Egypt Stopover
1 night Luxor, 2 nights Cairo
Day 1 - Arrival to Safaga – Transfer to Luxor
Upon arrival to Safaga port, you will be met by Chrismar Travel representative and drive direct to Luxor.
Upon arrival you will cross to the West Bank of the Nile and visit the Valley of the Kings, a vast city of the dead where the magnificent tombs of 62 pharaohs have been discovered. The tombs were carved deep into the desert rock, richly decorated and filled with treasures for the afterlife of the pharaohs. Visit two of the tombs.
Next, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. this beautiful monument to the reign of the only female pharaoh rises out of the desert plain in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it.
On the way back; stop at the famed Colossi of Memnon, two 66ft, and 1 thousand ton statues of Amenhotep III. These colossal statues were known by the ancient Greeks to emit haunting voices at dawn. Though damaged by nature and ancient tourists, the statues are still impressive. Have lunch at a local restaurant and then transfer to your hotel for check in and short rest.
Late afternoon, you will visit the Luxor Museum & then visit the Temple of Luxor built by Amenhotep III & Ramses II for ritual festivals & dedicated to the god Amun. Then back to your hotel for dinner and overnight
Day 2 – Luxor – fly to Cairo
After breakfast, check out from hotel, then with your Egyptologist English guide you will visit Karnak Temple, called by some "the Temple of Temples." It is the largest place of worship ever built. Its ancient name Ipet-Isut means "the most sacred of places." The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built over more than two thousand years by generation after generation of pharaohs. Within the complex, the great "Hypostyle Hall" is an incredible forest of giant pillars covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Then you will be transferred to Luxor airport for your flight to Cairo around noon, upon arrival to Cairo, you will be met by Chrismar Travel representative and transferred to have lunch in a local restaurant.
After lunch, visit the Egyptian Museum, this houses a magnificent collection of Pharaonic antiquities, especially the golden treasures of Tut Ankh Amun.
Transfer to your hotel for check-in & a short rest. Dinner & overnight in Cairo.
Day 3 – Cairo (Dahshour, Pyramids, Sakkara, and Memphis)
Your private Egyptologist tour guide and driver will pick you up and start your visit of the Pyramids. See the Great Pyramid, a royal burial chamber and the Sphinx. Camel ride around the Pyramids.
Continue to Memphis, capital of the pharaohs during the Old Kingdom. Visit the recumbent statue of Ramses II and the 80-ton alabaster sphinx.
Continue to Sakkara to see the prototype of the Pyramids, the Step Pyramid, built for the 3rd Dynasty pharaoh Djoser by the exalted architect Imhotep.
After lunch in a local restaurant, drive south to visit the Pyramids of Dahshour. King Senefru, father of King Cheops, built this pyramid, also Known as the Red Pyramids. Approximately 4,600 years ago. Many scholars consider it to be more glorious than the Great Pyramids of Cheops.
Return to Cairo and visit a Papyrus Institute on your way to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 4 – Cairo (Citadel, Old Cairo) – Transfer to Port Said
After breakfast, check-out from hotel, visit the Church of Abu Serga, Moallaqa Church (Hanging Church) and Ben Ezra Synagogue, the oldest Jewish synagogue in Egypt.
Drive to visit the Citadel of Salah El Din, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque situated high above the city.
If you wish to browse and shop, your tour will stop at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar displaying and selling all types of oriental goods, and have lunch at one of most famous Local Restaurant (Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant – operated by Oberoi).
Then drive to back to your Cruise in Port Said for your final departure.
---------------------------------Princess Tour:
Grand Overland: Luxor, Karnak, Valley Of The Kings, Aswan, Abu Simbel And Cairo - Double Accomodations
A four-day excursion explores all the major sites of ancient Egypt, from The Temple of Karnak and famous Abu Simbel near Aswan to the Pyramids of Giza and Cairo's Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.
$2000 per person, double accommodations
DAY ONE
Safaga/Luxor/Valley of the Kings
Upon arrival in Safaga, disembark and board your motorcoach for the three and a half hour journey to Luxor.
WHAT YOU VISIT
Valley Of The Kings - From Luxor, cross the Nile River and drive through the desert to the Valley of the Kings. Your English-speaking guide explains the world of Egypt's New Kingdom as he escorts you through the necropolis on the west bank of the Nile River. Explore the interiors of some of the Valley tombs and marvel at their elaborate wall paintings and sheer size.
Temple of Luxor - Begun by Amenhotep in the 16th-century B.C. and added to by other Pharaohs including Ramses II, the Great Temple of Luxor boasts its own Avenue of human-headed Sphinxes and was once linked to the Temple of Karnak.
Sound & Light at the Karnak Temple - Attend the Fabulous Sound & Light show at the Karnak Temple, a fascinating walking tour through history of the world's largest ?ever temple complex, guided by the voices of the ancient pharaohs. The Ominous shadows playing off the enormous columns in the grand hypostyle hall is an unforgettable experience.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Colossi of Memnon - The 64-foot twin statues of Amenhotep III are all that remain of a once-great temple.
Queen Hatshepsut's Temple - Set on the foot of a limestone mountain, this exquisite, terraced mortuary temple dates from the 15th-century B.C.
LUNCH
You will stop for lunch at a hotel in Luxor.
DINNER
Enjoy a buffet-style dinner at your Hotel of accommodation.
DAY TWO
Luxor/Aswan
After a buffet breakfast in your Luxor hotel, complete check out and transfer to the airport for your approximately 35-minute morning flight to Aswan. On arrival at Aswan, transfer to air conditioned motorcoaches for the ride to Aswan High Dam.
WHAT YOU VISIT
Aswan High Dam - Your English-speaking guide and Egyptologist will escort you to the dam, Egypt's modern-day engineering feat that rivals its ancient wonders. The controversial project and resulting Lake Nasser have transformed Egypt.
Philae Temple - Dedicated to the goddess Isis, the graceful temple was moved to Angilka Island to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.
Unfinished Obelisk - The granite quarries near Aswan were the source for the hard stone used in ancient Egyptian building. Visit the quarry and see this unfinished obelisk, over 120 feet in length.
Felucca Ride - After lunch (weather permitting), board a traditional Egyptian sailing vessel (weather permitting) for a cruise on the Nile around Elephantine Island and past a nilometer. Other scenic highlights of the cruise include Lord Kitchener's botanical gardens and the mausoleum of the Agha Khan.
LUNCH & DINNER
After your visit to Aswan, enjoy lunch at your hotel followed by check-in. After your felucca ride, dinner is served at the hotel. The rest of the evening is yours.
DAY THREE
Abu Simbel/Cairo
After a breakfast buffet, complete checkout and transfer by motorcoach to the airport for the brief flight to Abu Simbel.
WHAT YOU VISIT
Abu Simbel - Four colossal statues over 60-feet high guard the entrance to ancient Egypt's most recognizable landmark after the pyramids. Built by Ramses II, the complex is carved into a sandstone cliff and consists of two temples: the Great Temple of Ramses II and the beautiful Temple of Nefetari. Menaced by the rising waters of Lake Nasser, the temple complex was literally disassembled block by block and moved to its present site with the help of UNESCO.
FLIGHT TO CAIRO & DINNER
Following your visit to Abu Simbel, transfer by motorcoach to Abu Simbel airport for the short flight to Aswan. Box lunches are served at the Aswan airport. Then Connect to your plane for the approximately 75-minute flight to Cairo. On arrival in Cairo, transfer to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the afternoon is yours. Dinner is served onboard of one of the luxurious Nile Cruising restaurants on the Nile while cruising down the River Nile.
DAY FOUR
Cairo/Port Said
After a breakfast buffet, complete checkout and board your motorcoach for a full day of sightseeing before driving to Port Said.
WHAT YOU VISIT
Egyptian Museum Of Antiquities - With over 120,000 objects in its 107 halls - including the treasures of Tutankhamen - the museum, located in Cairo, boasts the greatest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world.
The Great Pyramids - Your air-conditioned motorcoach drives to a promontory for a panorama of the three great pyramids. The largest, the Great Pyramid of Cheops, is built of 2,300,000 limestone blocks weighing 2.5 tons each. Completed circa 2,500 B.C., its base covers 13 acres. Continue on for a close-up view of the Pyramids of Chephren or Mycerinus. You may explore one of these pyramids' interiors if you wish. (Not recommended for those suffering from claustrophobia or with cardiac and respiratory problems.)
The Sphinx - Reclining just east of the Pyramid of Chephren, this figure with a lion body is thought to bear the likeness of the Pharaoh Chephren and is believed to be the guardian of his tomb. The Pharaoh Thutmose IV added the stele between the Sphinx's paws over a thousand years later.
LUNCH
Lunch is served at one of the leading hotels in Cairo.
WHAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY
Board your air-conditioned motorcoach for the approximately 3 1/2 hour drive to Port Said. Traveling the scenic road from Cairo, you pass through a landscape of sand and scrub. At Port Said, the vast marsh of the Nile Delta meets the sands of Sinai. Drive through the streets of Port Said before you rejoin the ship.
This tour must be reserved at least 30 days prior to the cruise and is non-refundable after booking. Any booking cancelled within 30 days of the voyage (i.e. bookings cancelled on the Cruise Personalizer) will be accessed cancellation fees on your shipboard account.
Your fare includes the following:
* Sightseeing as described by air-conditioned coach.
* English-speaking guide.
* Overnight accommodation at a first-class hotel in Luxor, Aswan and Cairo.
* Meals as stated.
Your fare does not include the following:
* Refreshments
* Telephone calls
* Laundry
* Gratuities
* Room Service.
A visa for Egypt must be obtained prior to your voyage.
The drive between Safaga and Luxor is approximately 3 1/2 hours; the drive from Cairo to Port Said is approximately 3 1/2 hours.
Motorcoaches are required to travel in a police-escorted convoy and may be subject to security delays.
Photographing is not permitted inside the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Camera fees may apply in other areas.
All regulations subject to change without notice.
At the Pyramids of Giza, local vendors may offer passengers the chance to be photographed on a camel or to take a camel ride at the scenic overlook. This is not part of the excursion package.
Some sites may be undergoing restoration.
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For Egypt we have a very different agenda than the ship's tour. I elected to concentrate on seeing the sites in Luxor and Cairo vs. the more geographically dispersed sites that the ship's tour does. I really like what they see, but didn't think I would enjoy the extra flights and transfers needed to see it in such a short time. I can not tell for sure from the agenda but previous trip reports seem to indicate there may be some very early mornings for tour participants for them to make all the flights.
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