EGYPTIAN DISCOVERY GAY TOUR

March 12-20, 2011 or October 1-9, 2011

Tour Price: $2,495.00

-Includes 3 internal flights in Egypt

-Book 5 months in advance and save $100

  Single Supplement:
$600 USD. Single Supplements are not required. Hermes Tours can match you with another traveler should you wish at no cost. Deposit due at time of registration: $500 USD per person

E-mail info@gaytravelpros.com for more information.

Great pyramids reach to the heavens. Ancient tombs lie buried deep in the earth. A mighty river slices through an uninhabitable land, and gives rise to civilization itself. This is Egypt, and we’ll unearth its secrets in our small group of just 20, for the most authentic experience. And along the way, we’ll bask in a luxury that befits a pharaoh in 5-star accommodations, including a quality Nile cruise ship for 4 remarkable nights. Join us, and discover why this is our most popular trip.

“Hermes made my trip of a lifetime affordable, safe and hassle free. They’re the Best!”
Stephen Nelson; San Diego, California, (Egyptian Discovery in Style)

“The tour was well organized, David was great with all the details. It was an experience we won’t soon forget. Thanks!”
Eric Faulhaber & Louis Stanley; Mesa, Arizona, (Egyptian Discovery in Style)

“A great tour and itinerary for the price. Definitely can’t beat it!”
Casey Bateman; Seattle, Washington, (Egyptian Discovery in Style)

"I want to express the pleasant and unexpected pleasure I derived from traveling with this group. It added immensely to the enjoyment of the trip. Not only do I feel that we got along very well but we seemed to have developed a special camaraderie. I didn’t feel any self-consciousness. One could turn to the person next to them and joke or chat like we were old friends." Andrew Montrealegre, Los Angeles, CA.

• Giza Tour, including the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, and Sakkara
• Camel Ride in the desert
• Luxor Tour, including Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, and Temple of Hatshepsut
• 4-night Nile cruise aboard a 5-star ship, including tours of Edfu and the Temple of Horus, Temple of Sobek & Haroeris at Kom Ombo
• Aswan City Tour, including Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple
• Abu Simbel Tour
• Accommodations for 4 nights in 5-star hotels
• Services of a Hermes Tours escort
• Services of an expert, local guide in all cities
• Professional local Egyptologist
• $100 per person savings if you reserve 5 months before departure!

Cairo (Mar 12-14): Sofitel Sphinx hotel Pyramids: Sofitel Le Sphinx combines an exciting destination and incomparable personal service. This impressive hotel delights even the most seasoned travelers, with a unique opportunity to explore the ancient surroundings in total comfort and convenience. Located in a magnificent park at the foot of the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, 35 km from Cairo international airport, this 5-star hotel, with 280 rooms and suites, is the perfect base for unlimited cultural/tourist activities and great shopping!

Cairo (Mar 18-20): Safir Hotels Located at the City Center, in the immediate vicinity of the River Nile, just few minutes from Cairo’s Famous Landmarks.

Nile Cruise: Our ship for our cruise will be the MS Amarco 5 star deluxe . A Stay in M/S Amarco is like being a guest in well-run private home. The Ambiance is elegant yet intimate, the meals exquisite but never pretentious, the staff are friendly yet respectful, attending to your every wish with efficient calm.

Group:
We will be traveling exclusively together as a Hermes Tour group during the whole tour. Our cruise ship is a gay friendly ship which will have guests other than our group on board.

Included:
Please note that the above cost includes all accommodation in 5 star, gay friendly hotels & Cruise ship, with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips and service charges. 3 Internal flights- Cairo-Luxor, Aswan-Abu Simbel, Abu Simbel-Cairo. All activities as outlined in the itinerary; all meals as per itinerary; the services of a Hermes Tours Escort throughout the trip; a full time local Egyptologist guide with his associated expenses; all ground transportation as per itinerary; airport transfer on designated arrival and departure days; Entrance fees to all sites on itinerary, gratuities to drivers, restaurants, ship staff.

Not Included:
International airfare to/from Cairo; visas to Egypt; personal travel and cancellation insurance; meals and activities not specifically included in the itinerary; services of a personal nature like alcohol; soft drinks; bottled water; laundry; telephone calls; faxes as well as customary tips to guides.

Visas:
Canadian and American passport holders are required to have visas to enter Egypt for tourism purposes. It is possible to receive your tourism visa on arrival at the Cairo Airport. Your passport should be valid for a minimum of 6 months after the end of the tour. Call us at toll free: 1-877-486-4335 if you have any questions.

Shots and Immunizations:
There are no shots that are required for travel to Egypt but Hermes Tours does recommend that your tetanus booster be up to date.

Currency and Money Issues:
It is very easy to withdraw money from ATMs located throughout the country as well as to use your Visa or MasterCard. The American Express card is less widely accepted.
Travelers checks are also accepted however can carry a heavy commission fee. We recommend to travelers to bring only a small amount of cash and/or travelers checks and to rather use their ATM and credit cards while traveling.

Making a reservation with a deposit will be considered to be consent to the following conditions:
Hermes Tours reserve the right to accept or decline any person as a member of the tour at any time and to make whatever changes become necessary with or without notice. Guaranteed departure with a minimum of 8 participants.

Hermes Tours is not responsible for airline cancellation or change penalties incurred by individual tour participants for air tickets purchased prior to notification that the tour is a confirmed departure. Travel cancellation insurance would cover these costs should the tour be cancelled.

Hermes Tours does not accept responsibility in whole or in part for any delay, loss, accidents, personal injury, sickness, medical expenses, or property damage occasioned by fault of any person from whatever cause. All participants are required to sign a standard liability form.

Day 1 –

Fly to Cairo on an overnight flight.

You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your 5-star hotel. The afternoon is yours to relax after your flight.

We journey to the desert outskirts of Cairo and the remarkable Great Pyramids of Giza, which some scholars believe were built to align with constellations. While here, we embark on a camel ride like explorers of old. We also explore the temple of the mysterious Sphinx. We continue to Sakkara, the very first pyramid. Tonight, join us for our Hermes welcome dinner.

We fly to Luxor today and embark our 5-star cruise ship.  This afternoon our Egyptologist guide leads a comprehensive tour of Luxor’s East Bank, featuring Karnak, Egypt’s most elaborate temple built over generations by countless pharaohs.

We cross the Nile to the West Bank and the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs were buried deep underground in elaborate tombs.  We also visit the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. This afternoon we set sail to Esna and Edfu.

Today we visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu, the largest and best preserved pharaonic temple in Egypt. We then sail to Kom Ombo to explore the fascinating dual temple dedicated to Sobek & Haroeris. Later, we sail to Aswan.

This morning we join our short flight to Abu Simbel. As the waters of Lake Nasser rose with the building of the High Dam, each stone of this imposing temple was reassembled on this higher ground to avoid submersion. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was a driving force in that huge engineering feat. We return to Aswan this afternoon and enjoy a Felucca sail in the archipelago of Aswan.

Discover Aswan with our Egyptologist guide, including the Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple. Afterwards we fly to Cairo.

Explore the greatest collection of Egyptian artifacts at the Egyptian Museum, including the contents of the tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamen, unearthed by Howard Carter in 1922.  We also discover Islamic Cairo and the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, one of the world’s greatest and largest outdoor markets. Bid farewell at our Hermes farewell dinner tonight.

Your Hermes tour ends today.Transfer to airport for your return flight home on onwards.