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11-Nights Splendors of Egypt - Small Group, Summer from $5,440
Insight Vacations
OFFER ID 1517395
Splendors Of Egypt - Small Group, Summer
Explore the splendors of Egypt on this 12-day tour. Cruise down the Nile and follow in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie for high tea at the Old Cataract Hotel. Continue down the Nile to Luxor, where you will see the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs - including the famous Tutankhamun - are buried. Later, break bread with a family in Geziret Bahirat, who will regale you with tales of local life. In Cairo, see the oldest pyramid in the world, the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, before traveling to see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Pyramids of Giza. Here, stand face-to-face with the towering sphinx and later, see a sound and light show dance across the stones.
Dining Summary
- 11 Breakfast (B)
- 7 Lunch (L)
- 7 Dinner (D)
- 1 Afternoon Tea (AT)
- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Aswan: Satisfy your curiosity and your taste buds over an Egyptian cooking demonstration with your talented onboard chef.
- Aswan: Ever wondered what it is like to be in the driver's seat Enjoy a tour of the Captain's quarters and learn about how he sails through the Nile and how knowledge has been passed down through generations.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- Kom Ombo: Learn about traditional Egyptian attire and immerse yourself in local culture at an Egyptian dinner and galabeya party.
- Aswan: Follow in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie as you enjoy high tea at Aswan's famous Old Cataract Hotel, as the sun begins to set.
- Luxor: Get to know your fellow travelers over a delightful drink followed by dinner.
- Aswan: Satisfy your curiosity and your taste buds over an Egyptian cooking demonstration with your talented onboard chef.
- Aswan: Ever wondered what it is like to be in the driver's seat Enjoy a tour of the Captain's quarters and learn about how he sails through the Nile and how knowledge has been passed down through generations.
- Luxor: Enjoy listening to stories of village life from local residents, when you visit a family home for a tasting of authentic Egyptian sun bread.
- Aswan: In Aswan, meet the women of a local women-owned co-operative whose mission is to support vulnerable women from the local villages to learn new skills and become financially independent. The organization provides a hub of support and comfort for over 300 women who may live in poverty or suffer from loneliness and want to become financially independent. Thanks to their newly learnt skills, the women are now able to provide the main source of income for their family. The co-op also strives to reduce waste with a secondary mission to ensure a garbage-free world by using waste and natural material like bamboo or palm trees to create fine handicrafts. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience advances United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
- Dendera: At the Temple of Hathor, see a rare depiction of Cleopatra and Caesarian.
- Aswan: Visit Aswan's High Dam and Granite Quarries to ponder why the Unfinished Obelisk has been left in mid-creation for thousands of years.
- Philae Island: Travel by motorboat to Philae Island and witness the majestic Temple of Isis rising from the waters.
- Aswan: On a traditional Nile felucca, meet a sailor and learn the art of sailing this ancient Nile craft. Visit the High Dam and Granite Quarries.
- : Take a short boat ride to Philae Island, located between the old and new Aswan Dams, where you’ll have a short tour. You'll then be seated in a Roman style theater for a retelling of the perennial Nile flood, and of the goddesses Isis and Hathor, to whose worship the temple was originally dedicated.
- Kom Ombo: Visit the unique temple as it is the only double temple in Egypt.
- Luxor: Visit Luxor Temple, constructed approximately 1400 BC. Look to the top of the remaining Pylon of Ramses II and step into the ancient monument.
- Memphis: Visit this famous capital of the ancient world to see the statue of Ramses II and the Great Alabaster Sphinx.
- Saqqara Necropolis: View the oldest pyramid in the world, the Step Pyramid of Zoser I, existing for over 4,500 years.
- Giza: With your Egyptologist, meet the enigmatic Sphinx and venture deep inside one of the pyramids, to the chambers where the pharaohs went to meet their Gods in the afterlife.
- Giza: Admire the remaining Wonders of the Ancient World as you explore through the Pyramids of Giza and the mighty Sphinx. Hear about Egyptian history as you walk through the National Archaeological Museum and learn the ar
11 nights from $5,440 per person
Insight Vacations: Splendors of Egypt - Small Group, Summer
Day 1 - Arrive in Cairo
Welcome to the timeless land of the pharaohs. On arrival at Cairo Airport, you’ll be transferred to your hotel and have time to relax and sample the hotels amenities after your journey. Refreshed and ready to embrace the intoxicating energy of this ancient and modern city
Accommodations: Cairo Marriott & Omar Khayyam Casino
Day 2 - Fly to Luxor, Cruise the Nile
In the morning, fly to Luxor and visit the huge temple complex of Karnak. Walk through the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes to stand among the columns of the Hypostyle Hall. Later, transfer to your cruise ship, your home for the next seven nights. After lunch on board, take a walk through the Luxor Museum, witness ancient artefacts. This evening, get to know your Travel Director, a professionally trained Egyptologist, as well as fellow guests over a drink followed by dinner. The rest of the evening is at leisure.
Accommodations: MS Medea or MS Miriam (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 - Exploring Dendera and on to Edfu
A day of legend and history awaits you today as you begin with a morning visit to the Temple of Hathor in Dendera. One of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, it contains a rare depiction of Cleopatra and her son Caesarion, whose father was Julius Caesar. At lunchtime return to your ship and enjoy a scenic journey via the Esna Lock to Edfu.
Accommodations: MS Medea or MS Miriam (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Edfu to Aswan
You will start the day with breakfast, as you cruise along the Nile to Kom Ombo before continuing on to the city of Aswan. Famous for its archaeological sites, such as the Philae Temple Complex and the Temple of Isis, Aswan is a vibrant destination that portray an agreeable mix of ancient and contemporary Egypt. Indulge your culinary side during an Egyptian cooking demonstration or tea with the Captain for your Insight Choice experience. In the evening, enjoy a fun-filled Egyptian dinner and galabeya party.
Accommodations: MS Medea or MS Miriam (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Aswan’s High Dam & Temple of Isis
Today’s sightseeing includes a visit to Aswan's High Dam and granite quarries to see the enormous unfinished obelisk. Travel by motorboat to the Temple of Isis, rising from the waters of the Nile on the Island of Philae. Enjoy a retelling of the Nile flood and the stories of the goddesses Isis and Hathor in a Roman-style theater. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy the facilities on your cruise ship.
Accommodations: MS Medea or MS Miriam (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Feluccas and High Tea Relaxed Start
Throughout your journey you’ll have seen many feluccas sailing along the Nile. Now it’s your time to explore one for yourself. On this traditional vessel, you’ll meet a local sailor who will teach you about the ancient art of sailing. Meet the ladies behind the local women’s co-op on your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and see scrap materials come to life as they are being turned into fine handicrafts. The organization provides an important source of income for the vulnerable women of the co-op. As the sun starts to fade, enjoy high tea at the historic Old Cataract Hotel, just like Sir Winston Churchill and Agatha Christie once did before you. The hotel is rumoured to be where Christie wrote her bestselling novel, “Death on the Nile.”
Accommodations: MS Medea or MS Miriam (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Dinner
Day 7 - Free Time and on to Kom Ombo Relaxed Start
With the morning free, perhaps join an Optional Experience to Abu Simbel? These temples overlook Lake Nasser and are made up of the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Hathor. Later, sail to Kom Ombo to visit the only double temple of Egypt, dedicated to two gods: the crocodile-headed Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus the Elder.
Accommodations: MS Medea or MS Miriam (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - Cruising the Nile to Luxor Relaxed Start
Your cruise continues along the bustling waters of the Nile. Enjoy the facilities on board and have your cameras at the ready for the sights, as you leisurely make your way to Luxor. In the evening, visit Luxor Temple, where you dock for the night.
Accommodations: MS Medea or MS Miriam (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 - Explore Luxor and fly to Cairo
This morning, disembark from your cruise and travel by coach to the west bank of the Nile. See the Colossi of Memnon and visit both the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings, where many pharaohs were buried, including Hatshepsut, Amenhotep I and Tutankhamun. Experience the renowned local hospitality of Egyptians, during a visit to the village of Geziret Bahirat. Connect with the community and share bread with the Bahirat family, whilst they regale guests with their fascinating stories of daily life. Later, transfer to the airport for your return flight to Cairo.
Accommodations: Cairo Marriott & Omar Khayyam Casino
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10 - Cairo Sightseeing
This morning, ascend to the Citadel, for breathtaking views over the city. While here visit the Alabaster Mosque, otherwise known as the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. Continue to Tahrir Square, the focal point of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, and the Egyptian Museum. Among the many exhibits found here, are the fabulous artefacts recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
Accommodations: Cairo Marriott & Omar Khayyam Casino
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11 - Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza
Today you’ll head to Memphis, the famous capital of the ancient world. See the colossal statue of Ramses II and the Great Alabaster Sphinx. Continue to Sakkara to see the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the oldest pyramid in the world, dating back to 2700 B.C. In the afternoon, it's on to Giza to explore the magnificent pyramids. Here you’ll come face-to-face with the enigmatic Sphinx. During your visit, venture inside one of these ancient wonders to see the chambers where the pharaohs were sent to meet their gods in the afterlife.
Accommodations: Cairo Marriott & Omar Khayyam Casino
Meals: Breakfast
Day 12 - Depart Cairo
Your wonderful journey ends with transfers to Cairo International airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Vacation Details
* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.
Fine dining, on-site bars or lounges and room service with extended hours are characteristic of deluxe establishments. Guest services usually include valet parking, concierge services, baggage assistance and laundry services. Other on-site facilities often include shops and boutiques, full service spas, full fitness facilities with pools and tennis courts. Business amenities may include available up-to-date technology and support staffs available for services. Attention to detail is apparent in the guestrooms which typically have stylish furnishings, quality bedding and bath products and often provide an evening turn down service.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.
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