Egypt: A Moment in History

Abu Simbel can be added as an optional excursion on Day 9 for an additional price of $365 per person, please ask A&K.

Special Notes:
Sequence of daily sightseeing may vary due to local conditions. Cruise ship arrival and departure times may also vary slightly. Your local Abercrombie & Kent staff will keep you apprised of any itinerary changes if/as they occur. Please also be aware that some flights within Egypt depart very early in the morning.

PLEASE NOTE: Luggage is limited to a combined total weight of 44 lbs. per person on internal air flights within Egypt. Please pack accordingly.

Your exciting journey to the “Land of the Pharaohs” begins today when you arrive by international flight to Cairo. On arrival, proceed through Customs and Immigration before being met by an Abercrombie & Kent representative and transferred to your hotel.

Your hotel in Cairo, the Fairmont Nile City, is located on the banks of the Nile River just 30 minutes from the Great Sphinx and the Great Pyramid. The rooftop, poolside bar and full-service Willow Stream Spa are ideal spots to unwind and relax ahead of your journey.

Your morning is at leisure. In the afternoon, set off on your first excursion: a visit to the world-famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquities with your local guide. This museum (which houses over 120,000 relics including some dating back to 4000 BC), gives you an introduction to the different periods of ancient Egypt and the individual artistic and architectural styles of these periods. Marvel at the treasures recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun, including his golden funerary mask, one of the most extraordinary works of art ever created.

Today you visit the Giza Plateau, site of the pyramids of Mycerinus, Chefren and the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The largest of the three, Cheops is the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Resting in front of the Pyramid of Chefren you find the Sphinx, the guardian of the royal tombs from the third millennium. The Sphinx, which measures 190 feet long and 65 feet high, was carved out of a single piece of rock in the shape of a lion with a pharaoh's head. Continue to Sakkara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis, whose surviving pyramids include the famous Step Pyramid, the world's oldest freestanding stone structure. Lunch today is served at a restaurant overlooking the Pyramids. Return to your hotel where the evening is at leisure. You may choose the option of attending the Sound and Light performance at the Giza Pyramids. (Please note: This is an optional excursion, available at an additional fee, payable locally in Egypt.)

Early this morning, fly south along the Nile to Luxor to begin your four-night Nile cruise on board ‘Sun Boat IV,’ where all meals are included and service is impeccable and ever-present. On arrival, your local resident guide escorts you to the East Bank of the Nile for a guided tour of the awe-inspiring Temple of Karnak, a huge complex 2,000 years in the making.

Karnak Temple is a temple within a temple, a shrine within a shrine. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall with its massive, expertly aligned columns, truly a sight to behold. Covering 50,000 square feet (an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral), there are 134 great columns that once supported an enormous roof, an extraordinary engineering feat for the 12th century BC. At the conclusion of your visit, transfer to your luxurious Nile cruiser, ‘Sun Boat IV,’ and enjoy lunch on board.

This afternoon, explore the West Bank, the burial ground of the great pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Your journey takes you first to the famous Valley of the Kings. Over sixty magnificent tombs have been discovered here to date. From here, visit the lovely, terraced funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's first female pharaoh. Pause for a photo stop at the fabled Colossi of Memnon, two enormous seated statues. Time permitting, today’s sightseeing may also include a visit to the Valley of the Queens (Biban el-Harim).

This evening, enjoy complimentary cocktails and a selection of canapés before a delicious gourmet dinner prepared by your on-board chef.

Rest and enjoy the lovely scenery this morning as your cruise takes you northward to Qena. This part of your journey is very much off the beaten track — in fact, most other Nile boats are too big to sail here — and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery along the Nile. On reaching Qena, disembark and then continue overland to Denderah, where you visit the beautiful Temple of Hathor. This wonderfully preserved temple complex is a rare sight to behold, complete with a massive stone roof, dark chambers, underground passages and towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs.

From here, return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ and enjoy lunch as you sail back to Luxor. Late this afternoon, you once again journey to the East Bank of the Nile, this time visiting the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor, built by Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun, Horemheb and Ramses II during their respective reigns and dedicated to the god Amun. Along the front of the temple pylons are three large statues of Ramses II, while behind the East Tower, inside the Courtyard of Ramses II, is a mosque built over a portion of the temple.

At the conclusion of your visit, return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ where you enjoy another gourmet dinner, followed by a belly dance performance and a whirling dervish show.

This morning your port of call is at Edfu, where you visit the Temple of Horus (the falcon-god). This beautifully preserved structure makes it easy to imagine what temple worship in ancient Egypt would have been like. Return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ where lunch and afternoon tea are served. There is time at leisure to relax or perhaps take part in a cooking lesson hosted by your on-board chef. Early this evening, visit the lovely Greco-Roman temple of Kom Ombo, uniquely dedicated to Haroeris (the sun god) and Sobek (the crocodile god). The temple, built in the third century BC, stands at a bend in the Nile where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun. Several of their mummies are on display here. At the conclusion of your sightseeing, return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ where there is time to freshen up before dinner. Tonight’s dinner on board is an “Egyptian Night” costume party for all guests, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian galabeyyas. Dinner will be a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by Arabic music and dancing for everyone.

This morning, your cruise takes you to Aswan, where you enjoy a sightseeing excursion, beginning with a short boat ride to view the exquisite Temple of Philae on the island of Agilika, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Moved from the submerged Island of Philae, the temple was reconstructed stone by stone on Agilika. Continue to the granite quarries, the very same quarries that supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in the pyramids and temples. Here you find the enormous Unfinished Obelisk, which weighs 1,200 tons and is a fine example of the extraordinary skills and techniques used by the ancient Egyptian stonemasons.

Return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ for lunch. This afternoon (weather permitting) you take a sail in a traditional Nile felucca (Egyptian sailboat) around Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands with an opportunity to view the splendid Aga Khan Mausoleum high above the river. At the conclusion of your sightseeing, return to your cruise vessel, where afternoon tea is served as a trio of Egyptian musicians performs. Later, enjoy a farewell dinner, with white-gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine.

This morning you bid farewell to the crew of the ‘Sun Boat IV’ before being transferred to the airport for return flight to Cairo.

Optional Excursion:
You may wish to take an early flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel, site of the magnificent temple of Ramses II.

There are, in fact, two temples: the Great Temple of Ra-Harakhte, fronted by the four colossal statues of Ramses II (each over 600 feet high), and the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to Ramses’ beloved wife Queen Nefertari. Impressive in themselves, these temples are further remarkable in that they were cut into pieces, raised up the hillside from their old location and then reassembled around a concrete dome on the current site, when threatened by floodwaters from Lake Nasser and the High Dam project.

At the conclusion of your visit to Abu Simbel, board your return flight to Aswan and on to Cairo, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. Please note: There is an additional cost for this optional excursion.

Back in Cairo, the balance of the day is at leisure — a perfect opportunity for some additional shopping or independent sightseeing at your own pace.

Today you immerse yourself once again in Cairo, soaking in its history from the medieval period all the way to the present day, where a new spirit of freedom and optimism fills the air. Your half-day tour of Cairo includes an opportunity to explore the mosque and madrasa (Koranic school) of Sultan Hassan. Built in AD 1356, it is one of the largest in the world and among the finest examples of early Mamluk architecture. You also embark on an enjoyable walking tour from Bab el-Fotouh to the ancient thoroughfare of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, once the heart of the old walled city of Cairo and where today, stalls display spices, leather goods and jewelry. This part of the bazaar -- where Egyptians themselves go to bargain for everyday items – will thrill your senses and your guide will fascinate you with explanations of passing licorice-tea-sellers, spice markets with obscure roots and magical powders, black-swathed women, wicker baskets of birds, and brightly-painted donkey-carts of watermelon and mangos.

Today your journey comes to an end when you are transferred to the airport for your departure flight.

BOOKING CONDITIONS:

PAYMENT:
A deposit of $500 per person is due upon booking. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. If your reservation is made within 90 days prior to departure, the entire program price must be paid at time of confirmation.

CANCELLATION:
In the event of written cancellation, the following forfeiture of program price will be assessed based on the number of days prior to program departure that the cancellation was received:

90 days or more $500 per person per program, 89-60 days prior 20% of the program price, 59-30 days 50% of the program price, 29 days or less 100% of the program price,

INTERNAL AIR:
A 100% cancellation charge applies if cancellation is received 59 days or less prior to program departure.

INSURANCE:
A&K's Passenger Travel Protection Plan, which provides cancellation coverage, medical coverage and protection against lost or damaged luggage, is strongly recommended.

PRICES AND ARRANGEMENTS:
Quoted program prices include planning, handling and operational charges, and are based on current rates of exchange, tariffs and taxes as of August, 2011. A&K reserves the right to increase program prices to cover increased costs, tariffs, fuel surcharges and taxes received after prices are published, and to reflect fluctuations in foreign currency markets. A&K is under no obligation to give breakdown costs involved in any escorted program. Modification of program content to accommodate a smaller group size will not affect the published program price.

ABERCROMBIE & KENT USA, LLC reserves the right to withdraw a program or any part of it, to make such alterations to the itinerary or program inclusions as it deems necessary or desirable, and to pass on to program members any expenditures or losses caused by delays or events beyond its control.

Your tour price INCLUDES:

ACCOMMODATIONS:
All accommodations as noted in the itinerary.

MEALS AND BEVERAGES:
Meals as specified in the itinerary: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner. Bottled water is provided in vehicles during sightseeing excursions; tea, coffee and soft drinks are included with group meals.

TRANSFERS:
Arrival and departure transfers in Cairo are included, as are local arrival and departure transfers in Luxor and Aswan.

BAGGAGE HANDLING AND RESTRICTIONS:
Transport of two (2) pieces of baggage per person is provided; however, gratuities to porters are not included in the tour cost. Please note that baggage weight should not exceed 44 lbs. (20 kgs.) per person.

SIGHTSEEING:
Locally-guided sightseeing is included as specified in the itinerary, including entrance fees.

GUIDES/STAFF:
All sightseeing will be conducted by a resident A&K Tour Guide in Cairo. A dedicated local Egyptologist will lead all sightseeing while cruising on Sun Boat IV.

TAXES/SERVICE CHARGES:
Hotel taxes and service charges are included for all services specified in the itinerary.

Your tour price DOES NOT INCLUDE:

PERSONAL EXPENSES:
Passenger Travel Protection Plan; international airfares; costs of obtaining passports or entry visas; airport departure taxes, unless otherwise noted; excess baggage charges; gratuities for hotel/restaurant staff, porters, boat crew, tour guides and drivers; meals, beverages and sightseeing not included in the itinerary; room service charges; personal expenses such as laundry, communication charges and optional activities (which are subject to availability).

Additional expenses incurred due to delay or loss of luggage or a change, delay or cancellation of any flight will be the responsibility of the passenger. If this occurs, ABERCROMBIE & KENT USA, LLC's correspondent company will do all possible to assist passengers in boarding or finding alternative arrangements. It must be stressed that this is done as a courtesy to clients and ABERCROMBIE & KENT USA, LLC cannot be held responsible for denied boarding, nor for the additional costs thus incurred, nor for monies not recovered for missed land arrangements due to airline delays.

AIR TRANSPORTATION:
Airfares are not included in the land program price. ABERCROMBIE & KENT USA, LLC has special agreements with many carriers and can offer quotations from any gateway. Please ask your Tour Consultant about our special fares.

All international and domestic air quotes are subject to change and can carry penalties and surcharges until final payment has been received by A&K. Flight confirmation is based on availability. PLEASE NOTE THAT CERTAIN AIRFARES ARE SUBJECT TO A SERVICE FEE. Air reservations cannot be confirmed until a passport copy has been received by A&K.

INTERNAL AIR:
Scheduled air transportation Cairo / Luxor and Aswan / Cairo in economy class is quoted separately.

GUARANTEED DEPARTURES:
These escorted group programs are guaranteed to operate. Guaranteed departures will operate except in cases of force majeure, which could include any major world event adversely affecting international travel patterns or other circumstances beyond A&K's control.

ACTIVE ELEMENTS:
Some active elements have been incorporated into the itinerary. To enjoy the program as intended, a minimum level of fitness is required. A&K will require notice if any participant has any physical or other condition or disability that could create a hazard to himself or herself, or other members of the group.

A&K reserves the right to decline to accept anyone that it considers unsuitable due to fitness level. A&K also reserves the right to remove from the program, at the participant's own expense, anyone whose condition is such that it could create a hazard to himself or herself or others, or otherwise impact the enjoyment of the other passengers on the program. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED ANY CLARIFICATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC PROGRAM, PLEASE ASK FOR DETAILS.

ITINERARIES:
Accommodation (hotel or vessel) and arranged sightseeing are subject to change at any time due to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond A&K's control. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but alterations may occur after the final itinerary has been issued.

A&K also reserves the right to withdraw a program or any part of it, to make such alterations to the itinerary or program inclusions as it deems necessary or desirable, and to pass on to program members any expenditures or losses caused by delays or events beyond its control.

SPECIAL REQUESTS:
Special requests (such as adjacent or connecting rooms, bedding requests, smoking or non-smoking rooms and special dietary requests) should be advised at the time of booking. Please note that every effort will be made to secure special requests; however some cannot be guaranteed.

OTHER:
Cruise itineraries are subject to change at the discretion of A&K, those in command of the vessel and government regulations based on operational and other considerations, including weather and water levels. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned.

LIMITS ON ABERCROMBIE & KENT'S RESPONSIBILITY:

Abercrombie & Kent USA, LLC, its employees, shareholders, officers, directors, successors, agents and assigns (collectively A&K), does not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your trip. It purchases transportation (by aircraft, coach, train, vessel or otherwise), hotel and other lodging accommodations, restaurant, ground handling and other services from various independent suppliers (including from time to time other affiliated Abercrombie & Kent companies). All such persons and entities are independent contractors. As a result A&K is not liable for any negligent or willful act of any such person or entity or of any third person.

In addition and without limitation, A&K is not responsible for any injury, financial or physical loss, death, inconvenience, delay or damage to personal property in connection with the provision of any goods or services whether resulting from but not limited to acts of God or force majeure, illness, disease, acts of war, civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, animals, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of services, food poisoning, mechanical or other failure of aircraft or other means of transportation or for failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time.

There are many inherent risks in adventure travel of the type involved here, which can lead to illness, injury, or even death. These risks are increased by the fact that these programs take place in remote locations, far from medical facilities. Passenger assumes all such risks associated with participating in this trip.

Travel Advisories and Warnings: It is the responsibility of the traveller to become informed about the most current travel advisories and warnings by referring to the U. S. State Department's travel website at www.travel.state.gov/ or by phone at 1-888-407- 4747. In the event of an active State Department Travel Warning against travel to the specific destination location(s) of the trip, should the traveller still choose to travel, notwithstanding any travel advisory or warning, the traveller assumes all risk of personal injury, death or property damage that may arise out of the events like those advised or warned against.

Arbitration Agreement: Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms and Conditions, to the Limits on Abercrombie & Kent's Responsibility clause, to the brochure, to any information relating in any way to the trip, to the trip itself, or to any products or services related to the trip, shall be settled solely and exclusively by binding arbitration in Chicago, Illinois in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that (a) in lieu of a personal appearance at arbitration, the arbitration may be conducted by telephonic means, (b) arbitration is the exclusive forum for dispute resolution (no court actions), and (c) except as otherwise provided by statute, each party shall bear its own costs and expenses and an equal share of the arbitrator and administrative fees.

Travellers Representations: The traveller represents that neither he nor she nor anyone traveling with him or her has any physical or other condition or disability that could create a hazard to him or herself or other members of the tour. A&K reserves the right to decline to accept anyone on a trip, and to remove from the trip, at his or her sole expense, anyone whose condition is such that he or she could create a hazard to himself or others, or otherwise impact the enjoyment of other passengers on the trip.

ANY PAYMENT TO ABERCROMBIE & KENT CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN AND IN MORE SPECIFIC PRE-DEPARTURE PASSENGER DOCUMENTATION, INCLUDING THE PERSONAL INFORMATION FORM.

© 2011 Abercrombie & Kent USA, LLC. ABERCROMBIE & KENT, A&K, ADVENTURE CREW, DESIGN YOUR DAY, GUARDIAN ANGEL, INSPIRING EXPERIENCES, MARCO POLO CLUB, PRIVATE JOURNEYS, SIGNATURE SERIES, SIMPLY THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL, TRAVELLING BELL BOY and the ampersand design are service marks owned by Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies S.A. The service marks and trademarks of airlines appearing in this brochure or on abercrombiekent.com are owned by the respective companies mentioned.

Complimentary Passenger Travel Protection Insurance

Complimentary Passenger Travel Protection Insurance on Select Egypt Journeys

Reserve select 2011 and 2012 Egypt journeys and receive complimentary Passenger Travel Protection insurance, a value of up to $500. Call for details. Egypt journeys include:

• Egypt Unveiled
  November 3, 17, December 1, 2011 and all January - May 2012 departures
• Jordan and Egypt: Sands of Time
  October 7, 2011 and all January - April 2012 departures
• Images of Egypt & Kenya
  February 28, 2012
• Pharaohs and Pyramids
  All January - March 2012 departures
• Splendors of the Nile
  March 19, 2012

Save 15 - 50% on Abercombie and Kent Egypt Journeys!

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