Egypt, Greater Cairo

Combiné le Caire, Louxor & Hurghada - Visites incluses 5^*

Welcome on arrival and assistance with entry requirements. Cairo is the capital of Egypt and is also known as Um al-Dunya ("Mother of the World"). It is the most populous city in Africa.
In spite of its somewhat traditional appearance, which makes you feel like you've travelled back in time, you quickly become attached to the charm of Cairo and its inhabitants.
The capital is the first step in your trip to Egypt, and your journey discovering its cultural treasures.

Transfer to the hotel, check-in and overnight stay.

Breakfast,
Visit to the Giza Plateau, the symbol of Ancient Egypt, with the famous pyramids of Kheops (the largest of which was built around the year 2,650 B.C.); one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one to have withstood the test of time. For over 40 centuries it was the highest monument built by man with a height of 146 metres, Khephren, the pyramid of Khephren seems higher than Kheops' pyramind but in reality it is slightly less high. It is the more acute tilt and its situation on slightly higher ground which gives this impression. Mykerinos, the tomb of the king Mykerinos, much smaller than the two other pyramids with a height of 66 metres. The Sphinx (lion with the head of a Pharaoh), the enigmatic guardian of the tombs and the temple, faces east to protect the tombs from looters. It is 73 metres long and 20 metres high and was carved from a single block of stone.

Then, you will visit the Papyrus Institute, where you will see a demonstration of how the substance is made. The papyrus stem is peeled and cut into strips, which are then soaked in water for six hours to soften. They are then intertwined and pressed. The sugar and starch in the stalks solidify, forming soft and resistant material, reputed to be tear-proof. Once dry, the papyrus is ready to be used as a medium for writing or painting.

Lunch during the excursion.

Visit to the Egyptian Museum where treasures dating from the prehistoric age to the Roman period can be seen. Amongst others, you will see the well-known Tutankhamun. The museum has over 250,000 items and is one of the largest in the world. It helps visitors discover the history of Ancient Egypt through 5 millennia.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast,
then transfer to the airport and flight to Luxor, Upper Egypt.
You will explore the ancient City of Thebes, the city of a hundred gates of the God Amon, capital of Upper Egypt and of the entire country during the 18th dynasty.
Free time to spend however you like.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast,
Set off for the Nile cruise and a trip to the Theban Necropolis. The incredible Valley of the Kings where you will visit two tombs belonging to kings and one belonging to a queen. From the 18th Dynasty onwards and throughout the New Kingdom, the pharaohs were no longer buried in temples or monuments devoted to their final journey. Thutmose I and all the pharaohs who followed him decided to be buried on the other side of the Nile, on the west bank: the land of the afterlife. Colossal monuments, such as the pyramids, and even the mastabas used during the Old Kingdom ceased to be used. Instead, vaults were dug into the rock and access to them was strictly closed off and hidden. Perhaps the main reason for this was to avoid grave robbers. Stop at the Colossi of Memnon, the only funerary monuments of Amenophis III. Known for their imposing architecture, these vestiges of an ancient civilisation have been visited by emperors and travellers through the ages.

Optional activity at additional cost, to be booked and paid for on site with our local representative: The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut: You will be amazed by the immense complex at Deir el-Bahari, which is unique in Egypt, as it is partly carved out of the rock, with three ascending terraces linked by central ramps. A unique building set in the hollow of a mountain.

Return to the hotel.

After breakfast,
visit to Karnak Temple, the most theological of the temples, built here over a period of 2000 years and a place of worship to the god Amun. The site also witnessed the succession of the greatest kings of Egypt. The name "Karnak", meaning "fortress", dates back to the Muslim conquest.
Visit to Luxor Temple, built to glorify the god Amun-Re who celebrated his wedding anniversary with his wife Mut each year. The procession left the Karnak Temple and travelled along the banks of the Nile to Luxor. The construction of the latter dates back to the reign of the two pharaohs, Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. Two obelisks adorn the entrance: they were donated to France in 1831 by Mehemet Ali - Free time

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast on board,
Transfer by bus and time to settle in at the hotel.
Free day on an all-inclusive package.
Afternoon spent relaxing on the beaches of the Red Sea.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Free day in Hurghada,
Opational activity at additional cost, to be booked and paid for on site with our local representative: Mahmya (Giftun Island): Set off by boat to spend the day on Mahmya Island at the most beautiful natural reserve in the region, where rocks, sand, blue sky, turquoise sea, and snorkelling await.

Lunch on the island. (Drinks not included)

Free day in Hurghada,
Optional activity to be booked and paid for on site with our local representative:
Safari and quad biking.
Opt for a change of scenery in the calm of the desert by setting of in a 4X4, crossing the dunes and visiting the Bedouins, quad biking, sampling their traditional meals, enjoying a North African-style show, dancing beneath the stars and making unforgettable memories (scarf and glasses not included)

Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer to Hurghada Airport, domestic flight to Cairo. Arrive and settle into the hotel.

Breakfast and, depending on flight times, transfer to Cairo airport. Assistance with check-in and boarding formalities, then flight home.

Tips: "baksheesh"! This is one word you'll pick up quickly! While it's easy to ignore such requests, you could say that this is part of the local tradition and rewards a job or service well done. Tips for guides are never included. It is left to everyone's discretion.

There is a charge for wifi during the cruise and it is only available at reception.

The baggage allowance for domestic flights is 23 kg in the hold per person, and a small cabin bag, 7 kg max. Any additional kilos will be subject to a supplementary charge at the airport

Accommodation is rated according to local standards.

There can be a lot of random, extensive checks at the airport in Egypt depending on the number of tourists, which is why the tour leader plans the schedule ahead as much as possible.

Because traffic can be heavy in Cairo, journey times can be long.

The excursions are in groups, with other participants.
This package includes free time to wander around at your leisure. However, you are responsible for paying for any transfers.

Optional extras are at an additional cost, to be paid for with your guide or local representative

The tour itinerary may be amended due to local conditions (travel time, passing through locks, etc. however, stated tours will take place)

The tour itinerary may be amended due to local conditions (travel time, passing through locks, etc. however, stated tours will take place)

The pace of the visits can be quite intensive (see all the visits included in the day-by-day itinerary details), which means waking up very early in the morning (outside the ship's sailing periods)

Egypt is a cultural destination

PLEASE NOTE: For those booking the **hotel only package (without international flights): please inform us of your flight details as soon as possible via the contact form located in the “Help and contact” section at the bottom of the page, so that we can organise your transfers.