kyoto. Upon arrival walk to your accommodation at the New Miyako Hotel (5 stars) or similar. Afternoon enjoy a motorcoach tour through the countryside to the ancient capital of Nara visiting Todaiji Temple and its indoor Buddha and Deer Park. Tour The Kasuga Shrine and its 1001 Hanging lanterns. Return to Kyoto early evening.

Day 7 , Saturday - KYOTO (B)
A glimpse into the history of Kyoto is significantly presented in your visits today to the Golden Pavilion with its golden splendor reflected like a mirror in the surrounding pond. Walking through the Nijo Castle brings you into the residence of the shogun and understand the formality of the Tokugawa period. The Old Imperial Palace as the former residence of the Imperial Family presents the simplicity and nobility of the era. The Kyoto Handicraft Center gives you an opportunity to observe artisans of the area in their intricate craft as cloisonne, calligraphy and more, take the shuttle back to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure .

Day 8 , Sunday - KYOTO (B)
Full day at leisure or join one of our optional tours:
A- Kyoto including the Heian Shrine. Kiyomizu Temple, Sanjusangendo Hall.
B- Night tour including a Tempura dinner and the Gion Corner for a program of traditional Japanese arts.

Day 9 , Monday - KYOTO - OSAKA/KANSAI / CAIRO (B)
Airport Limousine transfer to Osaka Kansai International Airport. Subject to availability we may fly out of Osaka non stop to Cairo, or connect through Tokyo and on to Cairo , overnight on board your flight . Air fare is included one way Between Japan and Egypt in economy class , with tax included .

Day 10-CAIRO - Tuesday (B)
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa may be issued for a limited number of nationalities such as : American , Canadians , Australians, NZ and Japanese citizens, please pay the $ 15 USD ( in cash) ( subject to change), get the stamp, clear customs and meet our local rep. after you exit , you are responsible for having a valid passport. Welcome Egyptian pastries and sweets (hotel room) . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private air conditioned vehicle) to the hotel

Day 11- CAIRO - Wednesday (BLD)
Breakfast is always included daily while you are in Egypt.
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including Tutankhamon treasures and the Mummies Room , lunch is included at Abu El-Sid restaurant or similar . Afternoon tour of Saladin's Citadel, The Alabaster Mosque , Sultan Hassan Madrassa and the 12th century district of Khan El Khalili bazaar district . Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant.

Day 12 - CAIRO - Thursday (BLD)
Today we drive to the edge of Cairo and off to Giza to tour the Pyramids of Giza, the enigmatic Sphinx, and Cheops Royal Barge Museum.

The museum of the Royal Barge of Cheops The museum is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years , the wooden boat was readied for the king's daily journey with the sun god, Ra . Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt.

Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King's Chamber your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (Included) is entirely your own choice !
Lunch is included at the Mena House Museum . The afternoon is devoted to Memphis , Sakkara, the Step Pyramid of Zoser , the small yet charming museum of Imhotep, and the Nobles Mastabas. Dinner is included on board Hyatt dinner cruise .

DAY 13 - On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old , Friday (BLD)
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 at a local restaurant . Dinner as well is included back at the hotel in Cairo .

Day 14 -CAIRO- LUXOR - Nile Cruise - Saturday (BLD)
We fly to LUXOR ( or Aswan) , in Luxor we proceed to cross the Nile to the West Bank :
We tour today as the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise. and board our Nile cruiser in time for a delicious lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin .The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon. We'll return in time for the afternoon tea served on deck. You'll have a chance to explore your ship before dinner.

DAY 15 - LUXOR , EDFU (BLD) Sunday
We sail to Esna to go through the locks , and on to Edfu where we dock for the night. In the evening , we'll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing national costume, a galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments)

DAY 16 - EDFU, KOM OMBO (BLD) Monday
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved temple. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we enjoy lunch as we sail further south upriver . We disembark downstream at Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, the continue our voyage to Aswan, while we party after dinner with music& dance.

DAY 17 - , ASWAN (BLD) Tuesday
First we tour Aswan dams, then on to the new Nubian Museum then the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess 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!

In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile.
Our farewell dinner this evening is a buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by a show featuring oriental performers, including of course a belly dancer.

DAY 18 - ASWAN , CAIRO (BD) Wednesday
After breakfast, check -out , we head to the Nubian Museum , and for those who are interested : a short camel caravan & ride is included to visit a local Nubian Village, then off to the airport : Board our return flight to Cairo. Air fare is always included with tax ( in economy class ) and your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure . Dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 19 - CAIRO (B) Thursday
Full day at leisure, AAAAAH , finally a break !, enjoy your hotel facilities, or explore the city as you wish on your own . In the evening : 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 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 20 - CAIRO - Departure Thursday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage

RATES are per person in USD $ :

First class and deluxe hotels apply to Egypt hotels and Nile cruises
The hotel listed in Japan will be used for both categories

High Season : For Easter, Christmas/New Year's week, add 15% to the rates.

The rates include :

• All domestic airfares within the destinations as per itinerary , in economy class , tax included.
  
  
• Train tickets and transfers within Japan and Egypt.
  
  
• Hotel accommodations including tax and service charges.
  
  
• Meals as listed: continental breakfast daily in Japan, but American breakfast or Buffet in Egypt, L/D: preset menu lunch/dinner.
  
  
• Guided sightseeing as listed including all entrance fees.
  
  
• International airfare between Japan and Egypt as indicated , in economy class with tax included .
  Please note that itinerary is subject to change.
  
  
• Hotels used in Japan ( or similar) :
  Intercontinental Keio Plaza (5 Stars) Kwai -en (4 stars) New Miayko (5 Stars) Hotels used in Egypt:
  * For Deluxe we use hotels such as: Grand Hyatt , Conrad , Hilton/Meridien or similar.
  * For First Class we use: Pyramids Park / Oases/ Maadi Hotel .
  
  

• Tips in Egypt to all your drivers, guides, porters, and the crew on board your Nile cruise.

The rate Does NOT include :

• Trip Cancellation Insurance, Travel Insurance
• Beverages.
• Meals that are not specified.
• International air fare from/to your home country
• Visa for Egypt may be issued for a limited number of nationalities such as : American , Canadians , Australians, NZ and Japanese citizens, please pay the $ 15 USD ( in cash) ( subject to change), get the stamp, clear customs and meet our local rep. after you exit , you are responsible for having a valid passport. Welcome Egyptian pastries and sweets (hotel room) . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private air conditioned vehicle) to the hotel

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