Itinerary

Day 1 Cairo

Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the hub of the country. Millennia of history have made it one of the most fascinating places in the world. The Egyptian Museum whose 107 halls feature huge statues on the ground floor, and small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures and the mummies on upper floors. Other downtown sights include the Saladin Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque, and Khan Khalili bazaar. Nearby Giza is famous for the Pyramids of Egypt, among the largest constructions ever built.

You will be met in the tunnel by an airport representative who will in turn facilitate the visa process ($15 per person - included in tour cost), escort you through customs and immigration, off to baggage claim and finally to passenger pick up. It is here that you will connect with our representative associate who will arrange airport transfer to your hotel.

Transfer to/from Cairo Airport in private vehicle with English speaking driver.

Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Le Meridien Pyramids resort is located twenty minutes from Cairo’s city centre, with a spectacular closeness to the Giza Pyramids, one of history’s greatest treasures and one of the Seven Wonders of the world. With 444 rooms, this hotel is the ideal combination of rich foliage blended with sultry sands and timelessness. From dining North American-style over Tex Mex dishes to closing off the night over traditional Arabic shisha, one can attain a true feel for Egypt while still retaining a level of comfort akin to home. Aside from Le Meridien offering resort-style facilities, from outdoor tennis courts kept lit at night to spa treatments, the distance to the city allows the curious traveler to discover the curving streets and bazaars that mark Cairo’s mysterious aura.

Overnight at Meridien Pyramids.

Day 2 Cairo

Enjoy this tour which explores the relics of ages past, and includes visits to ancient Memphis, Saqqara and the Great Pyramids of Giza. Already millennia old by the birth of Christ, the elaborate statues and astonishing scale of these sites will amaze all who visit. This tour also features the famous Sphinx, whose constructor's still remains unknown, but its sheer beauty and allure has mystified the likes of Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. This tour includes a private vehicle, a driver, and a highly trained Egyptologist, and entry to either Chephren (Khafre) or Menkaure (Mycerinus) pyramids, as well as the Solar boat. Entrance to the Pyramids come with an additional cost, and be aware that a limited number of people are allowed inside daily, so arrive early so you will not be disappointed.

Enjoy a personalized lunch with your guide at a great local restaurant.

Overnight at Meridien Pyramids.

Day 3 Luxor

Luxor, site of ancient Thebes, and the "world's greatest open air museum". Notable sights on the east bank include the Temple of Karnak and Luxor Temple. On the west bank is the spectacular Valley of the Kings. For a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles, including Tutankhamun. The nearby Valley of the Queens is said to hold more than seventy tombs.

Transfer to/from Cairo Airport in private vehicle with English speaking driver.

Take your flight from Cairo to Luxor. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Airport transfer with a private vehicle and English-speaking driver in Luxor.

Enjoy a private tour with a qualified Egyptologist guide exploring the East Bank of Luxor. Visit the most impressive temples of Karnak and Luxor, while learning about ancient Egyptian history from your own personal guide. Start your day with a visit to the Temples of Karnak. Walk along the Avenue of Sphinx to enter the complex as your guide explains how the massive facade was constructed. Continue to Luxor Temple which was once joined to the Temples of Karnak by a two-kilometre long Avenue of Sphinx, a portion of which marks the entrance to the temple. Your private guide will offer interpretation and guide you through the most important parts of the temples.

Taking a Felucca down the Nile is something you must do when visiting Egypt! Feluccas are non-motorized sail boats that have been used on the Nile since the times of antiquity. Enjoy a short cruise onboard today.

On the shores of the Nile, at the core of Luxor’s ancient soul, sits the Steigenberger Nile Palace. The regal structure stands tall. It begs come hither for curious visitors to witness the glory of the Egyptian Kingdom. The hotel’s 304 rooms and suites are designed to fit the lifestyles of those demanding a combination of comfort, contemporary decor, and panache. Quench your visual and cultural thirsts, with the option of stunning river views or an eyeful of lively streets and the courtyard. Enact gastronomic fantasies with Lebanese cuisine and succulent grilled meats. Wander the city and become immersed in burial places, temples, and museums. Or, pamper yourself with the numerous facilities offered at the Steigenberger Nile Palace, including a spa and swimming pools.

Overnight at Steigenberger Nile Palace .

Day 4 Luxor

This morning you will meet up with your guide and explore some of the most incredible sites of the country. You will visit the Valley of the Kings where you will have the chance to explore three tombs. For a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, opposite modern Luxor. Then it's off to the nearby Valley of the Queens and also the recently renovated mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was the second pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty. The tour includes a visit to the huge Colossi of Memnon which are all that remain of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.

Visit the Tombs of the Nobles, Habu Temple and Deir El Madina as extensions to your private West Bank tour.

Done in conjunction with the West Bank private tour. Enter the famous tomb of King Tutankhamen.

Overnight at Steigenberger Nile Palace .

Day 5 Luxor

Today you will venture on a half day tour to the Dendarah Temple with a private vehicle, driver and trained Egyptologist. 169 km north of Luxor is the remains of Egypt's most famous and ancient cities, Dendarah. Here stands the Dendarah Temple dedicated to Hathor, the Goddess of love, fertility, and beauty.

Enjoy a dazzling sound and light show which is projected on the walls of Karnak temple.

Overnight at Steigenberger Nile Palace .

Day 6 Cairo

Airport transfer with a private vehicle and English-speaking driver in Luxor.

Take your early morning flight from Luxor to Cairo. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Delve into the historical background of Egypt on a half day private tour with a trained Egyptologist guide through the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and its Mummy Room, which houses a priceless treasure of archaeological finds. This location holds the tomb of the King Tut, Egypt's most famous teenage Kings!

Enjoy a personalized lunch with your guide at a great local restaurant.

Learn more about Egypt’s modern history today with a private guided tour of Tahrir Square; the largest square in Modern Cairo. Adjacent to some of the major attractions including the Egyptian Museum, as well as other important institutions. The square was originally called Midan Ismailia Square, after the 19th-century ruler Khedive Ismail, who commissioned the new downtown district's 'Paris on the Nile' design. After the Egyptian Revolution of 1919 the square became widely known as Tahrir (Liberation) Square. Traditionally, it is the site for numerous major protests and demonstrations over the years, including the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots, the March 2003 protest against the War in Iraq and the focal point of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution against former president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. Your expert local guide will share stories with you about the people and what Cairo was like during their recent uprising.

During this evening tour, enjoy a delicious Egyptian dinner at Naguib Mafouz, located in the heart of the Khan Khalili bazaar in Cairo. Stroll down the newly opened Al Moaz Street and view the largest concentration of medieval architectural treasures from the Islamic world. Also included in this tour is entrance to Beit El Seheimy.  Normally, this location would be closed to the public during the evening, but this exclusive tour allows for entrance inside.  This tour includes a private vehicle, driver and english speaking guide.

Transfer to/from Cairo Airport in private vehicle with English speaking driver.

Take your flight from Cairo to Nairobi. The flight duration is approximately 6 hours.

Safir Hotel is situated in Cairo's Giza district, not far from all the sights and sounds of the city. The 304 rooms are clean and comfortable, with many recently renovated. Fresh flowers and complimentary bottled water are just a few of the small pleasantries offered by the hotel. Meals can be taken in any of a number of restaurants and cafes at the hotel, which offer a variety of dishes ranging from Asian favorites to French and Oriental pastries and cakes. Tour this spectacular city and explore its history and artifacts. At the end of the day, relax with a cool drink at any of the hotel bars, near the swimming pool.

Overnight at Safir Dokki Hotel.

Overnight at Overnight Flight.

Day 7 Naivasha

Naivasha is one of our favorite places to pause on safari. Lush, cool and relaxing, it is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus. The lake is almost 13 km across but its waters are shallow and thick with hippo. Hell'sGateNational Park,LongonotNational ParkandMountLongonotare nearby attractions. Boat tours on the lake are popular to observe birdlife and hippopotamus behavior, or exploreCrescentIslandon foot.

In the event of serious illness, all travellers are covered by Flying Doctors Insurance. This covers the cost of emergency air evacuation service needed to fly back to Nairobi for treatment. This insurance does not cover the cost of medical treatment.

Your guide will drive you to Lake Naivasha, through Nairobi and rural Kenya. The drive will be about an hour and a half.

Includes a boat trip to visit Crescent island in Lake Naivasha. A short boat trip from the mainland out into the lake gives you access to the unique Crescent Island Wildlife Sanctuary. Crescent Island is a peninsula or island, depending on the lake level, joined to the mainland by a causeway. A wide variety of wildlife, birdlife and flora lives quite freely without the threat of predators. You will have the opportunity to spend some time walking around at your own pace, enjoying this peaceful Island.

 

Among the resident birds are fish eagles, ospreys, lily-trotters, black crakes and a variety of herons. Hippos also live in the lake. A number of mammals can be seen grazing in the surrounding lake environs, such as zebra, impala, buffalo, giraffe, Kongoni and, at night, hippos.

Like an African castle in the sky, Sopa Lodge Naivasha spins wondrous safaris from natural treasures below the golden Kenyan sun. It is situated on the southern shores of Naivasha, the largest freshwater lake in the Great Rift Valley. Let this dazzling resort of 21 cottages prepare you for mouth-dropping silence. Feast on the succulent meats and preparations of the hotel’s talented chefs. Allow your eyes to indulge in the scenery and wildlife that draws so many to visit this hotel, built for open views of nature’s activities at their most untouched. Make sure to wander around the compound. You will be enchanted by the fine architecture, cathedral ceilings, and grand windows. Stroll around the gardens, and take a swim. It’s hard to leave this heavenly escape.

Overnight at Sopa Lodge.

Day 8 Naivasha

Game viewing in Nakuru National Park with your skilled guide. The park is noted for thousands of flamingos which form a brilliant pink covering over the surface. Includes national park fees.

Enjoy a box lunch while you travel (included in tour price).

Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley soda lakes. The lake's abundance of algae attracts the vast quantity of flamingos that famously lines the shore. Other birds also flourish in the area, as do warthogs, baboons and other large mammals. Black and White rhinos have also been introduced.

Overnight at Sopa Lodge.

Day 9 Masai Mara

Masai Mara is the northernmost portion of the larger Serengeti ecosystem and features the best game viewing in the region. The small size funnels animals into a tight space, and park rules allow for off-road driving which means that guests can venture into plains covered with hundreds or even thousands of animals. Take an optional hot air balloon ride over the plains, with the opportunity for amazing pictures of the animal herds below.

Your guide will drive you from Naivasha to Masai Mara. This drive will take about 5 to 6 hours. Drive times may be longer in the rainy season (April to early May and November). Stop for refreshments and souvenir shopping at roadside stands along the way or head straight to the park. Enjoy game viewing as you enter Masai Mara and drive to your camp.

This afternoon's game viewing will be exciting as you are searching for game with your private guide and driver. The leopard is difficult to see as it moves fast and is very shy. If you're lucky there is a good chance to spot them around water holes or up in a tree after a long, hot day.

Kensington Mara West Camp has been revamped and relocated to what is surely one of the best views in East Africa. Perched elegantly on the Ololoolo escarpment, forming the western boundary of the Masai Mara Reserve itself. This is the authentic Out of Africa experience where much of the original film itself was filmed & produced. The camp borders the remote and beautiful western edge of Masai Mara National Reserve. Kensington Mara West provides nature lovers with deluxe accommodations while experiencing the sights and sounds of an unforgettable African safari. Tents offer rustic charm surrounded by grassy fields. Chalets are perched in secluded spots on an escarpment edge overlooking the vast plains of the Masai Mara Game Reserve, giving tremendous views and a sense of private exclusion.

Overnight at Kensington Mara West.

Day 10 Masai Mara

Today as you set on the early morning game drive with your expert guide. The Masai Mara Park will offer you a diverse range of animals. The park is home to the Big Five (Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo and Leopard) and numerous other antelopes including Thomson's and Grant's Gazelles, Impalas, Topics, Hartebeest, Zebra and Masai Giraffe. It's also home to over 450 species of birdlife among these are vultures, marabou storks, secretary birds, hornbills, crowned cranes, ostriches, long-crested eagles and African pygmy-falcons.

This afternoon's game viewing will be exciting as you are searching for game with your private guide and driver. The leopard is difficult to see as it moves fast and is very shy. If you're lucky there is a good chance to spot them around water holes or up in a tree after a long, hot day.

Overnight at Kensington Mara West.

Day 11 Masai Mara

Masai Mara is named after the traditional inhabitants (Maasai) and the Mara River. At some point during your stay in the Mara, you'll drive by the river, which is a great place to spot wildlife. This area is a photographer's delight where with any luck you'll be able to take amazing pictures of the hippos and elephants in the water.

This afternoon's game viewing will be exciting as you are searching for game with your private guide and driver. The leopard is difficult to see as it moves fast and is very shy. If you're lucky there is a good chance to spot them around water holes or up in a tree after a long, hot day.

Overnight at Kensington Mara West.

Day 12 Nairobi

Nairobiis the least expensive arrival city for flights with a full range of hotels and local attractions. Dubbed the “Safari Capital of the World,” cool, clear and cosmopolitanNairobiis the natural departure point for most safari itineraries. A city of contrasts, it is simultaneously the largest, the youngest, the most modern, the highest (1700m) and the fastest growing city inEast Africa. High-altitudeNairobienjoys a pleasant tropical climate all year round. There are ATMs and banks to stock up on cash, great restaurants, and malls where you can purchase any forgotten items.

Your guide will drive you from Masai Mara to Nairobi, with short stop-overs for refreshments and souvenirs. Be aware that during this commute you will drive across some unfinished patches of road. This drive will take approximately 6 hours.

Head out into the town for souvenir shopping at local markets or head out on a tour. Possible tours include: Nairobi National Game Park, the Kazuri Bead Factory (a local women's cooperative), David Sheldrick elephant orphanage, Giraffe Center & Karen Blixen House, or the Nairobi National Museum or Theatre (additional cost). Any of these items can be added to your tour, simply ask your travel advisor or guide.

Before leaving that night, stop by the Kensington office for free use of Internet, lounge, showers and drinks. If you like, we can make reservations for dinner at a local restaurant as well. Please let us know in advance and if you are vegetarian.

You will receive a private airport transfer to/from the airport.

Depart from Nairobi international airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.

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