Egypt in a Week
11 -Day Dendera and Abu Simbel Edition

A good look at Cairo , Dendera , Abydos , Abu Simbel and a 5-day cruise along the Nile, locally escorted

Upgrade to a suite with a balcony on your deluxe Nile Cruise

Compare with the private program cruise version, or the10 day edition, 2 extra nights hotel stay in Luxor or Aswan . Add Alexandria , Abu Simbel .

DAY 1 - CAIRO Tour Starts DAILY in Cairo - Arrive any day of the week .
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa fee is included and will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for : Australian, NZ, American, EU , Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.

DAY 2 - CAIRO (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including the " Mummies Room" , the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster.

DAY 3 - ASWAN, Camel Caravan! (B)
We fly to Aswan. After a brief stop at your hotel, we proceed to tour the Nubian Museum then on to a short camel caravan & ride for almost half an hour to visit a local Nubian Village fro tea with the locals.
Deluxe : Oberoi Hotel or Old Cataract . First class : Basma hotel or similar.

DAY 4 - ASWAN, (BLD) Abu Simbel A Savage Grandeur :
Abu Simbel is the gran finale for the Egyptian Nile : Ramses the Great's huge desert temple at Abu Simbel marked the southern border of the pharaoh's dominions. Rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser by an international effort, it is a marvel of sacred engineering. Twice a year Feb 20 and Oct ( thought to be the birthdate & coronation of Ramses the Great ) and only then the sun penetrates to the Holy of Holies, illuminating the stone figures of Ramses and Nefertari.

We've planned our visit to maximize your Abu Simbel experience. Rising before dawn, we drive along the shore of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the temple while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun's light still golden‹just right for photographs. We explore the huge temple by ourselves, admire its ancient aura and artistry, then retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temple we begin our leisurely drive back along the shore to Aswan, arriving late afternoon.
When you add one night in Aswan , based on using Basma Hotel or Oberoi including Breakfast.

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. Arrive early in Egypt, extend one day to be able to see Abu Simbel . Read More

DAY 5 - ASWAN & KOM OMBO (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 6 - EDFU & ESNA (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. Evening finds us in Luxor.

DAY 7 - LUXOR (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings , including Tutankaomn's tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.

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 8 - LUXOR & CAIRO (B)
After breakfast we check -out.
The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the morning, then on to your hotel for tonight : Old Winter Palace , Sheraton/Hilton or similar for deluxe, Novotel or similar for first class . Afternoon tour of the small yet charming Luxor Museum

DAY 9 - Dendera & Abydos/Cairo (BLD)
After breakfast we drive inland to tour Denderah Temple. Among the best preserved in Egypt. This temple as a sight to hold. Indiana Jones would have felt at home, with the massive stones & underground passages. We tour as well Abydos before we head back to Luxor (lunch box included )

DENDERAH IN A DAY

We'll travel to Denderah to visit the Temple of Hathor, one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt, and also one of the most important. In the ancient beliefs, Hathor was the consort of the god of daylight, ruler of the west, and protector or the underworld. In the manner of wise desert wayfarers, we'll leave before dawn to take advantage of cool temperatures. Our air-conditioned van will take us through timeless Nileside villages, where life revolves around the irrigation and harvest of crops. Finally, we'll reach the temple precincts. We'll take note of the unusually deep tombs, and pass under the celebrated Zodiac, in a chapel dedicated to Osiris. (Denderah is the traditional site of his rebirth.) Our full day will also include a visit to Abydos, traditional home of Osiris, god of the underworld, and a stopping point on the journey of wayfaring souls. We'll enjoy a box lunch, and return to Luxor Airport ,and your return flight to Cairo. Dinner is included at your hotel

DAY 10 - HOME HOSTED DINNER - CAIRO (BD)
Cairo is yours, full day at leisure .
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).

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 dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 11 - CAIRO- Departure (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.

RATES per person in USD

• Private touring on board the cruise: Please add $250 per person for the full cruise/shore excursions.
• For Christmas /New Year's , Easter , please add %15 supplement to any of the listed rates.

Rates includes

• All airfares and transfers within Egypt.
• Bottled water ( one per person) delivered to your cabin daily while you are on board the cruise.
• Tea or coffee & bottled water with every & each meal while on board the cruise.
• Complimentary fruit basket upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Welcome drink served upon arrival on board your Nile Cruise.
• All transfers within Egypt. ( Honeymooners/ Anniversary / Birthday gift tours , all will enjoy private transfers at no additional charge )
• Hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
• Visa fee , visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for : American,Western European, Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.
• Nile Cruise with all meals & shore excursions.
• Preset menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner .
• All guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees. On board the cruise you'll be part of an average 10-15 English speaking group.