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FEBRUARY 17 – 28, 2011
Please join Gunter and Linda Walter and our Egyptologist, as we explore the secrets of some of the most awesome sights on earth! Share the excitement with a small group of fellow travelers when we experience the ancient world of the Pharaohs, Pyramids and the inscrutable Sphinx. Only the best of hotels and Nile cruise ships await us. We hope that you will invite your friends and families to come along as well.
For those who wish there is an extension to Jordan to marvel at the “rose- red city” of Petra, evocative Jerash, the Dead Sea and much more.
EGYPT & ETERNAL NILE
FEBRUARY 17 – 28, 2011
Febr 17, Thu: USA-Cairo
Febr 18, Fri: Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Mena House Oberoi Hotel where Pyramid view rooms in garden section have been reserved. Tonight our festive Welcome Dinner will feature music, dancers and wine. (D)
Febr 19, Sat: Cairo. After a leisurely and relaxing morning at the hotel meet your superb private Egyptologist-Guide who will give a helpful introduction to the sites and sights we will see during our tour. Then step back over 5000 years in time as we motor through the lush Valley of the Nile to the site of ancient Memphis, founded circa 3100 BC as the first capital of the newly United Kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. Admire the colossal fallen statue of Ramses the Great and an elegant Alabaster Sphinx, then tour the vast necropolis of Memphis, astounding Saqqara. The Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Zoser, Heb Sed Court and the Tomb of a Court Figure, where you will see delightful carved and painted wall relief scenes, are all on the agenda this afternoon. (B,D)
Febr 20, Sun: Cairo. This morning enjoy a guided tour of Giza and its three major monuments – the towering Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus. Visit the Museum of the Royal Boat, oldest large sailing craft ever discovered, then step onto Chephren’s huge causeway for a close-up introduction to its giant Sphinx. After a break for lunch visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue, whose community dates back to the time of Moses, and Saint Sergius Church, then the early Christian house of worship. (B,L)
Febr 21, Mon: Cairo-Luxor-Cruising. Transfer to Cairo airport for your EgyptAir domestic flight departing south to Luxor. Upon arrival you will visit Luxor Temple which provides an unforgettable introduction to ancient Thebes. Around noon embark on the deluxe Sonesta St. George Nile Cruise Ship, your home for the coming four nights. After lunch visit Karnak, the largest temple complex ever built by man, constructed over a time period of 1500 years. Walk through the avenue of Ram-headed sphinxes, past the statue of Ramses II, to stand in awe among the huge columns of the vast Hypostyle Hall. Before returning to our cruise ship we will take you on a guided tour to Luxor Museum to show you some of Egypt’s most beautiful treasures, including jewels, amulets, funerary furnishings and papyrus scrolls. (B,L,D)
Febr 22, Tue: Cruising-Esna. This morning cross the Nile again to marvel at the many sights in the Valley of the Kings. Your first visit starts with the Colossi of Memnon, two giant seated figures, then admire the gorgeously painted tomb of Thutmoses III and the tomb of the Golden Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Afterwards motor to the fascinating Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a unique architectural design. Return to your cruise ship and drift upstream, past palm fringed villages and irrigated fields to Esna. Tonight enjoy the Captain’s Welcome cocktail party and dinner (B,L,D)
Febr 23, Wed: Cruising-Kom Ombo. This morning in Edfu join our visit to the Temple of the falcon-headed Sun-God Horus, best preserved temple remaining from Egypt’s past. Lunch on board and this afternoon enjoy the ever changing, lush scenery as you cruise to Kom Ombo. A short stroll will take us to the twin-temple of crocodile-headed God Sobek and falcon-headed God Heroeris, romantically set directly on the riverbank at a lovely bend of the Nile. Tonight celebrate in Egyptian style at an Oriental Dinner and Galabeya Party. (B,L,D)
Febr 24, Thu: Cruising-Aswan. Cruise to exotic Aswan in the cool of the early morning first stop at Aswan High Dam for a briefing by your tour guide on the “pros and cons” of this controversial barrier across the Nile. Next visit an ancient granite quarry to learn the techniques in Pharaonic times of extracting huge blocks of stone from the bed-rock without machinery. A voyage by motor-launch then takes us across the smooth waters of the lake between two dams to the serene Temples of Philae. Centerpiece of this beautiful complex is the gracious Temple of Isis. Later return to Aswan and sail in a Felucca, a traditional sailing craft of the Nile, along the shores of Kitchener Island. Enjoy dinner on board followed by a Belly Dance and Egyptian Folkloric Show. (B,L,D)
Febr 25, Fri: Aswan. After disembarkation transfer to Aswan airport to board your short flight departing for Abu Simbel. Upon arrival we motor to the site of the awe-inspiring Temples of Abu Simbel. Here your private Egyptologist will introduce you to both the Great Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of Queen Nefertari, his beloved wife. These giant monuments were carved from scarlet sandstone cliffs beside the Nile by the artists and engineers of Pharaoh Ramses II “the Great” for reasons of empire your guide will explain. Before lunch board your flight back to Aswan and this afternoon visit the fabulous Nubian Museum, housing many examples of Nubian heritage & history, and later on enjoy a fun horse carriage ride to the Aswan colorful spice market. Dinner and overnight at the Movenpick Hotel, beautifully located on tropical Elephantine Island in the Nile River. (B,D)
Febr 26, Sat: Aswan-Cairo. After a leisurely breakfast transfer to Aswan Airport to board your flight departing for Cairo. Upon arrival check in at the Cairo Marriott, then visit the celebrated Egyptian Museum, an unrivaled warehouse of Pharaonic treasures and every-day life objects. Your Egyptologist will introduce you to all its major highlights – including the fabulous artifacts recovered by archeologist Howard Carter from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. (B,D)
Febr 27, Sun: Cairo. This morning drive into the exotic medieval area of Cairo, a fantasy of mosques and minarets, mausoleums and captivating old houses – and the colorful Khan El Khalili Bazaar quarter. Enjoy a walking tour with your guide of this maze of workshops and bazaars where all the traditional arts and crafts of Egypt are made and sold. After lunch at the bazaar we drive up to the great Citadel of Saladin, begun during the Crusades, and visit ornate Mohamed Ali (“Alabaster”) Mosque within its walls. From the terrace of the Citadel you will command a panoramic view of Cairo, the Nile and, if the weather is fine, the desert beyond. Tonight we will all celebrate our Farewell Dinner with wine at a popular restaurant. (B,L,D)
Febr 28, Mon: Cairo-USA. This morning transfer to Cairo Airport for your daylight flight back home or your flight to Amman for those doing the Jordan Extension enclosed here. (B)
SPECIAL INCLUDED FEATURES TO NOTE:
• Deluxe and First Class accommodations
• Breakfast buffet daily
• 6 lunches and 9 dinners
• Bottled water served at included lunches and dinners
• 4 day Nile Cruise aboard the deluxe Sonesta St. George in outside twin-bedded cabins with private facilities
• Services of professional tour director, Gunter Walter, as well as Egyptologist-Historian throughout
• All sightseeing as described in the itinerary including entrance fees
• Headsets included throughout the tour
• Porterage at airports, Nile Cruise ship and hotels
• Tips to local drivers
• Special Welcome and Farewell Dinner with wine
ITEMS NOT INCLUDED:
• Visa for Egypt (can be obtained at Cairo Airport upon arrival and are not expensive)
• Tips to Egyptologist and staff of Nile Cruise ship
• Transfers other than with group flight times
COST FOR LAND/CRUISE ARRANGEMENTS:
Per person sharing twin room: $5145.00
Single supplement: $1995.00 (reflects higher cruise single supplement)
Price based on minimum group size of 20.
DEPOSIT TO HOLD SPACE:
$800.00 per person to hold your space. A second deposit will be required at a later date .
AIRFARE:
Regency Travel will be happy to assist clients with least expensive and most convenient flights. Travellers are welcome to arrange their own air use frequent fliers or upgrade. Roundtrip hotel/airport transfers are included only at group flight times. Taxis are readily available at the airport for other flight times. For information please call Linda Walter at 901-844-6105 or (800) 278-8924 ext. 105 or Glenda Owen at ext. 106.
Insurance: Trip cancellation / medical/ baggage insurance is necessary and will be offered at a group rate. This covers illness or death in immediate family of traveller or traveller’s roommate and with this group rate, covers pre-existing conditions of a medical nature only.
CANCELLATION:
• Before July 1, 2010 : $150.00 per person
• From July 1, 2010 – Nov. 1, 2010 : $600.00 per person
• From Nov. 1, 2010 until departure: 100% of costs
For information, bookings, or brochures for friends, please call LINDA WALTER (901) 844-6105 or GLENDA OWEN (901) 844-6106 at Regency Travel or (800) 278-8924 ext. 105.
EGYPT 2011
Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone (H): (W)
Deposit to be paid by: Check Credit Crd
Name on Credit Card:
Credit Card Number:
Expiration Date: Sec. Code
Roommate:
I will will not need Regency Travel’s air arrangements and realize that arrival at a different time from the tour group means that I will get to the hotel on my own.
Responsibility Regency Travel and/or its agents act only in the capacity of tour operators for the clients in all matters pertaining to travel by air or surface. They shall not be liable for any injury, damage or loss occasioned by neglect, default of any company or person engaged in conveying the tour, or any hotel proprietor or vehicle rental organization or other persons supplying services or materials in connection with the tour. Regency Travel reserves the right to withdraw a tour at any time, to refuse to accept or retain any person as a member of a tour/or to make changes in the published itinerary whenever in their sole judgment conditions warrant or if they deem necessary for the comfort, convenience or safety of the passengers. All prices are based on tariffs and exchange rates in effect at the time of publication and are subject to re confirmation when final payment is made. The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not aboard their aircraft. The passage contract in use by the airlines concerned when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the airlines and purchased of these tours. The services of any IATA carrier, may be used in connection with the air portion of these tours.
JORDAN - POST TRIP EXTENSION +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Febr 28 – March 05, 2011
Febr 28, Mon: Cairo-Amman. Jordan is blessed with historic cities dating back to Biblical times as well as extraordinary scenery. We start our journey in the kingdom’s capital, the city of Amman. On arrival at Amman airport you are transferred to your deluxe Hotel Le Meridien, with the remainder of the day at leisure in this ancient city. Tonight, enjoy a special Jordanian Dinner at a popular restaurant. (B,D)
March 1, Tue: Amman-Petra. This morning we depart Amman for Petra via the King’s Highway. En route, we come upon Wadi Mujib, a dramatically deep gorge known in the Bible as Arnon’s Valley. Descending the 3,000 foot walls to the bottom of the wadi, or valley, we pass incredible landscapes on our way to Madaba and Mt. Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land before him. Then we wind our way back up to the towering medieval castles Kerak and Shobak, authentic 12th century Crusader fortresses whose galleries, chapels and ramparts recall the gallantry of the Crusaders themselves. In the late afternoon we arrive in Petra and spend the night at our hotel, the lovely Petra Movenpick. (B,L,D)
March 2, Wed: Petra. Nothing can prepare you for the splendor of this “Rose-Red” City, founded more than 2,000 years ago by a group of nomadic Nabatean Arabs. From the original rocky outcropping with some small caves, the Nabateans built the eleborate fortress that became Petra – a sandstone city with soaring temples, houses, paved streets and banquet halls. With our Bedouin guide, we approach Petra on horseback (you can walk if you prefer). We leave our horses at the siq, whose walls rise up to 660 feet. We emerge from the siq to see the spectacular Treasury, the 3,000-seat Roman Amphitheater, the Street of Facades and the Corinthian Tomb. Once a rich merchant city and a stop for the camel caravans which brought frankincense, silk and slaves from Arabia to the Mediterranean, Petra was abandoned in the 4th C and lost for a thousand years, emerging from its veil of antiquity in 1812. (B,L,D)
March 3, Thu: Petra-Amman. After a leisurely breakfast we motor via the Desert Highway to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, at 1,300 feet below sea level. Free time for a swim in the salty water and after a break for lunch we return to Amman, the ancient city of Philadelphia, built, like Rome, on seven hills. (B,L)
March 4, Fri: Amman. In the morning enjoy a tour of Amman showing you the highlights of Jordan’s political, commercial and cultural hub: visit the ancient Citadel with its ruined Temple of Hercules and its museum, full of 7,000-year-old artifacts, and the Roman amphitheater, a traditional smoke-filled souk. After lunch, dessert will include traditional Middle Eastern sweets, travel north to Jerash, a city so finely preserved that it’s often compared to Pompeii. One of the ten largest cities of the Eastern Roman Empire, Jerash welcomes us with Hadrian’s Arch, the Nymphaeum, temples dedicated to Zeus and Artemis, the Forum, the Theater and the mile long Street of Columns. Return to your hotel to relax and freshen up before a special Farewell Dinner at the fine restaurant of the Le Meridien. (B,L,D)
March 5, Sat: Amman- USA. This morning transfer to the Amman Airport for your daylight flight back to the USA. (B)
TOUR FEATURES & INCLUSIONS:
• Airfare from Cairo to Amman
• Deluxe and superior first- class rooms
• Personal headsets throughout the tour
• Breakfast buffet daily, 4 lunches and 4 dinners
• Bottled water served at all included meals
• Services of professional tour director, Gunter Walter, as well as local Jordanian guide throughout
• All sightseeing as described in the itinerary including entrance fees
• Baggage handling at airports and hotels
• Tips to local drivers
• Airport departure tax in Amman
• Items not included in price:
Visa for Jordan (can be obtained at Amman
Airport upon arrival) and gratuities to local
Jordanian guide
COST FOR LAND ARRANGEMENTS ABOVE:
$1995.00 per person sharing twin room. Singles add $595.00
Cost based on minimum of 15 participants.
Please advise us if you do or do not want this extension to Jordan.
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