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DAY 01 |
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USA
- Cairo |
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DAY 02 |
Cairo |
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Upon
at Cairo Airport, you are met by Golden Royal Tours and transferred to your hotel. This is simply
an arrival day so you may arrive in Cairo at any time.
The balance of the day is free to explore Cairo. |
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DAY 03 |
Cairo
- overnight train |
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After
breakfast at the hotel we head to the Egyptian Museum
for a tour of the various key exhibits. Our guide
explains the complexity of Egypt’s many dynastic
periods, starting with the Old Kingdom and ending with
the Greco-Roman occupation. This provides us with an
excellent background for our visit south to Upper Egypt.
Later we drive out to Giza, where we visit the Great
Pyramids and the nearby Sphinx , proceed to the railway
station, where we board the overnight sleeper train to
Luxor. (BD) |
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DAY 04 |
Luxor |
Breakfast on board the train and just after dawn we
arrive in Luxor, where we are transferred to our Nile
cruise boat and our home for the next four nights. We
can relax by the pool on the boat or explore the bazaar
in town. Later in the day visit Karnak, which is one of
the world’s most celebrated temple complexes, built over
a period of some 200 years. We enjoy a guided tour of
the temple and the rest of the afternoon and evening is
free to relax, shop in the bazaar (which stays open till
quite late) or experience the atmosphere of a local
coffee shop. (BLD)
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DAY 05 |
Luxor |
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We
rise early this morning (very early in summer time!) and
drive across to the west bank of the Nile. We head into
the Valley of the Kings where our guide explains the
funerary rites of the ancient Egyptians and significance
of the many tomb paintings and hieroglyphics. We visit
three royal tombs and then continue to the Temple of
Queen Hatshepsut, set in a spectacular natural
amphitheatre. Our final stop is at the Colossi of Memnon,
giant statues that were once part of an impressive
colonnade. We return to our cruise boat on the east
bank, where we enjoy lunch on board. There is time to
relax on deck or in your cabin before we set sail for
Edfu. Departure time may vary, depending on river
traffic – please refer to the note regarding cruise
schedules in the ‘Other Information’ section. We pass
through Esna lock, which can sometimes be a slow
process, depending on the number of vessels waiting to
get through, and continue our journey upstream. (BLD)
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DAY 06 |
Edfu
- Komombo |
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Morning finds us moored near Edfu, a very well-preserved
temple dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed God. We
disembark and have time to explore the temple as well as
experiencing the bustling town centre. Returning to our
cruise boat we continue travelling upstream, relaxing on
the sundeck and enjoying views of the desert and the
everyday life that is almost as timeless as the Nile
itself. Arriving at Komombo we visit the Temple of Sobek
(the crocodile-headed god) that lies classically ruined
on the edge of the Nile River. Its most spectacular
aspect is undoubtedly from the river itself, but a short
walk around the temple also provides an interesting
insight into the Greco-Roman period. (BLD) |
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DAY 07 |
Aswan |
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We
arrive in Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city. This
friendly metropolis has an easygoing charm that is due
in no small part to its large Nubian population.
Depending on the arrival time of our cruise boat, we may
make a visit to the beautiful Temple of Isis that was
rescued from the rising waters of the Nile and relocated
on Philae Island (alternatively we will visit it
tomorrow). It is an absolute gem and one of the
highlights of Upper Egypt. The rest of our day is free
to wander through the Nubian bazaar, visit the excellent
Nubian Museum or enjoy a walk along the 'corniche',
which is the promenade that runs alongside the river. (BLD)
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DAY 08 |
Aswan
- overnight train |
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After
breakfast , free time on board , disembark from nile
cruise boat (possibility of an optional excursion to the
mighty temple of Abu simbel by plane). Afternoon,
transfer to the station, where we board the sleeper
train for the return journey to Cairo. Dinner. (BD) |
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DAY 09 |
Cairo |
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After
breakfast on the train we arrive in Cairo and are
transferred to our hotel, where we have time to freshen
up. Having experienced the highlights of ancient Egypt
today is our opportunity to see something of medieval
Cairo in the form of the Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, Cairo’s
oldest mosque. Visit Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, which
sprawls around an old area of Cairo known as Al-Azhar.
The tortuous streets and alleyways and attendant hawkers
all combine to look like a scene from '1001 Nights', as
our tour leader takes us into the heart of the bazaar.
We explore the gold market, ‘perfume street’ and the
spice market – where the scent of cumin, coriander and
cardamom hangs in the air like a thick blanket of
Damascene cloth (which can be purchased next door in the
cloth market!). (BL) |
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DAY 10 |
Mount
Sinai |
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After
breakfast , this morning we travel east towards Suez
where we drive through the Suez Canal tunnel and then
turn south towards Mt. Sinai. It’s a long day’s drive
(around eight hours). We reach our hotel in the late
afternoon where there may be time to relax before
dinner. (BD) |
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DAY 11 |
Mount
Sinai - Nuweiba - Aqaba |
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If
you wish to ascend Mount Sinai to watch the sun rise
over the peninsula will be woken up between 2am and 3am
(depending on the season). It is a fairly steep climb
(with stairs all the way), but as it is dark most people
take two to three hours to reach the summit. The view is
well worth the effort and you return to your hotel for a
well-earned breakfast. Note that during the winter
months (October to March) it can get very cold on the
mountain and may even snow during the height of winter.
Please ensure you have warm thermal clothes during this
period. Around mid-morning we drive to Nuweiba to board
the hydrofoil to Aqaba. It is important that you read
the notes below regarding the ferry journey. On arrival
in Aqaba we are transferred to our hotel for our first
night in Jordan. (BD) |
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DAY 12 |
Aqaba
- Wadi Rum |
After
breakfast , with our guide we enjoy a brief orientation
of Aqaba. We can visit the old castle (time permitting)
before driving to Wadi Rum. Browse around the excellent
and informative visitor’s centre before we meet our
Bedouin friends and ride camels to our traditional
Bedouin tent situated deep within Wadi Rum. There's
plenty of time to explore our surroundings and enjoy a
memorable sunset. Wadi Rum is a truly beautiful place
with towering sandstone mountains rising from the
desert. It fully deserves the amount of time we spend
here, with the wind-sculpted rock formations changing
hue throughout the day from sunrise to sunset. The area
is home to Bedouin tribes who live in scattered camps
throughout the area. We enjoy an evening with our
Bedouin friends at their camp, which is set in an
amazing location. Wadi Rum is probably best known
because of its connection with the enigmatic British
officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the
Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Much of David Lean’s movie
on his exploits, 'Lawrence of Arabia', was actually
filmed in Wadi Rum. (B)
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DAY 13 |
Wadi
Rum - Petra |
After
breakfast , it’s well worth rising early and watching
the cliffs change colour as the sun comes up. We enjoy a
walk in the morning (the length of the walk will depend
on how energetic we are feeling) and scaling one of the
large dunes to enjoy sensational views of the
surrounding area. Keen photographers will be delighted!
We then take 4WDs from our camp back to the main
entrance. The visitor's centre is also a great spot to
buy some jewellery and knick-knacks, mostly made by a
women’s co-operative which is aimed at supporting
traditional local industries. We then continue our
journey to Petra. On arrival there is time in the
afternoon to check out the town, withdraw or change
money and just relax…ready for a big day of exploring
Petra tomorrow. (BD)
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DAY 14 |
Petra |
After
breakfast , for most people the image of Petra is a
narrow chasm with glimpses of the famous Treasury in the
distance. We are sure to be surprised by the size of
this ancient city, built by the Nabataean people. With
our guide we explore the old Roman road, amphitheatre
and several old tombs. We also climb up to the Monastery
for a fine view of the entire site. It is a memorable
day and sure to be one of the main highlights of our
trip. The rest of the day is at leisure. (BD)
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DAY 15 |
Shobak - Dana - Madaba - Amman |
After
breakfast , This morning we drive along the King’s
Highway, a road that dates back to beyond the time of
the Old Testament. We reach Shobak Castle, originally
built to protect the eastern flank of the Latin Kingdom
and its trade routes to the sea before it fell to
Saladin in 1189. We enjoy a walk through the site and
continue to the ancient village at Dana, where local
artisans sell attractive silver jewellery and charms. We
then reach Madaba, where we visit the Greek Orthodox
Church of St. George that houses an ancient mosaic map.
This is of particular interest as it clearly depicts
Palestine and Lower Egypt around 550 AD. We expect to
arrive in Amman in the late afternoon. (B)
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DAY 16 |
Jerash - Dead Sea - Amman |
After
breakfast , dep. to The Roman city of Jerash is in a
fine state of preservation. Founded in the time of
Alexander the Great, it had become a centre of
considerable importance by the 3rd century AD. Today it
is one of the grandest ancient cities in the world with
an imposing collection of archways, theatres, baths,
public buildings and colonnaded streets. We visit the
site in the morning and later drive down to the Dead
Sea. The afternoon is at leisure to experience the warm
waters, which have an unusually high saline content, or
to relax on the shore. We return to Amman for our final
night. (B)
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DAY 17 |
Amman
- USA |
After
breakfast , transfer to airport for your homebound
flight
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