Seeing and standing next to the real thing is unsurpassed by any screen be it 3D or otherwise. ... Andrew Walsh, 2018 See more reviews
Amazing trip all the sites were safe and our guide Khalid lotfy made the trip ten times better... Michael Willis, 2018 See more reviews
To see ancient history in front of you is amazing - impossible to imagine what Egypt must have... John Windle, 2018 See more reviews
A wonderful trip with some leisurely days along with early starts to beat the heat. October was... Ruth Adams, 2018 See more reviews
Sorry, I meant to add that Exodus should perhaps delete the reference to the "library"... Graham Ritchie, 2018 See more reviews
I've always been interested in Egyptian history and when friends suggested joining this... Jane Lee, 2018 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all London to London Day 1 Fly to Cairo. Fly to Cairo. Comfortable Hotel Day 2 Visit Egyptian Museum, El Azhar Mosque and Cairo's lively bazaar; afternoon visit spectacular pyramids at Giza. Visit to Egyptian Museum, Al Azhar mosque and lively Bazaar. We begin with a visit to the incredible Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which contains relics dating back to 4000 BC, including the fantastic riches of Tutankhamun's tomb. Here is a unique opportunity to survey the many fabulous treasures of Egypt in one place and to set the scene for the rest of the tour. Following our visit to this amazing museum we experience modern day Cairo with a visit to Al Azhar mosque, Cairo's oldest mosque and university, and the small alleyways and streets that make up Cairo's popular bazaar. Dating back to AD970, Al Azhar mosque is a busy and popular mosque today, frequently visited by locals and thus well worth a visit. We will need to cover up (long sleeves and trousers) as when entering all mosques. Women will also need to cover their hair with a scarf. In the afternoon we visit the Pyramids at Giza. Home to the Great Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and the timeless and enigmatic Sphinx, these great monuments to the afterlife defy the imagination. Only the throng of sightseers, Egyptian and foreign, milling around their huge foundations, keep the viewer in the 21st century.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Fly to Luxor; exploration of Valley of the Kings; afternoon visit to Karnak and Luxor temples. We typically transfer to Cairo airport before sunrise for our flight to Luxor (flight times can vary). We arrive in Luxor and cross the Nile to the West Bank. Here we see the Valley of the Kings, which contains the once hidden tombs of over 62 Pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramses III and IV. A discreet entrance in the hillside takes the visitor underground; a series of corridors and ante-chambers leads us down to the burial chamber and sarcophagus. The walls are covered in brightly painted images and hieroglyphs - a map of the afterlife to ensure the king's safe passage. One ticket allows us to see three tombs. The ticket usually allows entry into what are regarded as the most impressive tombs, but if you have time a visit to the tomb of Ramses VI is also highly recommended. Visits to tombs are now strictly controlled to halt further deterioration of wall paintings - each tomb is periodically closed for a number of weeks. In the afternoon we cross back to the east bank of the Nile and visit Luxor Temple and the huge Karnak Temple complex. Built over 1500 years, Karnak is a confusion of pylons, courtyards, halls and sanctuaries. Its Hypostyle hall has 134 columns 23 metres high and 15 metres in diameter! Both temples are incredibly impressive. In the evening or earlier in the day, depending on the flight times, we settle into our accommodation on the cruise boat. Cruise Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Days 4-5 Two days on the Nile with visits to Edfu and Kom Ombo en route. On the Nile. We will spend these days on our cruise boat, travelling upstream from Luxor to Aswan. Exact sailing and excursion times cannot be guaranteed for each individual trip but we will visit the temples of Edfu, famous for its roofed inner temples and huge Pylon, and Kom Ombo. The cruise boat has good facilities: a sundeck with sun loungers, bar and small pool, restaurant, gift shop and library - these can all be taken advantage of when the cruise boat is docked or during sailing. The sunsets over the Nile are truly stunning and travelling from Luxor to Aswan, enjoying the beauty of the lush verdant landscape make this journey special. Cruise Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 A traditional felucca ride on the Nile; free afternoon or optional visit to Aswan High Dam and unfinished obelisk. This morning we are travelling the Nile in a different, exciting way: by felucca, the traditional Egyptian sailing boat. Using the felucca, we can truly savour the tranquillity of the Nile and the beauty of the surrounding landscape, where the vast desert almost reaches the water's edge. (The sailing by felucca timing might be changed according to weather conditions). In the afternoon there is the option to visit the Nubian Museum, situated opposite the hotel. Opened in April 1998, the museum chronologically charts the history and culture of the Nubian people. Alternatively, we can arrange an optional visit to Philae Temple. In the 1970s it has been relocated by UNESCO to Aglika Island after it became evident that the original site of Philae would submerge on completion of the Aswan High Dam. It represents a magnificent and enduring testament to both ancient and modern engineering. During this excursion we will also visit Aswan High Dam and Cleopatra's unfinished obelisk.Cruise Boat Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Optional visit to Abu Simbel. Today there's the option of a visit to Abu Simbel, 300 km. to the south through the Nubian Desert. The optional bus tour starts at 3.30/4 in the morning when we get picked up from the boat. A breakfast box is provided. Around 8 am we will arrive at the destination, where we are given approx 3 hours to visit the temples. Built by Ramses II the two temples are certainly some of the most spectacular in Egypt. Originally on the banks of the Nile, the temples were raised to a new site above the lake in the late 1960s, as the waters from the new Lake Nasser rose behind the Aswan High Dam. The four great seated statues of Ramses II stare east towards the rising sun. We will be back in Aswan around 3 pm. Our luggage will be moved to the hotel, where we will overnight for the next 2 days.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Aswan; St. Simone Monastery optional tour, bazaar and corniche. Today it's our last day in Aswan. A visit to St. Simone Monastery would be one of the available optional tours or we can spend our day discovering the bazaar (market) and corniche in Aswan. Shopping of home-made products can be done at the market, a great opportunity to have a taste of the local culture. Aswan is a laid-back, sleepy town that reflects the character of its largely Nubian inhabitants, known for being friendly and hospitable. Enjoying its atmosphere is a highlight for many on this trip. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 Fly to London via Cairo. Fly to London. Meals included: Breakfast
Egypt Visas are required by all non-Arab nationalities and currently cost approximately GBP20. It is recommended that you obtain your visa before you travel (although it’s still possible to get a tourist visa on arrival). You can get a visa online at Visa2Egypt or alternatively, the address of the Egyptian Embassy in London is 2 Lowndes Street, SW1. Tel: 020 7235 9777. Visas are now generally available for same day collection, although this should NOT be relied upon. Opening hours are 09.30 to 12.30 for applications, 14.15 to 16.00 for collection of passports after the visa has been issued. Postal applications direct to the embassy for visas are not recommended as the service takes 15 to 20 days. Please note that recently Egyptian officials have also requested tourists carry a copy of their passport with them whilst in the country.
Egypt There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Although not usually advised, other vaccinations to consider include rabies and Hepatitis B.
Cruise Boat & Hotels We use comfortable 4/5 star hotels (Egyptian Classification) on a twin-share basis. The Basma Hotel in Aswan is located on the East Bank on Aswan's highest hill, directly opposite the famous Nubian museum. All the rooms have balconies with views of the Nile or the surrounding desert. The facilities in the rooms and in the hotel itself are excellent, including a choice of bars and restaurants, a huge swimming pool and all set amid well-maintained gardens. In Cairo we use the Cairo Pyramids Hotel. Set in a landscaped garden it offers stunning views over the Pyramids. All rooms are en suite.Cruise boatWe sail the Nile on the M/Y Mirage. This cruise boat offers impressive service and great facilities including a swimming pool, a sun deck, gift shop, gym, restaurant and two bars. It stretches 72m in length, 14.4m width and 11.1m height, each of the 58 en suite cabins is fully air-conditioned and has a mini bar. Wi-Fi is available at a cost of $20 (subject to change). Single rooms available, please enquire for prices. Additional Accommodation Can be arranged in Cairo pre or post tour. Please speak to a consultant at the time of booking if you would like additional accommodation.
December 28, 2018 Trending Now: Top 9 Destinations for 2019 A new year, a fresh start, and twelve clean months to fill with adventures.
October 19, 2018 5 Reasons Why You Need to Visit Egypt Now A living time capsule where old meets new.
February 6, 2018 Our Top 10 European Bike Rides Embracing a healthy lifestyle can be a challenge, but if you’re going to keep it up there’s got to be more to it than
January 5, 2018 Our Top Five Sicilian Street Foods Sun-kissed Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean.
Reviewed January 2019 John Duffield Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium An amazing trip and a fantastic value! Loved it. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Going up the shaft in the #2 Pyramid. Wasn't expecting what an adventure that would be. What did you think of your group leader? Amazing. Was a step ahead throughout.
Reviewed December 2018 Andrew Walsh Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium Absolutely awe inspiring. Seeing and standing next to the real thing is unsurpassed by any screen be it 3D or otherwise. Good pace if booking the extra excursion/visits, almost all of which were worth the effort. The cruise part was very relaxing and a welcome break from the grey cold wet xmas hustle. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The monuments were fabulous... 4 thousand years old... still coloured, still there !!! Physically and mentally impressive. What did you think of your group leader? Our leader Sayed was fantastic - enthusiastic, knowledgeable, friendly. He was even prepared to take a few of us out for extra walks in the evening and for meals in restaurants. He really did care. Great bloke. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? DO NOT DO the light show at Phalae - its just rotten. This has not been updated since the day they put it in. Dialogue like some 50's Hollywood black and white film and just playing with the dimmer switch does not constitute a show.! Make sure you have plenty of small change for tips. Be prepared for constant hustling by people trying to sell you souvenirs almost everywhere. You do need to have Egyptian money as some places wont accept anything else but lots of places accept cards and other currency . You can change money on the boat, in hotels.
Reviewed November 2018 Michael Willis Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium A must do Amazing trip all the sites were safe and our guide Khalid lotfy made the trip ten times better with his genuine friendship and knowledge Highly recommended and if you can request a guide ask for Khalid Lotfy! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing the pyramids and valley of the kings What did you think of your group leader? The best group leader you could get
Reviewed November 2018 Sandy Merrick Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium Our Nile cruise We have just returned from our Egyptian adventure! This is our second trip with Exodus and another successful trip full of memories and adventures. From the moment we met up with our tour guide, Mohammed and the rest of the small group, it was a whirlwind of excitement. The Tour was well organized, full of unbelievable sights and sounds of this fascinating country. The cruise boat Mirage was a pleasant surprise. The rooftop sun deck was a hit. Great food, service and engagingly friendly staff on the boat made us all feel comfortable. Our guide Mohammed was an amazing trove of all things Egyptian. His knowledge of his country’s past was admirable. Our group of 20 bonded early on and made this trip a truly enjoyable journey. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? My first sight of the Pryamids was breathtaking. The early evenings sailing along the Nile was so relaxing. What did you think of your group leader? Mohammed was so knowledgeable and a lot of fun to be around. He joined in on the fun and joking round but kept us informed of the schedule and was well organized. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for the early morning departures.
Reviewed November 2018 John Windle Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium Amazing Adventure To see ancient history in front of you is amazing - impossible to imagine what Egypt must have been like 5,000 years ago! Great guide, patient and knowledgeable. Great group, keen to learn, good fun and always on time. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The tombs in the valley of the kings What did you think of your group leader? Knowledgeable, patient and keen to enable us to enjoy our holiday Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Very early starts - necessary but tough Is there anything else you would like to add? Felt the visit to the Nubian village was questionable. The boat trip was great but there was little to see in the village. The house we visited the people had a couple of adult and a few small crocodiles in a very confined concrete tank purely to show visitors and indeed handle the small ones. This didn't feel in keeping with the Exodus commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly communities, Reply from Exodus Reply from Exodus We would like to thank John for his feedback, whilst we are pleased he enjoyed the holiday overall we were very sorry learn of his disappointment with the Nubian Village experience. When the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s and the Nubian people had to move their homes, they became more reliant on tourism to ensure the continuation of their culture. The keeping of crocodiles in their homes as pets, however, is not an aspect of the current day Nubian culture which Exodus wishes to support; we particularly want to discourage our clients to take part in the holding of the animals for photo opportunities. John Penge – Product Manager for Egypt
Reviewed November 2018 David Senior Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium Nile/ An exceptional tour well put together. There were early starts but it was cooler and less crowded when you arrived at the site. Usually was time to relax later in the day. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? For myself it was standing at the base of Kufu's pyramid and being amazed at the enormity of the structure, no amount of reading and photographs can prepare you for the scale What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader was Tarek who was fantastic. He was so relaxed and easy going. It was obvious his love for the history of the Egyptians and his country. He really brought to life the time of the Pharoes and their achievements. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Do not waste time going online to sort the visas out, there are no end of scam sites and the official one is hopeless. When you arrive in Egypt you can purchase the visa before going through passport control. Is there anything else you would like to add? This was our first time using Exodus and I would highly recommend them, very professional.
Reviewed November 2018 Ruth Adams Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium Excellent trip to Egypt- lots of history, culture and wonderful weather A wonderful trip with some leisurely days along with early starts to beat the heat. October was a perfect time to go- not too hot, blue skies against which the sand and pyramids/ temples contrasted wonderfully. Our guide was very helpful; it was wonderful to have water available both on the bus and the ship..... One caveat- it would be helpful if in the trip notes if somewhere it mentioned that one must pay extra to take photographs in some of the temples.......not a problem for myself, but some travellers came with minimal cash, and so hadn't factored that into the equation. A minor point overall though. Highly recommend! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Truly for me it was hearing the call to prayer while floating down the Nile......as the sun was setting.......drinking a glass of white wine. Second most inspirational moment was Abu Simbel and the entire history involved from ancient and modern times. What did you think of your group leader? He was very helpful and extremely knowledgeable about all things Egyptian....... Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Just go......very safe. Inspirational in so many ways.......the history is overwhelming......
Reviewed November 2018 Charlotte Chamberlain Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium Nile cruise Excellent Enjoyable Interesting What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Great pyramids What did you think of your group leader? Excellent, funny, kind, helpful Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take more money for tips than you think Is there anything else you would like to add? There are many many added costs for excursions but most unusually for taking photographs. This should be mentioned in notes
Reviewed June 2018 Graham Ritchie Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium postscript Sorry, I meant to add that Exodus should perhaps delete the reference to the "library" on the cruise from the Trip Notes. The library consisted of 16 dog-eared books left behind by previous travellers. Only one was in English. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? n/a Reply from Exodus Reply from Exodus We would like to thank Graham for his feedback. We are, however, sorry to learn of his disappointment with the selection of books on the cruise. Our local operator has advised us that there are usually more books available, but sometimes a number of books end up in clients’ rooms and in other areas of the boat, such as the sun deck. Our local operator has also confirmed that they plan to add more books to the library, in order for clients to have a greater selection. John Penge – Product Manager for Africa
Reviewed May 2018 Jane Lee Trip: Nile Cruise - Premium History in the Heat I've always been interested in Egyptian history and when friends suggested joining this holiday I booked straight away. And it didn't disappoint. Seeing & being able to touch stones & hieroglyphics that were put there thousands of years old was magical. Watching the scenery change as we cruised south on the Nile was also really good. Overall the tour was seamlessly organised and managed by our excellent guide, Sayed Mansour, who always made sure everyone was clear on timings and locations. He has an encycolopedic knowledge of both the country's history and also its modern day affairs. On the negative side, this trip is described as 'leisurely' which our group would dispute: we had 3 ultra-early wake up calls (2am & 3am twice) to catch planes and for the 300km coach drive to Abu Simbel. And there were early starts all other mornings too to beat the heat. This & the temps made it very sapping. The temps were much hotter (in mid to high 40sC) than usual as Egypt was having a heatwave, so drinking lots & loose clothing were musts. Thank goodness for air con on the coach & in our rooms! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Riding an Arabian stallion round the Pyramids with hardly anyone about. This was something I arranged privately because on Day 1 I opted out of the tour to visit an equine charity I support which helps the working horses in Giza What did you think of your group leader? See above. Sayed Mansour was an excellent guide Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Take £ notes as you can pay for the entry visa & all the extra trips with these (or dollars or local notes) & just change a small amount of Egyptian pounds A hat or scarf is a must. And don't wear hot pants-type shorts as your legs will burn & it offends the locals. Be prepared for the traders to hassle you endlessly, which can be intimidating
New Egypt: Alexandria to Aswan Travel the length of Egypt and explore its history, food and landscapes. Guided Group, Tailormade Adventures Culture 13 days Incl. Flights From £1,599 Add to wishlist
Ethiopia in Depth Journey along Ethiopia's magnificent northern circuit, including Tigrai. Guided Group, Tailormade Adventures Culture 15 days Incl. Flights From £2,499 4.5 / 5 from 15 reviews Add to wishlist
Imperial China & Yangtze River Cruise A comprehensive China itinerary covering the country's length and breadth Guided Group, Tailormade Adventures Culture 20 days Incl. Flights From £2,849 4.6 / 5 from 68 reviews Add to wishlist
A Week in Jordan Visit the highlights of Jordan including magnificent Petra Guided Group, Tailormade Adventures Culture 9 days Incl. Flights From £1,469 4.6 / 5 from 231 reviews Add to wishlist