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keithg@egypttoday.co.za

GLORY OF EGYPT
DEPARTURES EVERY THURSDAY FROM RSA

DAY 1
Late afternoon check-in at Cape Town Airport or at other centres for your flight to Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo Airport.  On arrival you collect your luggage and move to International Departures to check in at the EgyptAir desk for the flight to Cairo.  Dinner will be served on the flight.

DAY 2  CAIRO
On arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met by our Cairo agent and transferred to your 4 or 5 star hotel, either situated close to the pyramids or centrally situated, on a bed & breakfast basis.  Your room and breakfast are available on early morning arrival. The remainder of the day is at leisure which will give you time to relax, explore Cairo and enjoy the facilities of your hotel. Overnight Cairo.

DAY 3 CAIRO
This morning there will be a full day guided tour visiting the Pyramids at Giza, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple.  Optional lunch at hotel.  This afternoon there will be a visit to the famous Egyptian Museum which houses the fabulous gold treasures of the boy-king Tutankhamun and an antiquities collection spanning 5000 years. Overnight Cairo.

DAY 4  CAIRO - LUXOR

This morning you check-out from your hotel and will be transferred to Cairo Domestic Airport for the short flight south to the bustling town of Luxor.  On arrival in Luxor, you will be met by our local agent and transferred to your 4 or 5 star hotel, on a bed and breakfast basis.  The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy this fascinating town with its splendid Corniche (embankment) and bazaars. You might like to consider an optional visit in the evening to the Sound & Light show at Karnak.  Overnight Luxor.

DAY 5  LUXOR

This morning  you will be met by our agent and transferred to your 5-star standard (or 5 star de luxe) Nile cruiser  for a memorable 4 night Nile cruise to Aswan, on a full board basis starting with lunch and including all sightseeing during the cruise. There will be a tour of Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex in the world with its forest of pillars, sacred lake, obelisks and massive reliefs and you will also visit the riverside Luxor Temple.   

Also, you cross the Nile by road to the West Bank to visit the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. 

You also visit the great terraced temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri and the Colossi of Memnon – giant statues of Amenhotep III.  Overnight Luxor.

DAY 6  ESNA - EDFU
Today your Nile cruiser will sail to Esna, where it will pass through the lock and continue sailing south to the dusty town of Edfu where you visit the colossal Temple of Horus at Edfu by horse carriage from the ship - this is the most complete temple of the ancient world. Overnight Edfu.

DAY 7 KOM OMBO - ASWAN
Today your cruise continues sailing to Kom Ombo, where it will moor, enabling you to visit the Ptolemaic temple with its dual dedication to the crocodile god Sobek and a falcon-headed god Re-Haroeris.  The cruise continues southwards until you reach the picturesque town of Aswan.  During the cruise there is likely to be a traditional gallabiya party when everyone dresses Egyptian-style.  Items can be obtained inexpensively in the markets or sometimes hired on the boat. Overnight Aswan.

DAY 8  ASWAN
After breakfast, you travel by road to visit the famous Aswan High Dam which forms the 500km. long Lake Nasser and visit the ancient granite quarry with its 1,000 ton Unfinished Obelisk.  Also, you cross the water by motor-boat to visit the elegant island Temple of Philae, dedicated to the supreme maternal goddess Isis.  In the afternoon, sailing on a traditional felucca on the Nile, you will view Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands and the Aga Khan's Mausoleum from the river.  Overnight Aswan.

DAY 9 DISEMBARK ASWAN
This morning you will disembark from your Nile cruiser and will be transferred to Aswan Airport for your flight to Cairo connecting with your flight to Johannesburg.

DAY 10

Arrive Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport where you transfer for flights for other centres.

Cost of the tour includes:

Accommodation and meals as specified

Entrance fees at all sites

Personal Egyptian English speaking guides

All transfers as indicated

All transfers in private air-conditioned vehicles

Cost of the tour excludes:

International & domestic flights

Visas or visa handling charges

Drinks or any extras at hotels, cruise or during tours

Tips & Travel Insurance

New Year obligatory Gala Dinner & Christmas obligatory Gala Dinner

The hotels used are:

4 star hotels & standard 5 star cruise ship

Cairo: Shepheard Hotel or Mövenpick Pyramids Hotel or Zoser Hotel or Safir Hotel, or similar

Luxor: Mercure Luxor Hotel of Sofitel Karnak Hotel, or similar

Cruise: Presidential Nile Cruises or M/S Nephtis

  OR

5 star hotels & 5 star De Luxe cruise ship

Cairo: Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel or Cairo Marriott Hotel or Cairo Sheraton Hotel, or similar

Luxor: Sonesta St George Hotel or Steigenberger Hotel or similar

Cruise: M/S TiYi or M/S TuYa or M/S Royal Ruby, or similar

TOUR PRICE ON REQUEST 
keithg@egypttoday.co.za