Itinerary Expand all Cairo to Hughada Fly to Cairo. The group flight usually arrives in Cairo this evening. The welcome briefing will either take place this evening or tomorrow morning. Our family friendly hotel is close to the pyramids, meaning that there is less distance to cover for the sightseeing the next day. Pyramids Park Resort Hotel or similar Day 1 Start Cairo. The group flight usually arrives in Cairo this evening. The welcome briefing will either take place this evening or tomorrow morning. Our family friendly hotel is close to the pyramids, meaning that there is less distance to cover for the sightseeing the next day. Pyramids Park Resort Hotel or similar Day 2 Morning at the Pyramids and Great Sphinx of Giza; optional visit to the Egyptian Museum. Today you'll enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of two of the city's most celebrated sights. At Giza, to the west of the city, the enigmatic Sphinx and Great Pyramids stand on the edge of the empty desert overlooking the city, providing a great contrast between the ancient and the modern faces of Egypt. More than 4000 years old, the pyramids are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that remain intact - a testimony to the ingenuity and skill of their builders. The afternoon is free to relax at our hotel, explore Cairo, join an optional excursion to Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur or visit the famed Egyptian Museum – home to the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts including the incredible golden riches of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Pyramids Park Resort Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Afternoon Cairo tour; board sleeper train in the evening. After a leisurely start to the day we will transfer to Al Azhar mosque which dates back to AD970 and is Cairo’s oldest. The mosque is still frequently visited by locals to this day and we will need to cover up (long sleeves and trousers) to enter - as when entering all mosques. Women will also need to cover their hair with a scarf. We then have time for lunch and an explore of Al Azhar Park before moving on to the historic centre of Islamic Cairo for a walk around the bazaars of Khan el-Khalili. This evening we transfer to the railway station and board our sleeper train to Aswan (which takes approximately 12 hours). Sleeper train Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 4 Arrive Aswan; afternoon felucca ride. We arrive in Aswan during the morning. To travellers in ancient times, the town was legendary as the entrance to the kingdom of Nubia. Today it's still something of a frontier town. With its mixed population of Egyptians and Nubians, Aswan is quite unlike any other town in the country, and a fascinating place to visit. By virtue of its position on the old caravan route, it has always been a trading centre and we thoroughly recommend a visit to the packed bazaar today where merchants display a wealth of exotic spices, carpets, leather goods and countless other wares. There will be time to relax after the train journey or visit a nearby Nubian village before we board a traditional felucca in the afternoon and explore the Nile. Along the way we will have a glimpse of rural life along this fertile valley and the golden dunes beyond. Basma Hotel or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Aswan Dam and Philae Temple; transfer to Luxor. We begin today with a visit to the Philae Temple and Aswan High Dam. In the 1970s the temple was relocated by UNESCO to Aglika Island after it became evident that the original site of Philae would submerge on completion of the dam. This morning represents a magnificent and enduring testament to both ancient and modern engineering. After lunch we drive north, following the path of the Nile to Luxor (approx. 4 hours). Known in ancient times as Thebes, Luxor was the capital of Egypt's New Kingdom for some 500 years. Upon arrival there may be some time to see some of the town before dinner. Iberotel Luxor or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Explore the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon; evening light show at Karnak Temple. Rising early, we cross the Nile and drive to the secluded valley where 63 Pharaohs were buried as part of their journey to the afterlife. We have time to explore some of the exquisitely decorated tombs of these ancient rulers. It is here that the burial site of the boy-king, Tutankhamun, discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, can be found. Afterwards we visit the massive stone statues of the Colossi of Memnon and stop by the A.C.E animal hospital to learn about the efforts taken to improve animal welfare in Egypt. Later this evening we visit Karnak Temple for a sound and light show which recounts the dramatic history of ancient Thebes in an extravagant and fun way. Iberotel Luxor or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Transfer to Hurghada; submarine ride and snorkelling in Red Sea. This morning we leave behind the green Nile valley and drive through the barren Eastern Desert to the Red Sea (approx. 4 hours). Our destination is Hurghada, a vibrant beach resort ideally located for activities out at sea and in the nearby desert. After lunch we board a semi-submersible vessel in the style of a yellow submarine and explore the coral wonderland beneath the surface of the Red Sea. There will also be time for some snorkelling before returning to dry land. Minamark Beach Resort or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Free day at the Red Sea or for optional activities in the Sahara Desert. Today is free to relax or enjoy the many optional activities in the area (see the Optional Activities section of the trip notes for details of what is available). Minamark Beach Resort or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 9 End Hurghada. Our trip ends today. Those on the group flights will be taken to airport for the flight to London. Meals included: Breakfast Fly to London via Cairo. Our trip ends today. Those on the group flights will be taken to airport for the flight 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. If you are obtaining your visa online then please ensure you have a scan of your passport ready. The file size should be small and ideally saved as a JPEG or PDF otherwise you might not be able to load it on the visa application. You will need to provide your host’s information on the application – please use the following details: South Sinai Travel79 Merghany StreetCairoEgyptTel: +20 22418 7310www.southsinai.com [email protected] Please note that recently Egyptian officials have 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.
Hotels & Sleeper Train We use comfortable hotels 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 typically use the Pyramids Park Hotel which is located close to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The hotel has 25 acres of lush gardens as well as a gym and swimming pool. All rooms are en suite.Minamark Beach Resort is located next to its own private section of beach in Hurghada. It is very family friendly and has an outdoor swimming pool with waterslides.The Iberotel Luxor is well located on Luxor's east bank and one of its unique features is a pool that floats on the Nile. Sleeper TrainWe use first-class cabins (Egyptian Classification) with shared bathroom facilities. Single rooms are available on request.
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