Guide

All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Premium leaders are Intrepid’s most experienced, with in-depth knowledge and extensive local networks to make it a trip of a lifetime. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. When not already included in your trip, your leader will be able to recommend a local guide service who can share more detailed or specialised information at specific sites should you be interested in delving deeper.

Others

Complimentary Arrival Transfer Cairo - Welcome Dinner Cairo - Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx Cairo - Egyptian Museum Aswan - Nubian Village Visit and Dinner Aswan - Philae Temple Aswan - Sunset drinks on a felucca Izbat Al Bayyarah - Kom Ombo Temple Luxor - Karnak Temple Luxor - Hatshepsut Temple Luxor - Valley of the Kings (entrance to 3 tombs) Luxor - Tomb of Tutankhamun Luxor - Colossi of Memnon Cairo - Home-Cooked Dinner Cairo - Khan al-Khalili Bazaar Cairo - Al-Azhar Mosque Cairo - Coffee/tea in a local cafe

Hygieneprotocol

All Intrepid travellers 18 years and older and Intrepid leaders will be required to be fully vaccinated. Travellers must provide proof of vaccination to the leader at the group meeting on day 1 of the trip. All children 5 and above must provide proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative COVID-19 test. Any high-risk customer who is unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons can apply for an exemption. Exemptions will be assessed on a case by case basis. Customers must provide a medical certificate from a medical professional.

Meals

8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 6 dinners

Transport

SECURITY WHILE TRAVELLING: Occasionally you may experience a Tourist Police Escort in your vehicle and whilst not common convoys between select towns or regions are possible. This practice has been implemented by local authorities to monitor the safety and security of visitors to Egypt. NILE RIVERBOAT: You will be staying on a riverboat for the Nile River section of this itinerary. The company we work with has a large fleet of boats and the actual boat can’t be confirmed until 30 days before departure. However you can expect the following facilities; restaurant, bar & sundeck. Most boats will also have a small swimming pool and in that instance, swimming towels will be available for use. All cabins have ensuites, air conditioning, and windows to enjoy the views of the Nile. Accommodation during the cruise is on a full board basis, often in the form of a buffet. Drinks can be purchased from the bar or restaurant. Bottled drinking water and tea and coffee are available but are not included so please ensure you check prices on board. Internet is mostly charged at an additional fee. We recommend purchasing a local sim card for your data requirements, please refer to the Communications section of this Essential Trip Information document. You will have the opportunity to disembark the boat each day as we explore some of the ancient sites included on the itinerary. The boat will also be anchored at port each evening. Only on the odd occasion would it sail at night depending on the water traffic at Esna Lock. Most often when in port there can be many boats and you may be berthed side by side with another ship. Riverboats have anywhere from 50-70 cabins and you will be sharing the facilities with other travellers not on your tour. Private vehicle , Plane , Riverboat , Felucca

Accommodation

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available. Comfortable Hotel (5 nights), Feature Stay (3 nights)

Not included:

Flights

Insurance

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Day 1 Day 1: Cairo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Cairo

Salaam Aleikum! Welcome to Egypt. When you arrive at the Cairo airport, meet an Intrepid representative and take an included transfer to your hotel. You’re adventure officially begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe get out and explore the busy streets, find a hole-in-the-wall eatery for a snack like ta’ameya (Egypt’s take on falafel) or relax at your hotel – the pool offers magnificent pyramid views! After your meeting, head out for an included dinner with the group. Your leader will introduce you to Egyptian cuisine, known for being fresh, delicious and unique to the country. Best enjoyed when shared, you’ll tuck into an array of traditional dishes like fatta (a dish made with rice, bread and meat in a garlic and vinegar sauce) and kushari (a delicious mixture of pasta, rice, lentils and fried onions).
Day 2 Day 2: Cairo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Cairo

This morning, tour the mighty Pyramids of Giza (one of the famed Seven Wonders of the World) and the Sphinx with your expert leader, who is a trained Egyptologist. Seeing these ancient and iconic structures up close is a memory that will stay with you long after your time in Egypt is over. For an additional charge, you may be able to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops). After some time for lunch, your adventure continues to the Egyptian Museum – home to one of the world’s great collections of ancient artefacts. The masses of gleaming artefacts recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun are an impressive sight – from jewellery to the famous golden death mask and his gilded sarcophagi, this pharaoh was certainly prepared for the afterlife. Your leader will take you through some of Egypt’s dynastic history and you’ll have plenty of time to explore on your own – home to almost 100,000 artefacts, there’s a whole ancient world to uncover!
Day 3 Day 3: Aswan
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Aswan

Catch a morning flight to Aswan – Egypt’s southernmost city. Check into your hotel, then travel to Philae Island and visit the beautiful Temple of Isis – the goddess of health, marriage and wisdom – rescued from the rising waters of the Nile and relocated here. Your leader will share stories of the history and changing landscape of the island. Then, take a boat to a Nubian village on an island in the middle of the Nile. Walk through the village before sitting down to dinner with a local Nubian family in their home. Enjoy traditional Nubian food, swap stories with your friendly hosts and gain a unique perspective into their way of life.
Day 4 Day 4: Aswan - Nile Cruise
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Aswan - Nile Cruise

After breakfast, you may like to take a stroll around Aswan or join an optional tour of Abu Simbel – a temple complex that was dismantled and moved to make way for the Aswan High Dam. Board a Nile riverboat – your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three nights! Travelling by riverboat allows you to get to the heart of each destination while ensuring the journeys in between are every bit as interesting. In the afternoon, board a traditional felucca sailing boat where you can sit back and relax with some drinks as the sun sets over your beautiful surroundings. Return to your riverboat for dinner.
Day 5 Day 5: Nile Cruise - Edfu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Nile Cruise - Edfu

Enjoy a peaceful morning on board your riverboat, then set out in the afternoon along the river, relaxing in the sun on deck and taking in the desert hills forming a backdrop over the lush riverbanks. Arrive at Kom Ombo Temple, sitting spectacularly on the river’s edge. Your leader will let you in on the secrets of this ancient temple. Built in approximately 181 BC, Kom Ombo is dedicated to two gods – Horus (god of protection) and Sobek (god of fertility, linked to the Nile’s water). Each god has a dedicated section – north or south – and there have been recent discoveries of mummified crocodiles in the Sobek section. After, return to your riverboat and continue to Edfu where you’ll dock for the evening.
Day 6 Day 6: Nile Cruise - Luxor
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Nile Cruise - Luxor

This morning, you’ll be moored near Edfu and may have the option to venture independently into town to see the nearby temple. Sail towards Luxor passing through the Esna Locks. You may have to queue to proceed through the locks, but this is a great opportunity to sit back with a drink in hand and observe life on the Nile. Arrive at the open-air museum of Luxor – from the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings, Luxor is full of wonderfully preserved reminders of the Pharaohs. Today you’ll explore the Karnak Temple. One of the world’s most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak is a house of the gods built over a period of some 200 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.
Day 7 Day 7: Luxor
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Luxor

Disembark your riverboat and travel to the Valley of the Kings. Buried under the arid hills are over 60 tombs of pharaohs, many richly decorated with reliefs and paintings. With your leader, explore the place where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BC) were secretly interred for all eternity, and where discoveries are still being made. Your leader will explain the history and legends of these people and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics, still well preserved in the deepest tombs. Entry is included to three tombs of your choosing, as well as access to the tomb of Tutankhamun. The unearthing of the young Pharaoh’s resting place is one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, and today you’ll explore the painted chamber that holds his famous golden sarcophagus. Continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut – a colonnaded building set against high cliffs that create a spectacular natural amphitheatre, then view the Colossi of Memnon – two 17-m-high statues on Luxor’s west bank.
Day 8 Day 8: Cairo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Cairo

Board a flight bound for Cairo this morning. When you arrive, settle into your hotel then head out to the Al-Azhar neighbourhood to visit Khan al-Khalili Bazaar – a sprawling maze of alleyways including the gold market, cloth market, ’perfume street’ and the spice market. Continue to the 9th-century Al-Azhar Mosque – one of the oldest and largest in Egypt. Its perfectly proportioned courtyard and distinctive minaret make it a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Stop off in Cairo’s oldest coffeeshop for an Arabic coffee or mint tea as you watch the world go by. It’s a known fact that the very best food in Cairo is made inside local homes, but few visitors get the chance to experience this for themselves. This afternoon, you’ll be one of the lucky few as you’re welcomed into the home of a local family. Sit down to a wonderful meal of traditional dishes which you’ll share with your friendly hosts and gain an inside look at modern Egyptian life.
Day 9 Day 9: Cairo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Cairo

Your trip will come to an end today after breakfast and you’re free to leave at any time after check out. If you have arranged a private airport transfer, you’ll be advised of the pick-up time. If you would like to spend more time in Cairo, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.

9 days tour

Premium Egypt

This tour includes:

Not included:

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Itinerary of your trip Premium Egypt

Day 1: Cairo

Day 2: Cairo

Day 3: Aswan

Day 4: Aswan - Nile Cruise

Day 5: Nile Cruise - Edfu

Day 6: Nile Cruise - Luxor

Day 7: Luxor

Day 8: Cairo

Day 9: Cairo

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