NOTES
Style - Adventurer
Maximum group size - 18
Staffing - Fully escorted by Imaginative Traveller Tour Leader, services of Egyptologists at the Pyramids, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings
Transport - Private air-conditioned coach, felucca sailboat, day train, overnight seating train, horse drawn carriages and donkeys
Accommodation - 4 nights simple hotels, 1 night on board felucca (camping style), 2 nights overnight train
Activities - Donkey ride to the Valley of the Kings
Meals - As per itinerary (B- Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner). Breakfast is provided on every day of the tour, Please allow US$8-10 per day for additional meals
Entrance fees - Not included. Please allow US$30 for sites listed as part of the itinerary
Tipping - To avoid embarrassment and save your money all tours operate a tipping kitty. Please allow US$14- 23 per week of the tour for this

TOUR BRIEFING
Once all the members of your group have arrived your tour leader will organise an introductory briefing (usually after breakfast on Day 2).
This meeting will give you an overview of all the exciting things you will be seeing during your tour and include lots of practical information on how to get the most out of your time in Egypt.
You will need to bring with you your passport, all tour vouchers and a copy of your insurance policy to this briefing so that your tour leader can obtain important details that are essential to the running of the tour.
Important Note - it is a condition of joining our tours that you are in possession of a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
If you do not have a policy you will be required to purchase one from your tour leader in order to join the tour Cairo

Day 1 - CAIRO
Arrive and check into your hotel.
When you arrive in Cairo you are thrown headlong into the hustle and bustle of this wonderful city.
As you wander the streets your senses will be assaulted on all levels - an endless cacophony of noise with cars tooting, donkeys braying and the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer; the mix of smells like the aroma from cooking pots bubbling with fuul (a local dish that you will certainly sample); the delicious taste of mint tea as you sit in a shaded café to relax; and the endless river of life that you can watch roll past you - women haggling in the bazaars, men talking whilst enjoying a traditional shisha pipe, cars vying for space on the crowded roads, camels ambling serenely along and children playing in the back streets.
There are many things to do in Cairo, from visiting the fantastic Egyptian Museum to the bazaars of Khan el Khalili.
Your Tour Leader will be able to make plenty of suggestions for your free time.

Day 2 - CAIRO
Morning visit to the Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza.
Later there is the option to visit the Egyptian museum with an Egyptologist.
In the evening we board the overnight seating train to Aswan (B)
Approx. 13 hrs train journey
GREAT PYRAMIDS & SPHINX
The Pyramids really do have to be seen to be believed!
To get there we weave our way through the manic Cairo traffic, out into the suburbs and then, suddenly, there they are.
Huge majestic tombs rising out the desert, towering above the modern city of Cairo and an incredible testament to the immense achievements of the Ancient Egyptians.
Built over five thousand years ago the Pyramids are the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that is still standing.
We explore the pyramids and the sphinx with our Egyptologist guide who can explain all the mysteries surrounding their creation - were they built by aliens or are they aligned to the stars?
You will also have the opportunity to climb inside the Great Pyramid and see for yourself the burial chamber inside (not for the claustrophobic).
THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM
What a museum, what a collection!
This museum houses the world's greatest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts including many of the treasures discovered in the tombs of Pharaohs, the amazing golden mask of Tutankhamun and a large number of mummies.
To put that in perspective, if you spend just one minute at each exhibit it would take more than nine months to see everything.
It is well worth visiting the museum at the start of your tour as the information gained during a visit will help you appreciate the sights you will see as you travel through Egypt.

Day 3 - ASWAN
Transfer to hotel upon arrival to freshen up before we board our feluccas to sail around the islands of Aswan.
Late in the afternoon we disembark to visit a Nubian Village and enjoy a typical Nubian Dinner.
Overnight on board the felucca. (BLD)
ASWAN
Aswan is a whole world away from Cairo - the pace of life is much slower and the town is small enough to explore on foot.
In Aswan the Nile is at its most picturesque with golden sand dunes coming right to the waters edge and scores of white sailed feluccas gliding around the islands.
The bazaar runs the whole length of town and is crammed with shops and stalls selling everything imaginable - a great place to hone your haggling skills!
To relax you can sit at one of the many cafes and enjoy a cup of sweet tea and a game of backgammon.
One of our favourite activities in Aswan is to visit a local village on the West Bank of the Nile.
We go for dinner and spend the evening on the roof of a local house, eating delicious local food and chatting with the villagers.
Some of the local women do henna tattoos so you may find yourself leaving the village with some temporary art on your arm or around your ankle!
NILE FELUCCA CRUISE
There is no better way to see Aswan than a cruise aboard a traditional felucca.
As we drift among Aswan's islands there is nothing to do but sit back, relax and watch as we pass by Elephantine Island, Kitchener's island, Agha Khan's Mausoleum and the Monastery of St Simeon.
We spend the night under a blanket of stars and wake with the sun as the mist rises from the river.
Feluccas are sailing boats that have been used on the Nile for centuries.
There is no motor - if the wind is not blowing then we drift as the river takes us.
There are no facilities on board; if you need the toilet then the boat will pull over to the bank and you can find a suitable bush; if it is hot we erect a simple canopy to provide shade; if it is cold then you snuggle up under your sleeping bag.
Each felucca sleeps 6 -10 people and is crewed by a captain and a deck hand - both of whom have grown up along the banks of the Nile and have become long standing friends of The Imaginative Traveller.
As well as being experienced Nile sailors they also make the most delicious meals out of simple local ingredients - you may sit down to a lunch of local bread, white cheese, hummus and delicious fresh juicy tomatoes.
They may also treat you to a bit of impromptu entertainment of Nubian singing or drumming.
The deck is covered with mattresses and cushions and you will sleep sardine style across the boat, however bedding is not provided so you will need to bring a sleeping bag.
In the summer months (March - Oct) you may like to bring a sleeping sheet AS WELL to use instead of your sleeping bag if the nights are warmer.
You will also need to provide your own towel during the cruise.
It is very important that if you are unable to swim, you inform your tour leader before boarding the felucca.

Day 4 - ASWAN
Disembark in Aswan.
A full free day to explore this vibrant Nubian city.
Option to visit the magnificent temples at Abu Simbel. (B)
OPTIONAL EXCURSION TO ABU SIMBEL
The road between Aswan and Abu Simbel is now open, making it possible for us to operate an optional excursion by road (or by air) to this magnificent site on the morning of Day 4.
ABOUT THE SITE
The Temples at Abu Simbel are one of the highlights of any visit to Egypt and considered unmissable by many travellers.
Deep in the heart of the desert, miles from the nearest habitation is a gigantic monolith out of which are carved four colossal statues - each one the seated figure of Ramses II, one of Ancient Egypt’s greatest Pharaohs.
Built in the 13th century BC, the temples remained totally hidden by sand until 1813, and were almost destined to be submerged again, 150 years later, by the rising waters of Lake Nasser - a man made lake formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam.
Remarkably, a massive UNESCO project dismantled the entire temple and the cliff out of which it is carved, and reassembled it on higher
ground redirecting the magnificent stare of Ramses II across Lake Nasser's blue waters.
It is still possible to see just how close they came to being submerged by the watermarks around the base of the statues.

Day 5 - ASWAN - LUXOR
Early morning train to Luxor.
In the afternoon we take horse drawn carriages for a guided tour of Karnak temple. (B)
Approx. 4 hrs train journey
LUXOR
There cannot be anywhere else in the world that has the same number of awe-inspiring attractions as the small town of Luxor.
This was the capital of Egypt in ancient times (then known as Thebes) and there are an endless number of temples, tombs and museums that could keep even the most avid sightseer busy for a week!
The two most impressive sights have to be the massive Karnak Temple complex and the Valley of the Kings.
The Movenpick Hotel, on the southern outskirts of Luxor, is famed for its ice cream and a great place to relax (while sampling the wide assortment of flavours!) after some serious sightseeing.
KARNAK TEMPLE
We reach Karnak using a horse drawn carriage along the banks of the Nile.
Arriving at the gates there is an avenue of lion statues leading up to the magnificent gates.
But this doesn’t prepare you for the sheer size of the temple when you get inside.
It was built by many pharaohs over a period of 2,000 years with each one trying to outdo his predecessor in architectural achievement.
You could lose yourself inside but we have an Egyptologist who takes us around, pointing out all the most impressive parts of the temple and giving a full insight into the lives of the pharaohs who worshipped there.
For those who wish to experience it, there is a sound and light show held at Karnak every evening.
The show is unlike other sound and light shows in Egypt, instead of sitting throughout the performance you walk through the temple as the show progresses.

Day 6 - LUXOR
Ride to the Valley of the Kings on sturdy donkeys.
Our route back takes us past the Colossi of Memnon.
Free afternoon.
In the evening we board the overnight train to Cairo. (B)
Approx. 13 hrs train journey
DONKEY RIDE
The Valley of the Kings is on the other side of the Nile, on the West Bank.
To get there we rise at around 4.30am (to avoid the heat) and meet up with our donkeys who will be our favoured (and most fun!) method of transport.
Each member of the group will be assigned a donkey and given a quick lesson in how to control them, before we set off on the 7km ride.
We take quiet roads, with lovely views of the green fields leading to the edge of the Nile and the sheer cliffs of the desert beyond.
We are not the only people up at this time and you will pass villagers on their own donkeys on their way to the fields.
VALLEY OF THE KINGS
Arriving at the Valley of the Kings, there is not much to see above the ground.
But corridors carved deep into the valley lead to the burial chambers far underground.
The walls of the tombs are covered in incredibly well preserved paintings depicting the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt and complex hieroglyphics which our guide will help us decipher.
We visit three of the different tombs and there is also the chance to visit the tomb of Tutankhamun, the famous boy king, and spend some
time exploring on your own.
Later we rejoin our donkeys and ride over the hill with fabulous views of the Nile Valley, to Deir El Medina, the workers village where we can still see the remains of the houses where the tomb builders used to live.
You also have the chance to visit the Valley of the Queens.

Day 7 - CAIRO
Transfer to the hotel upon arrival.
The rest of the day is free to explore the city for the last time or perhaps take a camel ride and watch a brilliant sunset over the Pyramids. (B)

Day 8 - CAIRO
Tour ends after breakfast. (B)