Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures

Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures 15 Days

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Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures
Explore Egypt's Tucked-away Treasures

Overview
Itinerary
Nuts & Bolts
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Overview

Highlights

Duration: 15 Days
Comfort: 66.6666666666667%
Language: English
Rating: 0%
Trip ID: 128411
Start Location: Bab al Luq, Egypt
End Location: Bab al Luq, Egypt

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Primary Activities: Sightseeing
Other Activities: Local Culture & Cuisine, Historical Sites, Swimming, sleeper train, sailing, Camping, Walking Tour, River & Canal Cruising

Travel to Egypt and experience the history and culture on a tour that explores Cairo, cruises along the Nile and visits Luxor, Alexandria and the Siwa Oasis. Be humbled by the grandeur of the pyramids, step back in time at magnificent pharaonic tombs, let cares melt away while cruising the Nile in a felucca and get back to nomadic life in a desert camp. Explore all that Egypt has to offer - both its major sights and its tucked-away treasures.

Trip Information:

Start: Cairo, Egypt

Finish: Cairo, Egypt

Group size: Min 1 , Max 14

Ages: Min 12

Included activities:

Overnight felucca sailing trip, White Desert 4WD safari

Notes:

Passport Copy: Please clearly scan the front page of your passport and supply to your travel agent at the time of booking. If we have not received your passport copy within 30 days of trip departure you will not be able to complete this itinerary in full - namely the desert section including Siwa, Bawiti and the White Desert.

Itinerary

Days 1-2: Arrive in Cairo. Head out to discover the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza: Salaam Aleikum! Welcome to Egypt.

Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1. You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. Please look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader.

Wonderfully chaotic and always colorful, Cairo is a fascinating mixture of modern city and ancient wonders. There are plenty of things to see and do with free time in Cairo. Travel along the river by felucca, head out to explore the markets or If the crowds and the noise of the city are too much, catch the metro into the oldest part of the city, the Coptic Christian sector - with its narrow cobbled streets and ancient churches, it's a haven of peace and quiet.

You have a free day here - your opportunity to head to Giza to visit the Pyramids if you wish. Explore the Pyramids up close: the Pyramid of Khufu (The Great Pyramid of Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus). From a distance Khafre's pyramid looks larger than Khufu's, but this illusion is due to the structure being built on higher ground. When they were built they were covered in gleaming white limestone - now most of the casing stones have been removed but you can still see some on the apex of Khafre's pyramid.

It's possible to go inside a Pyramid. Please note that the inside thoroughfares of the Pyramids are very small and very warm, so those suffering from claustrophobia shouldn't attempt. With thousands of exhibits, it's easy to lose yourself in the Egyptian Museum's many corridors - but don't miss the Tutankhamun rooms, where the famous golden death mask of King Tut and his gilded sarcophagi are displayed. Your leader will designate a meeting time at our Cairo hotel to travel together to Giza station.

Travel to Aswan aboard a sleeper train with fold-out beds (approx 13 hrs). The two-berth cabins are comfortable and air-conditioned. All bedding is provided onboard by the porter. Western-style toilets are located in each carriage, but as toilet paper isn't always available it's advised to carry some of your own. Keep in mind general train cleanliness may not be to the same standards you are accustomed to. An included dinner and breakfast are served on board. You may want to purchase something extra beforehand to supplement your meal, particularly if you're a vegetarian as only a single type of meal is served for dinner, which always includes meat. In rare circumstances you may be paired in your cabin with a group member of the opposite sex, depending on the group configuration. On other occasions you might have the opportunity to share with another traveler of the same sex who may not be part of our group, again determined by the group configuration.

Optional Activities
The Citadel, Cairo - EGP50.00
Cairo Tower, Cairo - EGP70.00
Coptic Museum, Cairo - EGP50.00
Islamic Art Museum, Cairo - EGP50.00
Entrance to the Giza site, Cairo - EGP60.00
The Great Pyramid of Cheops, Cairo - EGP100.00
The 2nd Pyramid of Khafre, Cairo - EGP30.00
Pyramid of Saqqara, Cairo - EGP60.00
Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids, Cairo - EGP75.00
Egyptian Museum, Cairo - EGP60.00
Mummies Hall at Egyptian Museum, Cairo - EGP100.00
Solar Boat Museum, Cairo - EGP50.00

Accommodation
Hotel (1 nt), Overnight sleeper train (1 nt)
Days 3-4: Nestled on the banks of the Nile, Aswan is a great base for exploration: The Nile, Elephantine Island and white-sailed feluccas: welcome to Aswan. This Nubian city is Egypt's southern gateway to Africa and an important market town - take time here to check out one of the country's best bazaars.

There's an option to travel to the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel. Built by Ramses II, it was the gateway to Egypt for Southern Africans and its imposing facade clearly delineated the line between what was the Pharaoh's land and what was not.

There are two ways to make the journey south to see these remarkable temples. Some travellers prefer to fly from Aswan to Abu Simbel. The flight time is 40 minutes each way.

Return flights vary throughout the season, depending on the day of the week you fly and how far in advance you book, but expect to pay between US$250-300. Due to the southerly location it's recommended to book the early flight and visit Abu Simbel at sunrise to avoid the heat.

A less expensive option is to hire a minivan with other group members who are also interested. Prices can fluctuate depending on the number of passengers travelling. This can be organised from Aswan. The ride is 3 hours each way with a very early departure from Aswan at approximately 4am.

Please note that Abu Simbel is an optional activity. Your group leader won't be travelling with you on flights. However will accompany the group on the bus option. The entrance fee is paid on arrival at the site, and if you wish a local guide can be hired on arrival.

For those that don't wish to travel to Abu Simbel, a visit to nearby Philae Temple is highly recommended. Dedicated to the goddess Isis, the temple was painstakingly moved and reassembled after the construction of the Aswan High Dam flooded its original island location.

Optional Activities
Philae Temple, Aswan - EGP50.00
Boat to Philae Temple, Aswan - EGP10.00
Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple, Aswan - EGP75.00
Nubian Museum, Aswan - EGP50.00
Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan - EGP30.00
Monastery of St. Simeon, Aswan - EGP25.00
Kalabsha Temple, Aswan - EGP35.00
Tomb of the Nobles, Aswan - EGP30.00
Abu Simbel Temple, Abu Simbel - EGP95.00
Aswan to Abu Simbel: return transport by bus (price from per person - minimum 4 passengers) - EGP480.00
Aswan to Abu Simbel: return flights (book with www.egyptair.com - prices from approx) - USD250.00

Accommodation
Hotel (2 nts)
Day 5: Watch Nile river life in action and fall asleep beneath the starry night sky on a felucca: Board feluccas to spend a day out on the river and then a night under the stars. Our Nubian sailing crew provides all the meals, which are hearty and delicious. A felucca is a traditional wooden boat with broad canvas sails. The boat has a canopy that offers shade and protection from the elements, however there is no cabin or enclosed section. Please note that conditions are basic during our felucca trip but if you are prepared to rough it a bit you are sure to have the adventure of a lifetime.

Sleep outside on the deck of the felucca on mattresses. While blankets are provided, a sleeping sheet is recommended. During the colder months (October to March) it can get very cold at night (as low as 5C) so a sleeping bag is highly recommended for this period. Sleeping bag hire is not available.

There are no toilets on board our Nile felucca, but while sailing we'll stop at your request on the riverbank for toilet stops with nature. At the completion of the day's sailing we'll assemble a western-style toilet and tent close by on the riverbank. Any assistance from the group in building the toilet tent is always much appreciated.
Please note that we may need to make slight alterations to our Nile itinerary throughout the year, depending on winds and currents. As the felucca is a sailing craft without any outboard engine, if there's no wind - we won't travel very far.

Nonetheless, watching the sun setting across the Nile in the evening is a sight you'll remember. This is the absolute highlight of the trip for many of our travelers.

Included Activities
Overnight felucca sailing trip

Accommodation
Felucca (1 nt)
Days 6-7: Wander through the temple complex of Karnak or travel by donkey to Valley of the Kings: After farewells to the felucca crew, take a private van to Luxor (approx 3.5 hrs). There's an option to visit either the Temple of Kom Ombo or the Temple of Edfu on the way. From the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings, Luxor is full of wonderfully preserved reminders of the Pharaohs.

You've got plenty of options here:
Take in the extraordinary paintings and hieroglyphs preserved in the Valley of the Kings.
Visit the Luxor Museum.
Hire a bicycle to ride out into the surrounding countryside.
Make some time to visit the Intrepid Foundation's local project - Animal Care in Egypt (ACE) - where you can learn about their efforts to educate local people and show them how having healthy animals can lead to a better lifestyle and a better economic outcome. This is more than a quick fix for sick animals but a holistic attempt to improve the lives of the local people as well.

If time allows, balloon flights are offered from the west bank of the Nile in Luxor. There are many companies who offer these flights. While we can arrange the balloon experience with our preferred operator, who has provided good and safe service in the past, we must advise that you are free to choose your own balloon flight operator if you have specific safety concerns. Please note this is an optional activity so any balloon flight is taken at your own risk.

Generally the activity is advertised as a flight over the Valley of the Kings. No matter what any agent says, this can't be guaranteed as the flight is entirely dependent on the direction of the wind. From our experience, very few flights actually go over the Valley of the Kings and instead fly close to Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. While you may have booked a 'sunrise' balloon flight, please be aware that this doesn't always eventuate in time for the sunrise due to logistical reasons and weather conditions. Catch an overnight sleeper train from Luxor to Cairo (approx 10 hrs).

Optional Activities
Kom Ombo Temple, Nile River - EGP30.00
Edfu Temple, Nile River - EGP50.00
Karnak Temple, Luxor East Bank - EGP65.00
Open Air Museum at Karnak, Luxor East Bank - EGP40.00
Sound and Light Show at Karnak, Luxor - EGP100.00
Luxor Temple, Luxor - EGP50.00
Mummification Museum, Luxor - EGP50.00
Hot Air Balloon, Luxor - USD125.00
Bicycle Hire, Luxor - EGP10.00
Entrance to Valley of the Kings, Luxor - EGP80.00
Tomb of Tutankhamun, Luxor - EGP100.00
Hatshepsut Temple, Luxor - EGP32.00
Medinat Habu Temple -, Luxor - EGP30.00
Ramasseum Temple, Luxor - EGP30.00
Valley of the Queens, Luxor - EGP35.00
Tombs of Nobles, Luxor - EGP30.00

Accommodation
Hotel (1 nt), Overnight sleeper train (1 nt)
Days 8-9: Admire the modern architecture of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Take a van to Alexandria (approx 3 hrs). Egypt's second largest city and main port, Alexandria was built by the Greek architect Dinocrates in 331 BC under the orders of Alexander the Great. The city, immortalizing Alexander's name, quickly flourished into a prominent cultural, intellectual, political and economic metropolis.

It was the renowned capital of Ancient Egypt's last royal dynasty, the Ptolemies, and the site of the Pharos. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, this lighthouse acted as a beacon, guiding sailors away from this notoriously treacherous stretch of coastline.

Explore the catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa, the largest Roman burial site in Egypt. Visit the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, inspired by the original great library of Alexandria and built to hold over 8 million books. Alexandria is also the city of seafood, so be sure to indulge in some fresh ocean produce during your stay here.

Optional Activities
Alexandria Library, Alexandria - EGP10.00
Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa, Alexandria - EGP35.00
Roman Amphitheatre, Alexandria - EGP15.00

Accommodation
Hotel (2 nts)
Days 10-11: The remote, exotic oasis of Siwa is a lush paradise among the desert dunes: Set off west on the long bus journey to the desert oasis of Siwa (approx 8 hrs). Stop en route to trace some of Rommel's footsteps and visit the Commonwealth War Cemeteries of El Alamein. With its extraordinarily lush vegetation and relaxed atmosphere, Siwa seems a world away from the bustle of the cities. Explore the vast, maze-like ruins of Shali, the mud brick fort which overlooks the town. Made with a mixture of salt and clay, the buildings here were in full use until early last century, when three days of torrential rain washed most of the structures away.

Bicycles are the best form of transport here and cheap to hire. Visit the fascinating Mountain of the Dead, where Siwans buried their dead for centuries. See the mysterious 6th-century BC Temple of the Oracle, where Alexander the Great sought confirmation that he was the son of Zeus. Or take a dip in Cleopatra's bath.

Optional Activities
War Museum, El Alamein - EGP20.00
Temple of the Oracle, Siwa - EGP25.00
Mountain of the Dead, Siwa - EGP25.00
Dunes and hot springs safari, Siwa - EGP500.00
Bicycle hire, Siwa - EGP20.00

Accommodation
Hotel (2 nts)
Day 12: Indulge in a relaxing soak in mineral-rich springs of Bawiti: Cross the great sand sea by 4x4 jeep (approx 8 hrs). The scenery is spectacular as we pass through rippled windswept dunes, picturesque mudbrick villages and the sparkling springs and date palms of Bahariyya Oasis. Our destination is the town of Bawati, famous for its monuments dating back to the New Kingdom and Roman times.

Accommodation
Hotel (1 nt)
Day 13: Travel through the windswept, arid dunes of the Western Desert: Journey further into the Western Desert, visiting the region's highlights such as Crystal Mountain and the strikingly beautiful black desert landscape with its unique volcano-shaped mountains. The desert then turns from black to white as we travel to the bizarre rock formations of the White Desert. Formed by wind erosion, this area ranks as one of the most amazing and beautiful landscapes on the planet.

Spend the night Intrepid-style under the stars, no tents and the toilet is simply a hole dug in the sand! Conditions will be basic. We highly recommend that you bring a sleeping bag as it can get particularly cold in the winter months. In this beautiful, but fragile landscape it's important that you take care to leave a minimal footprint in the area.

Included Activities
White Desert 4WD safari

Accommodation
Desert camp (1 nt)
Days 14-15: Return to the busy streets of Cairo for some final sightseeing or shopping. End: Travel from Bahriya in the White Desert to Cairo (approx 5 hrs). We arrive in Cairo around 2pm where we have a free afternoon.

There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time. Please check the 'Finishing Point Hotel' section for checkout times and luggage storage possibilities.

Accommodation
Hotel (1 nt)

Nuts & Bolts

Trip Includes

5 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners

Trip Excludes

Trip ID#: 128411

CANCELLATIONS: 20% cancellation fee applied if cancelled 60 days prior to departure. Cancellations within 60 days are 100% non-cancelable

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