Egypt Family Holiday - Feluccas & Pharaohs
Itinerary
DAY 1 -DEPART LONDON
Following your flight you transfer to your first night’s
accommodation and check in.
Hotel – 1 night (Swimming Pool)
DAY 2 -CAIRO and OVERNIGHT TRAIN
With a population of around fifteen million people, Cairo is
Africa’s largest city by far. Yet despite its size, Cairo retains a
friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Its long and colourful history
dates from the 7th century AD, when it was established by the Arab
leader Amr ibn al-As, and called Fustat (the tent). Today you’ll
enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of two of the city’s most
celebrated sights.
The famed Egyptian Museum holds many thousands of exhibits, and
your local guide will focus on the Tutankhamun collection –
probably the world’s greatest archaeological find. You’ll see the
treasure found in the tomb of the boy-king: the jewel-encrusted
golden mask, the golden sarcophagus and throne, plus many everyday
articles, which were entombed with him to be used in the
afterlife.
At Giza, to the west of the city, the enigmatic Sphinx and great
pyramids still stand on the edge of the empty desert overlooking
the city. More than 4000 years old, the pyramids are the only one
of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that remain intact – a
testimony to the ingenuity and skill of their builders. In the
evening you board the overnight train to the southern city of
Aswan. Overnight sleeper train – 1 night (BD)
DAY 3 -ASWAN
Arriving in Aswan in the morning, you see that it is here that
the Nile runs deep and fast between granite rocks as the desert
encroaches on the river. Even to travellers in ancient times, the
town was legendary as the entrance to the kingdom of Nubia.
Today it’s still something of a frontier town, where the Arab
Middle East meets black Africa. With its mixed population of
Egyptians and Nubians, Aswan is quite unlike any other town in the
country. By virtue of its position on the old caravan route, it has
always been a trading centre and we thoroughly recommend a visit to
the packed bazaar where merchants display a wealth of exotic
spices, carpets, leather goods and countless other wares. Kids will
be thrilled by the sight of donkey carts and men in flowing robes
and turbans.
The climate in winter is almost perfect – hardly a drop of rain
falls here and the temperature hovers around 25 degrees Celsius. In
the afternoon there may be time to take a taxi out to visit the
temple of Isis at Philae, another of the temples that was
painstakingly rebuilt to avoid permanent submersion from the rising
waters created by the Aswan High Dam. There are many other sites to
be seen around Aswan and your group leader may be able to organise
some, for example to the remarkable Unfinished Obelisk. In the
evening there is a trip across the river to a Nubian village where
you are guests for dinner at one of the local houses. Hotel -1
night (Swimming Pool) (BD)
DAY 4 -NILE FELUCCA JOURNEY
A very early start usually allows for an optional excursion to
Abu Simbel, just 50 kilometres from the border with Sudan.
Alternatively, kids will love the optional camel ride to St.
Simeon’s Monastery -a real desert experience! By late morning you
board the feluccas and settle down to relax. The Nile has a
fascination all of its own and remains the principal focus for most
visitors to Egypt. In ancient legend it was the very giver of life,
and the rich silt deposited by its annual flooding created the
fertile plain. This was cultivated intensely to sustain the
population that lived along the river; even in modern times it both
feeds and provides a livelihood for millions of people. Camping
(sleeping on mattresses on the deck of the felucca) – 1 night.
(BLD)
DAY 5 – KOM OMBO & LUXOR
This morning you’ll visit the temple at Kom Ombo, uniquely
dedicated to two gods: Haroeris (Horus the elder) and the
crocodile-headed Sobek, god of the Nile. Kids (and adults?) will
cringe at the mummified crocs on display!
On the east bank around Kom Ombo, reclaimed land is fed by
canals to keep the desert at bay -it supports not only crops of
sugar cane but also a large Nubian community displaced from their
homeland by the rising waters of Lake Nasser. You transfer by bus
to Luxor, travelling as part of a convoy. Following the path of the
Nile you retrace your route northwards. Known in ancient times as
Thebes, this city was the capital of Egypt’s New Kingdom for some
500 years.
There will be time to look around the town’s monuments and
museum, and it may be possible to visit Karnak temple to witness
the memorable sound and light show (optional) which relates its
history in suitably dramatic fashion.
Hotel – 2 nights (Swimming Pool) (B)
DAY 6 -LUXOR
This morning you visit the ancient tombs of the Pharaohs in the
Valley of the Kings. Rising early, you cross the Nile and drive to
the secluded valley where sixty-three Pharaohs were buried as part
of their journey to the after-life. In the company of a local
guide, you can explore some of the exquisitely decorated tombs of
these rulers of long ago. It is here that the burial site of the
boy-king Tutankhamun, discovered by British archaeologist Howard
Carter in 1922, can be found (optional visit).
This visit to the Valley of the Kings brings to life much of
what you saw in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. On your way back to
the river, you can see the imposing funerary temple of Queen
Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female ruler. This afternoon you’re free
to explore Luxor, or perhaps just relax by the hotel swimming pool.
(B)
DAY 7 -HURGHADA
In the early morning, horse-drawn carriages drive you to the
grandest of Egypt’s historic temples – Karnak, which you explore
with a local guide. Many architects and engineers contributed to
its construction, a task that spanned the reign of successive
Pharaohs over a period of 1400 years. The highlights of its many
wonders are the great hypostyle hall, which contains 134 huge
columns, and the beautifully carved obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut.
The sheer scale and massive bulk of these monuments testify to the
wealth and the level of organisation of early Egyptian
civilisation.
This afternoon you say farewell to the Nile and drive eastwards
to Hurghada (4 hours). The green Nile valley is soon left behind as
you head out into the barren Eastern Desert. Passing through rocky
hills, the glittering waters of the Red Sea soon come into view and
the rugged bulk of the Sinai Peninsula looms through the haze on
the opposite shore. Hurghada is a vibrant beach resort. Although by
no means a typical ‘adventure destination,’ enjoying the superb
snorkelling on offer here is a great way to round off your
trip.
Hotel – 2 nights (Swimming Pool) (B)
DAY 8 -HURGHADA
This morning you take to the waves and head out to the lovely
offshore reefs where you can swim and snorkel to see the abundance
of vividly coloured marine life that inhabits the warm waters.
You take snorkels, masks, and flippers with you and lunch is
provided on the boat. Pods of frolicking dolphins are not an
unusual sight and there are colourful fish in abundance –
snorkelling is a real highlight of your trip! (BL)
PROTECTING HURGHADA’S CORAL REEF
The underwater world is a very fragile environment. Please take
these simple measures to help protect the area's delicate reef
system for future years:
Touching coral, even unintentionally, will create lasting
damage. Fragile corals can be poisoned with a dose of oily
sunscreen.
Avoid touching anything with your fins and try not to stir up
sediment.
Only tread water in deeper parts, away from the coral, to avoid
accidental kicking.
Do not take coral or any other item (e.g. shells) as
souvenirs.
Do not rest or stand on coral.
If you are a beginner, practice snorkelling away from coral first
until you have mastered buoyancy control.
DAY 9 -CAIRO
Today you make the short drive to Hurghada’s airport and take a
flight back to Cairo. Once back in the capital, there should be
time for further exploration on one of several optional trips that
can be arranged. Later this evening your group leader will no doubt
organise a traditional ‘last supper’.
Hotel – 1 night (B) (Swimming Pool)
DAY 10 -FLY TO LONDON
Transfer to airport and fly to London.
Quick links:
egypt family holiday -feluccas &
pharaohs - introduction
egypt family holiday -feluccas &
pharaohs - factfile
egypt family holiday -feluccas &
pharaohs - map
egypt family holiday -feluccas
& pharaohs - dates & prices
egypt family holiday -feluccas &
pharaohs - booking enquiry
egypt family holiday -feluccas &
pharaohs - before you go
REF:Egypt -Feluccas & Pharaohs FEG - AC0001
