Luxor – The oases – The desert – Cairo 11 Nights / 12 Days

Transfer and installation at the hotel
Night at the hotel

 Early departure to discover the Theban necropolis on the left bank of the Nile:
The Valley of the Kings : A spectacular necropolis contains the tombs of the kings of the Pharaonic New Kingdom. The tombs are carved into the limestone rock of the Theban Mountains. Characterized by their refined carvings and well-preserved colors. There are officially sixty-three. The theme treated is often the passage of the pharaohs in the world of eternity. It is the flagship site of Pharaonic Egypt.
The Temple of Hatshepsout : Erected by the famous Queen Hatshepsout. the style of the temple comes out of the architectural scheme of the time with its three terraces superimposed one above the other against the mountain, thus creating a balanced harmony that delights the eye.
The Colossi of Memnon : Stop for photos in front of these two imposing sandstone statues measuring 17m each, representing King Amenophis3. They are placed at the entrance of a huge funerary temple built by the same pharaoh, dating from the New Pharaonic Empire (the temple was unfortunately destroyed in antiquity). The pharaoh is seated on his throne and wearing the royal double crown. On either side of his legs, there are two scaled-down representations of his wife and mother.
Return to the hotel at the end of the morning.
At the end of the afternoon, felucca trip on the Nile : Sailing on the mythical river, the Nile, in a felucca (small wooden boat with a lateen sail, pushed by the wind) is a pleasure for the eyes which soothes the mind. You admire in peace the landscape of two banks of the Nile
Night at the hotel

Early departure to discover the largest historical site in Egypt , the religious complex of Karnak: It is a vast religious complex surrounded by an enclosure 1.5 km long and 840m wide. The imposing facade of the site gives access to the majestic open-air courtyard which had served as a stopover for the sacred boat which arrived in procession via the alley of the Sphinxes. It is dedicated to the god Amon who reigned supreme over the Egyptian pantheon for nearly two thousand years. Admire the hypostyle hall with its gigantic columns and its marvelous sacred lake and many other architectural and artistic marvels.
At the end of the afternoon, departure for the visit of the temple of luxor which dates from the New Pharaonic Empire. This temple presents at best the typical style of an Egyptian temple with its charming path of the Sphinxes, its grandiose facade formerly preceded by two elegant obelisks; one is still there and the other has decorated the Place de la Concorde in Paris since the first half of the 19th century.
Night at the hotel.

Kharga Oasis is one of the most beautiful places in Egypt. the contrast between the greenery of the fruit plantations and palm trees and the yellow ocher of the desert offers a splendid view. This oasis was a transit point of great importance for the desert caravans which linked Egypt to Saharan Africa by the famous forty-day road.
Morning departure from your hotel in Luxor in the western desert, direction the oasis of El-Kharga:
The route allows you to enjoy the desert landscapes and the dunes... thanks to the breaks during interesting viewpoints.
After 250 km of journey in the desert: visit the temple of Douch from the Pharaonic era dedicated to the god Osiris.
Continuation of the journey for another 20 km to the village of Baris , the second largest village of the oasis of El-Kharga and visit the small  village of Hassan Fathy , of a model design designed by the very renowned Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy.
Lunch in a local restaurant in Baris.
A walk in the old village of Barès, the two small oases Dakhakin and and Gaga . This walk allows you to prepare yourself for immersion in the Oaisien spirit, where you can admire the desert which gains on these small oases through the sand dunes whose height varies between one and six meters. There are also meetings with the natives.
We take the road again towards the village of Ganah, surrounded by a more than magnificent natural setting, where the bivouac will be set up. You will enjoy a sublime landscape, bathing in a hot spring and enjoying a magnificent sunset
Barbecue dinner and night in bivouac

After breakfast at the hotel, travel in the desert towards the oasis of Dakhla and before joining it, we make several stops to visit:
the temple of Hibis : It was built during the 26th pharaonic dynasty, around 7th century BC. the temple consists of an aisle of the Sphinxes which leads to the main door. It has a sacred lake and a sanctuary decorated with remarkable and unique inscriptions. The temple of Hibis is dedicated to the god Amon. It is the best preserved of the ancient monuments of the oases.
Bagwat Necropolis:  It is one of the oldest Christian necropolises in the world. Made up of 263 raw brick chapels in the Romano-Byzantine style, some of which retain very beautiful biblical frescoes. It also contains a church built around the 4th century
A walk in the oasis of kharga and visit of the typical pottery and carpet workshop , a government craft center where we attend the weaving of carpets and klims and the modeling of pottery. Then you will enjoy bathing in a hot spring and lunch in a typical restaurant.
Take the road to the Oasis of Dakhla at 180 km and on the way, before arriving there, we make several stops to visit:
Tenda : A magnificent place in the heart of the desert, characterized by its sublime natural dune formations. You can admire caves with rare prehistoric drawings of its kind, sketching antelopes, giraffes and many other Oisian fauna.
The mountain of the English : It was a camp of the English troops during the Second World War. You can discover the soldiers' graffiti as well as the remains of their tools such as topographic maps, etc.
We arrive at the Oasis of Dakhla and visit:
Balat : Traditional village with undeniable charm, characterized by narrow streets, sometimes painted blue and often covered with slightly low ceilings, which prevents any intruders from entering it on the back of camels or on horseback.
Mut : Medieval town whose doors were closed in the evening to protect the population from possible incursions. You can admire the remains of the old town while strolling through its alleys and enjoy swimming in a hot spring.
We head towards the place where the bivouac will be set up: It is a dry wadi in a mountainous circus, with our feet in the fine sand of the desert. You can enjoy a natural spectacle with breathtaking cut-out surroundings. You can also enjoy a sublime sunset on a sand dune which offers an exceptional panorama of Lake Qalamoun; a natural lake with jagged edges.
Barbecue dinner and night in bivouac

After breakfast, departure for the visit:
Village of Qalamoun : a medieval village leaning on the top of a hill with its houses with traditional doors, its small climbing streets, its medieval mosques and the remains of an ancient fortress.
Al-Qasr village: a medieval village made of mud bricks. It is a veritable maze of narrow streets and secret passages. the architecture of the raw brick houses in these narrow streets and alleys which are always cool despite the summer heat is of great beauty. This village is built at the foot of a limestone cliff and dominated by an Ayyubid-style mosque dating from the 10th century. This mosque is characterized by its high minaret bristling with rough logs reminiscent of the minarets of Saharan Africa.
Deir el-Hagar : This archaeological site was buried in the sand, which explains its good state of conservation. Here, we admire paintings dating from around 2000 years ago, which are quite astonishing. On the other side of this complex are conical hills which house several tombs, some of which have been excavated and others looted.
Bathing in a hot spring and lunch in a typical restaurant.
Resumption of the road to the White Desert (about 140 km) and arrive there at the end of the day
The White Desert : characterized by its chalky rocks well shaped by wind erosion and made up of mineral formations of dazzling whiteness, hence the name of the white desert...!
We discover mysterious shapes and all as whimsical as each other; mushrooms, towers, sphinxes, pyramids, etc., litter the ground. The White Desert is one of the most unusual places on the planet.
Barbecue dinner and night in a bivouac in the white desert

The White Desert
Enjoy a magnificent sunrise in the middle of this grandiose landscape. The light on waking highlights this unreal landscape even more.
Breakfast then a new little walk to enjoy the last moments in this magical place.
Take the road to the Oasis of Bahariya (80 km) and on the way stop to visit:
The Black Desert : it is a vast expanse of small black mountains, hence the name of this desert. These small mountains in conical shapes look like volcanoes, you can climb one of them (Mount el-Zogag) to admire the view of the black desert and enjoy a rather special and somewhat lunar.
Aqabat : This is a huge circle of mountains where you can admire the famous desert flowers; black pyrite stones sculpted by wind and sand that take the shape of a flower. An intriguing and truly sumptuous landscape.
Crystal Mountain : It consists of a small natural arch in the rock and sparkling walls of calcite crystal. When the sun's rays hit crystals that are either clear or opaque white, it's a magical sight. 
At the end of the morning, arrival at the Oasis of Bahariya and installation in your hotel
Bahariya Oasis is located in a natural depression of about 2000 km2. This oasis has been known since the time of the pharaohs for its appreciated production of wine. It now produces vines, date palms, olive trees, fruit trees, watermelons, vegetables and cereals. Bahariya Oasis is home to traditional clay brick dwellings and also a wide range of natural warm water resources as well as important ancient monuments.
Lunch in a typical restaurant.
Walk in the Oasis and swim in a hot spring.
In the late afternoon, climb the Montagne des Anglais (otherwise called the Black Mountain) to enjoy a magnificent sunset at the highest point of the Oasis, which will allow you to admire a magical view of this splendid landscape. .
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to visit the archaeological sites of the oasis:
- The museum of golden mummies , it presents some specimens of the famous golden mummies discovered in the oasis in 2004 which date from the Greco-Roman era,
- Qaret Qasr-Selim , this site houses two surprising tombs with their colorful frescoes and date of the 25th pharaonic dynasty,
- The chapels of Ain El-Muftalah , after being discovered by archaeologists in 1901, they were again covered with sand to be better preserved. These chapels date from the 26th Pharaonic dynasty, they are carved in stone then painted, they are dedicated to the god Bes, god of fertility,
- The temple of Alexander the Great, built by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, - Qaret El-Halwa , in this site is the oldest tomb of the oasis which dates from the X1X th Pharaonic dynasty, the tomb of Amenhotep Hui, governor under the new empire and originating from the oasis of Bahareya. Lunch in a typical restaurant in the oasis and drive to Cairo.
Take the road to Cairo (320 km)
Arrive in Cairo at the end of the afternoon and installation without your hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel

Breakfast at the hotel and early departure to visit
the archaeological site of Saqqara : a vast funerary complex with the necropolis of dignitaries and the so-called "step" pyramid of King Djoser, the founder of the 3rd Pharaonic dynasty, first attempt construction of a pyramid and the first freestone construction in the world. the visit of the museum of Imhotep, the architect who designed this pyramid. The visit of Mastabas (tombs of the nobles) characterized by its scenes of everyday life at the time of the pharaohs
Lunch in a typical restaurant .
 The site of the Guizeh Plateau , a key site of the Pharaonic civilization which contains the three famous pyramids "Cheops, Khéfren and Mykirénos", The enigmatic Sphinx as guardian of the necropolis, the funerary temple of kings Khéfren.
Return to the hotel at the end of the afternoon.
Dinner and free evening.
Night at the hotel

Breakfast at the hotel and early departure to visit:
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo : the largest museum of Egyptology in the world which contains more than 50,000 pieces covering all the pharaonic periods in which the treasure of the famous King Tout Ankh Amon appears . This museum also houses the room of the mummies of the most famous pharaohs, including that of Ramses 11.
Lunch in a typical restaurant.
The visit of medieval Islamic Cairo which contains among others,   the citadel of Saladin , which was the residence of kings, sultans and sovereigns of Egypt until the end of the 19th century . Erected in the 12th century AD by the famous Saladin, it contains the magnificent mosque entirely in alabaster built by Mohamed Ali, the founder of modern Egypt who reigned from 1804 until 1848.
Walk in the "market" Souk of Khan El-Khalili , known for its medieval atmosphere.
Return to the hotel at the end of the afternoon.
Dinner and free evening.
Night at the hotel

Transfer to Cairo airport (or train station) for departure