Grand Egyptian Odyssey
Luxury Tour to Egypt
Travel in the style of the pharaohs on this odyssey to discover Egypt’s hidden wonders. Explore the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, a place which after hundreds of years of excavations is still yielding valuable discoveries. Visit the subterranean chambers of the step pyramid, previously off limits to visitors, the tomb of the Apis bull and the ‘Bent’ and ‘Red’ pyramids of nearby Dahshour. Explore Siwa Oasis, situated in the middle of the Sahara and venture into middle Egypt to the site of Amarna and the ancient city of Akhenaten in the desert. Explore the west bank at Luxor with an exclusive visit to the tomb of Ay and the Valley of the Monkeys as well as visits to two of the most spectacular of Egypt’s royal tombs, the tomb of Nefertari and the tomb of Seti I. No matter how many times you’ve visited the land of the pharaohs (or even if this is your first time) you will surely find something undiscovered that is sure to impress.
No roughing it at all on this trip! Come back after a hard day’s adventuring to either a unique and historical 5-star hotel, a friendly luxury B&B, beautiful desert lodges or an opulent Nile cruise boat.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Explore lesser-known archaeological wonders of Egypt with visits to the ‘Bent’ and ‘Red’ Pyramids of Dahshour, the tombs of the nobles in Luxor and the mysterious ‘Osirion’ of Abydos
- Discover the Valley of the Monkey’s and the royal tomb of Ay with special access to a site that is not normally open to the public
- Visit the newly re-opened tombs of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and visit the tomb of Seti I, the largest and most extravagant of all the royal tombs
- Venture out to the far western oasis of Siwa to see the architectural wonder of the mudbrick fortress of Shali and the ‘temple of the Oracle’ where Alexander the Great was proclaimed son of a god and the legitimate ruler of Egypt
- Stay in opulent lodges and 5-star hotels as well as sail down the Nile on a luxury cruiser
ITINERARY
Details
Duration: 20 Days
Trip style: Luxe
Group size: Minimum 6 / Maximum 15
Trip code: GOCA
Cost: $13 832.00 AUD twin share
Single supplement: $3250.00 AUD
Inclusions
- 19-nights accommodation in unique and historical 5-star hotels, desert lodges, luxury B&B and Nile cruise boat
- Meals as specified in itinerary (B = Breakfast / L = Lunch / D = Dinner)
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- Services of your Inverted Atlas trip leader and local guides
Optional experiences (not included):
- Luxor: Hot Air Balloon ride over the West Bank
* Please note some optional experiences must be booked prior to travel. You will be given the option to add these experiences at check out
Trip price does not include
- International airfares or domestic airfares
- Visa for Egypt
- Meals not included as per trip itinerary including drinks and mini bar
- Additional accommodation before or after the tour
- Items of a personal nature including but not limited to laundry, souvenirs, porterage etc.
- Travel insurance – please note comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travel with Inverted Atlas
This trip travels through Egypt, a country well accustomed to tourism. Egypt is an Islamic country and women should consider dressing appropriately so as not to cause offense culturally and to avoid attracting unwanted attention, however there is no compulsory dress code. Toilets you encounter in public restrooms or in remote unscheduled stops along the way may be of the eastern ‘squat’ variety. There are some long travel days, but rest assured on arrival we will always be checking in to accommodation that is of an excellent standard. In Egypt, every traveller no matter the style in which they choose to travel will be subject to the “hassle factor”. Local people will often see travellers as a way to make money, whether this is by providing a product or service in the marketplace, providing directions on the street or offering to carry your bag for you. Our advice is to remember it is part of the culture here and to carry lots of small notes for ‘backsheesh’ or tipping. A thick skin and a good sense of humour will serve you well in these circumstances in which locals can often be relentless.
Facilities such as pharmacies, banks and ATM’s can be found in large cities and towns but will be absent from smaller villages and remote places.
Any dietary requirements should not be an issue while traveling on this trip, provided they are disclosed to Inverted Atlas at the time of booking.
A note about fitness
This luxury tour to Egypt requires a good level of physical fitness. You should be able to walk up to 4km at times and manage uneven surfaces during sightseeing, which will sometimes be at an incline. In addition, you should be able to climb up to 100 stairs unassisted and use an eastern style squat toilet (beware if you have knee issues).
You will need to be able to carry your own luggage to and from the coach and into the accommodation. (Due to OH&S regulations our trip leaders are not able to assist with luggage.) For a small fee locally, porterage can often be provided.
In addition, you should be in good health, with no major chronic conditions requiring frequent medical attention. This trip often travels through remote locations where the availability of a hospital or even phone reception to call an ambulance is limited. While all our trip leaders are required to have a valid first aid certificate, they are far from doctors and any assistance they are able to provide will be limited to basic first aid. For more information please see our booking conditions.
Single supplement
Traveling by yourself? No problem, we love single travellers and don’t believe in penalising them by charging half the trip price again for our single supplement. With us you are only paying the actual cost to have a room all to yourself. If you’re up for making a new friend, you can elect to share with another single traveller of the same sex and only pay the twin-share price. The choice is yours!
Trip leader description
Accompanying you along your journey will be your Inverted Atlas trip leader. Your trip leader is a logistics extraordinaire, keeps the trip running smoothly and ensures you have the best time possible on your trip. It is important to know that while your trip leader has the best job in the world, they aren’t actually on holidays, but rather they are there to make sure you have the best time while you are on your holiday! Your trip leader may at times need some time out so that they can complete back of house tasks that ensure everyone continues to enjoy the trip. It is also your trip leaders’ job to handle any issues (heaven forbid!) that come up while you’re on your trip like:
- If you lose your passport or other travel documents
- If there is a problem with your room at the booked accommodation – seriously please tell your trip leader don’t wait until you leave
- If you become unwell and need to find a pharmacy
- Assisting with restaurant recommendations or additional sightseeing during free time
- Questions regarding the itinerary
Your trip leader will have some good local knowledge about the destination in which you are traveling, however they are not a ‘local guide’. You’re welcome to ask your trip leader anything about the trip and if they don’t know they will find out and get back to you. Other people you will meet along the way are ‘local guides’ who are generally available to the group in specific towns or at specific sites like national parks, temples or archaeological sites. These people are the local experts and will be able to answer any questions you may have about the history and culture of a specific site.
A virtual tour of Egypt’s hidden wonders with your trip leader Kristina
Itinerary disclaimer
This itinerary is correct at the time of upload to our website and we have composed it in good faith. From time to time we may elect to make changes before departure, if we are making a big change we will of course notify you, however if it is a small change this will be reflected in the final trip notes. So, make sure you download these prior to departure. Small changes prior to departure are usually made with the groups best interests in mind and come about due to liaising with our best resources – our past travelers and of course our trip leaders! The ability to change and evolve depending on what our travelers enjoy is what makes us such a great trip operator.
While we strive to operate our trips exactly to the letter of the itinerary, sometimes we may need to make changes on the ground while the group is on the road. This is all part of the adventure of traveling and we would ask that you come on your trip with an open mind and a good sense of humour because as much as we want it to, everything doesn’t always go to plan. In fact, these impromptu situations often make the best stories that you can have a laugh with your friends about later.
Age requirements
Minimum Age: 16 years
There is no shared accommodation on this trip, and we will be traveling through a relatively well travelled part of the world, in this instance we would welcome everyone above the age of 16 years. Should you wish to bring younger children, please give us a call.
There is no upper age limit for this trip, but you should consider the above fitness requirements prior to booking. If you are 65 years or over, you will be asked to complete our Health Check Form and have your medical practitioner sign it to confirm you are in good health and able to participate safely on this trip.
Travel insurance
Please note that comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travel with Inverted Atlas. Insurance must include provision for medical situations, emergency medical repatriation to your home country and personal liability at a minimum. Proof of valid travel insurance will be requested by your trip leader on arrival at the pre-departure meeting. Please have this paperwork available for them. If you are unable to provide proof of comprehensive travel insurance, you may not be allowed to join the trip and no refund will be payable.