12 Day Grand Egyptian Tour
Cairo, Giza, White Desert, Hurghada & Nile Cruise (Luxor to Aswan)
Itinerary:
Day 1 (Wednesday): Cairo, Arrival in Egypt
Our representative will meet and assist you when you arrive at Cairo International Airport. He/She will help you through visa and passport control, customs formalities and in the luggage area. Following this, you will be driven to your hotel by private vehicle. Overnight in Cairo.
Accommodation: (Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo or similar)
Meals: None
Day 2 (Thursday): Cairo (Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara & Memphis) (B)
After breakfast at your hotel, you will go on a tour of the Giza Plateau which is about 30 minutes from Cairo. Once in Giza, your private Egyptologist Guide will provide a fascinating introduction to each of the three pyramids. After visiting the pyramids, you will continue across the plateau for a photo opportunity of the three pyramids rising from the sands with the Cairo skyline in the background. A short drive to the city side of the plateau finds you standing at the feet of the Sphinx, for thousands of years the enigmatic symbol of Egypt. The Great Sphinx, measuring 190 feet in length and 65 feet high. This monumental landmark was carved out of a single piece of rock in the shape of a lion with a pharaoh’s head. After your tour of the Giza Pyramids, you will drive to Sakkara, which was built in 2650 B.C., and is home to Egypt's oldest pyramid. Your guide will provide a brief history of the famous Step Pyramid and you will have free time to walk around. Your final stop is Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. Here you will see artifacts from many of the great rulers of Egypt, including the fallen statue of Ramses II. After touring the Memphis, you will have a chance to visit a Papyrus Institute to see how this famous artwork is made and have the chance to purchase genuine items if you wish. After the conclusion of your tour, return to the hotel.
Accommodation: (Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo or similar)
Meals: Breakfast included
Day 3 (Friday): White Desert - Eco Dome Camping (B, D)
After having breakfast at your hotel, travel with a private guide and driver to the Bahariya Oasis, 360 kilometers south west of Cairo. Enjoy walking around the Old Village of the Oasis and see the enchanting groves of palms and fruit trees. You will then go on a trip of the Black Mountains, and sand dunes. Continue to visit the famous Mummies Hall. The Golden Mummies were discovered in 1996 when a donkey belonging to antiquities guard on duty at the nearby Temple of Alexander got its foot caught in a hole. The donkey eventually freed itself and its owner, Abd El Maugud, notified the Antiquities authority and this is how the first golden Mummies were discovered. You will then proceed to visit Temple of Ain El Muftella which was once the main water source of the old capital of the oasis. Thereafter, you will go to the White Desert, passing through the Black Desert and the Valley of El Haize with its hot spring. You will stop to see the quartz crystal at Crystal Mountain and the volcanic rocks in the Valley of Agabat. You will then have dinner with Bedouin entertainment. Thereafter, you will enjoy watching the stars while staying in an Eco Dome in the White Desert.
Accommodation: B&W Sahara Sky Camp
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner included
Day 4 (Saturday) : Back to Cairo – Fly to Hurghada (B, D)
After breakfast in the White Desert, you will visit the Hot Springs with your private guide. Then, we drive back to Cairo. Board a domestic flight to Hurghada. Overnight in Hurghada.
Accommodation: (Steigenberger ALDAU Hurghada Resort or similar), all-inclusive with soft drinks
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner included
Day 5 (Sunday) : Hurghada (B, L, D)
After breakfast, you have the time to enjoy the beauty of the red sea and the some optional activities like diving and snorkeling in the Red Sea with beautiful coral reefs and amazing colorful fish. Overnight in Hurghada - All Inclusive Hotel.
Accommodation: (Steigenberger ALDAU Hurghada Resort or similar), all-inclusive with soft drinks
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included
Day 6 (Monday): Hurghada - Luxor, and Nile Cruise (B, L, D)
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Luxor by private vehicle. Once you arrive in Luxor, you will be met and assisted by our representative who will assist you in boarding your 5-star Nile cruise. After lunch on board, you will enjoy a visit to the impressive Karnak and Luxor Temples (group tour with Egyptologist Guide). Dinner and overnight on board your Nile cruise.
Accommodation: Nile cruise (M/S DWA cruise or similar - Standard Cabin) all meals included while on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included
Day 7 (Tuesday): Luxor, Nile Cruise (B, L, D)
After breakfast on board the cruise, visit ancient sites with your group and Egyptologist Guide. We will visit the West Bank of the Nile. Here we can discover two colossal statues, the Colossi of Memnon. Following this, visit the Valley of the Kings, where the magnificent pharaonic tombs were discovered. The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Upper Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom. Guides are not permitted inside the tombs, but your guide will tell you what to look for inside the richly decorated rooms. If you wish to visit the tomb of King Tutankhamen, you can do this for an additional cost. Continue the tour to visit the Hatshepsut temple at El Deir El Bahary, which is dedicated to the Queen Hatshepsut. After lunch, we will sail to Edfu. Enjoy a leisurely dinner on board your cruise. Overnight on board.
Accommodation: Nile cruise (M/S DWA cruise or similar - Standard Cabin) all meals included while on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included
Day 8 (Wednesday): Aswan, Nile Cruise (B, L, D)
After breakfast on your cruise, visit the well-preserved Ptolemaic Temple dedicated to Gods Horus at Edfu with your group and Egyptologist Guide. Sail to Kom Ombo to see the Temple of Sobek, dedicated to the crocodile-headed God of fertility and creator of the world. Following your sightseeing tour, you will have lunch on board your cruise. Continue sailing to Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board your Nile cruise.
Accommodation: Nile cruise (M/S DWA cruise or similar - Standard Cabin) all meals included while on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included
Day 9 (Thursday): Aswan, Nile Cruise (B, L, D)
After breakfast on your Nile cruise, enjoy a day of sightseeing in Aswan. There you will be met and assisted by your Egyptologist group tour guide who will take you to an exciting tour of the world famous High Dam, an engineering miracle built in the 1960s. Thereafter, you will visit the Unfinished Obelisk, the beautiful Temple of Philae, which is devoted to the goddesses Isis and Hathor. After your sightseeing tour, you will sail around Elephantine Island on a local felucca boat (a traditional Egyptian sail boat). In the afternoon, visit to a Nubian village. Dinner and overnight on board your Nile cruise.
Accommodation: Nile cruise (M/S DWA cruise or similar - Standard Cabin) all meals included while on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included
Day 10 (Friday): Aswan- Cairo (B)
Today after you breakfast, we have a transfer included to Aswan Airport. Head back to Cairo by domestic fight. Or you can book an optional tour to the Abu Simbel site (ask us for more details). Once you arrive in Cairo, you will be met and assisted at the Airport by our representative who will take you to your hotel for check-in. Overnight in Cairo.
Accommodation: Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 (Saturday): Cairo (Grand Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo & Khan el Khalili Bazaar) (B)
Breafast at the hotel. Tour Cairo today with a private guide. Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum. Housing thousands of Egyptian artifacts, the Grand Egyptian Museum considered as the largest museum in the world. Your private Egyptologist Guide will introduce you to the most important pieces before allowing you to have free time to explore the museum at leisure. Your next stop is the Abu Serga, one of the places where the Holy Travel companion rested after fleeing Israel from King Herod. At the turn of the century this little church, which dates from the 10th-century, was the most important pilgrimage spot in Old Cairo for visiting Christian tourists. There are 24 marble columns lining the central court, and a series of 12th-century icons depicting the 12 apostles. You will then tour Ben Ezra Synagogue which is one of the oldest synagogues in Egypt. Set in a shady garden, the synagogue was severely damaged after the 1967 war with Israel but it has been almost completely renovated. Your final stop will be the Khan el Khalili bazaar where your guide will give you an introduction to the famous markets which claim to have inspired Christopher Columbus to discover the Americas. Here you will have free-time to stroll through the maze of streets and shops and try your luck bargaining with the shop owners for asouvenir or two of your trip to Egypt or have a cup of Egyptian tea at the famous coffee shop El Fishawy to enjoy the atmosphere of the bazaar. Overnight in Cairo.
Accommodation: Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 (Sunday): Cairo & Departure (B)
After breakfast at your hotel, transfer by private vehicle to Cairo Airport.
PRICE: $5350 USD per person, double occupancy (excluding peak travel dates)
Tour includes:
• Meet-and-assist upon arrival and departure
• Transportation in private air-conditioned vehicles
• Accommodation in Cairo at 5-star hotel (Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah or similar), including breakfast
• Accommodation in Cairo at 5-star hotel (Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo or similar), including breakfast
• A 5-star Nile cruise (M/S DWA cruise or similar) with all meals included while on board.
• Accommodation in Hurghada at 5-star hotel (Steigenberger ALDAU Hurghada Resort or similar), all-inclusive with soft drinks
• White Desert Eco Dome Camping (B&W Sahara Sky Camp) for 1 night with dinner and breakfast included
• All sightseeing tours in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and White Desert including English-speaking Egyptologist
guides, all entrance fees, and transfers. Note: The Guides in Cairo and the White Desert will be private. The Guides on board the Nile Cruise will be shared with other cruise passengers.
• Internal flights (Cairo-Hurghada; Aswan-Cairo)
• All service charge and taxes
Tour does not include:
• International Airfare
• Gratuities/Tipping (Recommended). In Egypt, tipping is not an obligation but a sign of appreciation for
good service. That being said, tips are expected from people that serve you -e.g., driver, waiter, bellman, cruise ship staff, etc. The average tip is $10-$20 US dollars per day.
• Meals except where indicated
• Drinks and any personal expenses
• Entry visa to Egypt, approx 25 USD per person
• Entrance fees in Egyptian Pounds (EGP) to optional entry points: the chambers of the pyramids (Great Pyramid = 1500 EGP; Third Pyramid = 260 EGP), and the Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor (700 EGP)
• Camel ride around the pyramids area ($20.00 US Dollars for 15-20-minute ride)
Giza Pyramids, Egypt