Join me, as we return to Egypt and relive one of our most memorable travel experiences. Our last visit was more than a walk through history, it was a connection with our ancestors. I knew we had to go back, and several travelers who joined this trip in 2019 have asked that I repeat it. With a stay directly at the Giza Pyramids, and an upgraded sail along the Nile, we're going back, but with a different and more spiritual experience. Of course, we'll have Ahmed, our "guide to the stars" leading us with a heavy hand on our connection to Egypt. We'll spend 3 nights cruising down the Nile River, stand in total awe and amazement at the ancient pyramids, and swim in the beautiful clear waters of the Red Sea. Join Sonya Lowery as she brings you on another breathtaking journey - the World Next Door's 2022 RETURN TO EGYPT!
Each hotel is hyperlinked below so you can check out photos of the 4 and 5 star hotels where we will be staying:
2 nights at Marriott Mena House – Deluxe Pyramids View Rooms
1 night at Movenpick Aswan Resort – Standard Rooms
3 nights on board M/S Farah Nile Cruise – Deluxe Water-View Cabin
3 nights at Premier Le Reve Sahl Hahseesh hotel - Sea Side Ocean View Rooms
1 night at Intercontinental City Stars Hotel - Standard Rooms
I highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance. There are lots of different kinds of travel insurance plans that you can purchase, ranging from "cancel for any reason" to "limited coverage". You must purchase travel insurance on your own. I have provided some companies below, but you can choose your own. You must initiate contact with these travel insurance providers.
Please know that many travel insurance companies require that you purchase insurance within a certain number of days of booking the trip here and paying a deposit. Do not wait to look into travel insurance, if you do, it may be too late!
https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/
https://www.travelexinsurance.com/
https://www.travelguard.com/
https://aeti.americanexpress.com/travel-insurance/home.do
https://www.worldnomads.com/usa/travel-insurance
If you need more help, this article here may be helpful for you.
EgyptAir is our chosen airline carrier for this trip. They have the most direct flights so we can use our vacation time efficiently!
UPDATED INFORMATION:
The tour to Egypt will run from Sep 5 to 17 to accommodate the change in flight schedules. You will depart JFK on Sep 5, and return to IAD on Sep 17. The reason for this is due to travel departure/arrival times and to maximize nonstop flights between the US & Egypt. The flight timings have been listed in the details of the day by day itinerary. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out!
OLD INFORMATION: This tour has been planned prior to the release of EgyptAir's flight schedule for September 2022. Once this schedule has been released, the flight details will be sent to you. Please note that this tour is subject to slight modifications if the final flight schedules do not align. We endeavor to avoid ANY changes. You will be informed of any necessary changes as soon as we receive information from the airlines about any changes on their end.
If you purchase travel insurance, depending on the type of plan that you purchase and your reason for cancellation, you may be eligible to get all of your money back.
*All cancellations must be sent in writing to travelwithworldnextdoor@gmail.com
The date of the cancellation will be noted as the date that cancellation email is received.
CANCELLATION PENALTIES:
Cancel by:
Sep 30 or earlier: $500 + $300 = $800 is nonrefundable
Oct 1 - Nov 30 = $1,200 is nonrefundable
Dec 1 - Jan 31 = $1,500 is nonrefundable
Feb 1 - Mar 31: = $2,000 is nonrefundable
Apr 1 - Apr 31: = $2,500 is nonrefundable
May 1 - May 14: = $3,000 is nonrefundable
May 15 and later: all payments by this point are nonrefundable
If your roommate cancels and you are unwilling to share a room or we cannot match you with a roommate, you are required to pay the single supplement. We will always try to match you with a roommate whenever we can.
If you would like to book this trip but need to ask questions & talk to someone live, please email travelwithworldnextdoor@gmail.com Send your name, email address and phone number, and the best times to reach you, and we will call you. Otherwise you are welcome to email questions here and a reply will be provided at our earliest convenience.
Please review all of the information here as there is a very good chance that the answer to your question is contained on this website.
Roundtrip flights from USA on EgyptAir with all intra-Egypt flights included
Airfare taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges including one checked bag
Deluxe superior class luxury hotels throughout.
3 nights accommodations aboard an upscale Nile Cruise Boat, the MS Farah Nile
Virtually every meal is included! 10 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
Excursions and activities throughout including admission fees. Some activities will be optional and at an added cost, but all of the major sightseeing and highlights of Egypt have been included
Experienced English speaking Egyptologist tour director (Ahmed Hashem)
Travelers are responsible for getting themselves to/from the appropriate airports on day of departure/return
Only a few meals not included and they are mentioned in the day by day itinerary. All breakfasts are included, and almost every lunch and dinner are included too. Beverages on Nile Cruise are extra.
Some tours will be optional and at an added cost
Must be purchased on your own separately.
Tips to be paid while you are on the trip
Paid locally in Cairo airport for $30 (subject to change). A guide will help assist us in this process while at the airport.
EgyptAir may offer the option to preassign your desired seat (aisle, window, etc) at an additional reasonable cost. More info will be provided closer to departure!
Your included flight departs JFK. We are scheduled to depart JFK at 6:30 PM. (Flight times are subject to change). Please book your own flights/bus/train to arrive into JFK no later than 3 PM.
Welcome to Cairo, both Egypt’s capital and its largest city! Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport at 11 AM, we will be met and assisted through customs and formalities, obtain our visa, then transferred to our hotel located right at the Giza pyramids.
We will meet our tour director, Ahmed, and be given some free time to relax and enjoy dinner at our own leisure. Our hotel enjoys close up views of the pyramids, perhaps enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant this evening! (Please note that lunch and dinner are not included today).
This morning visit the Pyramids of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built during the Third and Fourth Dynasties, these monumental undertakings stand as a marvelous testimony to the almost unbelievable skill and determination of their builders. Enjoy an up-close view of the Great Pyramid and then see the great Sphinx of Giza, the legendary chimeral statue that combines the head of king Khfren with a lion’s body.
Lunch will be on your own today. Then make a stop at the infamous Egyptian Museum - a new & improved museum with some of the most incredible artifacts you will ever see. Tonight is the World Next Door “Welcome to Egypt” dinner on board a Dahabiya boat! Board a private boat and enjoy beer, wine, vodka, whisky, and soft drinks over dinner. Sail down the Nile River as the sun sets and your Egyptian adventure begins.
Say goodbye to Cairo after an early breakfast for a flight from Cairo to Aswan, departing at 6:30 AM.
Upon arrival , you will visit a traditional Nubian Village to see how a local village exists. You will have lunch in the village, get a henna tattoo, and have some time to stroll around and explore this fascinating way of life. An optional excursion to Abu Simbel will be offered today. Dinner is on an independent basis this evening.
Check out of your hotel after breakfast and transfer to your Nile cruise ship for your three-night cruise from Upper Egypt to Lower Egypt.
The Nile is one of the few rivers in the world which flows North and this unique characteristic is why southern Egypt is called Upper Egypt, while the northern part of Egypt is called “Lower Egypt”. Visit the Aswan High Dam and Philae’s Temple of Isis. This temple was almost lost to rising water in the 1960’s until the Aswan High Dam was built.
Enjoy your first night aboard your floating hotel! All meals will be included and served aboard your ship for the duration of your Nile cruise experience. The cruise boat has all outside facing cabins, a upscale roof deck, and tonight there will be a performance aboard our ship (typically a Nubian performance).
Today is your first full day on your Nile Cruise experience. Today you will sail to Kom Ombo to see the Ptolomaic Temple built for Horus the falcon god, and Sobek the crocodile god. The temple complex consists mainly of two temples running parallel with the traditional components of ancient Egyptian religious structures including a courtyard at the front of the complex, with halls following.
After exploring Kom Ombo, sail to Edfu, an Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile River.
Tonight on the cruise boat we will enjoy a Galabia party!
Optional Hot Air Balloon Ride early this morning to watch the sunrise over Luxor!
Today you will visit the Horus Temple in Edfu, the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic, albeit Greek-built, temple in Egypt.
Sail onward to Luxor via Esna. The premier destination in Upper Egypt, Luxor features an array of ruins and monuments and is often considered the most extraordinary open-air museum in the world. The city is also known for its horse carriages, called caleches, which offer a charming way to enjoy the areas many sightseeing opportunities. This afternoon, explore the famous Valley of the Kings and tour the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. After dinner, there will be a belly dancing performance on the cruise boat.
Disembark the cruise boat after breakfast and a private car will be waiting for you to bring you to Hurghada, the home of your beachfront resort. (Driving distance is appx 3.5 hours).
Upon arrival, check in and arrive to your water view room! Your all-inclusive adult only beach front resort is in a prime location and all travelers’ rooms will have a partial ocean view.
The rest of your afternoon and night are on an independent basis.
Enjoy a free day at your beachfront resort. All meals and drinks are included!
Today’s full day excursion will bring you out onto the Red Sea! Join the group for a day of swimming and snorkeling including lunch on our own private boat.
Enjoy another full day at the Red Sea. Take an evening flight (7:30 PM) out of Hurghada to Cairo. *Please note that we will have to check out of our rooms late morning/early afternoon, but the hotel will endeavor to give us as late of a checkout as possible. We can access the bathrooms & pools at the hotel in common areas all day long.* Once our flight arrives in Cairo, we will be brought to our hotel in Heliopolis, where there is a shopping mall and restaurants located nearby. Breakfast is the only meal included today.
BONUS DAY IN CAIRO! Our final day in Egypt will be sent either on a leisurely basis or you may wish to participate in an optional tour (details coming soon) which will give you more time to explore this multifaceted city. Breakfast will be included today but all other meals will be at your expense. Our nonstop flight from Cairo to IAD is scheduled to depart at 11:20 PM this evening.
Our flight is scheduled to return to IAD at 5:10 AM this morning. If you are flying from IAD to another hometown airport, please do not book your connecting flight to depart IAD any earlier than 9 AM.
