Highlights
Egypt with Morocco Mosaic |
10 Nights & 11 Days |
AFG 1 H |
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Destination |
Egypt |
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Continent |
Africa |
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Location |
Egypt has coastlines on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Egypt borders Libya to the west, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, and Sudan to the south. |
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Capital City |
Cairo |
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Language |
Egyptian, Arabic |
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Currency |
Egyptian Pound |
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Season |
October to December is Spring / January to March is Summer April to June is Fall / July through September is Winter |
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Airport |
Cairo International Airport |
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Time Zone |
UTC +2 |
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Dial Code |
+20 |
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Tour Type |
Heritage, Leisure, Family, Honeymoon, Couple |
Package Itinerary
Day 01Arrive Cairo - Light & Sound Show
Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure. This evening, enjoy Sound and Light Show at the Giza Pyramids. This spectacular show uses innovative techniques to narrate the history of ancient Egypt with magnificent sound and light effects against the Pyramids as a backdrop. Over Night stay at Cairo.
Day 02Cairo - Great Pyramid, City Tour and Shopping
After early B/F, start exploring ancient Egypt with a visit to the famous Pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Cheops which was built by manual labor is the largest of the three main Pyramids and is the only survivor of the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World. The Pyramid of Chephren, which is the best preserved, and the Pyramid of Mycerinus. Nearby see the Sphinx, a marvelous sight carved out of a natural rocky outcrop, the lion's body stretching 45 m; with its paws 15 m. long.
Post Lunch explore the city tour of Cairo, visit the Egyptian Museum, the Papyrus Institute. See the processes and efforts it took to make this ancient form of paper. Also, enjoy the beautiful illustrative Egyptian art and stories painted depicting Egyptian lifestyle and culture.
Transfer to your hotel. Over Night stay at Cairo.
Day 03Cairo – Marrakech
After B/F, check-out from
Cairo and transfer to Cairo Airport to board a fight departing for Morocco.
Upon arrival, check-in to your hotel in Central Marrakech. Visit to Djemaa El
Fna Square for a first taste of Moroccan food at one of the main stalls, while
watching the many streets performers and salesmen offering their wares. Over
Night stay at Marrakech.
Day 04Marrakech – Atlas Mountain – Tizi N Tichka Col – Dades Canyon – Tinghir
After B/F, check –out from
Morocco and depart for Tinghir. En-route, enjoy a spectacular drive across the
Tizi N Tichka Col which at 2,260 m. is the highest pass in Northern Africa. Get
great views of the Atlas Mountains. Then descend and pass Ouarzazate, or ‘Place
of no noise’. An incredibly dramatic landscape, this area has played host to
countless well known films. Later, drive through the Dades Canyon with its
steep winding across road with numerous switchbacks providing great views of
the steep cliffs and the river below which rushes dramatically through the
gorge, especially in the spring when the mountain snows are melting. Later,
drive to Tinghir. Upon arrival, check-in to your hotel. Over Night stay at
Tinghir.
Day 05Tinghir – Berber Camp
After B/F, check-out from Tinghir.
Your next taste of dramatic Moroccan scenery comes at the Todra Gorge close to
Tinghir, where you'll stop for a short hike along the valley floor with rocky
cliffs towering above on both sides. Then continue along the 'road of a
thousand Kasbahs' to Erfoud before switching into 4WD vehicles to travel to
Merzouga and through the Erg Chebbi sand desert to a traditional Berber Camp
amidst the dunes. Here a sunset Camel Ride is included plus a walk to the top
of some of the dunes for spectacular views as the sun sinks below the horizon.
You'll enjoy a hearty Bedouin meal and a campfire this evening, often with
local musicians helping enhance the atmosphere, before sleeping in comfortable
Berber camel-hair tents.
Day 06Berber Camp – Draa Valley – Ouarzazate
After B/F, head out of the
dunes and drive back to Rissani and the birthplace of the Alaouita Dynasty.
Leave your 4WD vehicles here and drive to Erfoud. Lodged in an idyllic setting
between the Atlas Mountains to the north and the Sahara desert to the south,
Erfoud is the administrative capital of the region. Continue back along the
Road of a Thousand Kasbahs through the Draa Valley to Ouarzazate. While in
Ouarzazate, visit to the movie studios that have taken advantage of the amazing
scenery in the area. Some of the most famous films that have been shot from the
Atlas Studios here include Lawrence of Arabi, The Living Daylights, The Last
Temptation of Christ, The Man who would be King, The Mummy, Gladiator, Asterix
& Obelisk, Kingdom of Heaven, Kundun, Legionnaire, Hanna, and Salmon
Fishing in the Yemen (2011), as well as part of the TV series Game of Thrones.
Your final visit today is to Morocco's most well-known Kasbah at the UNESCO
world heritage site of Ait Benhaddou. This is a huge fortified city (ksar - a
group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls), with houses and kasbahs
crowding together inside the defensive walls, an excellent example of
traditional Moroccan earthen clay architecture. Over Night stay at Ouarzazate.
Day 07Ouarzazate – Taliouine Kasbah – Taroudant Town
After B/F, drive to the
foothills of the Atlas Mountains with some great views to our right hand side,
stopping for a break en-route to see the Kasbah at Taliouine and to learn about
the production of saffron, the world's most expensive spice, which takes place
in only this area in Morocco. If you are lucky then you will see some of
Morocco's famous tree climbing goats before arriving Taroudant. These goats
have learned to climb the local Argan trees in search of the fruit and nuts inside.
Taroudant is a large walled Berber market town, and its souqs are reputed to be
the best in the south with some excellent local crafts on sale. As you are off
the main tourist trail here, you'll get a much more authentic glimpse of
everyday life, as well as finding better value in the markets than in
Marrakech. The town walls are some of the longest and best preserved in
Morocco, with their mud construction changing colour atmospherically as the day
progresses - they're best seen in the early evening. You will have some free
time here in Taroudant to explore the souqs, and walk along the walls. Over
Night stay at Taroudant Town.
Day 08Taroudant Town – Agadir – Essaouira
After B/F, head to the
coast with first stop at Morocco's main resort town of Agadir. take a short
tour of the harbour and the famous High Kasbah, destroyed by the earthquake of
1960, before continuing along the coast towards the North Atlantic coastal town
of Essaouira. Well regarded as one of Morocco's most beautiful areas, Essaouira
has always attracted and inspired artists, drawn by its good light and
tranquil, relaxed way of life. Wandering around the old Medina and its
fascinating streets dotted with art galleries it's not hard to imagine why the
city drew visitors such as Orson Welles and Jimi Hendrix throughout the years.
Essaouira has a wide sandy beach, though the prevailing winds and currents mean
this is more of a mecca for kite surfers than for swimming or sunbathing. Over
Night stay at Essaouira.
Day 09Essaouira – Marrakech
After B/F, first half of
the day is free today to explore Essaouira. You could visit the working port
with its busy fish auction market and traditional wooden boat builders; explore
the craft stalls and shops in the walled Medina which is UNESCO World Heritage
listed and a great example of late 18TH Century European fortifications in
Africa; take a boat trip to the nearby island of Mogador which is a nature
reserve popular with birdwatchers; try a windsurfing or kite-surfing lesson
from the beach; or just explore randomly at your leisure. Post Lunch, drive
back to Marrakech. Over Night stay at Marrakech.
Day 10Marrakech – Cairo
After B/F, check-out from
Marrakech & transfer to Airport to board a flight departing for Cairo. Upon
arrival, check-in to your hotel. Visit to the city’s Islamic areas – including
the Citadel of Saladdin and its Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali, Coptic Cairo,
El Muallaqa, the Hanging Church, St. Sergius & Perfume Factory. Dinner
& Over Night stay at Cairo.
Day 11Cairo – Air – Onward Destination Journey
After B/F, check-out from
Cairo & transfer to Cairo Airport to board a flight departing for onward
destination journey.