Dazzling Dubai & Cairo

Overview

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

• Check in for your overnight flight to Dubai

Day 2: Dubai

3 nights JW Marriott Marquis or similar, Dubai.

Arrive in Dubai, meet our representatives, and transfer to your centrally located hotel

Day 3: Dubai

Breakfast.

• Enjoy a guided panoramic tour of Dubai -- see the highlights of this amazing place
• The balance of the day is at leisure in one of the most dazzling cities in the world, or join several exciting optional excursions

Optional Excursion: Half Day Dubai City Tour, $65. Today's exciting optional morning tour will take you to picturesque Dubai Creek, which the Ancient Greeks called the River Zara. The first settlements by the Bani Yas tribe were along its banks, and later it served as a port for ships coming from as far as India and East Africa. Today, this saltwater creek divides the modern city into two parts, Deira on the north and Bur Dubai to the south, and remains a busy waterway both for traditional dhows and sleek luxury yachts. This is your first photo opportunity with a magnificent panorama of the city and its amazing futuristic skyline.

Next stop is the Bastakiya district, where traditional courtyard houses, with characteristic wind towers that cleverly catch the breezes to cool the houses, line the narrow alleys. Many of the houses in this picturesque area of Dubai, previously home to the city's merchants, have been lovingly restored by proud locals who wish to preserve the unique ambience of the district.

Continue to the Dubai Museum, housed in the massive, restored Al Fahidi Fort. Inside, lifelike dioramas offer a fascinating view of life in Dubai before the discovery of oil. You'll learn the importance of the date palm to the desert culture, the maritime traditions of fishing and pearl-diving, boat building and much more. Take a walk through the bustling, exotic souks, where you'll find beautiful and bargain-priced textiles, spices and gold. Another highlight of your city tour is a chance to take one of Dubai's most reliable and inexpensive forms of transportation, the Abra water taxi.

Your coach will bring you back to your hotel.

Optional Excursion: Burj Khalifa, $59. In the afternoon, you may choose to independently visit the Burj Khalifa (formerly known as Burj Dubai), officially opened in 2010 as the tallest building in the world. This miracle of international cooperation and coordination houses a luxury Armani hotel, offices of some of the world's most successful companies, and for a lucky few, homes that are as high as the clouds. Take in sweeping views of the city from the breathtakingly high "At the Top" observation deck.

Optional Excursion: Desert Safari & BBQ Dinner, $90. For those in the mood for adventure, in the late afternoon, set out on an optional desert safari tour, where you'll discover the vastness and stark beauty of the desert that surrounds Dubai. Experience an exciting jeep ride over the surrounding sand dunes. You'll also enjoy a traditional BBQ dinner and live belly dancing entertainment on this exciting optional tour. *The sand dunes jeep ride is not recommended for people with neck, back or cardiac concerns.

Day 4: Dubai

Breakfast.

• Relax and explore on your own, or join an optional excursion to Abu Dhabi

Optional Excursion: Full Day Abu Dhabi, $120. Today, see another sophisticated city of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. Enjoy a panoramic view of Jebel Ali, the largest man-made port, en route to the iconic symbol of Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Later, drive along the sweeping curve of the Corniche, replete with parks and fountains, from which you'll enjoy a contrast of modern skyscrapers against the sparkling waters of the Persian Gulf. Visit the Heritage Village, and learn about the history of Abu Dhabi in a reconstructed oasis. Walk through the open-air museum and see craftsmen demonstrate traditional skills. Later, pass by the Sheik Khalifa Palace, home to the president of the UAE. Afterwards, take a photo stop at Yas Island, where the Ferrari World theme park and Formula 1 race track are located. Return to Dubai.

Optional Excursion: Dhow Dinner Cruise, $85 (purchased locally). This evening, we recommend an optional dinner cruise by dhow boat on the Dubai Creek. A magnificent view of both sides of Dubai Creek illuminated by night adds to the charm of this wonderful way to experience Dubai.

Day 5: Dubai & Cairo

3 nights Conrad Cairo or Sheraton Cairo, or similar, Cairo. Breakfast.

• Transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo
• Evening at leisure in Cairo

Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy your final breakfast in Dubai and then later today, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo. Upon arrival, you'll be met by our representatives in Cairo and assisted with visa and customs formalities. Proceed to check-in at your centrally located 5-star hotel overlooking the Nile River. You'll have the rest of the evening at leisure.

Day 6: Cairo

Breakfast.

• Half day tour to the Egyptian Museum
• Remainder of the day at leisure to explore Cairo

Full Day Itinerary: This morning enjoy a half day tour to the Egyptian Museum, where you'll see, among other treasures, the priceless antiquities of Tutankhamen's tomb. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the city on your own, or take advantage of our optional excursions.

Optional Excursion: Mummies room inside the Egyptian Museum, $15 (purchased locally). Have an in depth view of the well-preserved Royal mummies at the Egyptian Museum.

Optional Excursion: Cairo's Old City, Citadel of Saladin, & Khan El Khalili Bazaars, $51. Enjoy an optional guided tour of Cairo's Old City, including the Citadel of Saladin, built on the remains of a Crusader-style fortress and the Alabaster Mosque. Continue to the famous Khan El Khalili Bazaars, where the sights, sounds, spices and exotic clothing and jewelry, hand-hammered copper, ceramic ware and other treasures await your deft bargaining to win them at astounding prices.

Optional Excursion: Sound & Light Show at Giza, $41. This evening, you will have the opportunity to experience the famous Sound & Light Show at Giza. See the marvelous luminary display of the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Price includes escort and transportation.

Day 7: Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx

Breakfast & lunch.

• Tour of the Pyramids of Cheops & Chephren
• Remainder of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, after breakfast, your guide will escort you on a fascinating tour of the most famous of all sites in Egypt: the Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren. These monuments have stood for 46 centuries and are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, possibly the most visited monuments of Egypt. The Sphinx, a feline character with the body of a lion and the face of Khufu (Cheops in Greek) is 50 meters long and 22 meters high. Carved from a single stone, it lies just before the Pyramids, and even today its meaning and origin remain shrouded in mystery.

Optional Excursion: Panoramic Tour of Downtown Cairo and Dinner, $46. This evening, take a panoramic tour by bus to Downtown Cairo including the culturally rich Zamalek Island, Cairo Opera House, Maspero television building, Cairo Marriott Hotel, and the historic Qasr El Nil Bridge. End your tour with dinner at a local restaurant overlooking the Nile River.

Optional Excursion: Inner Chamber of the Great Pyramid at Giza, $25 (purchased locally). Take advantage of a unique opportunity to explore the interior of the pyramids . This 30-minute visit of the interior is unguided and will take place during the guided exterior visit.

You must be in good physical condition to fully enjoy this tour, which involves traversing narrow passages and steep stairways. Some areas have very low ceilings preventing visitors from standing upright. This excursion is not recommended to anyone suffering from heart conditions, back problems, asthma, or claustrophobia.

Day 8: Depart Cairo

Breakfast.

• Enjoy some free time in Cairo for last minute shopping or sightseeing
• This afternoon, bid farewell to Egypt as you're escorted to the airport for your flight home via Dubai
• NOTE: Passengers traveling on LAX will depart after midnight. A late check-out at the hotel will be provided.

Day 9: Arrive USA

• Your adventure ends today as you arrive in the USA

Optional Nile Cruise Extension

Take advantage of your already-included international airfare and enjoy a 4-night cruise down the River Nile, this extension also includes 2 additional nights in Cairo. You will return home 6 days later than the return dates listed.

Day 8: Cairo.

1 night Conrad Cairo or Sheraton Cairo, or similar, Cairo. Breakfast.

• Enjoy a full day at leisure in Cairo

Day 9: Cairo & Luxor

4 nights onboard MS Tulip, or similar. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

• Morning flight from Cairo to Luxor
• Embark on your Nile cruise and enjoy lunch aboard
• Tour the East Bank of the Nile and the Temple of Karnak

Full Day Itinerary: Transfer to the airport this morning for the flight to Luxor, capital of the New Kingdom when Pharoah Ahmos, in 1580 BC, drove foreign invaders (the Hyksos) from Lower Egypt. It was then that Luxor became a grand city of luxurious palaces, huge temples, large gardens, as well as an important diplomatic and trade center of the ancient world. Transfer from the airport to the pier for embarkation aboard your deluxe Nile cruise ship. Settle into your cabin and enjoy lunch aboard.

This afternoon, visit the East Bank of the Nile. Highlights of today's tour include visits to the Temple of Karnak, one of the most significant monuments of the Pharaonic legacy, with work carried out on the temples over a period of 1500 years, and Luxor Temple, strikingly graceful and added to over the centuries by Tutankhamen, Ramses II, Alexander the Great, and others.

Day 10: Luxor, Esna & Edfu

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Tour the West Bank of the Nile and the Valley of the Kings via motor coach
• Visit the mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• Discover the ancient tomb of King Tutankhamun

Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, disembark and board your touring coach to visit the West Bank of the Nile and the Valley of the Kings, where 64 of Egypt's Pharaohs have their royal tombs hewn into the sheer rock. Continue to the impressive Deir El Bahari mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, an architectural wonder built against the backdrop of a looming cliff face and the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues of Amenhotep III. Afterwards, discover the ancient tomb of King Tutankhamun. Explore the rooms covered in mural paintings, and to the burial chamber, which still contains the pharaoh's mummy in its original sarcophagus. 

Optional Excursion: Hot Air Balloon, $120 (purchased locally). Wake up early to embark on a Hot Air Balloon ride for an incredible bird's eye view over the Nile. *Subject to weather conditions.

Day 11: Esna, Edfu & Kom Ombo

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Tour of Edfu including the Temple of Horus
• Sail to Kom Ombo

Full Day Itinerary: Your cruise ship sails from Esna to Edfu. As you go south, you will have an opportunity to view rural life in Egypt. The crops, methods of farming, animals and irrigation systems have changed little from 4,000 years ago. Here you can best appreciate the fascinating contrast of ancient and modern ways of life, which coexist in Egypt and make it one of the world's most interesting of travel destinations.

At Edfu, you'll see the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best preserved temple. Afterward, board your ship and sail to Kom Ombo, where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank. The Temple of Kom Ombo is unique in all of Egypt and is shared by the two gods Sobek and Haroeris. These Ptolemaic temples overlook the Nile and feature fascinating drawings on the walls, including detailed drawings of surgical instruments.

Day 12: Aswan

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Sail to Aswan and explore this ancient trading hub
• Visit Philae Temple
• Take a tour by felucca ending with high tea
• Enjoy a festive farewell dinner

Full Day Itinerary: Sail to Aswan, the gateway to Africa for the ancient Egyptians. Originally called "Sain" from "sanite", the name of the red granite extracted from its quarries, Aswan became a hub of trade in spices, leather, ivory, fruit, grains, baskets and mummified and living crocodiles.

After lunch aboard your cruise ship, visit Philae Temple which for centuries was the holiest site for Isis worshippers. The temple was officially closed down in the 6th century A.D. by the Byzantine emperor Justinian and was the last pagan temple to exist in the Mediterranean world. After the construction of the Aswan Dam, the half-submerged temple complex was completely dismantled and rebuilt to the original specifications on the nearby island of Agilika, which was reshaped and landscaped to resemble the original Philae. Metal pylons on the old island of Philae can still be seen rising from the water to the south of Agilika.

Before returning to your cruise ship, enjoy a tour by felucca (a small, swift Egyptian sailboat) ending at The Terrace in the Historic Old Cataract to enjoy high tea and sunset from this magnificent spot. The Terrace is a legendary venue, where Dame Agatha Christie once settled for hours, intently penning chapters of her celebrated Death on the Nile. Look out over the Nile, Khnum Temple, and Elephantine Island while savoring an authentic high tea experience enriched with mouthwatering international pastries.

Later this evening, enjoy a festive farewell dinner with the group.

Day 13: Aswan & Cairo

1 night Conrad Cairo or Sheraton Cairo, or similar. Breakfast.

• Morning at leisure
• Visit Aswan's High Dam and the granite quarries
• Fly to Cairo and spend the evening at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: Early this morning take advantage of an optional excursion to the temple complex of Abu Simbel.

Otherwise, remain on board and enjoy the facilities of the ship. After lunch, disembark and visit Aswan's High Dam, which controls the Nile and is a major source of hydroelectric power in Egypt. Also visit the granite quarries where a partially carved and cracked obelisk will clearly demonstrate how the giant forms were hewn from the solid rock.

Then, transfer to the airport to board your short flight back to Cairo. Check into your hotel and enjoy time to explore Cairo independently, including the downtown shopping districts and Cairo's excellent restaurant scene.

 

Optional Excursion: Abu Simbel, $313 (paid locally, or $298 if pre-booked). Early this morning, fly from Aswan to nearby Abu Simbel, the site of the Great Temple of Ramses II, one of the most magnificent of all temples in Egypt and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Part of the Nubian Monuments, the twin temples of Abu Simbel were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Ramses II in the 13th century B.C. as a lasting tribute to himself and his queen, Nefertiti. After the creation of Lake Nasser, formed by the building of Aswan High Dam in 1968, the Abu Simbel complex was relocated in its entirety high above the reservoir. After exploring the temple complex, return to Aswan.

On occasion, Egypt Air cannot provide a flight on the scheduled day of the excursion. In this case, you may instead visit Abu Simbel by land in a private air-conditioned vehicle, a journey of approximately 4 hours each way, with a box lunch provided. The land version is $199 if paid locally and requires a minimum of 2 passengers. If you pre-booked the excursion for $298, you will receive a refund of $100 if you choose the land version, or a full refund if you decline.

Day 14: Depart Cairo

Breakfast.

• Enjoy some free time in Cairo for last minute shopping or sightseeing
• This afternoon, bid farewell to Egypt as you're escorted to the airport for your flight home via Dubai

Day 15: Arrive USA

• Your adventure ends today as you arrive in the USA

Reviews & Photos

Trip Details

• What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
• Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Travel visas are required for this package. Please review the visa & entry requirements.
• Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
• Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 21 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
• Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
• What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
• What should I know about Egypt? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.
• What should I know about Dubai? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.

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