Best of Egypt & Nile Cruise

Overview

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Join us as we return to Egypt to celebrate the land of ancient wonders and modern miracles on our brand new Best of Egypt & Nile Cruise tour. You'll enjoy 10 wonderful days, including airfare from JFK, 4-nights in high-quality Cairo hotels, 4-nights aboard a deluxe Nile cruise, many meals, transfers, and plenty of included touring.

Once again, Friendly Planet is defying skyrocketing travel prices to bring you a fantastic, truly first class Egypt vacation deal fit for a pharaoh. You'll see the famous Sphinx & pyramids at Giza, the temples at Luxor & Edfu, King Tut's tomb, old Cairo & much more.

Extend your stay with a post-tour to Jordan, including the spectacular lost city of Petra and Amman.

Dates, Prices & Options

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

• Check in for your overnight flight for Cairo

Day 2: Cairo

Accommodations: 3 nights Conrad Cairo or similar. Included meals: Dinner.

• Arrive in Cairo and transfer to your hotel
• Enjoy the afternoon at leisure
• Evening walking tour along El Moez Street
• Get to know your fellow travelers during a welcome dinner at a local restaurant

Full Day Itinerary: Arrive in Cairo, where East and West come together in a wonderful mix of old and new. After customs formalities, you'll be met by our representatives in Cairo then escorted to your centrally located 5-star hotel overlooking the Nile River. You'll have the rest of the afternoon to explore independently.

This evening, enjoy a guided walk along El Moez Street, one of the oldest and most amazing streets in Cairo, dating back to the Fatimid period. Begin at Azhar mosque, one of the best medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world. Continue to Bab Zuweila, a medieval gate in Cairo considered one of the major landmarks of the city, and Al Hussein Mosque, named for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammed, it is one of the holiest Islamic sites in Cairo.

Walk by Al Hakim Mosque, Bab al-Fetouh, and Bab al-Nasr, a massive fortified gate with rectangular stone towers flanking the semicircular arch of the eastern Portal. Proceed to Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, remarkable for its size and innovative architectural components, Al-Rifa'I Mosque, then to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form.

Get to know your fellow travelers during a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Cairo

Included meals: Breakfast.

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

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 4: Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx

Included meals: Breakfast.

• Tour the Pyramids of Cheops and 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: Nile Dinner Cruise, $46. This evening, join your fellow travelers on an optional dinner cruise with entertainment aboard a floating Nile River restaurant.

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 5: Cairo & Luxor

Accommodations: 4 nights Movenpick MS Royal Lotus for departures Jun-Sep 2018, MS Tulip for departures from Oct 2018 onwards, or similar . Included meals: 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 early 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 6: Luxor, Esna & Edfu

Included meals: 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 7: Esna, Edfu & Kom Ombo

Included meals: 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 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 8: Aswan

Included meals: 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 9: Aswan & Cairo

Accommodations: 1 night Le Meridien Cairo Airport Hotel, or similar. Included meals: Breakfast & lunch.

• 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. This afternoon, disembark and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. 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 10: Cairo/USA

Included meals: Breakfast.

• Bid farewell to Egypt as you're escorted to the airport for your return flight
• Arrive in the USA later today

Jordan & Petra Post-Tour Optional Extension

Why not take advantage of your already-included international airfare to visit Jordan and the lost city of Petra. You'll return to the U.S. 3 days after the return dates listed.

Day 10: Cairo, Egypt/Amman & Petra, Jordan

Accommodations: 1 night Petra Marriott Hotel or similar for departures through 2018, or Hyatt Zaman or similar for departures 2019 and beyond. Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.

• Morning flight to Amman, the capital of Jordan
• Drive to the lost city of Petra 
• En route visit Saint George Church and Mount Nebo
• Remainder of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: This morning transfer to the airport for your short flight to Amman, Jordan. After completing immigration and customs formalities, you will be met by our representatives. Drive south to the lost city of Petra. En route to Petra, explore the early Byzantine church of Saint George to see the 6th century Madaba Map, a floor mosaic depiction of the Holy Land. Afterwards, visit Mount Nebo to see a panoramic view of the Holy Land with a stop at a Franciscan church with a detailed mosaic-covered floor.

Check into your hotel, and some time to relax and enjoy the facilities.

Day 11: Petra & Amman

Accommodations: 2 nights Amman Marriott Hotel or similar for departures through 2018, or Grand Millenium Amman for departures 2019 and beyond. Included meals: Breakfast.

• Half day guided tour of Petra
• Afternoon return to Amman

Full Day Itinerary: Your guided tour of Petra begins with a ride on horseback, followed by a walk through the Siq, a narrow gorge flanked by cliffs. At the end of the Siq, the breathtaking of the Treasury, with its elaborately carved façade comes into view. Explore the various tombs and structures in this site and marveling at the artistry and creativity that must have inspired the Nabateans to construct so marvelous and dramatic a city. Later this afternoon, drive north to Amman and check into your hotel.

Day 12: Amman

Included meals: Breakfast.

• Enjoy the day at leisure in Amman

Optional Excursion: Jerash & Amman City, $75 (For 2018 departures). Located 30 miles north of Amman, Jerash is considered one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. To this day, its colonnaded streets, baths, theaters, plazas and arches remain in exceptional condition. Within the remaining city walls, archaeologists have found the ruins of settlements dating back to the Neolithic Age, indicating human occupation at this location for more than 6500 years.

After lunch, return to Amman where you'll visit the major historical sites, including the Roman amphitheater, Archaeological Museum, and the ruins of the Temple of Hercules.

Optional Excursion: Dead Sea & Amman City, $140 (For 2019 departures). Relax along the soothing, buoyant and mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, thought to restore visitors its healing properties.

After lunch, return to Amman where you'll visit the major historical sites, including the Roman amphitheater, Archaeological Museum, and the ruins of the Temple of Hercules.

Optional Excursion: Dinner in a local restaurant, $25. This evening, join your fellow travelers for an optional farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 13: Amman/USA

Included meals: Breakfast.

• Early this morning, transfer to the airport as you bid farewell to Amman and board your return flight to the USA via Cairo.
• Your fascinating journey comes to an end as you arrive in the USA later today.

Cruise Ship

MS Tulip

Wings Group welcomes you aboard their newly renovated five-star M/S Tulip cruise ship. Your deluxe cruise along the Nile will take you back thousands of years to places where history unfolded and unearthed the romances of Cleopatra, some of the wonders of the ancient world, and impressive structures mysteriously built without modern technology.

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