Egypt desert & culture tour
| country: | Egypt |
| location: | Luxor |
| departures: | This is program is available all the year and can be changed or modified according to your needs. |
| price: | From 1290 - 1450 (14 days) excluding flights, depending on departure date. Price based on 2 sharing, see below for details. This is a private tour (not with a group). Please ask for prices for Christmas, New Year & Easter feasts. We can organise flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
With 53 years of experience, we know what it takes to make our millions of customers smile. Enjoy the legacy of the ancient Egyptians and the beauty of the present.
Highlights include:Great pyramids of Giza Egyptian Museum Bahariya, Dakhla, Farafra and Kharga Oases Black Desert, White Desert and Bedouin camp Crystal Mountain Hatshepsut, Karnak and Luxor Temples Cairo
All your accommodation will be at 3 star hotels with daily breakfast in Cairo and Luxor but including both breakfast and dinner in Baharia, Dakhla and Kharga. Your accommodation in the White Desert will be camping on full board basis. Price includes mineral water, sleeper train on half board basis, transfers by modern air-conditioned vehicle or jeep safari (White desert, Black Desert, Farafra, Dakhla, and Kharga), all sightseeing tours, entrance fees and guiding.
Highlights include:
All your accommodation will be at 3 star hotels with daily breakfast in Cairo and Luxor but including both breakfast and dinner in Baharia, Dakhla and Kharga. Your accommodation in the White Desert will be camping on full board basis. Price includes mineral water, sleeper train on half board basis, transfers by modern air-conditioned vehicle or jeep safari (White desert, Black Desert, Farafra, Dakhla, and Kharga), all sightseeing tours, entrance fees and guiding.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Our representative will meet & assist you at Cairo International Airport, and handle all your procedures through passport control, luggage area & customs formalities. Then you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo. |
| Day 2: | Memphis. After breakfast, visit Memphis, the first capital of Egypt. Then proceed to Saqqara complex to visit Step Pyramid, which was designed by the architect Imhotep for his master King Zoser. Lunch at Al Ezba Restaurant. After that, enjoy an excursion by a modern air-conditioned vehicle to the pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus. Then the Sphinx and the Valley Temple. Overnight in Cairo. |
| Day 3: | Bahariya Oasis. After breakfast, travel by 4x4 vehicle to Bahariya Oasis. Walk around the old village of the oasis and see the groves of palms and fruit trees. Local tour to the hill top ruin the English House, the Temple of Alexander and the Golden Valley of Mummies. Overnight in Bahariya. |
| Day 4: | Safari trip. Safari trip to the White Desert passing through the Black Desert and the Valley of El Haize with its hot spring. Stop off to see the quartz crystal at Crystal Mountain and the volcanic rocks and petrified wood in the Valley of Agabat. Upon arrival at the White Desert, tour to the amazing rock formations, watch the sunset, and camp under the stars in this paradise of tranquility. Bedouin dinner in the desert. Overnight in camp. |
| Day 5: | Farafra Oasis. Travel to Farafra Oasis and tour around to see the palm groves and hot springs, as well as the old village of traditional mud-brick houses, and local artist Badr"s unique mud brick museum. Then tour to the lush Dakhla Oasis, surrounded by rose-colored cliffs. Overnight in Dakhla Oasis. |
| Day 6: | Kharga. Enjoy visiting the Roman temple Deir El Hagar in its serene surroundings and the Roman burial ground Mezzawaqqah. Move onto to Kharga Oasis, also famous for its hot springs. Visit Qasr el Labeka - a Roman fortress on the old caravan route. and the oasis" ethnic museum. Then visit the Roman Temple of Hibis as well as the early Christian cemetery with its chapels painted with murals at Bagawat, nearby. Move onto the Temple of Dush, dedicated to Isis and Serapis, and see Baris Oasis. Overnight in Kharga. |
| Day 7: | Luxor. After breakfast transfer by an air-conditioned vehicle to Luxor. Check in and overnight in Luxor. |
| Day 8: | Nile cruise. After breakfast, transfer to your 05 star superior Nile cruise for embarkation before lunch. Pm you will be accompanied for a wonderful tour to visit East Bank of the Nile in Luxor to the Karnak and Luxor temples. Move to the Nile cruise ship for afternoon tea and dinner. Overnight aboard the Nile cruise vessel in Luxor. |
| Day 9: | Valley of the Kings. Breakfast, then you will be transferred to the West Bank of the River Nile in Luxor to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsute Temple at El Deir EL Bahari and the Colossi Memnon. Back to the cruise for lunch, afternoon tea while sailing to Edfu via Esna Lock. Dinner and overnight stay on board the Nile cruise vessel at Edfu. |
| Day 10: | Horus Temple. Breakfast on board the Nile cruise vessel then you will be accompanied by your knowledgeable guide to visit Horus Temple at Edfu then transfer to the cruise to sail to Kom Ombo with lunch on board the cruise Visit the Temple shared by the two Gods Sobek and Haroeris at Kom Ombo and then continue sailing to Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board. |
| Day 11: | Aswan. Pay a visit to the High Dam in Aswan, the Unfinished Obelisk and the majestic Philae temple with a visit to the Botanical garden by felucca overnight in Aswan on board the Nile cruise ship. |
| Day 12: | Free time in Aswan. Disembarkation after breakfast. Free time at leisure in Aswan on your own and then transfer to Aswan train station for departure to Cairo by sleeper train. Dinner and overnight on train. |
| Day 13: | Cairo. You will be met at Giza station, then transfer to your hotel in Cairo and overnight. |
| Day 14: | Depart. Breakfast, and transfer to Cairo International Airport for departure. |
prices
| Dates | May-Sep 2009 | Oct-Apr 2009-2010 |
| Per person in a double room | 1290 | 1450 |
| Single supplement | 490 | 590 |
Price inclusions:
travellers' tales
The whole Egypt holiday was memorable and each part was different and equally exciting. Spent a few days in Cairo seeing the sights - the Pyramids are phenomenal. (more)
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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Our local staff in Bahariya and the White Desert co-operate with the government to annually clean the areas used as camps for tourists so all tour guides are responsible for ensuring that the guests understand the nature of the environment that they are in and minimise the impact that they may have. Most employees are local people and most food whilst camping is locally sourced. Our guides always urge clients to take care of water and energy conservation.
 Moreover, at all historical sites in Egypt part of the fees contribute to conservation. For example, there is local staff for cleaning at these sites taking their salaries from those fees. During this program, clients will have the ability to deal directly with Bedouin people during their stay at camp and during their visit to the historical places in the oases, and get to know their habits and customs. We will provide our clients with a copy of our responsible travel policy upon arrival at Cairo Airport. We offer our clients the chance to visit a charitable organisation like Masr Al Mahrusa Baladi. This NGO tries to improve the quality of education in Egypt at governmental schools, especially primary schools, and takes care of genius students at governmental schools. Also, the organisation helps in wiping out illiteracy, in addition to bringing up and educating orphans. We send information on climate, customs, traditions and clothes to clients by e-mail after confirming their reservation. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |