The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare to Cairo on Egypt Air; local flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada to Cairo on Egypt Air; 13 nights' accommodations (five at the Oasis Hotel in Cairo, four aboard the King of Thebes cruising from Aswan to Luxor in an outside junior suite cabin, and four at the Al Nabila Grand Bay Makadi hotel in Hurghada); most meals; guided sightseeing tours and admission fees in Cairo, including a sound-and-light show (a value of $40 per person); guided shore excursions and entrance fees during the Nile cruise, including a visit to the Temple of Horus by horse-drawn carriage; transfers and ground transportation; the services of professional English-speaking guides; and hotel taxes and fuel surcharges; from $1,999 per person—plus about $195 in airport taxes and fees.
When: Sept. 3, Dec. 3, 2009; add $100 for April 29, 2010; $200 for Jan. 7; $300 for Sept. 10, Oct. 29, Nov. 5, 2009, Jan. 14, 2010.
Gateways: New York City.
The fine print: Does not include about $195 in airport taxes and fees. Based on double occupancy; single supplement from $499. When booking, refer to tour number 274. U.S. citizens will need a visa for travel to Egypt, available on arrival for a fee of $15. You can also arrange your visa through Foreign Independent Travel for $25 per person. For more visa information, check the U.S. State Department's travel fact sheet for Egypt. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: No deadline; based on availability.
Contact: Foreign Independent Tours, 800/248-3487, foreign-independent-tours.com.
Why it's a deal: In a recent Kayak search, we found a multi-city itinerary (New York City to Cairo, Cairo to Aswan, Hurghada to Cairo, and Cairo back to New York City) for $1,115 for travel in early December (multiple carriers). For an additional $1,079, this package takes care of accommodations, most meals, and guided sightseeing tours and admission fees throughout the trip, services of English-speaking tour guides, all local transportation, and all taxes and fees. The trip price breaks down to about $169 per person per night.
More: Optional excursions include a day trip to Alexandria ($125 per person), a visit to Abu Simbel ($220 per person), and a sound-and-light show in Luxor ($40 per person). You can add additional nights in Cairo from $51 per person.