13 Days Camel Safari & Nile Cruise
13 Days Camel Safari & Nile Cruise
1st Day: Cairo – Al Bahariya Oasis – Oasis Discovery
In the early morning we will pick you up at the reception of your hotel in Cairo and you will travel to the Al Bahariya Oasis. If you stay in any other part of Egypt such as Luxor or the Red Sea we can of course organize the transfer to Cairo or directly to the oasis for you.
Al Bahariya is one of the biggest and most important oases in the Western Desert. You will discover the oasis’ fruit-growing and lifestyle as well as remains of the region’s history. A necropolis of the Greco-Roman contained countless different mummies, among them numerous gold-plated ones, the so-called ‘Golden Mummies’. You will see some of them here in the museum. Further you can see the remains of Ain Al-Tibniya, a temple dating back to the reign of Alexander the Great who is said to have passed by this oasis, the tomb of Banentiu where you can see well preserved colored hieroglyphs and paintings, and the temple area of Ain Al-Muftella with four around 2,600 years old chapels whose walls are preserved up to a height of around two meters, showing various beautiful decorations. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant. Then you will visit the Al Meftela Spring and enjoy a walk through the palm gardens until you reach the idyllic lake. Also you can see Dist, the ‘Pyramid Mountain’, and Magrafa where huge dinosaur skeletons have been found. Further you will visit the hot springs Bir Al Ghaba and Bir Al Matar – a good opportunity for a short bath! Also you will see the so-called English House, a British observation post from the First World War. From its hill we will watch the sunset. Then you will be transferred to your hotel to have dinner and go to sleep.
Lunch and dinner included. Overnight in a hotel in Al Bahariya.
2nd Day: Al Bahariya Oasis – Al Heiz – Crystal Mountain
In the early morning you will enter a 4×4 jeep and drive to the scenic Al Heiz with its beautiful landscapes. Then we will take you to the scenic Valley of Al Agabat where white cliffs meet sand dunes and yellow limestone rocks. Here you will also meet your new companions – well trained gentle camels that will carry you through fascinating landscapes during the next days. A great and exciting way to discover the desert – and a very special experience. Competent guides will of course accompany and assist you. In the late afternoon you will arrive to your first camp. After a tasty dinner you will sleep in a tent – or under the starlit desert sky.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
3rd Day: Al Agabat – Wadi Al Battikh
After breakfast you will explore Al Agabat from the back of your camel and enjoy the enchanting landscapes. We will make a break for lunch. Then you will see the idyllic spring Ain Sarw which is located on a small lift and surrounded by palm trees. Finally you will reach the Wadi Al Battikh where you can see numerous rocks in the shape of melons. In this valley we will set up camp for the night.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
4th Day: Wadi Al Battikh – Wadi Al Henein – New White Desert
After breakfast you will ride through the Wadi Battikh and the Wadi Al Henein (where you will make a stop for lunch) until you will reach the so-called New White Desert, a branch of the White Desert. Here you will encamp.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
5th Day: White Desert – Wadi Mushroom
After breakfast you will discover the beauty of the White Desert, the splendid landscape with its countless amazing rock formations, idyllic springs and endless desert sands. Once the seabed of an ocean it features myriads of white chalk sediments, formed by the rough desert weather to spectacular shapes. You will have a lot of time to take pictures. One of the best motifs is for sure the Wadi Mushroom with countless rock formations resembling mushrooms. But you can also discover the shapes of other food or even animals. In the late afternoon you will set up camp.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
6th Day: White Desert – Bir Regwa
Today you will have again some time to stroll around and explore the White Desert and its countless small wonders. After lunch you will head to the romantic spring Bir Regwa where we will spend the night.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
7th Day: Black Desert – Crystal Mountain – Cairo – Night Train to Luxor
After breakfast you will enter a 4×4 jeep and drive back northwards into the Black Desert with its countless rock formations and witness buttes covered by black basalt. Lunch will be served as a picnic. Also you will see the famous Crystal Mountain, a ridge laced with sparkling crystals. Then you will travel back to Cairo. In the evening you will take the night train from Cairo to Luxor.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight in the train’s sleeping car.
8th Day: Luxor – Nile Cruise Day 1
You will have breakfast in the train; then our guide will pick you up from Luxor’s train station and take you to your cruise for your embarkation. After this you will visit Luxor’s West Bank, the ancient Thebes. You will marvel at the huge Colossi of Memnon, once guardians of a no longer existing temple, and the colored Pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Then you will visit Medinet Habu with its colossal statues, well preserved pylons and walls and more than 7,000 m2 of decorated and inscribed wall reliefs before you will have lunch. And finally you will see the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a fascinating mortuary temple which is unique in its architecture. Lunch will be enjoyed in a local restaurant. In the evening you can discover Luxor on your own. Dinner will be served aboard.
Optional activities (against supplement):
- Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Karnak
- Shopping on Luxor’s biggest bazaar
- Carriage Ride through Luxor
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.
9th Day: Luxor & Esna – Nile Cruise Day 2
You will have breakfast aboard. Then you will visit Luxor’s East Bank with the Temple of Karnak, one of the largest and most fascinating temples in the world; as it is still in an amazingly good state with giant pillars and colored reliefs, you can really get a feeling of the ancient Egyptians’ architecture and religious cult. Finally you will visit Luxor Temple, a fascinating ancient edifice uniting building activities of various eras. After lunch you can enjoy some leisure time at your own disposal. Then your cruise will move to Esna where you will visit the remains of a beautiful temple dating back to the Greco-Roman period, featuring magnificent columns with varying lotus-leaf capitals and a pronaos decorated with great relief.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.
10th Day: Kom Ombo & Edfu – Nile Cruise Day 3
After breakfast aboard you will visit the amazing double temple of Kom Ombo, a sanctuary symmetrical along its main axis, one side dedicated to Haroeris, the other to Sobek, with impressing reliefs. Then you will sail to Edfu and enjoy lunch en route. The Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-god Horus whose statues flank the portal, is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt; its completion once took almost 200 years, and its beautiful decorated walls provide precious information about the ancient religious myths.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.
11th Day: Abu Simbel & Aswan – Nile Cruise Day 4
You will arrive in Aswan in the early morning and we will take you to your visit of the Twin Temples of Abu Simbel. The Temple of Ramesses II is 30 meters high and four enthroned colossal statues of the pharaoh guard the portal. The interior of the temple was dug into the rock on a length of more than sixty meters and beautifully decorated with pillars, colored reliefs and rock cut figures. The Temple of Nefertari, Ramesses’ wife, is a simplified version of the Great Temple. Please be aware that you see here something unique in ancient Egyptian art – the statues of the king and the queen adorning the façade are equal in size.
After returning to your cruise you will have lunch. The rest of the day is at your own disposal. If you need to refresh, just relax on the ship and enjoy its facilities. Or have a walk in Aswan or book an additional visit.
Optional activities (against supplement):
- Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Philae
- Visit of the Temple of Kalabsha
- Visit of St. Simeon’s Monastery
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.
12th Day: Aswan – Nile Cruise Day 5
You will disembark after breakfast. Now you will get to know Aswan. You will visit the giant High Dam, one of the greatest achievements in architecture and engineering of the 20th century, and the Unfinished Obelisk in the ancient granite quarries. Then you will have lunch before you will sail to the amazing botanical garden on Kitchener’s Island, an unexpected green and calm oasis amidst the busy city, and visit Elephantine Island with the famous nilometer, the ancient ruins and the Nubian villages. And finally you will see the enchanting Nubian Temple of Philae which was once saved from disappearing in the floods of the Lake Nasser reservoir by dismantling and rebuilding it on a higher location. In the evening you will take the night train to Cairo. Dinner will be served in the train.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight in the train’s sleeping car.
13th Day: Cairo
You will have breakfast in the train; our guide will pick you up at Cairo’s train station and transfer you to your hotel. This concludes our program and services.
Note: If you would like to extend the program and visit Cairo with us, we can organize this for you.
Breakfast included.
Included:
- All mentioned transfers in high-class air-conditioned vehicles
- Guided camel safari
- Train rides Cairo – Luxor, Aswan – Cairo
- Guided tours in your language
- Entrance fees for the above mentioned sights
- Hotel accommodation in Al Bahariya with half-board
- Camping in the desert
- Meals, mineral water and soft drinks during the excursions and tours
- 5-days-cruise Luxor – Aswan with full board
Not included:
- Gratuity (tips) for drivers, tour guides
- Personal items, meals, drinks or services not mentioned
- Listed optional activities
- International and domestic flights
- Visa