Red Sea Tourist Activities - Egypt Overland Safaris
Egyptian Antiquities Tours: Nile Cruises, Pyramids, Pharoahs, Museums
The Red Sea may be home to some fantastic diving but Egypt has one of the world's richest cultural heritages.
The country has played a starring role down the ages in the history of the human species, and the country is full of monuments and relics of great significance. To many people, the concept of dividing time between diving in the Red Sea and exploring the antiquities of Egypt, makes for the best holiday imaginable.
For this reason, Dive The World has teamed up with NTS, the National Travel Service, a long-established tour operator that has consistently won awards for reliability and professionalism. They specialise in programs involving unforgettable Nile River Cruises, tours of Cairo, Aswan and Luxor's Valley of the Kings, and domestic flights and ticketing. More off-the-beaten-track activities they run include desert safari camps and camel trekking.
Here we give you a flavour of some of the most popular overland attractions in Egypt. However, there is a great deal of flexibility in what NTS can offer you so you can seek further details from them at:
Email: NTS Egypt Tours and Cruises
Here are some ideas for things to do when visiting Egypt…
• Egypt tourist information
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Classic Egypt Antiquity Tours
The most popular and interesting tours involve a Cairo tour followed by a Nile Cruise through the country to some of the most interesting sights of Aswan, Luxor and even Hurghada. Those ending in Hurghada would be ideal for you if your liveaboard or dive daytrips use the port of Hurghada as their starting point.
There are a number of packages to choose from, depending on your particular needs, and they range from 6 nights to 8 nights. There is no better way to drink in all the atmosphere of this ancient land, visiting such famous sites as the Great Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings, while travelling in comfort and style.
A range of different Nile River boats are available. They are described as 'floating hotels' and offer excellent facilities and accommodation. In Egypt, a small difference in price can mean a huge difference in quality. Small savings can mean much lower levels of satisfaction. So the options provided by NTS represent the best value for money, to make your trip unforgettable for all the right reasons.
Cairo
Partake in a fully guided tour of Egypt's National Museum which houses many of the important relics from ancient Egyptian history. Here you can tour around the world's largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, including many treasures of King Tutankhamen. This includes an optional visit to the Royal Mummy Room, home to 9 royal mummies from pharaoh times including Queen Hatshepsut.
The Cairo tour also features an unforgettable visit to see the Pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Chephren Mycerinus) and the legendary Sphinx - the oldest of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Take unforgettable photographs of all 3 pyramids plus the Great Sphinx, believed to feature the head of the pharaoh Khafra.
Aswan
Arriving by train to the ancient city of Aswan, the 1st town established in the country's High Dam, which prevents the annual flooding of the Nile and has had a huge impact on the economy, regulating agriculture and producing electricity.
Other highlights for you to enjoy include Aswan's unfinished obelisk (the largest known ancient obelisk and the island temple of Philae. Aswan is also the starting point for Nile cruises.
Nile River Cruises
From Aswan you can soak up the atmosphere of Egypt on a cruise down the River Nile in one of the excellent floating hotels that operate here. Sights to take in include Elephantine Island, home to an ancient 'Nilometer' and the Aswan Museum. You can also enjoy a stroll around the fabulous Botanical Garden at sunset, home to over 30 varieties of palm and tropical plants from around the world. It also attracts colourful birds, water fowl and egrets.
The next day you can visit the Kom Ombo Temple and its famous ceiling paintings, and the Edfu Temple of Horus, built in the reign of Cleopatra. From here you will cruise on to Luxor.
Luxor
Known in ancient times as Thebes, Luxor has earned the title "the world's greatest open air museum", as it features the temple complexes of both Karnak and Luxor. Across the Nile are the Necropolis and the Valley of the Kings and Queens.
Such an abundance of places of interest puts Luxor firmly on the tourist map and it is the central focus for most Egyptian antiquities tours.
Other Special Overland Safaris
One option for the adventure-lovers is the White Desert Safari which consists of 10 days accommodation and camps. This safari visits museums before leaving the city behind and taking in the unique atmosphere of the desert with its serene oases, strange rock formations and more.
If you prefer a more traditional mode of transport then perhaps a 4 day / 3 night Camel Trek is more the order of the day. From Cairo these take in the Suez Canal, a climb up Mt. Sinai for sunrise, Bedouin culture and sleeping around the campfire, and of course, much bonding with your trusty camel. The finale is a refreshing dip in the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba which will make you feel like a nomad of days gone by.
Tailor-made Programmes
Do you have a special dream? NTS will happily optimise an itinerary made just for you, covering the main highlights according to your interests, travel pace, time availability and budget. Most importantly, being custom-made, it allows all the flexibility you need in your holiday plans.
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