Day-to-day schedule
Day 1: Cairo
Welcome to Egypt!
Your tour starts in Cairo, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Most of your travel companions will arrive later this first day or in the early morning of day 2, the exact time will be depending on their flight schedule. You will meet your English speaking tour leader at 8.00 hrs A.M. on day 2 in the lobby of your hotel.
Day 2: Cairo
Enjoy the bustling metropolis of Cairo on foot or by coach if you wish. Visit the amazing pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx built some 4,500 years ago. Cheops' pyramid is 139 meters high, the equivalent of a 45-storey block of flats and 100,000 men must have worked for 20 years to pile up 2.3 million blocks of stone weighing 2.5 tonnes each to create it.
After visiting the pyramids, we will drive to the old citadel and see the large mosque of Mohammed Ali before visiting the ancient part of Cairo, including the beautiful "Coptic" hanging church. The immense Egyptian Museum, full of ancient sarcophagi, mummies and of course the treasures of that most famous pharaoh, Tutankhamun is also well worth a visit, as is the medieval market of Khan Al-Khalili with its herb bazaars and cosy teahouses. And in the evening enjoy a wonderful meal at one of the many restaurants along the Nile and have a go at smoking from a delicious shisha pipe.
Day 3: Cairo
Your final day in Cairo. Maybe have a look around the bazaars/souks and see if you can agree yourself a good price on a nice souvenir!
Day 4: Cairo - Bahariya Oasis
After breakfast, we leave the bustle of Cairo behind and make our way into the desert. After a few hours we will come across a vision of green on the horizon: the first oasis, Bahariya, where date palms grow and labourers ride on their donkeys across richly covered fields. You can visit a hot spring and after lunch there is time for relaxation.
Day 5: Bahariya Oasis - White Desert
Gaze in awe at the surreal scenery of the White Desert where large limestone mushrooms rise up from the landscape and enjoy the stunning views as you enjoy a dinner prepared by Bedouins.
Spend the night on a mattress under the stars or under canvas, before travelling on to the oasis of Farafra with its many springs and on to the remote oasis of Dakhla.
Day 6: White Desert - Dakhla Oasis
Here in Dakhla, in the village of Al-Qasr, it feels as if the Middle Ages never ended in the narrow streets and mud huts. The traditionally clad local people enjoy our visit almost as much as we do and are very welcoming.
Day 7: Dakhla Oasis - Kharga Oasis
The next day we continue some 290 km to the final oasis, Al-Kharga. It stretches out for 90 km and at the far end, in Baris, we will spend the night in the open air on mattresses and you have the option of taking a 2 hour camel ride.
Day 8: Kharga Oasis - Luxor
Luxor, ancient Thebes, marks the cultural peak of this tour.
On the eastern bank of the Nile is the famous temple of Karnak which took 1,500 years to build and during the evening it hosts an impressive sound and light performance. Across the Nile lies the city of the dead, Thebes, with the Valley of Kings and the Valley of Queens. Here you can visit several tombs, including Tutankhamun's which contain beautiful relief surfaces and wall paintings.
One of the most splendid and best-kept tombs is the temple of Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. The Memnon giants that once formed the entrance to the temple of Amenophis are another impressive sight.
Day 9: Luxor
Continuing your stay in Luxor, you can also take a 3-hour sailing trip to Banana Island or rent beautiful Arab horses to ride through the desert. Less experienced riders can have their horse guided, while daredevils will be amazed by the speed these slender horses can reach.
Day 10: Luxor - Aswan
Aswan is strategically located at the first cataract (rapids) of the Nile. Here, the valley is at its most beautiful with rocks and palm-covered islands in the river. There are numerous temples, tombs and obelisks, a colourful bazaar and a beautiful botanical garden and the immense Aswan Dam nearby.
Day 11: Aswan
A particularly interesting excursion you may like to consider is the temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis, built on an island in the Nile. A walk through one of the Nubian villages on the other side of the river is also worthwhile, or you may choose to visit Abu Simbel (optional). With the financial support of Unesco, this immense temple was moved when the dam that created Lake Nasser was constructed. This magnificent temple can be reached by coach or plane.
Day 12: Aswan
Enjoy your last day in Aswan before hitting the water!
Day 13: Felucca
In the morning we board a felucca, the traditional vessel in which the Egyptians have sailed the Nile since time immemorial. Float downstream at a very relaxed pace and enjoy the spectacle of life along the banks of the river. At night we will moor up at an island. Please be aware that the distance covered and therefore time spent sailing is always governed by the wind conditions.
Day 14: Felucca - Luxor - Cairo
When you wake up this morning you will notice we are already slowly heading for the Kom Ombo temple which you can visit. Kom Ombo is a remarkable double temple, built to honour two different gods: crocodile-god Sobek and Horus, with his falcon’s head.
Upon disembarking the felucca a bus is waiting for us to drive us to Luxor. En route there is a possibility to stop and visit the Edfu temple. In Luxor you will take the night train (with reserved 1st class seats) to Cairo.
Day 15: Cairo
Early in the morning you will arrive in Cairo at our hotel, where you may use a day room until departure (providing you will be departing before the end of the day, or else you will need to book an extra night). Explore this wonderful city at your leisure for another day before the end of the tour - we wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of this amazing country.
Your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.
When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 15) is not included.
Difficulty Information
This holiday is classified as Category B
The difficulty of our travels varies greatly. Added to this is the fact that travel difficulty is a very personal perception. To give an impression of the difficulty of a particular holiday we have developed a classification system.
Category A: Light travel for everyone to do. Short distances, good hotels, travel at a slow pace.
Category B: For everyone to do as well. Sometimes long distances. Good hotels and camping facilities, sometimes an adventurous overnight experience, travel at a normal pace.
Category C: Good to do for anyone who prepares themself well and is flexible. There are tougher parts of the journey, such as longer distances or walking tours. Several nights can be spent in basic accommodation.
Category D: A relatively difficult journey, travelling long distances, often primitive accommodation or tents, and challenging walking tours.
The 15-day Egypt Adventure is a Category B holiday. Any reasonably healthy individual can make it. In the summer the trip is considerably more difficult than during the rest of the year. Although in the cities we stay in simple medium-priced hotels, remember that you are travelling in a developing country with much lower living standards than you are used to at home. Also, roads may be temporarily blocked because of the weather or owing to their state of repair, in which case a detour is unavoidable. Some journeys are very long, e.g. the first and last days of the oasis trip and the return journey to Cairo on Day 13. A flexible and positive attitude is just as important as a good physical condition.
Character of the trip
This gateway to Africa combines the most impressive historical monuments with a lively population and a wonderful climate. You can wander around the bazaars of Cairo, the Nubian villages, the pyramids, the tombs of the pharaohs and the ancient temples, and on the date-covered banks of the Nile. But the most special part of the holiday is our adventure trip to the western oases. You can extend your holiday with a week’s stay in Dahab on the Red Sea.