Egyptian Highlights Tour

Emergency Contact

Egypt Mahmoud Abouzeid & Ahmed Elsol +20 100 158 0585 (whatsapp), +20 100 0078755

Head Office (Turkey) Pinar: +90 533 280 77 39 or Canan: +90 532 374 49 51

Arrtival Info

Arrival Hotel :

Please be aware that hotels used on the tour can change due to a wide array of reasons. If it is neccessary to change hotels it will be to a hotel of equal or higher standard and will be at no extra cost.

Hotel check in and check out times vary and unless otherwise arranged are generally from 4 pm for check in and no later than 12 noon for check out. Availability of rooms for early arrivals and later departures is subject to hotel availability and policy at that time (and may also incur an additional charge). Room requests (eg interconnecting rooms. twin versus double bedding, non smoking rooms etc) can be requested but not guaranteed. Please be aware that hotels may take an imprint of a credit card upon check-in to cover any incidental charges that may occur i.e. laundry, telephone, room service etc. If you do not have a credit card they might request a cash deposit. Important Note - If on arrival you are unsure about or unhappy with any detail of your hotel accommodation, please contact the Duty Manager at the Front Desk immediately and identify your concerns.

Arrival Transfer :

An Inbound transfer to your hotel is included in this tour. If you haven't done so already, kindly advise Fez Travel of your inbound flight details. For your convenience, you may do this by email or contact us by phone at the number provided at the beginning of this document. We need your Arrival Date, Arrival Time, Arrival Flight No. and Cairo Arrival Place.

Welcome Meeting

Your welcome meeting/tour briefing will take place in the hotel on the morning of day 2 - the time of which will be advised upon arrival.

Travelling Distances

Distances and times are taken from Google Earth and are therefore approximate. They do not allow for or include, food / toilet stops, weather, traffic, border crossings, road works, detours etc. Distances and times are 'driving' distances and times unless otherwise stated. Greek Island ferries, Cruise Ships, Egyptian feluccas and Turkish Gulets are at the mercy of the prevailing weather conditions and that they stop along the way to visit the various sites and swim stops etc.

Hotels used on this tour

The following hotels are used on this tour for departures and pre/post tour accommodation within the given date ranges. They are also the default hotel for pre/post tour accommodation on tours that don't include accommodation, such as day tours. This is intended to give an idea of the type of accommodation that may be expected. The actual hotels used for any given tour may change due to many reasons such as group size, availability, time of year, hotel standard has dropped or simply we found a better hotel. If we do change hotels it will be to a hotel of equal or higher standard and will be at no extra cost. Where more than one hotel is shown for a given an overnight stop this means that one of those hotels will be used.

Crowne Plaza West Cairo-Arkan

Address : City : Cairo Suburb : Phone : Web :

Nile Cruise Boat

Address : City : Luxor - Harbour Suburb : Phone : Web :

Entrance Fees

Whilst we do out utmost to keep these entrance fees up to date, they do change often and so the entrance fees below should be treated as a guideline.

Entrance fees are not included in the tour price.

Weather

Optional Tours

The prices below are meant only as a guide and are not to be taken as definitive as they change often - ask your tour guide for the current

price. Prices below do not include the tipping. Please note that not all the options below will relate to your specific tour.

Cairo

On Fez Travel trips we have combined a selection of sightseeing and optional excursions to create maximum flexibility for interest and budget. Below is a list of the optional excursions in Egypt. These may be arranged whilst on tour from your tour leader.

Cairo city tour USD 80

Entrance Fees - USD 17

This half day guided tour of Cairo tour begins with Islamic areas including the Citadel of Saladdin, boasting the famous Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. Then we head onto the Coptic area of Cairo where the Romans constructed the fortress of Babylon. The church of St. Mary was built over the ruins of two towers of the fortress whilst it is more commonly known as the Hanging Church next stop is St. Sergius which is said to be the resting place of the Holy Family. The tour finishes with time exploring the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar.

Saqqara, Memphis & Dashour USD 80

Entrance Fees - USD 18

This half day guided tour on the outskirts of Cairo tour provides more insight into the history and evolution of pyramid building, and of the Egyptian civilisation. Our tours are based in the area of ancient Memphis, a former capital of Egypt. Our tour is based in the area of ancient Memphis, a former capital of Egypt. First we'll visit Saqqara, a huge desert necropolis which was built for the kings and nobles of the Old Kingdom. Here we see Zoser's 'step' pyramid and the adjacent Imhotep museum where we learn more about Memphis and the history of the region. Next we head to Dashour to see one of the next attempts at pyramid building. Dashour's moniker of the 'bent pyramid' shows they still had a bit to learn, but this is a fascinating site and the pyramid still has much of its original limestone cladding. We'll then return you to your hotel.

Alexandria day trip USD 130

Entrance Fees - USD 18

A visit to the colonnial city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean. A comprehension full day tour to the Pearl of the Mediterranean, Alexandria. Alexandria is about 2.5 hours north of Cairo on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. This city is the second largest in Egypt and this full day tour will include the Roman amphitheatre with its twelve semi-circular marble tiers, the Catacombs of Kom al-Shoqafa which is the largest Roman cemetery in Alexandria, Pompey's Pillar, Fort Qaitbey (from outside), the famous modern library before returning to Cairo. If time allows you can tour inside Fort Qaitbey (entrance fee extra) and we may also visit the Montazah Palace gardens. Lunch at a seafood restaurant is included.

Luxor - Harbour

Hot air balloon flight in Luxor USD 119

In the morning from Luxor there is the option of a spectacular sunrise hot air balloon flight over the West bank of the Nile. This popular optional tour starts early in the morning so that you experience the sunrise over the Valleys of the Kings & Queens, temples and desert. We endeavour to use the earliest flights of the day as they are timed to fit with the rising sun, this means that times may vary. You get around 1 hour in the air. (expect an early start to catch sunrise as the balloon rises).

Aswan - Harbour

Abu Simbel overland tour USD 99

Entrance Fees - USD 17

From Aswan an optional visit to the UNESCO world heritage site of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II. This is an amazing site that was completely dismantled and rebuilt when Lake Nasser was flooded. We travel overland and return to Aswan by midday. We have a guided tour with one of our Egyptologists and some free time before we drive back to Aswan (approx. 3 hours drive each way, with around 2 hours at the temples). All transfers, guide, and entrance fees are included.

Tipping

Tipping in Egypt is called Baksheesh, but it's more than the usual gratuity given to a waiter, bellhop or taxi driver. It is a way of life and a system which enables the economy to function. Salaries in Egypt are much lower than in Western countries therefore tipping is an absolutely essential means of generating income. Don't feel that the Egyptians are solely preying on foreign travellers and tourists. Look closely at the dealings that Egyptians have with one another and you will notice that the exchange of small amounts of money are commonplace. A general rule of thumb is to add 10 to 15 percent of the bill for a tip.

On tour to make our prices more transparent and so it is easier for you to budget and less hassle while in Egypt, on our small group tours we organise a 'Tipping Kitty' which needs to be paid as a local payment and will be around US$ 30 to US$ 45 depending on the length of your trip.

This kitty provides tips for a wide range of people you’ll meet along the tour including hotel porters, train and station staff, drivers, site guards, local reps etc.

Your Egyptologist guide (and Bedouin guides in the desert) is not included in this kitty and you may tip them at the end of your tour subject to your satisfaction with and appreciation of the service they have provided. You should not feel obliged to tip any particular amount, and should consider your personal budget. We are often asked to provide a guide however, and can suggest that approx. USD 3-8 per person per day would be appropriate.

Money

The monetary unit in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (LE) (EGP). 1 Egyptian Pound = 100 Piastres

Current Exchange rate EGP 100 as at Changing money, credit cards and ATMs The easiest way to obtain money in Egypt is to draw it out of an ATM (cash machine) on a credit or debit card ATMs are widely available throughout Egypt.

General Info

International dialling code: +20

Language: Arabic

Time Zone: Egypt is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Meant Time. Daylight saving adjustments have historically been applied in some years but not others. At present it appears that there will be no daylight saving changes in Egypt 2016 and beyond, though this may change at short notice (with a resulting impact on flight times and schedules).

Electricity: 220V. Sockets are of European two-pronged round pin variety.