Nile Cruise, Egyptian tour by Train air and cruise including the Desert Oases , Egypt Cruise packge | Temples and Timeless Vistas

Temples and Timeless Vistas

Desert Oases Edition

A 9-Day Package: Inclusive of the Nile cruise , Cairo Touring , all transfers
Domestic air fare and the sleeper train , as well as camping in the Egyptian desert

Day 1 – Tuesday - Cairo, El Bahariya (Lunch. Dinner )- Weekly -Year Round
Get a taste of desert life with this excursion into the Western Desert. Stay at an oasis, and even spend a night under the stars in Bedouin fashion, as you appreciate the timelessness and vastness beyond the Nile Valley. El Bahariya Oases . Mahmoud Eid, Black Desert, White Desert, Encampment

We’ll set out from Cairo after breakfast in an air-conditioned four-by-four Toyota Land Cruiser, the perfect vehicle, combining ruggedness and comfort for our desert excursion. In short order, the throbbing capital gives way to a landscape of sand and rock. Throughout the 320-kilometer drive to the oasis of El Bahariya, we’ll twist and turn up and over escarpments, then proceed over razor-straight asphalt laid through sand dunes. We’ll stop along the way for a picnic, and a chance to appreciate the surprising array of wildlife that survives in the parched region. Our destination for the day is El Bechmou at El Bahariya Oasis, where we’ll bathe in hot sulphureous waters under a nightly performance of shooting stars.

Day 2 – Wednesday - El Bahariya, Mahmoud Eid, Black Desert, White Desert, Encampment - (Breakfast . Lunch. Dinner)
Hot tea or coffee will be most welcome in the morning while the desert is still cool. Then it’s off to the Golden Mummies: the fabulous desert tombs of Benentuie and Zed Amun. Zed Amun’s tomb is unique in all of ancient Egypt, a majestic columned space in place of the usual claustrophobic chambers. We’ll view the Temple of Bess and Isis as well, and explore the village of Alexander built of mud bricks. A collection of pottery from the area is on display in the local museum of Mahmoud Eid oasis, where we’ll take a break for lunch. Afterward, we’ll board our vehicle to ascend through the Black Desert to view an extraordinary vista of subtle landscapes, and cross to Crystal Mountain, named for minerals reflecting in the sun, an unforgettable view, and a challenge to capture by camera. Our motor safari continues for 160 kilometers across the White Desert, bedecked with limestone columns in the shapes of mushrooms and imaginary beasts. Our goal tonight is the desert itself. We’ll rest in a traditional Bedouin encampment, and enjoy a dinner cooked over hot coals.

Our desert journey continues after a welcome wake-up of hot tea or coffee, breads, and fruits. After we've packed up, we’ll begin the day-long drive through the varying landscape of sand, rock, mountains, and oases, back to Cairo and your hotel : Grand Hyatt or Cairo Conrad or similar

DAY 4 - CAIRO LUXOR Friday (BLD)
Today we show you the Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Sphinx. Lunch is included at the Mena House or Meridien Pyramids or similar .
Evening transfer is included ( private car/driver) from your hotel to Cairo Railway Station
Sleeper train ticket between Cairo & the cruise is included.
Overnight on board the sleeper train, private compartment, upper & lower berth dinner & breakfast included on board. We rate the train : 3 stars modest . If you prefer to fly , please add $ 175 per person, in which case you spend the night in Cairo . and fly tomorrow to Luxor.

DAY 5 - LUXOR Saturday (LD)
We have several boats that do start on different days of the week to accommodate your schedule:
Transfer is included from Luxor Train Station to the Cruise.

Check in on board your luxury cruiser at noon. After lunch, we visit the great temples of Luxor and Karnak, then return to our Nile cruiser in time for afternoon tea. For guests adding the Hot Air Balloon, please click here.

DAY 6 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS Sunday (cBLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings, including Tut - Ankh - Amon's tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise. Then it's on to Queen Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.

Afterward, we'll 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.

DAY 7 - EDFU & KOM OMBO Monday (cBLD)
We cruise by Esna to Edfu, where we board horse-drawn carriages for the ride to the Temple of Horus. Returning to our ship, we set sail for Kom Ombo. In the evening, there's a jolly galabia party aboard.

DAY 8 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN Tuesday (cBLD)
We explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek at Kom Ombo, then sail south to Aswan. After lunch we board a graceful felucca and cruise among the islands, returning to our ship in time for tea.

DAY 9 - ASWAN - Nubian Museum, Camel Caravan, Nubian Village, Wednesday (cB)
After breakfast we check out, visit the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk, the Nubian Museum ,then board a motor launch to visit the Temples of Philae, be our guest if you wish on a complimentary short camel caravan to a near by Nubian Village for tea with the locals, back to Aswan Airport late afternoon .Transfer is included ( private car/driver) back to Aswan airport
Domestic air fare is included as well back to Cairo .
In Cairo , we meet you at the airport & escort you back to your hotel or assist with your transfer to another connecting international flight. End of our service - Bon Voyage !

Please add 20 % supplement to the deluxe rates for the all suites Moon Goddess ( all state rooms do offer private balconies)

For a PRIVATE: CAR/DRIVER & GUIDE for all the shore excursions for the duration of the cruise , please add :$ 150 per person.( This doesn't apply when you book the Presidential Suite)

Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser or comparable vehicle for the Sahara adventure
For the Sahara portion : All meals including dinner prepared at your desert camp.

A note about meals at the desert camp
Please note that some meals will be served in local desert style. For your Egyptian breakfast, expect orange juice, tea and coffee, marmalade, a selection of two cheeses, beans, and eggs.
A picnic lunch will typically include either tuna, sausage, sardines or beef with a green salad or a salad of cheese, tomato and fruit.
For dinner, expect a beef or chicken main coarse, with vegetable and rice or pasta.
Please inform your hosts in advance of dietary requests.
Folkloric music at the desert camp
Tea and coffee with meals, and one bottle of mineral water per day while camping in the sahara
Use of tents, mattresses, sleeping bags, and blankets for the camping portion of the tour

Trip interruption and cancellation insurance (We'll be glad to mail you the insurance brochure)
Personal expenses, including excess baggage or shipping charges, beverages, and personal charges in hotels for laundry, telephone, or other services
Gratuities
Any International air fare
Optional Excursion

Sleeper Train: ( 4 stars but we rate it 3 stars)
Sleeper overnight train leaves Cairo 07:30 PM. Private double or single compartments. Each train car has two bathrooms, one at each end of the car. Dinner & breakfast served on board. Upper & lower berth. Air conditioned. Club car for drinks & meeting other fellow passengers from all over the world.

Boarding the cruise is from either Luxor or Aswan, depending on the availability at the time of booking.

Dining Room Reservations: Meet other passengers :
YOU will not require any, our dining rooms do accommodate all our guests in one seating, one less thing to worry about while you are on the Nile. Enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere with several different languages being heard at dinner.

Do we get sea sickness while sailing the Nile ?
This is river sailing, so do not expect any waves , no rough seas ! Your Nile cruises is actually a floating hotel that moves from place to place along the Nile. Actual cruising times are short and pleasant.

What to Pack:
Most of the year look forward to warm, even hot weather in Luxor & Aswan, morning & evenings are cooler. For Shore excursions, we suggest comfortable cotton & natural fabric lightweight clothing. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Clothing on Board:
Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing. Swimsuits, sun hat. Dining room dress code is casual for breakfast & lunch, but smart casual for dinner. All ships are fully air conditioned