GRAND TOUR OF EGYPT (WLA2010)

City Highlights


Cruise:
Deluxe 3-night cruise from Luxor to Aswan in an outside stateroom with private facilities

Cairo:
Guided sightseeing, visit Tutankhamun’s Tomb in the Egyptian Museum, Ramses II & Alabaster Sphinx in Memphis, the ”stairway to the sky“ at Sakkara, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza

Alexandria:
Guided sightseeing, visit the Greco-Roman Museum and the Catacombs

Cairo-Luxor:
By air, including airport transfers

Luxor:
Guided sightseeing, visit the monuments of Luxor and Karnak, Temple of Amon Ra, the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, and Deir el-Bahri; picture stop at Colossi of Memnon

Edfu:
Visit the Temple of Horus

All Daytime Shore Excursions


Aswan:
Sail by felucca to Kitchener Island; visit the Botanical Gardens; excursion to the Old Dam & High Dam; cruise to Agilika; visit Temple of Isis and ancient granite quarries

Aswan-Cairo:
By air, including airport transfersNotes:All arrangements in Egypt are under the management of the official government tourist organization Misr Travel. As traffic conditions and the water level of the Nile are not always predictable, slight changes to the day-by-day itinerary cannot be excluded.Intra-tour flights included in both land-only and air-inclusive prices.

Ship
Royal Lotus

 

Meals
Welcome drink, 7 buffet breakfasts (B), 3 full breakfasts (B), 4 lunches (L), 6 dinners (D)

Hotels


Cairo
Oberoi Mena House (Garden view) (D) or Fairmont Heliopolis (D),

Luxor
Maritim Jolie Ville Luxor Island Resort (D),

Nile Cruise
Royal Lotus,

Aswan
Mövenpick Resort Aswan (SF)

Day 1:
(Mon.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Cairo, Egypt. (Tue.) A welcome drink awaits you at your hotel; settle in and start soaking up the atmosphere of this exciting city.

Day 3:
Cairo. The Pyramids. (Wed.) Meet your Egyptologist and traveling companions at 8am. Then, a leisurely day of sightseeing in and around Africa’s largest metropolis starts at the EGYPTIAN MUSEUM with Tutankhamun’s fabulous treasures, an exciting first encounter with the splendor of three millennia of Egyptian civilization. On to GIZA for a close-up look at the enigmatic SPHINX and the daunting Great Pyramids. Cheops, with an original height of 496 feet, is the most colossal pyramid ever built. A suggestion for tonight: return to Giza to enjoy the optional sound and light show. (B)

Day 4:
Cairo. Alexandria Excursion. (Thu.) A pleasant drive through the fertile Nile Delta to the seaport of Alexandria. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, this Mediterranean port city soon became one of the major centers of commerce and science of the Hellenistic world. Your sightseeing features the GRECO-ROMAN MUSEUM, Pompey’s massive red granite pillar, and the intriguingly decorated CATACOMBS. Before making your way back to Cairo, stroll through the narrow lanes of the ancient city. (B,L)

Day 5:
Cairo–Luxor. (Fri.) Depart Cairo for ancient MEMPHIS, where you’ll admire the 40-foot statue of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx. On to SAKKARA’S “stairway to the sky,” the oldest of all pyramids. Later, transfer to the airport for your 300-mile flight up the Nile Valley to Luxor. (B,D)

Day 6:
Luxor (Embarkation). (Sat.) After a morning at leisure, board your elegant river cruise vessel in time for lunch. This afternoon, look forward to a grand start to sightseeing in the Nile Valley. See the stunning monuments of LUXOR and KARNAK, the greatest cities of ancient Egypt that had a combined population of more than one million. To walk among the pillars of the colossal TEMPLE OF AMON RA and along the AVENUE OF THE SPHINXES is an experience you will treasure the rest of your life. Tonight, consider taking in the optional sound and light show at Karnak. (B,L,D)

Day 7:
Luxor–Edfu. (Sun.) Focus on the VALLEY OF KINGS and VALLEY OF QUEENS on the west bank of the Nile, where generations of pharaohs and nobles were buried in great splendor in crypts cut into the cliffs. Sixty-two royal tombs have been uncovered so far, of which only the tomb of Tutankhamun was nearly inviolate when discovered in 1922. Visit DEIR EL-BAHRI, Queen Hatshepsut’s monumental rock temple. Stop for pictures at the two COLOSSI OF MEMNON guarding the valleys. This afternoon, start your leisurely cruise up Egypt’s river of destiny. See white-clad farmers with their donkeys, camels, and water buffaloes work lush, green fields; and ever present on the horizon beyond the palm trees is the desert. (B,L,D)

Day 8:
Edfu–Kom Ombo. (Mon.) Board a horse-drawn carriage for the drive through Edfu to the TEMPLE OF HORUS with its menacing black stone statue of the falcon god. Built in the time of Cleopatra about 2,000 years ago, it is recent by Old Egyptian standards and beautifully preserved. After lunch, dock at KOM OMBO for a short walk to its bluff-top temple dedicated to the crocodile and falcon gods. Haggle for bargains in the local market before returning to the boat and sailing toward Aswan. (B,L,D)

Day 9:
Aswan (Disembarkation). (Tue.) After breakfast on board, disembark and check into your hotel in Aswan. An included excursion takes you to the turn-of-the-century Old Dam—to this day the widest dam in the world—and the gigantic Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970. Board a motor launch to the island of Agilika between the two dams and visit the TEMPLE OF ISIS, transplanted from the submerged island of Philae. Stop at the ancient GRANITE QUARRIES to see the famous unfinished obelisk. Spend the day at leisure to enjoy this lovely resort town at your own pace. (B,D)

Day 10:
Aswan. (Wed.) A free morning lets you catch up on postcard writing and shopping—or take an optional flight (weather permitting) to the huge sandstone temples of Abu Simbel. A special treat this afternoon: board a felucca and sail right across the blue waters of the river. En route, see the ancient “nilometer” on Elephantine Island, Kitchener Island’s lush BOTANICAL GARDENS, and the splendid Aga Khan Mausoleum on the left bank. (B,D)

Day 11:
Aswan–Cairo. (Thu.) Fly from Aswan back to Cairo. There’s time this afternoon for independent activities or to join an optional excursion to walled Old Cairo, with Saladin’s 12th-century Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque, and the labyrinthine bazaar. And how about our optional dinner cruise on the Nile River tonight to celebrate the success of your Egyptian touring adventure? (B)

Day 12:
Cairo. (Fri.) Homebound flight. (B)

Don't miss our current specials: Save up to $2,000 on select 2010 Europe River Cruises Save up to $2,000 per couple on these select 2010 Avalon Waterways River Cruises.* $2,000 off per couple Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches 8 days from Paris to Paris or 9 days incl. travel Aug 30, 2010 Burgundy & Provence 11 days from Côte d’Azur to Paris or 12 days incl. travel Aug 30, 2010 Central European Experience 12 days from Prague to Paris or 11 days incl. travel Aug 19, 2010 Sept 30, 2010 The Blue Danube Discovery 13 days from Budapest to Prague or 14 days incl. travel Oct 21, 2010 Oct 24, 2010 European Splendor 13 days from Vienna to Amsterdam or 14 days incl. travel Oct 18, 2010 Windmills, Vineyards & Paris 13 days from Paris to Amsterdam or 14 days incl. travel October 4, 2010 Blue Danube to the Black Sea 13 days Vienna to Bucharest or 12 days incl. travel Aug 17, 2010 The Rhine & Moselle 14 days from Amsterdam to Basel or 15 days incl. travel Oct 16, 2010 Magnificent Europe 15 days from Amsterdam to Budapest 16 days incl. travel Aug 21, 2010 Oct 9, 2010 Oct 16, 2010 Magnificent Europe 15 days from Budapest to Amsterdam 16 days incl. travel August 28, 2010 September 4, 2010 September 25, 2010 October 2, 2010 The Upper Rhine to the City of Music 13 days from Zürich to Vienna or 14 days incl. travel Oct 29, 2010 North Sea—Black Sea Cruise 23 days from Bucharest to Amsterdam or 24 days incl. travel August 27, 2010 *Book a select 2010 Europe Avalon Waterways River Cruise vacation to receive $1,000 off per person. Book a select Taste of Danube river cruise vacation to receive the $500 off per person. Offer available on select dates of select cruises listed above. Suites excluded. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied anytime after May 18, 2010 for travel at select times in 2010. Applies to new 2010 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. Offer reliant on space availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Not combinable with any other offer other than Journeys Club member benefit. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply. Avalon Waterways Will Not Be Undersold! Avalon will match competitor pricing on 2010 European river cruises!* Call today and gives us the name and departure date of a competitor's river cruise you are considering.  If Avalon has a comparable 2010 cruise available, they'll match the per diem price - with the newest fleet on the market, why not? *Book a Europe Avalon River cruise vacation to receive the match offer.  Must provide the name and departure date of the competitor cruise in order to qualify.  Must be made, under deposit, and discount applied prior to March 2, 2010 for travel through December 31st, 2010. Offer good in conjunction with other qualifying offers including Journeys Club.  Offer is subject to change and could be withdrawn at any time.  Applies to new 2010 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings.  Offer reliant on space availability.  Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
9/6/2010 - 9/17/2010	$2,608
9/13/2010 - 9/24/2010	$2,608
9/20/2010 - 10/1/2010	$2,608
9/27/2010 - 10/8/2010	$3,316
10/4/2010 - 10/15/2010	$3,316
10/11/2010 - 10/22/2010	$3,316
10/18/2010 - 10/29/2010	$3,316
10/25/2010 - 11/5/2010	$3,316
11/1/2010 - 11/12/2010	$3,316
11/8/2010 - 11/19/2010	$3,316
11/15/2010 - 11/26/2010	$3,173
11/22/2010 - 12/3/2010	$3,173
11/29/2010 - 12/10/2010	$3,173
12/6/2010 - 12/17/2010	$3,316
12/13/2010 - 12/24/2010	$3,469
12/20/2010 - 12/31/2010	$3,841
12/27/2010 - 1/7/2011	$3,841
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Price Details US
Supplement for single room on land and single stateroom on cruise:$749 (0105-0427), $575 (0504-0921), $863 (0928-0308)Extra nights per person in Cairo:in single room $253, in twin room $1602011 departures are subject to itinerary and price modification.

Save up to $2,000 on select 2010 Europe River Cruises

Avalon Waterways Will Not Be Undersold!

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