Grand Egyptian Explorer (2014) from Insight Vacations

Highlights:

This tour is BIG - from Mount Sinai in the East to the Western Desert battleground that turned the fortunes of war, plus titanic temples such as Abu Simbel and the prodigious Pyramids.
Tour Pace: Mostly easy going. After exploring around Cairo, the Suez & Nile Delta, the majority of days are spent quietly cruising the peaceful waters of Lake Nasser and the Nile. One early start is required for excursion to Monasteries of St Antony and Saint Paul the Anchorite.

SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES AND DINING

- Excursion to Monasteries of St Antony and Saint Paul the Anchorite
- Visit the 15th century Quayet-Bey fortress in Alexandria.
- Enjoy a Highlight Dinner in a local restaurant in Alexandria.
- Come face to face with the inscrutable Sphinx and venture deep inside one of the Pyramids, where the pharaohs went to meet their Gods in the afterlife.
- The full-faced funeral mask, gold coffin, gilded throne, precious jewellery; gaze upon the most recognizable symbols of ancient Egypt - Tutankhamun’s treasure!
- The magnificent statues at Abu Simbel embody power on a grand scale. Stand at the feet of Rameses the Great and look up - you’re no bigger than his toe.
- A booming voice cracks the night air, hundreds of eyes follow clouds of light racing around the inky sky, only to fall on the titanic temples of Abu Simbel. Lit up and very large, has Rameses realised his dream of immortality?
- Board a motorboat to the Philae Island temple complex.
- In Aswan, enjoy the sunset and high tea in colonial English style.
- In Kom Ombo visit the only double temple of Egypt dedicated to two gods, the crocodile headed Sobek and falcon headed Horus the Elder.
- Visit the fabulous Luxor Temple which lay buried beneath the streets of the town for thousands of years.
- Embark on a West Bank excursion to visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut then into the Valley of the Kings for a subterranean look at some of the Pharaonic tombs.
- Stand amid a vast forest of columns in the largest temple complex known to man - Karnak.
- Join the fun at an Egyptian dinner and galabeya party.

ADDITIONAL PREMIUM HIGHLIGHTS

- Alexandria: Visit the Roman Amphitheatre, Catacombs, and Montazah Gardens.
- El-Alamein: Visit the War Cemeteries & Military Museum.
- Wadi El Natrun: Visit the great Coptic Monasteries (if open).
- Memphis: See the statue of Rameses II & Alabaster Sphinx.
- Sakkara: See the Step Pyramid of Zozer, oldest in the world.
- Kasr Ibrim: View the ancient ruined citadel.
- Amada, Wadi El Sebou & Kalabsha: Visit the temples.
- Aswan: Sail on a traditional ‘felucca’ around the Botanical gardens Visit the Aswan High Dam and the unfinished obelisk.
- Luxor: See the Colossi of Memnon.

INCLUDED QUALITY DINING

- Egyptian dinner and Galabea Party (HD)
- Highlight Dinner at a local restaurant in Alexandria (HD)
- 15 Buffet Breakfasts (BB), 6 Lunches (L) and 8 Dinners (D), plus bottled water, tea or coffee with included lunches and dinners while cruising

INCLUDED FIRST CLASS SERVICES

- Insight’s professional multilingual Egyptologist/Tour Director accompanies you
- Headsets for all guided visits and walking tours
- Sightseeing by air-conditioned coach
- Deluxe hotels in Cairo and Alexandria, with all service charges, taxes and porterage
- 3 night Lake Nasser cruise on MS Prince Abbas (or similar) and 3 night Nile cruise on MS Giselle or MS Sapphire or MS La Boheme (or similar) including all cruise boat gratuities
- Scheduled air travel Cairo/Aswan/Abu Simbel and Luxor/Cairo
- Services of Insight’s Representative in Egypt
- Insight Traveller Welcome pack
- Arrival & departure transfers between the airport and your Insight tour hotel.

Grand Egyptian Explorer (2014)

From $4325 USD

CAIRO AT LEISURE

Welcome to Egypt, the timeless land of the Pharaohs and a treasure house of ancient history. On arrival in Cairo you are met and transferred to your sophisticated tour hotel, built around a stunning landscaped atrium.

Hotel: Fairmont Heliopolis

CAIRO - GULF OF SUEZ

Today we visit Old Cairo and see the hanging Church of St. Mary before travelling on to Ain El Sokhana, located on the shores of the Red Sea, to your seaside resort.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Hotel: Palmera Beach Resort Ain Sokhana

SIGHTSEEING

Early morning visit to Saint Antony monastery, a Coptic Orthodox monastery standing in an oasis in the desert and Saint Paulos monastery. Afterwards, return to your hotel for free time.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Hotel: Palmera Beach Resort Ain Sokhna

GULF OF SUEZ - ALEXANDRIA

Drive through the desert to Alexandria, Egypt’s major port, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Dinner

Hotel: Helnan Palestine/Sheraton Montazah

ALEXANDRIA SIGHTSEEING

Your full day city tour includes the National Museum, Roman Amphitheatre and Roman Catacombs. After a visit to the 15C Quayet-Bey Fortress, your final stop is at the Montazah Gardens. Tonight, your Highlight Dinner is at a local restaurant.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Highlight Dinner

Hotel: Marriott

ALEXANDRIA - CAIRO

Drive into the Western Desert to El-Alamein. Time here to pay your respects at the War Cemeteries and visit the Military Museum. En route to Cairo make a stop at the Coptic Monasteries at Wadi El Natrun (if open).

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Hotel: Marriott

CAIRO SIGHTSEEING

Drive out to Memphis, to view the colossal statue of Rameses II and great alabaster sphinx. Nearby at Sakkara, view the Step Pyramid of Zoser; dating from 2686BC, it’s the oldest in the world. Now the moment you’ve been waiting for - a guided tour of Giza where you see the enigmatic Sphinx and venture inside one of the magnificent Pyramids!

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Hotel: Marriott

CAIRO SIGHTSEEING

Start the day with breathtaking views over the city from the Citadel, and visit the alabaster mosque. Then test your bargaining skills in the Khan El Khalili bazaars. Continue to Tahrir Square, focal point of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Next is the Egyptian Museum, an unrivaled warehouse of Pharaonic treasure, housing the golden treasure recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

CAIRO – ABU SIMBEL – JOIN CRUISE

Transfer to the airport for your flight via Aswan to the ancient Nubian lands near Egypt’s southern border. On arrival, board your comfortable cruise boat on Lake Nasser. Get your camera ready for your visit to the Great Temple of Abu Simbel. You are confronted by four towering statues of Rameses himself, carved out of a single slab of rock. The smaller Temple of Hathor, is also guarded by six 10 metre statues. Spend some time exploring inside the 3,200 year old walls, depicting scenes of Rameses and the Gods. Tonight, experience the monuments lit in all their glory at the sound and light show.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Hotel: MS Prince Abbas

ON BOARD SHIP

Enjoy the ever changing scenery as you cruise to the ancient ruined citadel of Kasr Ibrim, still occupying its original strategic high ground. Cruise on to Amada, noted for having the oldest surviving structure on Lake Nasser. Also, it has some of the finest carvings of any Nubian temple. Explore the temple dedicated to Amun-Re and Re-Harrakte and also visit the Tomb of Penniut, deputy of Nubia.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Hotel: MS Prince Abbas

ON BOARD SHIP

This morning you visit Wadi El Sebou, – the ‘Valley of the Lions’, named after the great Avenue of Sphinxes which led to the Temple of Rameses II. Now time to relax and enjoy your superb cruise facilities as you continue on to exotic Aswan - where the Middle East overlaps with Africa!

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Hotel: MS Prince Abbas

ASWAN - ON BOARD SHIP

Visit the Temple of Kalabsha, built by the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus and dedicated to the local fertility god Mandulis. Disembark now and cross over the Aswan High Dam. Take a motorboat to the Temples of Philae, rising from the waters of the Nile. Aswan granite was used by many of the Pharaohs to build their temples and tombs and you visit one of the quarries on your way to your second cruise ship which will transport you up the Nile. This afternoon, enjoy high tea in English colonial style before sunset.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Hotel: MS Giselle or MS Saphire or MS La Boheme

ON BOARD SHIP

For a change of mood, embark on a traditional Nile sailing boat (felucca,) around Aswan’s Botanical Gardens. Cruise on to Kom Ombo to visit the only temple in Egypt dedicated to two gods - Horus the Elder and the crocodile headed Sobek. In fact, crocodiles were kept in the temple and some mummified remains are still on show. Set sail again for Edfu. Tonight celebrate in Egyptian style at an Oriental Dinner and Galabea Party.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Lunch / Highlight Dinner

Hotel: MS Giselle or MS Saphire or MS La Boheme

ON BOARD SHIP

In Edfu this morning, two black granite falcons guard the entrance to the Temple of Horus, the Falcon God. After exploring the well preserved wall reliefs, continue your Nile cruise to Luxor. On arrival, visit the fabulous Luxor Temple which lay buried beneath the streets of the town for thousands of years.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Hotel: MS Giselle or MS Saphire or MS La Boheme

DISEMBARK LUXOR - CAIRO

Drive over to the west bank of the Nile for a photo stop at the towering Colossi of Memnon. Next, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, blending into the cliff face above. Continue to the Valley of the Kings, the burial place of many of the New Kingdom Pharaohs. Return to Luxor to the Temple complex of Karnak. Among its splendours is the Hypostyle Hall, the largest of any temple in the world. Later, transfer to the airport to board your flight back to Cairo.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Hotel: Marriott

DEPART CAIRO

Your tour comes to a close with a transfer to the airport.

Meals: Buffet Breakfast

Agency: Insight Vacations

Grand Egyptian Explorer (2014)

From $4325 USD

Agency: Insight Vacations

Grand Egyptian Explorer (2014)

From $4325 USD

Agency: Insight Vacations