Egypt for Women: Cairo & Nile River Cruise
11 days | 15 days with Jordan extension |
- Group size
- 15–28 travelers
- Activity level
Incredible sights, indelible memories, and the inspiring stories of Egyptian women await on the banks of the Nile.
When you think of Egypt, do you think of the heroic activism of Doria Shafik? The unmistakable voice of Umm Kulthum? Women have long shaped history in the land of the pharaohs, and on this tour designed especially for female travelers, you’ll experience their impact. In addition to visiting must-sees like the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Temple of Karnak (built in part by the female pharaoh Hatshepsut), you’ll hear the exploits of Shajar al-Durr outside of her Cairo mausoleum, learn about Animal Care in Egypt’s campaign in Luxor, and much more. If you want to keep pushing your limits, join us on the extension to Jordan—one look at Petra, and you’ll be happy you did.
Your tour package includes
- 5 nights in handpicked hotels
- 4 nights aboard a Nile River cruise ship
- 9 breakfasts
- 5 lunches
- 7 dinners with beer or wine
- 10 sightseeing tours
- Female Egyptologist, who’s also your Tour Director
- Private deluxe motor coach
- 2 on-tour flights
Included highlights
- Mausoleum of Shajar al-Durr
- Women of Cairo tour and chat
- Pyramids of Giza
- Great Sphinx
- Grand Egyptian Museum
- Temples of Karnak and Luxor
- Animal Care in Egypt hospital visit
- Temple of Hatshepsut
- Tomb of Tutankhamun
- Dinner at women-led kitchen in Esna
- Felucca ride
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Cairo today.
Cairo3 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Cairo
Included meal: Dinner
Welcome to Egypt, where stories etched in stone await your discovery—and your own tale will soon unfold.
Transfer to your hotel and get settled in. Your dinner will either be served at an on-site buffet or brought to your room. (You’ll get to see and savor the best of Egypt with your group in the days ahead!)
Day 3: Women of Cairo sightseeing tour
Included meals: Breakfast, Welcome dinner
Begin your journey in earnest with a guided sightseeing tour of Old Cairo, whose strategic location in the Nile River valley drew the area’s first settlements 2,000 years ago. Follow your Tour Director—a female Egyptologist—through the area’s labyrinthine alleys, venturing off the beaten path to dig into the city’s herstory.
- Start by visiting the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. Built in the Abbasid style in the late ninth century, with vaulted corridors and carved stucco accents, this structure is the oldest well-preserved mosque in Egypt.
- Walk to the Mausoleum of Shajar al-Durr, the final resting place of Islamic Egypt’s first and only sultana, or female sultan. Bought as a slave-concubine by the future Ayyubid ruler As-Salih, she was taken from the Levant to Egypt. After marrying him, al-Durr would play a pivotal role in both the defeat of European invaders and the country’s eventual transition to Mamluk rule.
- Visit the Cairo Citadel. Constructed on the order of the Ayyubid sultan, Saladin, and originally used as a fortress, it remained the seat of the Egyptian government until the 19th century.
This afternoon, a Cairo guide will join your group to explain how the lives and roles of Egyptian women have evolved from ancient times to the present. You’ll also hear about local daughters turned international icons: Umm Kulthum, a songwriter and actress ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest singers of all time, and Doria Shafik, a poet and activist whose efforts directly led to the enshrinement of women’s suffrage in the Egyptian constitution.
Later tonight, gather with your Tour Director and fellow group members for a welcome dinner, served with beer or wine.
Please note: You must remove your shoes and cover your head and shoulders when entering the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. Additionally, the exact stops and content of your afternoon drive through Cairo will depend on traffic conditions.
Day 4: Sightseeing tour of Giza & the Grand Egyptian Museum
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Meet up with your Tour Director and set out for the Giza Necropolis. Set on the outskirts of Egypt’s third-largest city, this archaeological site contains some of Earth’s most enduring monuments—and soon, you’ll come face-to-face with them.
- Uncover the Pyramids of Giza, including the Great Pyramid—the only Wonder of the Ancient World to have survived into the modern era. Standing as tall as 480 feet when it was built, it continues to amaze with its sheer size and geometric precision.
- Visit the enigmatic, 4,500-year-old Great Sphinx, the largest monolithic statue on the planet. (It was carved from a single limestone bedrock!)
Transfer back to Cairo and sit down with your group for an included lunch at a local restaurant. Then, make your way to the Grand Egyptian Museum. Another attraction of monumental proportions, it’s the world’s largest archaeological museum; spend some time walking its halls, exploring its vast collection of artifacts alongside your Egyptologist.
Want to cap an epic day of sightseeing with a worthy meal? Add tonight’s optional outing to visit a Cairo family and join them for a home-cooked dinner. Dukkah, za’atar, and other delightfully complex seasonings take center stage in Egyptian cuisine—and all of it’s delicious. If you aren’t feeling hungry, hang back at the hotel and prepare for tomorrow’s flight.
Please note: You can enter the Great Pyramid for an extra fee—however, we wouldn’t recommend it if you’re claustrophobic. Additionally, if the Grand Egyptian Museum is closed, you’ll instead visit the Egyptian Antiquities Museum.
Luxor1 night
Day 5: Flight to Luxor, sightseeing tour of Karnak & Luxor
Included meal: Breakfast
This morning, fly to Luxor, a museum-like city known the world over for its array of ancient archaeological treasures. After touching down, follow your Egyptologist on a walking tour of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Karnak and the Temple of Luxor.
- Enter Karnak, a painstakingly excavated temple complex that took roughly 1,500 years—and 30 different pharaohs—to complete.
- Venture to the Precinct of Amun-Re. Its mudbrick walls stretch more than 1.5 miles in circumference; gaze at its extensive hieroglyphic inscriptions before heading to the Temple of Khonsu, a smaller, more intimate structure dedicated to the Ancient Egyptian god of time and the moon.
- Walk through Luxor Temple, where an avenue of sphinxes leads to a series of striking architectural elements: massive columns, colossal statues, and timeworn hieroglyphs.
- Continue your exploration at the Abu Haggag Mosque. Although the structure itself “only” dates to the 13th century, its site has been used as a place of worship for more than 3,500 years—and is still in use today.
Nile River Cruise4 nights
Day 6: ACE visit & cruise embarkation
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Spend the morning relaxing and catching up on sleep, or greet the day with an early start for an optional, but certainly once-in-a-lifetime, hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings and the Nile.
After reuniting in Luxor, head with your Tour Director to ACE (short for Animal Care in Egypt). Founded in 2000 by two British women, this organization works to alleviate the suffering of animals in the city’s poorest communities by providing veterinary care, classroom education, and more—all free of charge.
- Meet an ACE representative for a chat and hear about the group’s approach and facilities, from its walk-in clinic and hospital to its 25 recovery stables.
- Walk across the compound to visit some of the animals in ACE’s care. While it originally focused on working animals like horses and camels, the organization also treats dogs, cats, goats, and sheep.
Following your visit, pause for an included lunch before driving to Esna. There, you’ll tour the Temple of Khnum—part Egyptian, part Roman, and entirely stunning. Dig into its history as you walk the ruins of its hypostyle hall, and note the carvings of Roman emperors paying homage to Esna’s old gods.
Finally, end your day with an included dinner at Okra, where professionally trained female chefs showcase their city’s unique cuisine through recipes passed down across generations. Bellies full, you’ll head back to your ship and fall asleep as the Nile’s gentle waves carry you to your next destination.
Day 7: Sightseeing tour of the Nile’s West Bank
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Spend the morning relaxing and catching up on sleep. Later, you’ll tour the Nile’s West Bank—barren and rocky compared to the Nile’s eastern shores—with your Tour Director.
- Explore the Valley of the Kings, a series of tombs nestled between rugged limestone outcroppings and mountains in the Theban Hills.
- Enter King Tut’s tomb, famous for containing the treasures a pharaoh would need in the afterlife. Although its chariots, games, and other precious artifacts have since been relocated, you’ll observe the tomb’s richly adorned walls—and Tutankhamun eternally resting within.
- Tour the Temple of Hatshepsut, built by Egypt’s second female pharaoh more than 3,500 years ago. Carved directly into the sheer mountain cliffs, it stands out with colonnaded terraces and carved reliefs depicting the queen and her accomplishments.
This afternoon, return to your ship and chow down on an included lunch as you sail toward Edfu. Spend time relaxing on board—but before turning in, join your groupmates for an included dinner, served with beer or wine.
Day 8: Sightseeing tour of the Temple of Kom Ombo
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Spend a free morning docked in Edfu, or add our optional outing to explore one of the best-preserved buildings in Egypt—the Temple of Horus. This classic example of Ptolemaic architecture, with massive stone walls and towering pylons, is also one of the few temples in the country where inscriptions on its walls describe how it was built and used in ancient times.
Later, continue uncovering the wonders of Egypt after an included lunch aboard your ship. You’ll visit the Temple of Kom Ombo: Dedicated to the deities Sobek and Horus, it was constructed as two symmetrical temples aligned in parallel. Although they were initially built during the Ptolemaic period, they were expanded after the Roman conquest of Egypt, resulting in a blend of both local and Greco-Roman architectural styles.
Your day ends when you dock in the busy market city of Aswan, where you’ll sit down for an included dinner, served with beer or wine, aboard your vessel.
Day 9: Sightseeing tour of the Temple of Philae and felucca sailboat ride
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning, visit the Temple of Philae, an imposing sacred site dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis. Until 1977, it stood on the island of Philae—but when the construction of the Aswan High Dam threatened to flood it, it was relocated stone-by-stone to nearby Agilkia Island.
Follow your sightseeing tour with an included lunch, then climb aboard a felucca, a traditional Egyptian sailboat. You’ll spend your afternoon tacking across the Nile—and admiring even more era-spanning monuments.
- Cruise past Elephantine. Sited across from the hubbub of central Aswan, this island is home to two serene Nubian villages and once played an integral role in the ivory trade.
- Look out for partially excavated ruins on Elephantine’s shores, including the remains of the Temple of Khnum’s step pyramid. You may also spot a nilometer with Arabic, Roman, and Egyptian numerals. In ancient times, these instruments were used to indicate the Nile’s water levels to predict the harvest and calculate taxes for the coming year.
- Take in the dusty pink granite of the Mausoleum of Aga Khan. Rising from the Nile’s West Bank, it’s the final resting place of the Nizari Isma’ili imam Aga Khan III and a testament to enduring love. Khan’s widow left a red rose on his tomb every day until her passing, a tradition still carried on today.
Finally, return to your cruise ship and sit down for an included dinner, served with beer or wine.
Cairo1 night
Day 10: Flight to Cairo
Included meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner
Disembark your cruise in Aswan and fly back to Cairo. Ask your Tour Director for a recommendation for your free afternoon, or find a cozy cafe and while it away over some mint tea and knafeh, a spun pastry soaked in sweet syrup and sprinkled with pistachios.
Celebrate your trip with your fellow travelers during tonight’s farewell dinner, served with beer or wine, and raise a glass to an unforgettable trip and new friendships.
Flight Home
Day 11: Departure
Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your trip to Jordan, where you can keep satisfying your wanderlust at two of our travelers’ favorite destinations: Petra and the Dead Sea.
Jordan extension
Visiting Jordan—a country known for its welcoming embrace of visitors—is like visiting long-lost family. And among your group, you’ll feel right at home as you journey from Petra’s regal ruins to Amman’s mighty mosques. Walk the red sands of Wadi Rum and stay on the salty shores of the Dead Sea, then end your travels on an inspiring high with a stop at the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative.
Petra2 nights
Day 11: Flight to Amman & transfer to Petra
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Fly to Amman, Jordan, this morning and transfer to Petra. Then, sit down for an included dinner before settling in for a good night’s sleep. In just a few hours, you’ll be walking the wonders of Petra’s ancient legacy.
Day 12: Sightseeing tour of Petra
Included meal: Breakfast
Head to the city of Petra, which was carved into the soft red rocks of Mount Hor in the third century BC by members of an Arab tribe known as the Nabataeans. Explore the sandstone city alongside your new Tour Director.
- Learn about Petra’s unique architecture—one of the reasons it was named among the New Seven Wonders of the World.
- Walk through the UNESCO World Heritage Site to the iconic Al-Khazneh, or Treasury, which actually served as a tomb. It features one of the most famous facades in the world, immortalized in photographs, films, and, now, your very own camera roll.
- Take in the intricately carved pillars and columns of the Palace Tomb, whose carved face towers five stories above the ground.
- Stroll through the winding, high-walled gorge known as the Siq and learn how tectonic forces formed the giant crack in the rock.
So much of Jordanian hospitality revolves around sharing a meal with visitors and guests. Experience it yourself by adding a Levantine cooking class and dinner to your itinerary and round out your day with the authentic flavors of the eastern Mediterranean. Alternatively, use your free evening to explore more of Petra on your own.
Please note: In order to enter Petra, travelers should be able to walk two miles, each way, in hot weather over uneven terrain. Other modes of transportation may be available for you to book upon your arrival at an additional cost.
Dead Sea1 night
Day 13: Wadi Rum desert safari & transfer to the Dead Sea
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tasting, Farewell dinner
Martian though it may seem, Wadi Rum is fully real, loaded with eroded arches, narrow gorges, and a trove of petroglyphs and artifacts. Today, drive into the spectacular Valley of the Moon, where you’ll embark on a desert safari alongside a Bedouin guide.
- Sit down in an air-conditioned bubble camp and dig into an included buffet lunch. Then, climb into a Jeep and motor across Wadi Rum’s red sands, stopping at an immense dune. If you choose, join your guide on a desert walk to view a collection of ancient rock carvings.
- Stop at a Bedouin tent for a cultural conversation. You’ll learn about the traditions of this nomadic ethnic group and wrap up with an Arabic coffee. (Sip slowly: It’s prepared strong and served unfiltered!)
After your desert adventure, return to your bus and drive to the shores of the Dead Sea. Tonight, celebrate your trip with your fellow travelers over a farewell dinner, served with beer or wine.
Flight Home
Day 14: Sightseeing tour of Amman, Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative & departure
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tasting
Travel back to Amman this afternoon for a guided tour of the Jordanian capital—a modern, hilly city that’s home to Roman ruins and more than 2 million people.
- Stroll through bustling markets as you make your way to the ruins of Jabal Al-Qala’a—a Bronze Age citadel perched on Amman’s highest hill—and the second-century Roman theater, the city’s most famous archaeological attraction.
- Step inside King Abdullah Mosque, a beautiful landmark that’s dedicated to Jordan’s first king and houses some of his personal items.
- Walk through the Old City, where you’ll stop for a traditional Jordanian coffee—a beverage whose preparation and enjoyment is deeply rooted in hospitality.
For the final activity of your tour, head outside of Amman to visit the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Cooperative, an organization whose aim is to reverse high rates of unemployment among Jordan’s female population.
- Share an included lunch, prepared by the women of the cooperative, and get to know your hosts. During and after your meal, you’ll learn how working at Iraq Al-Amin empowers women to achieve financial independence and raise their standard of living.
- Watch employees create soap from olive oil and greeting cards from recycled paper, then try your hand at making paper or pottery during an interactive workshop.
Finally, relax in a dayroom before transferring to Amman for your early morning flight home.
Please note: You must remove your shoes and cover your head, arms, and legs when entering the King Abdullah Mosque. Also, return flights depart early in the morning of day 15—typically between 1:00-6:00.
Arrive Home
Day 15: Travel day
Arrive home today.
Reviews
Hotels
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
Cairo - Holiday Inn Cairo Citystars
This modern hotel is located in the heart of Cairo. Guests enjoy the rooftop garden, on-site restaurants, and outdoor pool. Nearby you'll find Baron's Palace, El Saa'a Square, and many restaurants and bars.
Luxor - Steigenberger Nile Palace
This modern hotel is located on the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt. Guests enjoy an outdoor pool, restaurant options, and a fitness center. Nearby, you’ll find Luxor Temple, the Mummification Museum, and the Luxor Museum.
Nile River Cruise - Steigenberger Legacy
This modern cruise ship features a bar and lounge, restaurant, sundeck, outdoor pool, spa, and gym.
Petra - Hayat Zaman Hotel and Resort Petra
This charming resort is located in Taybeh Village. Guests enjoy an outdoor swimming pool, traditional hammam spa, and fitness center. Nearby, you'll find the legendary Petra Archaeological Park, the ancient Nabatean Treasury...
Dead Sea - Mövenpick Dead Sea Jordan
This resort is located in Sweimeh along the northern shores of the Dead Sea. Guests enjoy the expansive Zara Spa with its therapeutic hydro-pool, tranquil steam rooms, and specialized Dead Sea treatments. Nearby, you'll find...
Flights
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
- Round-trip flight for your tour
- Airport transfers at your destination
- A great price locked in today
- 24/7 support from our dedicated service team
- Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
- Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
FAQ
- Go Ahead’s Tours for Women are intentionally designed group tours for women. On our guided tours, you’ll travel with other women by your side and a woman Tour Director in your destination country to guide you as you go. It’s a perfect opportunity to forge meaningful connections with your travel companions and fellow travelers through shared journeys and bonding experiences.
- You’ll also learn about the history and legacy, and current experiences of women in the countries you visit, as well as have the opportunity to meet and work side by side with inspiring local women artisans, farmers, winemakers, tea growers, and chefs.
- For other questions like who can travel on these tours, please visit our Tours for Women page.
- In order to enter Egypt (and Jordan on the tour extension), U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
- We recommend having at least two blank passport pages for entry stamps.
- U.S. and Canadian passport holders must obtain a visa in order to enter Egypt. You will be able to purchase one at the airport upon arrival; be sure to have exact change in crisp, new bills. Alternatively, you can apply for an eVisa or traditional visa in advance. To do so, visit the Egyptian Electronic Visa Portal website and follow our walkthrough guide. For additional assistance, you may use a third-party provider like VisaCentral—however, these services charge a fee in addition to the cost of your visa.
- A group visa for entry into Jordan (on the tour extension) will be provided for all travelers whose flights have been arranged through Go Ahead Tours, as well as for travelers who book their own flights and provide Go Ahead Tours with their full passport and flight details.
- If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
- You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code EG4.
- Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in and depart from Cairo (or from Amman on tour extension).
- Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers.
- When you arrive in Cairo, a Go Ahead representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with a Go Ahead sign or a sign with your name(s). If you don’t see a representative immediately, please be patient and stay in the arrivals area. They may be assisting another traveler who has also just arrived and will be back shortly.
Physical Activity Level
- This is a high physical activity-level tour. You can expect to regularly be on the move throughout your trip.
Tour Pacing
This is a very fast-paced tour. Tour pacing considers how often you’ll switch hotels, what you’ll do each day, and how you’ll get from place to place. You can expect:
- Two 1-night stays
- Most days and evenings full of included activities (more if you add excursions)
- Most transportation by motor coach
- Some transportation by boat and commercial flight
- Daily bus time varies and can be lengthy
Walking, Terrain & Physical Considerations
- Travelers should be prepared to walk 3-5 miles per day on city streets, cobblestones, packed sand terrain, uneven stairs, and hills.
- Travelers should be prepared for a 4 mile round trip walk to visit Petra, if taking the Jordan extension.
- Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance.
- Please note: Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
Climate Considerations
- In the summer months (June-August) travelers can expect daily temperatures from 80 F - 100 F with minimal cloud cover. It's strongly recommended that travelers are prepared for hot and dry climate conditions.
- Travelers should be prepared for sandstorms which typically occur between March-May in Egypt and from February-May in Jordan.
- Winter months tend to see an increased amount of air pollution in Egypt.
Physical Activity & Tour Pacing Questions
- Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special mobility or luggage-handling assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group enjoys a smooth and informative journey, and they can’t be relied on to provide individualized assistance to any one traveler.
- This tour moves at a reasonable pace to avoid missing scheduled stops. The group can’t miss any activities because of an individual’s needs.
- Due to the pace and physical activity level of this tour, wheelchairs and walkers will be difficult to use and aren’t recommended. Please notify Go Ahead Tours before your departure if you plan to bring any mobility aids with you.
- If you have mobility concerns or tour pace questions, please visit our Help Center or send a message to our Customer Experience Team.
- Private motor coaches use steps for boarding, and often don’t provide ramps or lifts.
- This tour utilizes various modes of transportation, including planes, boat, and motor coaches. To board some of them, you may have to climb raised platforms or steps.
- Flights from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo are included in the price of your tour (the tour extension also includes flights from Cairo and Amman).
- All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
- You must be able to manage your own luggage while on tour, as porterage isn’t guaranteed. This includes when arriving at hotels or airports and boarding trains or ferries.
- Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and included flights.
- Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
- Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
- Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
- Travelers must manage their own luggage throughout tour as porters are not guaranteed. This includes at hotels, airports, and boarding the cruise ship.
- We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
- While many places in Egypt have a warm, sunny climate, the desert can be very cold at night and temperatures will dip with changes in elevation throughout your tour. Therefore, we also recommend packing a few long sleeve shirts and warmer layers to wear at night.
- A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
- Travelers on the tour extension may also wish to bring a swimsuit and pair of water shoes or strapped sandals for the included visit to the Dead Sea, if taking the Jordan extension.
- You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
- It is preferable not to visit mosques or other religious sites with bare legs or shoulders (entrance may be denied on this basis).
- A sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen is recommended for outdoor activities.
- Public restrooms in Egypt can be quite bare. We suggest carrying bathroom tissue and hand sanitizer with you.
- We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
- In case of emergencies, we also recommend packing your medical insurance card in your carry-on.
- Go Ahead handpicks every hotel you’ll stay at, striking a balance between comfort, location, and local charm.
- Specific properties will vary based on your departure date, but are typically three-to-four-star hotels; always include private bathrooms; and usually have in-room safes for valuables. Additionally, your hotels will have Wi-Fi, but access may be limited to common areas. There may also not be elevators.
- Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that your accommodations will have laundry services or facilities. We recommend checking directly with your hotels once they’ve been confirmed, about 30 days prior to departure.
- Some hotels on this tour are situated on narrow streets; as such, our buses can’t drop you off right out front. In these instances, you’ll have to walk your luggage to the property, no more than a few blocks.
- Please be advised that the air conditioning in African hotels and buildings is often not as strong or cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada.
- Egypt operates on 220 volts and use Types C or F plugs with two round pins.
- Jordan, on the tour extension, operates on 220 volts and uses Type C or G plugs with two round pins or three flat pins, respectively.
- Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date.
- Excursions are available for purchase prior to departure, and most excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour directly through your mobile app for an additional $10 USD.
- We recommend purchasing excursions at least 3 days prior to your tour departure. Please note some excursions have advance booking deadlines. Check your tour itinerary for more information to ensure you don’t miss the deadline to add them.
- Optional excursions may be canceled on tour due to reasons like low enrollment, weather or unexpected closures. If an excursion you signed up for is canceled by Go Ahead Tours, you will be refunded the full cost of the excursion. Please note it may take up to 60 days for your refund to be processed.
- Your Tour Director may offer their own optional excursions which can only be purchased on tour via cash (in local currency).
- At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
- If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to your departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
- If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour and any possible delays encountered.
- Most of our itineraries include headsets used during certain sightseeing tours so travelers can hear their guides or Tour Director. If you use an assisted listening device, such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant, please visit our Help Center for more information or contact our customer experience team. Please note that at this time not all our destinations offer headsets due to supplier limitations.
- Take proper care with sun exposure, as the sun can be especially strong in some of the regions on this tour.
- Drink bottled water only. Refrain from drinking tap water, including when brushing your teeth.
- Avoid eating fresh fruits and vegetables unless they are cooked or washed in clean water and peeled.
- Bring a small first aid kit, including antacids, anti-diarrhea medication, motion sickness medication, and any prescription medications in your carry-on bag.
- Depending on season and weather patterns, air pollution in Cairo may be problematic for travelers with a history of respiratory problems. Based on your health history, please discuss any precautions with your healthcare provider prior to departure.
- Certain over-the-counter and prescription medications may be banned in one or all of the countries on this tour. Importing these drugs can carry severe consequences, including imprisonment. Please consult your healthcare provider prior to departure to ensure that any drugs you may want to bring with you are legal in all countries you will visit.
- This tour includes five lunches and seven dinners: They may be set menus, buffets, or family-style meals, depending on the location. Dinners also include one glass of beer, wine, or a soft drink, as well as water.
- Breakfast each morning is also included at the hotel and is typically buffet style with hot and cold options.
- Meal times vary greatly in Egypt and locals often skip lunch. While on tour, breakfast will be served around 8am and lunch is often served around 3pm. Therefore, we recommended bringing energy bars, crackers, or other packable snacks with you during the day.
- Egyptian cuisine uses the bountiful harvests of the Nile Valley—corn, eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, chickpeas, and citrus fruits are popular in many dishes. Don’t miss out on Egyptian interpretations of typical Mediterranean staples like baba ghanoush, falafel, and stuffed grape leaves. Tea is the national drink and is offered at breakfast, after lunch, and in most social situations.
- On the tour extension, Jordanian cuisine resembles that of the rest of the Middle East. Olives, hummus, sesame seeds, and herbs are typical in many meals. Falafel is the main street food and many meals are served with rice. Hummus and salad are also popular and available at many restaurants. You'll find plenty of opportunities to sip mint tea or Turkish coffee.
- At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
- We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director, $1USD per person per day for the bus helper, $4USD per person per day for your driver, and $20USD to $25USD per person for cruise ship personnel.
- If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
- In Egypt, tipping is an important part of the local culture and you will be expected to tip for services including, but not limited to, taking photos in some areas or seeing additional exhibits. Travelers should carry small bills (in USD) for this purpose.
- Tips can only be paid in cash.
- You will use the Egyptian pound in Egypt (and the Jordanian dinar on the tour extension).
- You may find it useful to have a supply of U.S. currency in small denominations when bargaining for everything from taxi rides to souvenirs.
- Better rates of exchange are usually available abroad, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
- We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
- You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
- Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
- International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
- Plan ahead and bring cash to tip your tour director, local guides, and bus drivers.
- To help you feel prepared before going on tour, we strongly recommend downloading the EF Go Ahead Tours mobile app. It’s free and provides information about important deadlines and entry requirements, as well as your detailed itinerary, packing tips, and more. You can also connect with fellow travelers through the app’s chat feature.
- Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
- There’s no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
- Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
- Your Tour Director, who is also an Egyptologist, will be with you throughout your journey in Egypt.
- There will also be additional staff working alongside your Tour Director to confirm logistics, as well as assist with transfers and on-tour flights. Having these staffers, who are solely focused on ensuring all on-tour logistics go smoothly, allows your Tour Director to dedicate even more one-on-one time to teaching your group about Egyptian history and culture.
- As dictated by Egyptian Tourism Police, all foreign groups must be accompanied by an armed guard and/or convoy.
- You will have a different Tour Director in Jordan on the tour extension.
- The role of the Tour Director is not only to provide information and context on the destinations you visit, but also to confirm services, coordinate inclusions, prepare each days’ activities and support travelers while on tour. As such, they must focus on the success of the group, and cannot provide individualized assistance to any one traveler.
- One of the benefits of traveling with EF Go Ahead Tours is having access to our 24/7 Emergency Support Team.
- Our extensive network of global offices and our integration of ISO 31000 Risk Management Guidelines help this dedicated team anticipate and address on-tour challenges in a flexible, iterative way.
- Using a combination of extensive training, thorough incident response planning, and decades of experience, this team assists travelers and Tour Directors in case of emergencies—stepping in for everything from personal health concerns and injuries to major world events.
- Our On-Tour Support team can also provide additional help to travelers on tour, arranging assistance from outside specialists and liaising with local and international authorities as needed. And if there’s an emergency on the road or at home, the team will facilitate and support communication between travelers and their families.
- Egypt is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
- Jordan, on the tour extension, is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and seven hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
- When it's noon in New York, it's 6pm in Egypt (and 7pm in Jordan).
- When you travel with Go Ahead Tours, you’ll make a positive impact on the places you visit and the people and animals you meet along the way. That’s because our three core Responsible Travel commitments—protecting the environment, supporting local communities, and promoting animal welfare—are at the heart of every tour we offer.
- Travel, when done responsibly, can have an enormous socioeconomic impact on communities. To maximize your impact, eat at locally owned restaurants and shop at small businesses. Ask your Tour Director to point out restaurants they recommend.
- Prepare for your trip: Be aware of monetary norms such as tipping and negotiating in a market; learn about the destination’s forms of etiquette; and take some time to learn a few words in the local language.
- When interacting with locals, make sure to ask people for permission before you take their picture, and approach cultural differences with empathy and an open mind.
- Go Ahead Tours encourages travelers to limit their waste while on the road, especially single-use plastics. You can cut back on generating plastic waste by packing your own toiletries, using electronic documents, and bringing a reusable water bottle and shopping bag. If you need to use plastics or paper, please recycle.
- On this tour, we recommend the use of a reusable water bottle, as the local drinking water is safe for travelers or potable water is provided on the bus and/or hotel. Make sure to bring a reusable water bottle to cut down on single use plastics.
- When you come across wild animals on tour, take the philosophies of World Animal Protection to heart: Don’t touch or feed them, and maintain a respectful distance. The animals you encounter on your trip should be able to exhibit natural forms of behavior.
- Furthermore, avoid buying exploitative animal products, like crafts made from tortoiseshell or meals such as shark fin soup.
- If you feel we aren’t meeting any of these commitments, please let us know.
- On this tour you will spend 4 nights on the Nile River cruise.
- Cabins will feel very similar to a hotel room and will include a private bathroom.
- While Wifi is available on the ship, it is often available only in common areas and sometimes at an additional cost.
- Most ships do not have elevators.
- Ships often dock directly next to each other, which may require travelers to walk through other ships' lobbies and cross the small gap to their own ship.
- It is recommended travelers get any cash or necessities before boarding the ship.
