Our Cruise Itinerary - Semiramis II

Here I share our daily cruise itinerary for your reference in preparing your travel.

Please note, the itinerary may varies from cruise to cruise and package offered by the tour agent.

Our cruise, Semiramis II starts from Aswan and ends in Luxor for 4 days 3 nights journey.

Tue:
1130 – Arrives Aswan Airport from Cairo
1200 – 1430 – Tour High Dam and Philae Temple (Slightly different than our package due to miscommunication between tour guide in Cairo and Aswan)
1500 – 1530 - Checks in Nile Cruise, Semiramis II
1530 – 1630 – Enjoy some snacks provided by the cruise (special request because we missed our lunch)
1630 – 1800 – Tour Aswan town. This was outside the package since no activities arranged on that afternoon. In Aswan, you can find gifts and souvenir shop not to far from river bank where the cruises dock, about 5 to 10 minutes walk. There is also Mac Donald by the river bank.
1800 – 1930 – Relax and enjoy Nile river view from deck
1930 – 2100 – Dinner provided by the cruise (Part of the package)
2100 – 2330 – Nubian party joints with other performances

Wed:
0700 – Wake up call
0800 – 1000 – Breakfast
1000 – 1130 – Felucca sailing
1130 – 1300 – Relax, own activities
1300 – 1400 – Lunch
1400 – 1730 - Sailing to Kom Ombo
1730 – 1830 – Tour Kom Ombo Temple (It was more than 100 cruises docked with thousand of tourist visiting Kom Ombo)
1830 – Continue sailing to Edfu
1930 – 2100 – Dinner
2100 – 0000 – DJ in the Bar, dance floor open

Thu:
0600 – Wake up call
0700 – 0900 - Tour Edfu temple. Took horse carriage riding to Edfu temple
0900 – Continue sailing to Luxor
0900 – 1000 – Breakfast
1200 – 1300 – Passing the Esna water lock
1300 – 1400 – Lunch
1600 – 1630 – Tea time
1730 – Arrived Luxor. According to plan, we should tour Luxor temple but we took city tour instead. It was also outside the package. Paid 100LE for the taxi, we went to gifts and souvenir shops then dinner at Pizza Hut.
2100 – Back to cruise
2130 – 2330 - Belly Dance and Tanoura

Fri
0700 – Wake up call
0800 – 0900 – Breakfast
0900 – 1100 – Tour Valley of the kings
1100 – 1300 – Tour Karnak Temple
1300 – 1430 – Tour Luxor Temple
1430 – 1500 - Back to Cruise and check out
1500 – 1600 – Boat ride (A compliments from our tour guide, Badawi. Thanks)
1600 – To Luxor airport for a flight to Cairo.

Notes:
** Please note drinks are not included in breakfast, lunch and dinner. Drinking water and soda drinks cost around 9LE each. We spent about 300LE in the cruise for 5 of us including tips.
** If you travel with kids, make sure you bring swimming costums and something for them to play. Otherwise they will get really bored.
** Something to munch also important. No grocery shop in cruise. You can only get drinks from the bar.

Tanoura Dance in Semiramis II (Video )

As promised, enjoy Tanoura Dance, one of the entertainment in the Semiramis II Nile Cruise.

El Tanoura, activity in Nile Cruise

Spinning Dance or they call it El Tanoura is the entertainment on the second night in the cruise. Started around 8.30pm after dinner.

Tanoura dance is a dance performed by a man with a long skirt, few layer of skirts, while playing with something on his arm. The skirt starts to open up to his waist when he starts spinning. (Don't worry; he is wearing a long pant under the skirt.) :0

He never stops spinning for more that 30 minutes.

Here are some pictures of El Tanoura dance. This guy was really good. He can spin for more than 30 minutes non- stop without problem. I will post some of the video once I connected to better bandwidth. Watch Tanoura video here.

Another activity in the cruise is a Nubian Party





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Nubian Party in Semiramis II

On the first night after dinner in the cruise, we enjoy the Nubian party. This is the video.

Another activity n the cruise is El Tanoura dance

Read more here

Leisure moments in Nile Cruise

Picture of some activities while cruising the nile. Kids enjoy the pool very much.

A deserve lunch break at Khan El Khalili Bazaar

After a long squeezing in the crowded bazaar, bargaining for a lower price, finally we have a break for lunch at the open restaurant in front of the El Khalili Bazaar. We ordered chicken bbq, fried rice, humus and bread, pizza and another plate of chicken bbq.

Oh boy...the chicken bbq taste sooooo yummy

My second piece. Mummy, can we order somemore?

Day7: In Cairo, the last day in Egypt

Next to Malabar Mosque.

Day6: Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor Temple

After breakfast, visit Valley of the Kings on West bank. Went down to three tombs (forgot which king) and it was wonderful. Wall is full of drawing with egyptian characters. It is nicely painted with red, blue, yellow, black and gold. It doesn't seems like it was 3 or 4 thousand years ago. Unfortunately no camera allowed, no picture to share.

Next we move to Karnak and Luxor temple.

Pictures around Karnak Temple. This temple is big. Cannot cover all angles as it was hot waether.

Day5: Edfu and Esna Water Lock

From Kom Ombo, it took another 4 to 5 hours before we reach Edfu. Not sure what time we arrived Edfu. I think around mid night.

We start visit to Edfu Temple around 9.00am after breakfast in the Cruise. The temple is about 1 Km away from the place where our Cruise parked. We took horse carriage ride to the temple. The kids enjoy it so much.

I'm not sure how much the price was for the horse carriage because it was part of the package and prearranged by the travel guide.

We spent about 2 hours at Edfu temple before continue sailing to Luxor around 11.30am.

Day4: Kom Ombo

Day4: Felluca and sail to Kom Ombo

On day 4, in the morning while waiting journey to Kom Ombo, we took an hour Nile Felluca sail. The cost was around 50 LE (it was not part of our package). The station is not so far from where the Cruise parked, around 5 minutes walk. It is next to Mc Donald.

The Cruise start sailing to Kom Ombo around 2.00pm, after lucnh.

Day3: Aswan - High Dam and Temple of Philae

 

Day2: Spinx and Papyrus Paper Painting Factory.

After about 2 hours by the Great Pyramid of Giza, we went to Sphinx. The monument of Pharoah head with lion's body. I think it's about 500 meters distance from Pyramid of Giza. We spent about 1.5 hours by the Sphinx.

After hours under the sun at the pyramid and Sphinx, we went to shophouses area opposite the Sphinx. We had pizza hut while enjoying Sphinx and Pyramid view.

Pizza on the 1st floor and KFC on the ground floor.

After lunch, we continue to painting factory where they demonstrate us how ancient Egypt people made paper from papyrus tree.

Actually, it is more like a painting gallery with papyrus painting on the wall but travel guide call it factory to make it looks more educational trip. They getting 5% of whatever we paid on the painting.

After the demonstration, we can choose which painting we like and the cost varies from 200 LE to more than 1000 LE. But of course you need to bargain. We bought one, size about 1ft x 2ft cost around 300LE. Paid 200LE after bargain. We are not very good on bargaining though.

Day2: The Great Pyramid of Giza

The visit on the second day began around 9.00am after a nice breakfast at the hotel restaurant. The same private minivan waiting for us at one of the hotel entrance.

The journey to Great Pyramid of Giza took around 45minutes. On the way, we enjoy the city view with busy traffic, building and nile river on one side of the road.

We saw a lot of unfinished apartments with metal structure on the "roof", it's like another floor will be built. Even it is not fully completed, the lower floor is occupied. According to the tourist guide, the apartment was built in stages according to owner's cashflow. They will continue the higher floor when they have enough money.

From far we can see the pyramid standing strong. It getting bigger and bigger while we approching the site.

Day1: Egyptian Museum

After check in and half an hour rest and express freshen up, the journey to thousands years ago begins. But before, we start with lunch at Pizza Hut. The hotel to pizza hut is about 500 meters and the egyption museum also about 500 meters on the other corner of the hotel.

We reached Egyptian Museum around 2.30pm and according to Mustofa (our travel guide in cairo), we can spend about 2 and a half hours. It is enough for this visit but not enough to cover the whole artifacts in the museum. It was a huge museum. He was right.

We spent about 20minutes taking photo outside the museum while Mustofa buying entrance tickets. The museum entrance fee is part of the package.

Before enter the museum, we have to leave our camera outside. There was a special counter for it, it's free. It was like a counter where we keep our paper or plastic bag when we enter supermarket. They gave us number, 1 copy for us to keep and another one with the camera. We return the number they give us back the camera. We paid some tips to the counter man when we collected the camera. It was like we have to pay something because they asked for the tips before handed over the camera back.

In the museum, we followed Mustofa closely. Listen to his explanations. Some parts we couldn't understand because it was soo technical. It took 4 years for travel guide to learn about Egypt history in their Egyptologist Bachelor/Degree. So don't expect you can understand everything in short visit. Luckily we did some study before departure, so something we can understand.

Mustofa with us in the Museum for 1.5 hours then 30minutes on our own. Please bring water with you because it warm and humid inside.

Day1: Arrival

We landed at Cairo International Airport around 11am, went through the immigration then straight to the luggage claim area. There was no hassle going through immigration because we have the Visa ready prior to departure.

While at the luggage claim area, there was one very friendly guy came offering to assist with our luggage. He reminded me to my friend's advice, "when you collecting your luggage at the airport, someone will come to you. Be careful, sometimes they will ask for ridiculous tips". So we decided not to entertain his offer. Better do it ourselves rather than spoil our holiday mood on the first day.

After collect all luggage, we walked out the luggage area. We saw one guy holding paper with my name. He must be our travel guide. He introduced himself and welcomes us to Cairo. He starts his job by explaining a lot of things and talking and talking and talking. Actually he was the protocol guy whom only assists at the airport. Our travel guide is at the hotel waiting for us.

Hazim, Natasha and her Minnie at the luggage claim area.

Cairo airport sign from outside. View from taxi on the way leaving the airport to hotel. It took about one hour traveling from airport to Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel.

This is the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel, the hotel we stayed while in Cairo, very good hotel.

Egypt - Our Package

My dad picked Plan#3: Dream of Egypt - 7 days (Cairo to Aswan by flight) and paid USD6107 (including USD120 airport tax for 5 of us minus USD100 discount). It was organized by Raj Air Holidays in Kenya.

If you wonder why my dad choose travel agent in Kenya instead of Dar Es Salaam, because they are very responsive. Respond to email immediately.

Out of three Dar Es Salaam travel agents, only one gives good respond. Unfortunately it was too late, it was very near to the date we supposed to travel. The other 2, they are not very serious in business.

Here are what we actually got:

• International Flight with Egypt Air from Dar Es Salaam to Cairo for 5 person
• Airport pickup by representative at Cairo Airport.
• Transfer to Hotel by private 7 seater airconditioned minivan.
• Check in at Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel (Nice hotel by the Nile)
• 2 Interconnecting rooms - 1 for my parent and 1 for me and my sister and little brother
• Tours in Cairo according to Itinerary with all the entrance fees paid by the travel guide. (it was part of the package)
• Airport transfer from hotel to Cairo Airport to Aswan
• Domestic flight with Egypt Air
• Airport pickup by tourist guide in Aswan
• Cruise with full board. (Please note that you have to pay for drinks in the cruise. They only provide food. One coke cost 7 egypt pound, one big bottle of water cost 9 egypt pound).
• If you travel with kids, please bring something to much as they don't prepare any food between breakfast, lunch and dinner time. You can only buy drinks.
• Don't forget to bring PSP if you have or something for you or your kids to play while in the cruise. Nothing much to do though.

Plan#3: Price - Dream of Egypt - 7 Days

PLAN#3: Price - Dream of Egypt - 7 Days (Cairo to Aswan by flight)

Total cost for 2 adult and 3 children: (land package + international & Domestic flight)
- Adult = USD2910
- Children = USD2697
Total = USD5607

COST BREAKDOWN

$1455 Per Adult Sharing in a double room (Minimum 2 Adults)
$899 Per Child Sharing in own room

Tour price includes:

• 3 Nights Accommodation in a 5 star hotel Ramsis Hilton or similar in Cairo on B&B basis
• 3 nights luxury 5 star Nile Cruise Semeramis II or similar on Full Board basis
• Return flights Dar – Cairo – Dar on Egypt Air excluding airport taxes
• Return domestic flights on Egypt Air Cairo – Aswan – Luxor – Cairo including airport tax
• Comprehensive sightseeing to Pyramids, Sphinx, Old Cairo, Citadel, Hanging Churches, Mosque of Mohammed Ali Albastar, Egyptian Museum, Khan el Kalili Bazaar, High Dam, Temple of Philae, Granite Quarries, Unfinished Obelisk, Valley of Kings and Queens, Temples of Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Esna.
• Meet and assist at all destinations
• Return airport transfers and transfers between hotels and all other transfers in luxury air conditioned coaches
• Professional and English speaking Egyptologist Guides 

Tour price Excludes:

• Personal expenses / Baksheesh / Bar account / Visa and Visa Costs / Sight seeing not mentioned above in any of the destinations and airport tax aprox $120 on Egypt Air

NOTE:

Please note that tipping or “baksheesh” is a way of life in Egypt. Most people survive on tips. Our representative in Cairo recommends $35 per person for the tips for the entire journey, which you can give him upon arrival (if you wish) and he will distribute the tips evenly to all people involved in the tour as he knows how much and whom to give it to. We normally do this, because from experience, when people have tipped on their own, they end up paying larger sums of money and sometimes to the wrong people these tips are only for the people directly involved in your tour and as per your itinerary. However, if you take an optional activity not mentioned in your itinerary then this will be subject to extra tips. It is very important that you understand that this is a way of life in Egypt because sometimes people get offended when guides, porters and drivers keep pestering them for tips.

CLICK HERE for Itinerary >>

Plan#3: Dream of Egypt - 7 Days (Flight)

This is the third package received from the same travel agency in Kenya. Cairo to Aswan by flight.

Dream of Egypt - 7 Days (Cairo to Aswan by flight)

Day 1: 2nd Oct Dar / Cairo
On arrival in Cairo you will be met and assisted at the airport by a Raj Air Holidays representative. A transfer to your hotel by luxury air-conditioned coach will follow, Check in. After lunch visit the Egyptian Museum and witness the treasures of the famous pharaoh “King Tut Ankh Amon”. Transfer back to your hotel for the evening at leisure.
Overnight Cairo on bed and breakfast basis

Day 2: 3rd Oct Cairo
After breakfast enjoy a full day guided tour to the breathtaking Pyramids of Giza which is the only one from the ancient seven wonders that still survive dates back to more than forty five hundred years ago, The Sphinx which was carved out of one single piece of stone lies in front of the Pyramid of Chephren (Khafre) with a lion’s body and a Pharaoh’s head said to be a portrait of the Pharaoh Chepren (kafre).
Overnight Cairo on bed and breakfast basis

Day 3: 4th Oct Cairo / Aswan
Breakfast and fly to to Aswan. on arrival in Aswan you will be met, assisted and transferred to your 5 star Nile Cruise, Lunch at the cruise. Start the tour in Aswan you will tour the High Dam, The Granite Quarries and Unfinished Obelisk will follow shortly after arrival on the cruise, after you will return back to the Cruise for a well deserved lunch. After lunch a felucca sail will follow to enjoy a magnificent view of the Aga Khan Mausoleum and you will sail past the Elephantine Island and Botanical Garden on your felucca before arriving back to your Cruise for the rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure,
Overnight Aswan on you luxury 5 star deluxe Nile Cruise on full board

Day 4: 5th Oct Kom Ombo / Edfu
After breakfast start sailing to Kom Ombo, after lunch you will be in Kom Ombo where you will visit the Ptolemaic Temple which was ruled by the two divinities Sobek and Haroeis with two separate doors and sanctuaries. Continue sailing to Edfu
Overnight on your luxury 5 star deluxe Nile Cruise on full board basis

Day 5: 6th Oct Luxor
After breakfast you will be in Edfu where you will visit the Temple of Horus (237 BC), which is the most ancient standing Temple in the pharonic period. Sail to Esna where the cruise will join other cruises in a queue to cross the Esna water lock outbound to Aswan. The Esna lock is normally crossed in the early hours of the morning where the cruise is locked in a full size dungeon and water is collected so that the level of the water in the lock meets with the water level of the Nile so that the Cruises can cross over. (A must for the brave ones). Continue sailing to Luxor.
Overnight in Luxor on Nile Cruise on full board

Day 6: 7th Oct Luxor / Cairo
A coach tour will follow soon after breakfast to the West Bank where you will visit the Valley of Kings where the tombs of the Royal Mummies were discovered, the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch visit the Temple of Karnak followed by free time in Luxor for Shopping and then a transfer to the airport to fly to Cairo. Meet and assist and then transfer to hotel- check in.
Overnight in Cairo on bed and breakfast basis

Day 7: 8th Oct Cairo / Dar
Breakfast at the hotel, start the tour to visit the area of Old Cairo where you can find the oldest churches in Egypt and the oldest mosque in the African Continent, lunch, after lunch visit the Citadel of Cairo and the Alabaster Mosque. Your day ends at the world's oldest shopping mall Khan El Khalili Bazaar, where you will find a wide array of exotic gifts and souvenirs. Check out and transfer to the airport for final departure

Day 8: 9th Oct Dar
Arrive Dar in the morning.

……………….End of Egypt Holiday………………

CLICK HERE for package price >>

Preparation to Cairo, Egypt

It was a last minute decision to go to Egypt, a 2 weeks preparation. We must take the opportunity while we are still here in Dar Es Salaam, before my father's contract end. According to my father, it is cheaper to travel from Tanzania compare to from Kuala Lumpur. Furthermore, the time different also not so big. Cairo is 1 hour behind Dar Es Salaam and 6 hours behind Kuala Lumpur. So the travelling wont be so tired.

My father took couple of quotations from different travel agencies. Travel plan travel agency in Dar Es Salaam and also from Kenya.

I will post some of the travel itenarary later for your guide.