Cairo to Zanzibar

Welcome to Egypt, a country known for its historical sites and world wonders. We begin in Cairo, the sprawling capital of Egypt and the largest city in Africa. Home to many famous Egyptian landmarks, visitors will find it to be a fascinating and often bewildering mixture of old and new.

We don't want you to miss out on any aspect of your small group tour. To ensure that you don't, we recommend you arrive at your hotel by 6.00pm

Meet your fellow travellers tonight as we enjoy a group welcome dinner

Optional Excursion: Coptic Cairo - Discover the ancient sites & culture of Coptic Christians throughout Old Cairo. 3 hours – from $65pp US. Cash only.

Optional Excursion: Islamic Cairo - Visit the Gayer Anderson Museum, Ibn Toulon Mosque & El Sultan Hassan Mosque. 3 hours – from $65pp US. Cash only.

Optional Excursion: Sound & Light Show at Giza - Taking place on the Giza plateau at the Great Pyramids, you will hear the story of Egypt as seen through the eyes of the Sphinx over the ages and see the breathtaking sight of the floodlit pyramids lit up under the stars.

Please Note: you may not be permitted to use video cameras during this performance.1 hour – from $65pp US.

Our touring in Egypt begins at the oldest structures in existence and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the amazing Great Pyramids of Giza. We'll visit the nearby Great Sphinx, with the body of a lion and the head of a king, often referred to as the national symbol of Egypt. Our tour will also take us to visit a weaving workshop, with an opportunity to purchase a locally made Egyptian carpet.

Special Experience: Take in the incredible views of the Great Pyramids of Giza while enjoying a delicious lunch at the 9 Pyramids LoungeWe will also visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt's newest museum, and the largest archaeological museum in the world, showcasing over 100,000 antiquities. Among its treasures are the complete artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun, displayed in full for the first time since their discovery in 1922.

Please Note: The Grand Egyptian Museum partially opened to the public in October 2024. The visit will include limited access to the main galleries. We will also visit the Egyptian Museum, where Tutankhamun's collection is currently displayed, until the GEM's official full opening. This will be announced by the Government of Egypt in the near future.

Early this morning we farewell Cairo as we transfer to the airport for our flight to Luxor. Located on the east bank of the Nile River, the city surrounds two huge, surviving ancient temples.

On arrival we begin our sightseeing at the ancient Avenue of Sphinxes. This 3-kilometre-long road connects Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to Karnak Temple's structure over time, which explains its monumental size! Luxor Temple is home to a 25-metre-tall pink granite obelisk, which was part of a matching pair until the 1830s when one was given to France. It now stands in the centre of the Place de la Concorde in Paris. We'll visit a local gallery to appreciate the ancient artform of papyrus craft, with an opportunity to purchase the artwork to take home.

We then embark our Nile cruise ship and enjoy lunch on board before an afternoon at leisure to relax onboard or to further explore Luxor.

Optional Excursion: Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple at night. 1.5 hours – from $65pp US. Cash only.

On a half day tour of the West Bank, our first destination is the Valley of the Kings, where we'll discover King Tutankhamun's Tomb. We'll be able to descend into his tomb where his mummified body lies, as well as enter other tombs to see examples of the elaborate and well-preserved hieroglyphic paintings. Carved deep into the limestone rock, each tomb has a similar pattern of three corridors, an antechamber and a sarcophagus chamber.

Next, we explore the Temple of Hatshepsut. Built for Queen Hatshepsut, she was one of only a few women to be given the title of pharaoh. We then visit the Colossi of Memnon, a historic landmark consisting of two massive statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

We'll stop at a nearby alabaster workshop to learn how the locally quarried stone is carved and crafted, and if interested, can purchase a souvenir piece to take home.

We then cruise onward to Edfu, travelling through Esna Lock. The afternoon is at leisure before a welcome dinner on board.

Optional Excursion: Hot Air Balloon Ride over the West Bank in the early morning. Includes transport from hotel. 1.5 hours – from $170pp US. Cash only.

Challenging Day: Today is a particularly challenging day, where there will be extended periods of walking time, often across uneven ground and in areas of high altitude or heat and humidity.

Located on the west bank of the Nile River between Esna and Aswan lies Edfu, home to approximately sixty thousand residents. This Egyptian city is renowned for the Temple of Horus, dedicated to the Falcon God, the main attraction that we'll visit this morning. This beautiful ancient temple is one of the best-preserved in Egypt and the second largest after Karnak Temple.

We'll then cruise to the riverside Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris, before continuing to Aswan this evening.

Tonight, we enjoy a traditional Galabeya party on board.

We have an early start this morning as we cross the desert to the incredible UNESCO listed twin temples of Abu Simbel. The temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, as a monument to himself and his queen, Nefertari. The complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s to higher ground to avoid it being submerged by the Nile River due to the construction of the High Aswan Dam.

We will spend a few hours exploring the temples before returning to our Nile cruise ship in Aswan. We'll enjoy lunch on board and the afternoon is at your leisure before a Nubian Show this evening.

This morning we disembark the Nile cruise ship and bid farewell to the crew. Today will be spent exploring the incredible sights of Aswan. On a half day tour, we visit the High Dam, the picturesque Philae Temple on Agilkia Island and the Unfinished Obelisk.

We'll also visit a local store which produces an assortment of aromatic perfumes and oils, along with ornate accessories, all available for purchase.

Special Experience: Navigate the waterways of the Nile to a Nubian village where we'll visit the local market and meet a Nubian family in their home.

Optional Excursion: Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple at night. 1.5 hours – from $65pp US. Cash only.

We'll transfer to Aswan airport this morning for our flight back to Cairo, where we'll have the chance to explore the city.

We'll visit the 12th century Saladin Citadel of Cairo and the Mohammed Ali Mosque. Our last stop is the 14th century Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, a major souk in Cairo's Islamic District. Famous for its handmade crafts, it's also the perfect place to enjoy a traditional Arabic coffee. There are no fixed prices here, so make sure you practice your haggling skills!

We'll return to our hotel where the afternoon and evening is at leisure.

This morning, we travel to Sakkara to see the Step Pyramid, also known as the Pyramid of Djoser. Designed by Imhotep, the famous vizier of King Djoser, this was the first pyramid ever built!

Special Experience: Tour the historic Serapeum of Sakkara, the burial place of the Apis BullsWe'll make our way to downtown Cairo to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure before an early dinner at the hotel.

Tonight we bid farewell to Egypt as we fly to Nairobi on an overnight flight.

Nairobi is the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg. Although it is just south of the equator, it sports beautiful spring-like weather year round – warm during the day and cool at night. It is a modern city, yet its main avenues blaze with colour from tropical bushes and vines. Less than 100 years ago, there was a river in an empty wilderness where Nairobi now stands. Despite health hazards and the ever-present danger of wild animals, Nairobi was established by 1907 and quickly grew. It also attracted world attention as the centre of big-game safaris for the rich and famous - perhaps the most famous was the safari of Teddy Roosevelt, who needed 500 porters to carry supplies!

This afternoon we visit the AFEW Giraffe Centre, an important conservation initiative created by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. Here we can get up close whilst feeding the giraffes from an elevated platform.

After lunch we'll enjoy a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum - the former residence of famous novelist Karen Blixen. The house contains many of her original pieces along with some exhibits donated by the makers of the film, ‘Out of Africa'.

Today we visit one of Kenya's great conservation projects, Daphne Sheldrick's animal orphanage at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. For over 25 years, Kenyan-born Daphne Sheldrick lived and worked alongside her husband David, during which time they raised and successfully rehabilitated many wild species. Daphne Sheldrick's involvement with wildlife has spanned a lifetime. She is now a recognised international authority on the rearing of wild creatures and is the first person to have perfected the milk formula and necessary husbandry for infant milk-dependent elephants and rhinos.

Later we visit the Anselm Kitengela Hot Glass studio and enjoy a glassblowing demonstration. Here we will see how expert Kenyan artisans create functional handmade objects from recycled glass and learn about the unique art of glassblowing.

This morning we make our way to Aberdare National Park, a protected area in Kenya's central highlands. Known for its stunning high moorland, bamboo forests and thundering waterfalls, it is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephant, buffalo, leopards and several primate species.

On the way we'll stop at the Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers, a women's self-help group that produces beautiful, handcrafted items. We'll learn about the traditional techniques used to make these items and will have the chance to purchase unique souvenirs to take home.

After lunch at the Aberdare Country Club, we are transferred to our quirky ‘Ark' accommodation. Here, we'll enjoy the afternoon at leisure to gaze out over the floodlit waterhole, watching the wildlife bask in this beautiful setting.

Shaba National Reserve is our destination today, located by the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro River in the northern part of Kenya. The river attracts a lot of wildlife thanks to its shady trees, so the likelihood of seeing a diverse range of wildlife here is even higher.

An afternoon game drive will introduce us to some of the unique animals in this area, including the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra and the Somali ostrich.

We have an early start for our morning game drive across Shaba's beautiful, rugged landscape. We'll search for lions, buffalo, leopards and the famous 'red elephant of Samburu' - named for the red dust that coats their hides.

We return to our lodge for breakfast and some downtime before taking another game drive this afternoon. After our afternoon game drive, we'll also visit a local community.

Special Experience: Visit the Samburu Women's UNITY Village, a refuge for women looking to start independent lives with their children, learning about a day in their lives.

Today we continue to Lake Naivasha, which is the highest and one of the most beautiful lakes that form part of the Great Rift Valley. Taking its name from the Maasai word En-aiposha, meaning ‘heaving' or ‘to and fro', the water is well-known to be turbulent in the afternoons. A popular spot for British flying boats of the 1930s, it was also the home of Joy Adamson, conservationist and the author of ‘Born Free'.

After lunch we'll take a boat safari on Lake Naivasha, in search of its residents which include over 400 bird species and numerous pods of hippo.

We'll enjoy afternoon tea at the famous Elsamere Conservation Centre, located in Joy's former house. The museum contains a collection of her paintings and artefacts as well as memorabilia from the ‘Born Free' film, with photos documenting Joy and George Adamson's work.

We then return to our lodge for dinner.

After an early breakfast, we depart for the Maasai Mara, one of the world's finest game reserves. The landscape of the Maasai Mara is characterised by wide open plains and rolling grasslands, dotted with the occasional tree. The Maasai Mara flows into the Serengeti, making it one of the biggest reserves in the world.

Special Experience: Enjoy a Swahili cooking class at Sarova Mara Game Camp, first exploring the in-house herb and vegetable garden. We'll then head out on a late afternoon game drive. Elephant, giraffe, eland, wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are plentiful here and commonly sighted. With a bit of luck, we may also spot a lion or cheetah.

We have an early start for a morning game drive to enjoy this beautiful landscape as the sun rises over the savannah.

We'll return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch, with some time to relax. Later we'll head out on one last safari before a special farewell bush dinner.

Optional Excursion: Maasai Mara Balloon Safari – This morning, enjoy an amazing experience as you take a balloon ride over the Maasai Mara. This is probably one of the most scenic views you will ever experience as you depart at dawn and float, suspended in a basket beneath a canopy while viewing the sights of the mighty Maasai Mara and its wildlife. On landing, you'll be provided with a delicious bubbly-style bush breakfast. 3 hours – from US $450pp.

After breakfast we transfer to the airport to fly to the exotic island of Zanzibar. Upon arrival, we head to our beautiful beachside resort in Kiwengwa Beach.

Well known for its white sandy beaches and warm turquoise water, Zanzibar is the perfect place to relax and simply soak up the sun. Scenic fishing villages are scattered throughout the beaches of Zanzibar where the locals enjoy a simple way of life. We'll enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure before dinner at our resort.

The day is at leisure for you to relax and unwind in this tranquil setting or to explore more of this stunning island paradise. The choice is yours!

Our eyes are set on historic Stone Town, as we begin our exploration this morning. A city tour will acquaint us with a range of different sites, including the City Market, the Anglican Church of Christ, Africa House and Forodhani Park.

We'll also visit the House of Wonders - the most significant structure on the seafront that was built in the 1880s as a ceremonial palace. Originally used as the headquarters and administrative centre during the colonial period, it was later converted into a school and a museum.

Lastly, we will explore the Sultan's Palace, the Old Museum and the Old Market where we can shop for various local fruits and spices.

This evening we'll enjoy a farewell dinner.

Today marks the end of our spectacular African adventure. We will enjoy our last day at leisure in paradise before transferring to the airport this evening. We hope you leave with fantastic memories!