dreams with open eyes

dreams with open eyes

Visit some of the world's premier historic sites – the Pyramids, Sphinx and the Valley of the Kings – with expert local guides
There are so many chances to interact with the locals and experience their culture. Lose yourself in Cairo's colourful Khan al-Khalili bazaar and dine with village folk of Aswan and Luxor
Your felucca sailing trip not only lets you experience some excellent Nubian hospitality but is perhaps the perfect way to see the Nile and its gorgeous surrounds

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Cairo - Welcome to the Land of the Pharaohs

Pass By: Cairo, Cairo, Cairo Governorate
Welcome to Cairo, Egypt (around the clock)Your tour manager will meet and assist you at Cairo International airport and will then escort you to your hotel in an air-conditioned deluxe vehicle. At the hotel, your tour manager will assist you with a smooth check-in and review your vacation itinerary with you to establish and confirm pick-up times for each tour. Overnight in Cairo. Welcome drink included.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel (1 night)

Day 2: Cairo

Stop At: Giza, Giza, Giza Governorate
This morning a private van will transport you with your tour guide to Giza, the home of some of the world’s most iconic sights. Approach the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx by camel, with panoramic views across the dunes. Instantly familiar yet retaining a mystique and power, getting up close to these incredible pharaonic tombs is amazing. Explore these structures that have stood tall for 4,500 years, and for an additional charge you may be able to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu, (although occasionally it may be closed to visitors). The inside thoroughfares of the Pyramids are very small and very warm, so for those suffering from claustrophobia, it is not recommended. Please note that you'll be required to walk around the Pyramids complex. It can be very hot in the summer months, so be prepared for little shade and pack appropriate clothing, sun protection, Afterwards, make your way to the Egyptian Museum, home to one of the world's great collections of antiquities. Wander the treasure-filled halls of the museum, and make sure to check out the Mummies Hall (optional) for a close encounter with some of the country’s most important queens and pharaohs. Later in the evening with your tour guide travel to Giza station, where you will board a sleeper train to Aswan (approximately 13 hours). Bedding and air-conditioning are provided. Notes: Western-style toilets are located in each carriage, but we recommend bringing additional toilet paper. Keep in mind general train cleanliness may not be to the same standards you are accustomed to. An included dinner and breakfast are served on board. You may want to purchase something extra beforehand to supplement your meal, particularly if you're a vegetarian as only a single type of meal is served for dinner, which always includes meat. In rare circumstances you may be paired in your cabin with a group member of the opposite sex, depending on the group configuration. On other occasions, you might be sharing with another traveller of the same sex who may not be part of our group, again determined by the group configuration.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner: dinner included in the train
Accommodation included: Overnight sleeper train (1 night)

Day 3: Aswan Nile Felucca

Stop At: Aswan, Aswan, Aswan Governorate, Nile River Valley
The Nile, Elephantine Island and white-sailed feluccas: welcome to Aswan, Egypt's southernmost city. Its easy-going charm is due in no small part to its large Nubian population. Today is a free day so take the opportunity to see such Aswan sites as the unfinished obelisk or the High Dam. The Nubian Bazaar is a must, while the excellent Nubian Museum is top of many visitors’ lists. Highly recommended is the beautiful Temple of Isis (the Goddess of health, marriage and wisdom) that was rescued from the rising waters of the Nile and relocated on Philae Island. It's a marvel of decorative pylons featuring some of Egypt's finest carvings – definitely one of the real gems of Upper Egypt. The evening sound and light show at Philae Temple. The waterfront promenade, or Aswan's 'corniche', runs alongside one of Nile's most appealing stretches and is the perfect place to stop for a mint tea. This evening you’ll experience the modern Nubian culture first-hand with a visit to a nearby village. You’ll join a local Nubian family for dinner and get an unforgettable insight into the daily life of the local people. This is a rare and memorable experience, giving you the chance to become fully immersed in the local culture.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel (1 night)

Day 4: Aswan

Stop At: Aswan, Aswan, Aswan Governorate, Nile River Valley
Today perhaps head out of Aswan and visit stunning Abu Simbel this morning. With the four gargantuan statues of Ramses guarding the Great Temple, carved directly out of the mountain on the west bank of the Nile, this is one of Egypt's most memorable sights. Please note this optional activity has a very early start (but it’s totally worth it). You can get there by a 40-minute flight, or in an air-conditioned deluxe vehicle leaving very early. The journey by land is 3 hours each way, with an early departure from Aswan between 5 am and 6 am. Otherwise, you could take a sailboat ride around the islands in a traditional felucca, stopping off at the botanical gardens on Kitchener's Island. Alternatively, take a camel ride to the Monastery of St Simeon, an abandoned 7th-century fortress monastery located in the desert on the Nile's west bank. Your tour guide will be on hand to help you arrange any excursions. Alternatively, you may prefer to simply relax and take in the beauty of the Nile, or do some shopping in the friendly bazaar.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel (1 night)

Day 5: Nile Felucca

Stop At: Aswan, Aswan, Aswan Governorate, Nile River Valley
Board a felucca and spend a day out on the river, watching rural Egyptian daily life play out on the banks, then spend a night under the stars. Your Nubian sailing crew provides all the meals, which are hearty and delicious. Being a traditional wooden boat with broad canvas sails, your felucca offers some shade and protection from the elements. However, there is no cabin or enclosed section. Nonetheless, watching the sun setting across the Nile in the evening is a sight you won't forget. This is the absolute highlight of the trip for many.Notes: Conditions will be basic during your felucca trip. If you are prepared for this, you’re sure to have a memorable adventure. You'll sleep outside on the deck of the felucca on a mattress. While blankets are provided, a sleeping sheet or sleeping bag is recommended. During the colder months (October to March) temperatures can get as low as 5°C at night. Slight alterations may have to be made to the Nile itinerary throughout the year, depending on winds and currents. As the felucca is a sailing craft without any outboard engine, if there's no wind we won't travel very far. Our Felucca does have a shared bathroom facility on board.
Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Felucca (1 night)

Day 6: Luxor

Stop At: Luxor, Luxor, Nile River Valley
your Tour guide takes a private air-conditioned deluxe vehicle to the open-air museum of Luxor (approximately 3.5 hours). From the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings, Luxor is full of wonderfully preserved reminders of the Pharaohs. On the way, there's the option to visit either the unique mirror-image design of the Temple of Kom Ombo or the beautifully preserved Temple of Edfu, also dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god. You’ll also explore the magnificent Karnak Temple, which is perhaps the most impressive of all the ancient Pharoahs' monumental works. One of the world's most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak is a house of the gods built over a period of some 2000 years. Your guided tour of this vast temple of impressive pylons, obelisks and chapels will reveal its finest sections, such as the Avenue of Sphinxes and the Great Temple of Amun. The rest of the day will be free to relax, shop in the bazaar (open until quite late) or perhaps experience the atmosphere of a local teahouse.
Duration: 8 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel (1 night)

Day 7: luxor

Stop At: Luxor, Luxor, Nile River Valley
Today you’ll hop in a private air-conditioned deluxe vehicle and discover some the many wonders of ancient Thebes. Your first stop is the Colossi of Memnon, two 17 metre-high statues on Luxor's west bank. Carved from granite blocks, they represent the Pharaoh Amenhotep III and were once part of an impressive colonnade. Hop onto donkeys (in the winter months of October to May only) for a ride of a different kind, through local villages and fields of sugar cane (approximately 30 minutes). Continue on to the spectacular royal burial site of the Valley of the Kings. Buried under the arid hills here are over 60 richly decorated tombs of pharaohs. With your guide, explore this sprawling and spectacular place, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (11th to 20th century BC) were secretly interred for all eternity, and where discoveries are still being made. Your group tour guide will explain the history and legends of these remarkable people, their funerary rites, and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics. Join a local family for lunch to try some tasty traditional home cooking. The rest of your afternoon is free to explore. The Luxor Museum is a great place to visit in your free time. Alternatively, hire a bicycle and venture into the countryside. For a more upscale experience, check out the Winter Palace, a lovely five-star historical building with wonderful views over the Nile – a great place for a refreshing cocktail. Catch an overnight sleeper train from Luxor back to Cairo (approximately 10 hours).
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight sleeper train (1 night)

Day 8: cairo

Pass By: Cairo, Cairo, Cairo Governorate
Arrive in Cairo. For your comfort and convenience, day rooms are provided on this day until 12noon, for luggage storage and an opportunity to have a shower and freshen up. Once settled, consider joining the rest of the group for a farewell breakfast. Otherwise, there are no activities planned on this day. You're free to depart at any time after the early-morning arrival, but please do not arrange departing international flights before 3 pm in case of any travel delays or bad traffic.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.