10 days, 8 nights accommodation, sightseeing, some meals and airfare from SFO

If you’re looking for history, culture and an experience like no other, then touch-down in Cairo to explore the Pyramids, the Sphinx, and other remarkable century-old wonders of the world, and thereafter venture south to the historic temples of Luxor and Abu Simbel, the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and Aswan. Egyptian culture dates back thousands of years to the ancient Pharaohs and has been influenced by numerous invaders throughout history. Without a doubt, this colonialist footprint has blended with the country’s rich tradition to define Egyptian culture as we know it today.

So join us on our adventure tour to Egypt to see breathtaking temples, fascinating mummies and stunning artwork. Ancient Egypt is truly a cradle of civilization.

ITINERARY

Day 1: APR 27, 2023 - Departure from the USA on your overnight flight to Egypt

Day 2: APR 28, 2023 - Welcome to Cairo! Upon arrival, proceed through customs and collect your luggage. A Jet Vacations professional guide will personally greet you. Departure by deluxe coach before drop off at the hotel. Check in at the hotel and rest of the day at leisure. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner with the other group members. Overnight in Cairo. (D).

Day 3: APR 29, 2023 - After breakfast, meet your Egyptologist guide at the hotel and set off for your guided tour of the Pyramids & the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau. The ancient Greeks considered the great Pyramid to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. As you stand beside these incredible Egyptian monuments, you will marvel at the size of the Giza pyramids and the magnitude that went into their construction. View the inscrutable Sphinx with the body of a lion and the face of a man. Evening is at your leisure. (B).

Day 4: APR 30, 2023 – Travel to Aswan (Optional Tour Abu Simbel. Breakfast. Check out of hotel and transfer to Cairo Airport for a morning flight to Aswan. Those not taking the Optional Tour to Abu Simbel will have a day to sightsee on their own in Aswan. Those joining the optional excursion will take a short flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel, where they will visit millennia-old monuments! Upon arrival in Abu Simbel, travel to the temples of Ramses II and his favorite wife, Queen Nefertari. New Kingdom rulers extended Egypt’s borders to the Fourth Cataract, and Ramses II, in a gesture of piety and self-aggrandizement, ordered two sun temples carved from the limestone mountains at Abu Simbel dating between 1290 to 1124 BC. Here, on the face of the cliffs, stonemasons hewed giant figures of the king that radiated power, dominated the landscape, and with their ceaseless stares subjugated all who dared to enter Egypt. In modern times, the two temples of Abu Simbel were threatened by the waters that would rise with the completion of the Aswan High Dam. The temples were cut into blocks, raised piece by piece, then reassembled in their new position. At the Great Temple of Ra-Harakhte, the four famous colossal statues of Ramses II sit majestically over 20 meters high, staring out across the desert. Through the entrance to the temple is an impressive hypostyle hall, flanked with statues of Ramses II which leads to the vestibule and finally to the innermost Sacred Sanctuary. The temple of Hathor, dedicated to the cow-headed goddess of love, and built in honor of Queen Nefertari, is fronted by six massive standing statues, each 10 meters high.

Fly back to Aswan meet up with group members who did not join the Abu Simbel optional tour.
Dinner is included this evening at the hotel restaurant. Overnight at your hotel in Aswan. (B,D)

Day 5: May 1, 2023– Tour Aswan and Board our Nile Cruise –This morning met your local guide. Visit the High Dam Egypt’s contemporary example of building on a monumental scale contains 18 times the amount of material used in the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The controversial Sadd al-Ali, the High dam, is 3600 meters across and 111 meters high at its highest point. The water contained by the dam has backed up nearly 500 Km, taking it well into the Sudan and creating Lake Nasser, the world’s largest artificial lake. Then proceed to visit Philae Temple on the Island of Agilika. The romantic and majestic aura surrounding the temple complex of Isis on the island of Philae has been luring pilgrims for thousands of years; during the 19th century the ruins were one of Egypt’s most legendary tourist attractions. Even when it seemed that they were destined to be lost forever beneath the rising water of the Nile, travelers still came. After touring Aswan, transfer to your cruise ship for a two and a half day, three-night cruise on the Nile. Lunch, dinner and overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Day 6: May 2 2023 - Full Day tour of Kom Ombo – Edfu. Buffet breakfast on board. Sailing to Kom Ombo. Visit the Temple shared by two gods Sobel & Haeroris in Kom Ombo, standing on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank. Although substantially ruined by the changing tides of the river and by later builders who used many of its stones for new buildings, Kom Ombo is nevertheless a stunning site. Continue to sail along the Nile. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight on board cruise. (B,L,D)

Day 7: May 3, 2023 - Full Day tour of Edfu and Luxor. Buffet breakfast on board. Visit Horus Temple in Edfu the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic, albeit Greek-built, temple in Egypt, the extraordinary Temple of Horus. Construction of this huge complex began under Ptolmey III Euergetes I in 237 BC and was completed nearly 200 years later during the reign of Ptolmey XIII in the 1st century BC. Dedicated to Horus the falcon-headed son of Osiris, who avenged his father’s murder by slaying his uncle Seth, the temple was built on the site where, according to legend, the two gods met in deadly combat. Lunch on board. Visit the East Bank including Luxor Temple built over several centuries by Amenhopis III, Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and Alexander the Great. The temple is a graceful piece of architecture preceded by an avenue of sphinxes, containing impressive statuary of Ramses II, the Great Court of Ramses II, the colonnade and court of Amenhopis III, the hypostyle hall, and the temple of Amun. & Karnak. Temples in the New Kingdom, Amun-Ra were worshipped as the most important state god and the immense wealth of Thebes was spent embellishing and building temples in his honor. Dinner on board. Overnight on-board cruise. (B,L,D)

Day 8: May 4, 2023 - Full Day tour of Valley of the Kings & Queens. Buffet breakfast on board. Disembarkation. Visit the West Bank including "Valley of the Kings: the famous Valley of the Kings, where 62 Pharaohs are entombed Gorgeously adorned with gold and jewels and surrounded with treasures and replicas of all they would need in the afterlife, the pharaohs were buried in rock-cut tombs. Frustrated by the pillage of earlier more visible tombs, they cut their tombs deep into the sandstone, away from the public view and separated from their mortuary temples. Valley of the Queens: The Valley of the Queens where royal wives and royal princes are buried. There are at least 75 tombs in Biban al-Harim, the Valley of the Queens. Temple of Queen Hatchepsut: rising out of the desert plain in a series of terraces, the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut merges with the sheer limestone cliffs of the eastern face of the Theban Mountain as if the nature herself had built this extraordinary monument. Transfer to Sonesta St. George hotel. Check in. Evening free at leisure. Overnight in Luxor. (B)

Day 9: May 5, 2023 - Tour of the Cairo National Museum and Khan El-Khalili bazaar. (For those traveling on the Optional Post Tour to Jordan, see Day 9 in the Post Tour Section. For those not going on the Post Tour, Day 9 is here): Breakfast. Check out. Transfer to Luxor Airport for flight to Cairo. AM flight Luxor / Cairo. Arrive at Cairo Airport and start your tour by visiting the Egyptian Museum Although located in the heart of Cairo, it has a pleasing atmosphere of the ancient time of the Pharaohs. There is a beautiful contrast between the well-trimmed garden and the facade of the museum and Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, which Is considered as the largest and oldest Bazaar in Cairo. Built in 1382 by Sultan Barquq’s Master Garkas El Khalili it became known as the Turkish Bazaar during the Ottoman period. Khan El Khalili extends in part over the site of the now vanished Fatimid Palaces, which covered an area of 400,000 sq. m. and used to house 12,000 domestics. Farewell Dinner in Cairo with direct transfer to the airport for early AM flight to USA arrival back home on Day 10 (B, L)

Day 10: May 6, 2023 – Departure Day. Early morning Check out. Transfer to Cairo Airport for flight back to the U.S.

Main program includes:
Round trip airfare from San Francisco (SFO) airport. Airline taxes and fuel surcharges are included. (Valid at present time)
• First class hotel accommodations for 8 nights at a centrally located 4* hotel in Cairo at hotel Marriott (2 nights), Aswan Movenpick hotel (1 night); Nile Cruise on the 4* Steinberger Cruise (3 nights – or similar ship); the Sonesta St George 4* hotel in Luxor (1 nights) or similar accommodations including hotel tax and service charges.
• Services of an English-speaking tour manager throughout the program.
• Deluxe air-conditioned motor coach transportation for all transfers, tours and guided excursions.
• Guided tours of the Pyramids, Aswan High Dam, Philae temple, Kom Ombo temple, Horus temple in Edfu, Luxor - Amun and Karnak temples; Valleys of the Kings and Queens.
• Optional Abu Simbel temple with round trip air.
• Admission as mentioned in the itinerary.
• Daily Breakfast, 1 lunch, 3 dinners and full board on the Nile River Cruise.
• All VAT city and local Tax, baggage handling at hotels. (Based on one bag per person).


3 NIGHTS – 4 DAYS PRE-ISTANBUL TOUR

Day 1: APR 24, 2023 – DEPART THE U.S. FOR ISTANBUL, TURKEY: Overnight flight from the U.S to Istanbul, Turkey.

Day 2: APR 25, 2023 – WELCOME TO ISTANBUL, TURKEY Welcome to Turkey! Upon arrival, proceed through customs and collect your luggage. A Jet Vacations professional guide will personally greet you, meet the group at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Before dinner a short walk around the hotel for orientation & Welcome dinner at Flower Market (çiçek pasajı) (walking distance to the hotel). Overnight in Istanbul (D)

Day 3: APR 26, 2023 – ISTANBUL: After Breakfast, start your Full day sightseeing. In the morning visit Byzantine Hippodrome, in which stand the obelisk brought from Egypt by Theodosius and the Serpent Column taken from Delphi by Constantine. The Blue Mosque, which has six minarets and a middle dome of 109 feet, is the next stop before St. Sophia, an originally Christian Basilica, conceived by Constantine and rebuilt by Justinian, then turned into a mosque. In the afternoon visit Topkapi Palace (Harem section is not included) which served as the home of Ottoman Sultans for 400 years and now serves as a museum with a exquisite collection of Chinese porcelain and Ottoman treasury. Before returning to your hotel visit the Grand Covered Bazaar dating back to XVth century, which has over 2,000 shops under one roof. Overnight at hotel. (B, L)

Day 4: APR 27, 2023 – ISTANBUL: After breakfast depart for the sightseeing tour, a short stop to the Spice Market; the famous exotic food market selling spices, dried fruits as well as towels, slippers, baskets and some jewellery. And then Bosphorus Cruise along the Bosphorus by a private boat, the winding strait separating Europe & Asia. Bosphorus coastline is a delightful mixture of the past and the present where one can enjoy the grand splendour and quaint beauty of the ancient wooden mansions, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. Rumeli Fortress (from the boat, no interior visit) and Leander’s Tower (from the boat, no interior visit). Disembark in the Asian side and visit Beylerbeyi Palace and Camlica Hill for a panoramic view of Istanbul. Dinner this evening is at the Hamdi restaurant. Overnight at hotel (B, D)

Day 5: APR 28, 2023 – ISTANBUL - DEPARTURE. After breakfast, check out from your hotel and set out to ISTANBUL AIRPORT for your flight to Cairo. (B)

Istanbul PRE TOUR program includes:
• One Way airfare from Istanbul (IST) to Cairo (CAI) airport
• Airline taxes and fuel surcharges are included. (Valid at present time)
• First class hotel accommodations for 3 nights in Istanbul, or similar accommodations including hotel tax and service charges.
• Services of an English-speaking tour host throughout the program.
• Deluxe air-conditioned motor coach transportation for all transfers, tours and guided excursions.
• Private Bosphorus cruise
• Admission as mentioned in the itinerary.
Daily Breakfast and 1 lunch and 2 dinners.
• All VAT city and local Tax, baggage handling at hotels. (Based on one bag per person).

 

2 NIGHTS – 3 DAYS JORDAN POST EXTENSION

Day 9: May 6, 2023 – Cairo / Jordan Petra. - PETRA TOUR: Check out from your hotel and transfer to Cairo airport. Welcome to Jordan! We meet our local tour manager after arrival to Amman and drive to the UNESCO world heritage site, Petra. We proceed with a walking tour that begins with a visit to the Siq to the Treasury. Continue through the main street with magnificent structures on each side carved into the mountains, to the colonnaded street, ending at the Petra Museum. Lose yourself in the history of the Nabateans who meticulously carved massive structures out of the rose-colored sandstone. See the influence of the people that followed, including the architecture of the mighty Romans and a beautiful Byzantine chapel decorated with ancient, stunning mosaics that have been carefully preserved. Enjoy some free time which will include an optional horseback ride. Dinner at our hotel in Petra (D)

Day 10: May 7, 2023 - PETRA – MADABA – NEBO – AMMAN OVERNIGHT: After Breakfast & check out, we visit Madaba, "The City of Mosaics," to see St. George Church where there is a clear map of the Holy Land. We will visit Mt. Nebo, where Moses was laid to rest, and where the late St. Pope John Paul II visited on his first pilgrimage of the millennium. Visit the Sanctuary at Nebo: the memorial of Moses, the presumed site of his death and burial place, and a center for pilgrimages since early Christian times. Mount Nebo is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan. Drive to Amman and check in to your hotel for dinner & overnight. (B)

Day 11: May 8, 2023 - AMMAN: After Breakfast, check out from the hotel and set out for a city tour of Jordan. In Amman’s old quarter, Raghadan Palace was the first of manibray Crown properties to be built in the Royal Hashemite Court compound. Built as the residence of King Abdullah I and his family, the ornate palace is designed in traditional Islamic architecture style, with stained glass windows inspired by Jerusalem’s iconic al-Aqsa Mosque. The Palace is also famous for its ornate woodwork and Throne Room ceiling fresco. Today we will also discover the Roman influence in Amman. Enjoy a farewell lunch in a local restaurant. Overnight in Amman.l (B, L)

Day 12: May 9, 2023 - DEPARTURE: Morning departure from the hotel to the airport and return to the USA.

JORDAN POST TOUR program includes:
• One Way airfare from Cairo (CAI) to Jordan (AMM) airport. Airline taxes and fuel surcharges are included. (Valid at present time)
• First class hotel accommodations for 1 night in Petra and 2 nighs in Jordan, or similar hotels including hotel tax and service charges.
• Services of a local tour manager.
• Deluxe air-conditioned motor coach transportation for all transfers, tours and guided excursions.
• Admission as mentioned in the itinerary.
• Daily Breakfast and 1 lunch and 1 dinner.
• All VAT city and local Tax, baggage handling at hotels. (Based on one bag per person).