Khemenu Mosque of Al-Hakim

Egypt Explorer

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21 days (Cairo)

Destinations visited: Egypt, Cairo

Grading:

Adventure touring level

Grading Definitions

Discovery & Cruising

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery and cruises involve little or no extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. These adventures do not go above 2500m and rarely involve camping.
Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

Adventure Touring

Suggested preparation: Two or three times a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, for at least 3 months prior to departure.

Introductory

These trips involve trekking or walking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to five or six hours a day at a slow but steady pace and should never be misinterpreted to mean they are easy trips. These trips do not spend time at altitudes above 4000m and are usually a week in duration. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and good health.
Suggested preparation: 30 minutes of aerobic type exercise, (either cycling or jogging) three times a week for three months leading up to your trek. For trekking, hill walking with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week for three months prior to departure is recommended.

Introductory to Moderate

These trips involve a combination of what is described in our INTRODUCTORY and MODERATE levels. The emphasis is on introductory activity with several moderate stages

Moderate

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health.
Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Moderate to Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling or rafting in remote areas in variable weather conditions for up to 8 to 10 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include spending successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 6000m. These trips may often be over three weeks in duration. You will need an excellent level of fitness, be prepared to carry a daypack weighing up to 8kgs (and in some cases a full pack) and be completely comfortable in adverse weather conditions.
Suggested preparation: One hour of aerobic type exercise, four to five times a week for three to six months prior to departure. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or on/off road cycling is also recommended.

Entry Mtn/Exploratory Treks

These adventures are classed as expeditions. They involve either extreme trekking and or basic mountaineering. Expect remote and poorly defined trails in variable weather conditions for up to 12 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include a number of demanding high pass crossings and evacuation may be difficult from remote areas. Suitable for first time mountaineers wishing to take the step from trekking into the realm of mountaineering. Prior experience trekking at altitude is preferable but not essential and you should be comfortable in adverse weather conditions. Prior technical mountaineering experience is not necessary. Terrain will involve low angle snow slopes. Ropes may be used during treks for glacier travel and steeper sections of ice and snow. When mountaineering, basic mountaineering instruction is given by our mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Intermediate Mtn Expedition

Participants should be competent and self sufficient in the outdoors and have experience in multi day trekking at altitude. Prior experience on an entry level mountaineering expedition is highly recommended. The terrain will involve low to moderate angle snow slopes and traveling on crevassed glaciers. Experience using ice axe and crampons is preferred but not essential.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Advanced Mtn Expedition

These are our most challenging expeditions. Clients must have prior mountaineering experience. Most are participatory expeditions & involve load carrying, setting up of camps, cooking and campcraft. Altitude is generally greater than 6500m. Some of these expeditions also involve “technical” climbing and are for experienced alpine climbers / mountaineers only. Technical expeditions involve steep climbing at high altitude (including rock climbing). Participation on one of these expeditions is subject to acceptance by one of our high altitude mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

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Explore the wonders of Pharaonic Egypt and the Sinai Desert

This journey captures the rich historical legacy of Egypt, from the Pharaonic sites of the Nile Valley to the biblical wilderness of the Sinai Desert. From Cairo we visit the great pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, where our expert guide brings these icons to life. We take the sleeper train to Aswan for a day trip to the impressive and remote Abu Simbel. From the mighty Aswan Dam a cruise up the Nile to Luxor is part of the Egypt experience with regular shore excursions to ancient temples on the riverside completing our appreciation for both ancient and modern Egypt. From the comfort of our cruise boat we are given a great insight into Luxor, Karnak and the tombs of the Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. Journeying into the Sinai and the land of the Bedouins, we relax in Sharm el Sheik situated on the beautiful Red Sea before following in the footsteps of Moses to the summit of Mount Sinai. We traverse the Sinai, cross the Suez Canal and continue to the great port of Alexandria. From here we conclude our trip with a desert safari out to the amazing oasis of Siwa, and visit the famous battle site of El Alamein.

Highlights

Cairo - Egyptian Museum, the Citadel, Giza
Mt Sinai and St Katherine's Monastery
Coastal town of Sharm el Sheik
Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor and Edfu
Valley of the Kings and Karnak
Aswan and the Temple of Philae
Day trip to Abu Simbel
Siwa Desert oasis and desert jeep safari
Alexandria

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Cairo

If you are arriving on day one, you will be met and transferred to the group hotel for overnight accommodation. A group briefing will be held in the evening. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 2 In Cairo

Cairo is a city of more than 18 million people – a bustling, dusty and boisterous metropolis with an abundance of character and history. Our time here is limited although we have included the highlights and focused our itinerary on the archaeological importance of the city and its surrounds. This morning we have a city tour including visits to the Coptic Quarter, the Citadel and the Alabaster Mosque. A full afternoon is spent at the Egyptian Museum, providing you with an excellent insight into Egyptian history from the Old Kingdom right through to the Roman Empire. The highlight of the museum is the Tutankhamen exhibit which houses the treasure from the tomb discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter. Although he was an insignificant Pharaoh, Tutankhamen’s tomb contained a stunning array of gold, including pure gold sandals. It is astounding to imagine what treasures a significant Pharaoh may have taken into their next life, had their tombs not been ransacked.

Day 3 In and around Cairo

Before appreciating the best preserved pyramids at Giza, this morning we visit the Step Pyramid at Saqqara which shows the style of construction used to build them. The Step Pyramid was built by the Pharaoh’s chief architect, Imhotep, in 27BC and was at that time the largest stone construction ever built. Following our visit to Saqqara, we travel to the nearby old capital of Memphis. Little remains of the once grand and thriving metropolis, except a small museum and garden. The Great Pyramids of Egypt set on a plateau in the Arabian Desert, are one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the reason for which becomes evident as we first set our eyes on these awesome monuments. We spend the morning exploring the main sites as part of the standard entrance fee). Time is spent appreciating the majestic Sphinx and wondering at the mystery that surrounds this enormous structure. There is plenty of time set aside for optional visits to the Kings Chamber and the Solar Barge Museum (both should be paid for locally). Late in the afternoon we will board the train for the overnight journey to Aswan.

Day 4 In Aswan

We arrive in the morning and transfer to the hotel. Set primarily on the East Bank of the Nile, Aswan is the most southern city in Egypt and is said to be the gateway to Africa and the best place to experience the arts and culture of the local Nubian people. Ancient trade routes once crossed over in this town and the Sharia as-Souq today retains all of the activity and colour of the great trading days. In the afternoon we shall visit the town and the market.

Day 5 Day trip to Abu Simbel

Today we fly for 30 minutes south to Abu Simbel and one of the most amazing monuments of Ancient Egypt. Here the Great Temple of Ramses II was carved from a mountain between 1290 and 1224 BC and was dedicated to the gods Ra-Harakhty, Amun and Ptah. Threatened by the rising waters of Lake Nasser, UNESCO organised a rescue of the temple in the 1960’s. The rescue involved carving the temple into more than 2000 blocks weighing up to 40 tonnes each and transferring them 210 metres away to a man made mountain, and reconstructing the temple façade which stands 30 metres high and 35 metres wide. From the outside it is hard to imagine that the temple is not original, and only by entering the mountain constructed in steel and concrete, is it possible to appreciate the enormous feat achieved by the archaeological teams. In the afternoon on the way back from the airport we stop and marvel at the impressive High Dam at Aswan which straddles the Nile to form Lake Nasser.

Day 6 Aswan and board cruise

Today we explore the town and we visit the ‘unfinished 42m Obelisk’. Then we visit the Temples of Philae. It was begun by Ptolemy II and completed by the Roman Emperors. The Temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis, the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. These three characters dominate ancient Egyptian culture and their story possesses all the drama of a Shakespearian tragedy. The temple was nearly lost under water when the High Dam was built in the 1960s. Fortunately the temple was rescued by a joint operation between the Egyptian government and UNESCO. In an engineering feat to rival the ancient Egyptians, the whole island was surrounded with a dam and the inside pumped dry. Then every stone block of the temple complex was labelled and removed later to be assembled, like a giant jigsaw puzzle, on the higher ground of Agilka island. The whole project took ten years and has saved one of Egypt's most beautiful temples from certain destruction. We board our comfortable 4 star cruise boat late this afternoon and commence our Nile cruise to Luxor. Night on board our boat.(Please note: we will be accommodated in first class cabins. The boat is not exclusive for our group and is a public cruise vessel.)

Day 7 Nile Cruise

The two days spent sailing on the Nile allows us to relax and take in the view, experiencing first hand rural life on this life-giving river. Our relaxation time is interspersed with visits to the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo. The temple of Horus at Edfu, is one of the largest and best preserved in Egypt. Night on board our boat.

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Days 8-9 Complete cruise in Luxor

We arrive in the morning in the city of Luxor, one of the most magnificent in all of Egypt. The city is located on the banks of the Nile, and is built on the site of the former capital of Egypt, Thebes which dates back 4000 years. In the centre of the town is the Luxor Temple and to the north Karnak and the Temple of Amun. We visit these impressive temples which are well preserved and contain numerous columns, obelisks and in the temple of Karnak, an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes. The following day we cross over to the west bank of the Nile visiting the Valley of the Kings, the necropolis for the ancient city of Thebes. The rock hewn tombs are found in an arid valley and from the exterior it is hard to imagine the riches which once lay within. Ironically the most recent discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 by Howard Carter, the contents of which are now in the Cairo Museum, is the least decorated. The tombs of Ramses I, III, IV, IX, Seti II and Tuthmosis III and IV are all richly decorated with paintings of goddesses and the stories from the Book of Day and Night. We will have the opportunity to visit a few of these tombs according to which are open to the public. The tombs are reached through a series of ornately painted underground corridors and anti chambers until it opens out to the burial chamber where the sarcophagus is found. Time permitting there will also be an optional (to be paid locally) opportunity to visit the Temple of Hatshepsut, the first woman to reign as a king. In paintings and relief’s she was depicted as a man. One night on board our boat and one night in a hotel. (Lunch Day 9 not included)

Day 10 Fly Luxor to Sharm el Sheik

This morning we fly from Luxor to Sharm el Sheik. After checking into our hotel the afternoon is at leisure to relax and enjoy this Red Sea resort town. There are many activities available that can be organized and paid for locally. The scuba diving and snorkeling is considered by many to be some of the best available in the world. If you are a diver and wish to take part, be sure to bring your certification. Please note: flight schedules are subject to change and availability.It is important to understand that these schedules are out of our control so please be flexible.

Day 11 Drive to St Katherine

After an early breakfast we depart at 6am and take the spectacular drive into the interior of Sinai to the village of St Katherine, home of the world famous St Katherine’s Monastery and positioned at the foot of Mount Sinai. This afternoon is free to enjoy this peaceful and historical village or visit the interesting local museum. Our hotel is set at Wadi Raha (literally means valley of the rest). The Israelites camped here waiting for Moses whilst he remained on top of Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God.

Day 12 Ascent of Mt Sinai

We rise at 3:00am to climb the sacred Mount Sinai. Most people opt to climb via the relatively gentle camel track. After 2 hours of walking, we ascend the final 750 steps have been carved from the mountain rocks and are known as the staircase of repentance. We arrive at the summit – 2285m above sea level, in time for a warming drink before day break and the spectacular sunrise over the mountains of south Sinai. As the sun rises we watch is awe as the jagged peaks and plunging valleys change colour by the minute. Our descent is either by the camel path or down the 3000 "Steps of Repentance" which lead straight down to the monastery of St. Katherine. The ascent of Mount Sinai should not be underestimated either. It involves at least 4-5 hours of ascending and descending and much of this in the dark. After breakfast we visit the 6th century monastery situated at the foot of Mount Sinai. It houses one of the most important icon collections on earth. In addition to the biblical sites of the Burning Bush and Moses Well, we visit the stunning basilica. Our tour concludes with a visit to the charnel house or the Ossuary where relics of monks and hermits are on display. From the monastery we return to our hotel near the village of St Katherine.

Day 13 Drive to Cairo via the Suez Canal

The drive today is quite long. We must pass through the tunnel under the canal then take a detour off the main road to Suez city from where we can actually see and visit the Suez Canal. After this, we will continue driving via the main route to Cairo for overnight.

Day 14 To Alexandria

This morning we drive north west of Cairo for 2 hours to the Mediterranean port town of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great. This afternoon is free to explore this interesting town or take a wander along the Corniche.

Day 15 In Alexandria

Today we spend a full day sightseeing and uncovering aspects of the city that many may miss. We will visit a number of the following sites including the National Museum of Alexandria, The RomanAmphitheatre of Kom al Dikka, the Catacombs of Kom Ash Shuqqafa, and the gardens of Montazah Palace, Qaitbey Fort and Library of Alexandria.

Days 16-18 Siwa and the Western Desert

Our journey west follows the Mediterranean coast towards Libya, before we head deep into the Western Desert, a vast expanse covering most of Egypt and Libya west of the River Nile. The Western Desert is a world of rugged desolation and beauty interrupted only by a few lush oases, which appear as if a “mirage”. Siwa is one such oasis near the Libyan border and is famous throughout the country for its olives (Siwa is home to 70,000 olive palms) and dates, and is considered to be one of the most beautiful and picturesque places in Egypt. Interestingly, the dates are gathered by zaggala (stick bearers), who must remain celibate until the age of forty, and the area boasts some 300,000 date trees. Siwa is located on the old date caravan route, yet until recently, it received few other visitors and retained much of its heritage. In fact, until World War II, it was hardly governed by Egypt, and remained mostly a Berber community for 1300 years. Siwans continue to have their own culture and customs and they speak a Berber language, called Siwi, rather than Arabic. The area is also famous for its springs, of which there are approximately 1,000. The water is sweet, and is said to have medical properties. Siwa has a relaxed atmosphere and is very traditional, and the houses are all made of mud brick. Many women still wear traditional costumes and silver jewelry like those displayed in The Traditional Siwan House museum. The area is well known for its crafts, particularly woven cloth, which is unique in Egypt. We spend 3 nights in Siwa, exploring and experiencing this unique place and venturing out into the desert by jeep on a desert safari.

Day 19 To Marsa Matrouh

After breakfast we depart for Marsa Matrouh which lies on a bay on the Mediterranean. This coastal town is distinguished by its 7km-long beach, which many visitors have described as one of the most beautiful in the world. This afternoon is at leisure in Marsa Matrouh to explore or relax.

Day 20 Return to Cairo via El Alamein

We drive east along the coast today to El Alamein. The famous Battle of El Alamein was a decisive victory for the allied forces under the command of Field Marshall Montgomery. We have time to visit the museum and one of the vast cemeteries where thousands of soldiers are buried. It is a bleak and moving reminder of the 80,000 soldiers that were killed or wounded here in 1942. From El Alamein we return to Cairo for the final night of our journey.

Day 21 Trip concludes in Cairo

Trip arrangements end after breakfast. You will be transferred to the airport for your onward travel if you depart Egypt today.

Additional Information

Inclusions

20 breakfasts, 17 lunches, 16 dinners
Good quality 3 star hotel accommodation
Day trip and flights to/from Abu Simbel valued at US$225
Local english-speaking guide throughout
Local site guide at the major sites visited
Sightseeing per itinerary
All site entrance fees for scheduled sightseeing
Ground transport in minibus (air conditioned)
3 nights first class on board Nile cruise boat
Flight from Luxor to Sharm el Sheik valued at US$100
Overnight sleeper train Cairo to Aswan
Airport transfers Days 1 and 21 only
Note: High season price is applicable Dec-Jan and Easter

Summary

21 day trip
16 nights hotels
3 night Nile cruise
1 night train

Trip Main Activities

Adventure Touring
Day Walking
Cruising

Group Size Min

Group Size Max

Accommodation Summary

Equipment Required

Specialist gear required include walking boots or shoes and a day pack (a comprehensive gear list is provided in the pre-departure information provided on booking).

What You Carry

We recommend you take a small day pack to carry all the things you need during the day whilst sightseeing or exploring. In your daypack you will need to carry extra warm clothing (depending on the altitude, location and weather), a rainjacket, water bottle, camera gear, valuables and personal items such as sunscreen, lip-eze etc.

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