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Tour
Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia
In
a Grand North Africa 21 Days Tour
starts weekly . Year Round
We'll take you through North Africa, The Ancient Nile Kingdoms of the
mighty Pharaohs, Cairo , Giza, enjoy a 5 day Nile Cruise, then
its off to Carthage, capital of the legendary Hannibal, but there's
much more to this tour. You'll also Continue west on across North Africa
to Morocco. Marrakech, Fez and Casablanca , visit ancient cities, desert
oases, curious troglodyte dwellings, Islamic splendors, and Roman ruins
in Africa !
Compare with the : 26 day edition including Alexandria and a Nile Cruise
. Add Turkey and
Istanbul , compare
with Tunisia : the honeymoon edition . Add
South Africa .
DAY
1 - CAIRO - Sunday
We arrive in Cairo with the dawn, visa may be issued upon arrival at
Cairo Airport ( or you may contact the Egyptian Consulate nearest you
prior to departure from your home country) , valid only for a limited
number of nationalities such as: EU Australia, NZ, American, Canadian
, S. African , Japanese citizens and more . Passports must be valid
for 6 month at least at time of arrival . After exiting the terminal,
our local representative will escort you to the hotel
(always private air-conditioned vehicle )
.
DAY
2 - CAIRO - Monday (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum,
including the Mummies Pavilion and King Tut's Gold Treasure Pavilion,
the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Citadel of Saladin,
and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. Lunch will be
served at Hadaik Al-Azhar ,
Taj Al-Sultan Restaurant or the
Mena House, time permitting and subject to how heavy traffic is .
Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY
3 - ASWAN, Camel Caravan! Board your Nile Cruise- Tuesday
(BLD)
We fly to Aswan and board our Nile cruiser in time for a delicious
lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in ear cabin. In
the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile.
Only for those who are interested: a short camel caravan & ride
for almost half an hour to visit a local Nubian Village.
DAY
4 - ASWAN - KOM OMBO- On Board Your Nile Cruise - Wednesday
(BLD)
First we tour 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 temples of Philae. Re-embarking
on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit
its twin temples.
DAY
5 - EDFU - ESNA - Thursday - On Board Your Nile Cruise
(BLD)
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, we cruise to Esna and its great temple
dedicated to Khnum, the creator-god. Afternoon tea is served
on deck. Evening finds us in Luxor.
DAY
6 - LUXOR - The Workers Village , the first known workers strike in
history - On Board Your Nile Cruise - Friday (BLD)
We tour the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings and
the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon
before we l
continue on Luxor's west bank to 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.
Back
to your cruise in time for lunch. Afternoon tea is served on deck. The
gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple
of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon
DAY
7 - LUXOR - CAIRO - Saturday (B)
Breakfast, check-out and a return flight to Cairo. Air fare within
Egypt is included in economy class with tax .
In the afternoon, wander through the city on your own, or do your last-minute
shopping.
All airport transfers are always on a private basis, private air-conditioned
vehicle, private chauffeur.
DAY
8 - TUNIS - Sunday (B)
Board your flight heading west for Tunis. Air fare Cairo Tunis Marrakech
is included in our rate , in economy class with tax.
Our local rep. will meet you upon arrival at Tunis Carthage International
Airport. You'll be assisted with the formalities, and escorted to your
hotel . There will be time to relax and recuperate from your journey,
and enjoy the excellent facilities. If you wish, you can adventure into
the center of Tunis to start your exploration of the winding alleys
of the souk, filled with treasures of beaten brass and basketry and
carpets, and merchants who will welcome you with traditional mint tea.
Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY 9 - HAMMAMET, SOUSSE, MONASTIR, EL DJEM, SFAX - Monday (BLD)
After a leisurely breakfast, we'll set off to explore! Our first stop
is Hammamet, a cosmopolitan port where sun-worshippers from all over
happily coexist with fishermen and traditional ways. We'll stop at the
port of El Kantaoui, and then proceed back into time to venerable Sousse,
once the Phoenician City called Hadrumatum. We'll stroll through the
medina, the old quarter, cooled by sea breezes, and visit the museum
as well as the Ribat, a stronghold of the warriors of Islam. Then we'll
continue to Monastir, where we'll stop for lunch, and visit its own
notable ribat, as well as the Bourguiba Mosque, dedicated to the hero
of Tunisia's independence. Lunch will be served at a comfortable four-star
hotel. In El Djem, we'll marvel at an ancient amphitheater, before continuing
to stop for the night in four-star lodgings in the bustling coastal
city of Sfax. Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY
10 - SFAX, DJERBA, GABES, MATMATA - Tuesday (BLD)
Our busy day starts with a drive to the coastal city of Gabes, a Roman
outpost of old and a traditional market center where, for centuries,
goods from across the sea and across the desert have changed hands.
We'll visit the oasis, where palm groves and gardens flourish. We'll
then cross to Djerba, an island where Ulysses once encountered the legendary
Lotus-Eaters. You'll have time to explore the old quarters, including
the synagogue of Hara Sghira, Hara Kebira with its modern Jewish community,
and Guellala, with its craft stalls, and to see the waterfront and fishing
fleet, and the lively town of Houmt Souk.
After a lunch stop, we'll cross back to the mainland. Our route takes
us through terrain of increasingly sparse grasses and shrubs, into the
desert to Matmata.
We'll stop to look in on a community of miniature underground houses,
where the earliest settlers sheltered from the extremes of the desert
above -- as do the Berbers of today. We'll settle in to comfortable
lodgings and dinner at a four-star hotel. Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY 11 - MATMATA, KEBILI, DOUZ, TOZEUR - Wednesday (BLD)
We'll enjoy a full day of desert adventure, today. First we'll visit
the village of Kebili, largest of a cluster of oases, islands of life
in a harsh landscape, then proceed to Douz, fabled as the Gateway to
the Sahara. There, a special treats waits, the opportunity to sample
a caravan trek! This close encounter with a camel is entirely at your
option! Afterwards, we set off across the Chott El Djerid, a great dry
salt lake, for Tozeur. Here, we'll wonder at the ancient irrigation
works, and visit the zoo. Our lodgings for the next two nights will
be at the comfortable, four-star Hotel Ramla. Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY
12 - TOZEUR, NEFTA - Thursday (BLD)
We'll learn more about oases this morning. Despite the dryness of its
surface, great aquifers underlie the Sahara. Where they spill their
riches out in springs, they create the green havens of Tunisia's oases.
We'll see a dramatic example, as we explore the irrigated fields around
Tozeur and motor overland to the great palm groves at Nefta. Nefta is
also an important religious center, with notable mosques, and a town
of craftsmen, especially basket weavers. We'll return to Tozeur for
lunch at our hotel, after which you're free until dinner. You can choose
to enjoy the unique desert resort comforts at your hotel. Or, you might
decide to wander the streets of Tozeur, look in on daily life, admire
the classic North African houses built around patios on terraces above
a river fed by springs, and shop for baskets and capes of camel hair.
Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY
13 - TOZEUR, GAFSA, SBEITLA, KAIROUAN, TUNIS - Friday (BL)
We'll delve more into Tunisia's rich and varied past today, as we motor
overland through pleasant, rolling coastal lands. At Gafsa, we'll see
the Roman pools of Capsa, the ancient crossroads between desert oases
and the cultivated coastal lands. We'll wonder at the Roman ruins of
Suffetula, as well as the great mosque. Later in the day, we'll reach
Kairouan, an ancient, holy, and vibrant city noted for its historic
mosques and centers of learning. We'll lunch at the five-star Hotel
La Kasbah. Kairouan also is noted for its souk, and the crafting of
carpets and leather goods. Of course, there will be time to check out
these wares, before we depart to Tunis, where a night's rest await us
. Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY
14 - TUNIS, CARTHAGE, SIDI BOU SAID - Saturday (BL)
On our last full day, we'll marvel at the ruins of Carthage, a true
metropolis of the ancient world, as evidenced by its theater, circus,
baths, port installations, and extensive urban plan. We'll lunch at
a fine local restaurant, then speed forward in time to the middle ages,
as we visit the picture-perfect Moorish village of Sidi Bou Said. With
its whitewashed walls and narrow lane ways, it's the perfect setting
as we stop for traditional mint tea. Back in Tunis, we'll stop at the
Bardo Museum, to view the most extensive Roman mosaics in the world.
We'll then head for the Medina, the old quarter of the city, with its
warrens of shops filled with wares ranging from humdrum to exotic. After
a break to freshen up, we'll meet up at our hotel . Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY
15 - Morocco - Sunday (B)
After breakfast, our local personnel will escort you to the international
airport, where you'll board your flight to Marrakech ( Via Casablanca).
Upon arrival we escort you to your hotel. Mint Tea & welcome local
pastries & fruit awaits you at your hotel room.
DAY 16 - MARRAKECH - Monday (B)
There is much to see in this great city which Winston Churchill called
"the most beautiful place in the world at sunset." Today's
tour explores: The top sights include the stately Koutoubia Minaret,
the hidden tombs of the Saadian dynasty, the Menara pavilion
and gardens, the ruins of sprawling Badi Palace, the Bahia
Palace Museum, the Ben Yousef medersa, and the Koubba
(chapel) of el-Ba'adiyn. Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , private guide .
DAY
17 - MARRAKECH - Home Hosted Dinner - Tuesday (BD)
Today tour Marrakech's fabulous medieval souk (bazaar)? Penetrating
the labyrinthine souk, you'll see some of the age-old guilds at work,
including the dyers and tanners. Save an hour--and bring your camera--for
famous Djemaa el-Fna square with its fun circus atmosphere of
itinerant dancers, jugglers, acrobats, storytellers, soothsayers, snake
charmers, medicine men and public scribes. We 'll find a cozy bistro
for lunch ( included ) .Private
air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur , 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. 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
18 - MARRAKECH TO CASABLANCA BY TRAIN - Wednesday (B)
Today you board the Marrakech Express bound for Casablanca! (train
ticket/first class is included ,issued & delivered in Morocco).
Roll across the beautiful Moroccan countryside, admiring the towering
Atlas Mountains in the distance, and the timeless scenes of North
African village and town life right beside the rails. When you arrive
in Casablanca, our staff meets your train and embank on a panoramic
tour of the city including the great mosque of Hassan II before
escorting you to your hotel. Once you're settled in, take out your guidebook
and explore Morocco's commercial capital.
DAY 19 - CASABLANCA TO FEZ - Thursday (B)
After breakfast, board your first-class train to Fez (train ticket
included) , another of Morocco's four royal cities. When you arrive
in Fez, our staff will escort you to your hotel, and the city is yours
to explore, guidebook in hand. The Lonely Planet guide includes all
the important things to see, and recommendations for restaurants in
all price ranges, so you'll never be at a loss for advice.
DAY
20 - FEZ - Friday (B)
Oldest of Morocco's four Imperial Cities, Fez is endlessly fascinating,
and today we have included in our rate a full day covering the
top sights include the medina (old city), the 15-century Borj
Nord Arms Museum, the gateway of the royal palace, the fortifications
of the Kasbah, the 9th-century Karaouine Mosque and University,
the medersas (theological seminaries) of Bou Inania and Attarine,
the shrine of the city's founder Moulay Idris II, the Nejjarine
Fountain, the monumental gateway of Bab Boujelloud, the old
harem gardens, Dar Batha Museum, and the artisans'
guilds in the souks.
DAY
21 - Departure from Fez or Casablanca - Saturday (B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport of Fez
or Casablanca ( based on the flight arrangement you booked , or ask
us fro help with the international flight ) . Bon Voyage .
Compare
with the 26 day edition including Alexandria .
Add Turkey & Istanbul
Rates
per person in us $
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Deluxe * |
First Class
|
|
In Triple occupancy |
US$
7560. |
US$
6551. |
|
In Double occupancy |
US$
7763. |
US$
6658 . |
|
In Single occupancy |
US$
8970. |
US$
7840. |
For Christmas & New Year weeks as well as
Easter Week : Please add %10 to the listed rates
*
Deluxe applies to hotels in Egypt , Morocco as well as in Tunis
but 4 stars and 3 stars in the smaller towns/cities outside of the city
of Tunis
Combine
With Palestine and Israel
Inclusions:
-
Round-trip transportation between airport and hotels, always on
a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
- Regional
Air fare : Tunis/Marrakech/Cairo in economy class . Tax included.
- Hotel
Accommodations as mentioned in itinerary, with tax and breakfast daily
- Five
days Nile Cruise including
all shore excursions and all meals.
- Meals
as indicated from preset menu (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner).
-
Guided sightseeing as indicated in air-conditioned vehicle , including
all admission fees.
- One-way
first-class train transportation Marrakech-Casablanca and Casablanca-Fez,
or vice-versa.
- A
complimentary home hosted family dinner in Marrakech
- Bottled
water ( one per person) delivered to your cabin daily while you are
on board the Nile cruise.
- Tea
or coffee /bottled water with each meal while on board the Nile cruise.
Sample
Hotels or similar :
| |
Modest
First Class Hotels |
Deluxe
Hotels |
| Nile
Cruise |
Presidential
Nile Cruises
Lady Diana Nile Cruise |
Movenpick
Nile Cruises
Royal Lotus Nile Cruise
Royal Lilly Nile Cruise |
| Cairo |
Novotel
El Borg
Shepheard Hotel Cairo
Ramses Hilton
|
Semiramis
Intercontinental Hotel
Cairo Marriott |
| Casablanca
- Morocco |
Farah
hotel Casablanca |
Hyatt
Hotel - Casablanca |
| Fes
- Fez - Morocco |
La
Perle de la Medina Riad |
Riad
Fes |
| Marrakech
- Morocco |
Riad
Karma |
La
Maison Arab Riad |
| Matmata
- Tunisia |
Hotel
Diar EL Barbar Matmata
|
Hotel
Diar EL Barbar Matmata
There is no 5 stars deluxe hotels in Matmata |
| Safx
- Tunisia |
Hotel
Sangho Syphax |
Hotel
Les Oliviers Palace |
| Tozeur
- Tunisia |
Hotel
El Mouradi Tozeur |
Hotel
El Mouradi Tozeur
There
is no 5 stars deluxe hotels in Tozeur |
| Tunis-
Tunisia |
Hotel
Tunisia Palace |
Hotel
Le Royale Hammamet
Hotel
Movenpick Gammarth |
Not
Included:
- International
air transportation from/to your home country
- Optional
excursions,
- Any
meal not specifically mentioned beverages, and personal expenses.
- Gratuities
for local personnel.
- Travel
insurance .
-
Airport taxes.
- Entry
Visa for Egypt:
visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport ( or you may contact
the Egyptian Consulate nearest you prior to departure from your home
country) , valid only for a limited number of nationalities such as:
EU Australia, NZ, American, Canadian , S. African , Japanese citizens
and more . Passports must be valid for 6 month at least at time of
arrival . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will
escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel .
-
Jacquie
Kennedy & Abu Simbel Temples in Egypt :
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. Ask us about details on how to
add Abu Simbel Temples tour .
Read More .
-
Compare with Tunisia/Morocco/Egypt/ Nile Cruise : 26 day edition
including a Nile Cruise and Alexandria ,
or the 21 day version
- Add
South Africa :
Combined tour of Tunisia , Morocco, Egypt and South Africa Version
- In
the Footsteps of Hannibal Tour - Tunisia
in 8 days
We'll take you through Carthage, capital of the legendary Hannibal,
but there's much more to this tour. You'll also visit ancient cities,
desert oases, curious troglodyte dwellings, Islamic splendors, a
Roman amphitheater, a medieval synagogue, and unspoiled beaches.
You'll appreciate the breathtaking beauty of a land that has drawn
wanderers and conquerors over the centuries, with ease and comfort
never experienced by the ancients .
- The
Mediterranean resorts of Europe are wonderful, but they can be crowded
and expensive. So where do discerning Europeans go to find the perfect
laid-back, affordable Mediterranean vacation? Why, they go to Tunisia,
of
course! The
clear blue water, the shimmering sun, the white sand beaches are
all the same in Tunisia, the southern shore of the Mediterranean,
just across the sea from Sicily and Sardinia. The prices are lower,
the pace is more relaxed, and the cuisine and service in this former
French colony are French-inspired. (Everyone speaks French as well
as Arabic, and many people in hotels, restaurants and other tourist
spots speak some English, too.) Tunisia's
history has always been linked to Europe's. Hannibal of Carthage
crossed from Tunisia to Europe with 30,000 men and a few dozen elephants
and humbled the Roman legions. Rome ultimately triumphed, however,
and Tunisia became the Roman province of Africa. Today the picturesque
ruins of great Roman cities are spread throughout the Tunisian countryside.
Be sure to see
Tunisia's African side as well: its legacy of Umayyad, Abbasid and
Ottoman culture and cuisine, its picture-perfect desert oases shaded
by date palms, its markets filled with handicrafts and exotic spices.
Want
a
Mediterranean vacation like the Europeans
enjoy ?
Go to Tunisia!
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