Egypt Itinerary Help
Aug 30th, 2008, 04:53 PM
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Egypt Itinerary Help
Will be flying into Cairo in late November and trying to plan - please any comments on this itinerary would be greatly appreciated!! We want to see the main sights in Egypt and get in a little r&r and snorkeling.
Day 1- Thursday- Fly into Cairo. Flight arrives 10:30am or so, wait in airport and take a 3:15 flight to Luxor (I don't want two cairo stays). That night just relax in Luxor. Probable hotel : Sheraton Luxor
Day 2- Friday- Luxor sights (tbd)
Day 3- more Luxor sightseeing
Day 4- early flight to Sharm. Arrive sharm around noon. Hotels: 2 nights Hyatt, 2 nights Four Seasons (or all 4 nights Hyatt)
Day 4 (sunday)-8 (thursday)- in Sharm. Trips to either St. Katherines or the Colored Canyon one day, evening camel ride.
Day 8- late flight to Cairo. Cairo hotel: Le Meridien Pyramids
Day 9- visit pyramids, sphinx, etc
Day 10: Wadi Rayan. We REALLY want to go as far west as we can and see sand dunes
Day 11 (sunday): Cairo- Baazar, Citadel, walk around Cairo.
Leave on day 12
Any thoughts? We are not really that interested in the city of Cairo. We went to Marrakesh last year and found the medina too dirty, smokey, and hectic and figure Cairo will be more of the same. Thanks in advance for advice!
Day 1- Thursday- Fly into Cairo. Flight arrives 10:30am or so, wait in airport and take a 3:15 flight to Luxor (I don't want two cairo stays). That night just relax in Luxor. Probable hotel : Sheraton Luxor
Day 2- Friday- Luxor sights (tbd)
Day 3- more Luxor sightseeing
Day 4- early flight to Sharm. Arrive sharm around noon. Hotels: 2 nights Hyatt, 2 nights Four Seasons (or all 4 nights Hyatt)
Day 4 (sunday)-8 (thursday)- in Sharm. Trips to either St. Katherines or the Colored Canyon one day, evening camel ride.
Day 8- late flight to Cairo. Cairo hotel: Le Meridien Pyramids
Day 9- visit pyramids, sphinx, etc
Day 10: Wadi Rayan. We REALLY want to go as far west as we can and see sand dunes
Day 11 (sunday): Cairo- Baazar, Citadel, walk around Cairo.
Leave on day 12
Any thoughts? We are not really that interested in the city of Cairo. We went to Marrakesh last year and found the medina too dirty, smokey, and hectic and figure Cairo will be more of the same. Thanks in advance for advice!
Aug 31st, 2008, 01:27 AM
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Maybe it was intentional to put your day in Cairo on a Sunday so the market will be less open than normal. If so, well done. I think it is a mistake to go to the market on Sunday though as too many of the good shops close up on Sunday and that leaves shady touts to set up shop in front of closed doors. I don't think the market is as pleasant on a Sunday as it is any other time.
Aug 31st, 2008, 04:35 AM
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When on Sunday morning, about 9:30am, we got into taxi and asked driver to take us to Bazaar, his response was "oh, the Bazaar is closed"
Well, closed is relative. On arrival we saw many of the shops being opened, items being put on display outside. And, during the course of time we spent, a good many shops continued to open with many locals shopping.
That said, however, the street/s on which most of the jewelry shops located... closed up tight.
We had already done much of our shopping during previous 10/days (between Abu Simbel, Aswan & Luxor), so were only looking for a few last minute items which we found with no problem.
If this had been our only day to visit the Bazaar, we might have been seriously disappointed.
Just keep this in mind.
Well, closed is relative. On arrival we saw many of the shops being opened, items being put on display outside. And, during the course of time we spent, a good many shops continued to open with many locals shopping.
That said, however, the street/s on which most of the jewelry shops located... closed up tight.
We had already done much of our shopping during previous 10/days (between Abu Simbel, Aswan & Luxor), so were only looking for a few last minute items which we found with no problem.
If this had been our only day to visit the Bazaar, we might have been seriously disappointed.
Just keep this in mind.
Aug 31st, 2008, 10:04 AM
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Yes, the Market would look quite open to the tourist that doesn't know what it would be like any other day. Thank God it is open to some extent as many buses still do plan their tours for Sunday, but as I said, the better (IMHO) shops are closed on Sundays and you'll miss some of the better prices and products if you go on Sunday.
Aug 31st, 2008, 11:45 AM
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I like that you're going to Wadi Ryun. It is very cool.
Where are you coming from? Jet lag makes a big difference on what you do at first.
Debbie, I think that they'll have enough time that first day to get out of the airport & into Heliopolis, don't you? I'd like them to see the Korba shopping district there and maybe the new Diwan book store so they can see what the non-touristy, non-ancient part of Egypt is like. Maybe have time to go see Mary's Tree, too?
Where are you coming from? Jet lag makes a big difference on what you do at first.
Debbie, I think that they'll have enough time that first day to get out of the airport & into Heliopolis, don't you? I'd like them to see the Korba shopping district there and maybe the new Diwan book store so they can see what the non-touristy, non-ancient part of Egypt is like. Maybe have time to go see Mary's Tree, too?
Aug 31st, 2008, 12:27 PM
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Sunshine007-
Can you give me more info on Wadi Rayan? We really want to go to the desert, maybe see an oasis, etc. I have been told that we can not just hire a driver to take us and I have not found an organized tour online. How far from Cairo is Wadi Rayan, can we do it in a long day trip and what is the best way to get there?
We really want to see the desert...sand dunes, emptiness. Would we have to do to Wadi Hitan as well? THANKS so much!
Can you give me more info on Wadi Rayan? We really want to go to the desert, maybe see an oasis, etc. I have been told that we can not just hire a driver to take us and I have not found an organized tour online. How far from Cairo is Wadi Rayan, can we do it in a long day trip and what is the best way to get there?
We really want to see the desert...sand dunes, emptiness. Would we have to do to Wadi Hitan as well? THANKS so much!
Aug 31st, 2008, 12:30 PM
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Also, we are coming from New York City. Probably why we want to spend more time seeing nature sites than city. We know we will be jet lagged, so on day 1 when we arrive in Cairo (10am or so) we will take a 3pm flight to Luxor, and just relax/sleep that night in Luxor and wake up the next day and go to Karnak maybe.
We are torn since we would love to go to the western desert and the Great Sand Sea, Siwa Oasis etc - but feel we can't go to Egypt and NOT see Luxor. We do want to keep the Sharm portion of the trip.
We are torn since we would love to go to the western desert and the Great Sand Sea, Siwa Oasis etc - but feel we can't go to Egypt and NOT see Luxor. We do want to keep the Sharm portion of the trip.
Aug 31st, 2008, 02:30 PM
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Sunshine-
Funmy you mention the Heliopolis Diwan store. I haven't found it yet and asked my colleague if he knew where it was yet, and he didn't either - he knows nearly everything in Heliopolis.
Where is it? Which Midan?
Are you moving up this way out of Maadi, or do you have a new friend from Heliopolis? What brings you up this way these days?
Funmy you mention the Heliopolis Diwan store. I haven't found it yet and asked my colleague if he knew where it was yet, and he didn't either - he knows nearly everything in Heliopolis.
Where is it? Which Midan?
Are you moving up this way out of Maadi, or do you have a new friend from Heliopolis? What brings you up this way these days?
Sep 1st, 2008, 05:39 PM
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tansmets, I get the Wadis mixed up (Rayan & Hattan) I mean the place with the bones of prehistoric animals. It's very cool.
When I went there I had a desert guide with a four-wheel drive vehicle - Jeep or something. So we had no problem going overland through the area, off road.
Instead of a regular guide you can get a desert guide to take you there. He'll have a 4WD. You should be able to do it in a long day. Anywhere else in teh desert is too far for one day. I wouldn't spent time in Fayoum or go the see the other things related to the Lake there. I'd spend all the time I have with the fossils. You can take camel rides thee, too. There's a small canteen -- it's not enough to be a restaurant -- with food. both western and Egyptian, I think. The staff (not the rangers) are all Bedouins & friendly people. There's a bunch of Bedouin children who will be hanging out there unless school is in session.
If I have he time I'll give you a link to my Facebook photos of the place. It sounds like what you want.
Debbie,
No, I'm still here on the Toraa Corniche on the 14th floor with the great view of the pyramids, the Nie & the desert. And, of course, the prison next door. I get up to Heliopolis a couple times a year. Maybe less now that my friend who lived there still lives there, but no longe is my friend....
I can't tell you much about the new Diwan's location except that you can see if from the main drag that goes from the airport across Heliopolis and into Cairo. I think there's a stretch where you are on a long overpass and you can see it on the north. It's an old converted house. I remember driving by it and being surprised that it was there -- I thought it might be in Korba or Roxy. You could, of course, just call them.
For all of you who don't live here, Diwan is one of a handful of English language bookstores in Cairo. Before the first Diwan opened (near the Al-Gezira Marriott in Zamalek) the AUC book store was the only place to buy English language books, so the prices were very high. Diwan was opened by a small group of friends and sells English language books at list price. There's also a small stall at Carrefours Ma'adi.
When I went there I had a desert guide with a four-wheel drive vehicle - Jeep or something. So we had no problem going overland through the area, off road.
Instead of a regular guide you can get a desert guide to take you there. He'll have a 4WD. You should be able to do it in a long day. Anywhere else in teh desert is too far for one day. I wouldn't spent time in Fayoum or go the see the other things related to the Lake there. I'd spend all the time I have with the fossils. You can take camel rides thee, too. There's a small canteen -- it's not enough to be a restaurant -- with food. both western and Egyptian, I think. The staff (not the rangers) are all Bedouins & friendly people. There's a bunch of Bedouin children who will be hanging out there unless school is in session.
If I have he time I'll give you a link to my Facebook photos of the place. It sounds like what you want.
Debbie,
No, I'm still here on the Toraa Corniche on the 14th floor with the great view of the pyramids, the Nie & the desert. And, of course, the prison next door. I get up to Heliopolis a couple times a year. Maybe less now that my friend who lived there still lives there, but no longe is my friend....
I can't tell you much about the new Diwan's location except that you can see if from the main drag that goes from the airport across Heliopolis and into Cairo. I think there's a stretch where you are on a long overpass and you can see it on the north. It's an old converted house. I remember driving by it and being surprised that it was there -- I thought it might be in Korba or Roxy. You could, of course, just call them.
For all of you who don't live here, Diwan is one of a handful of English language bookstores in Cairo. Before the first Diwan opened (near the Al-Gezira Marriott in Zamalek) the AUC book store was the only place to buy English language books, so the prices were very high. Diwan was opened by a small group of friends and sells English language books at list price. There's also a small stall at Carrefours Ma'adi.
