Deserts, Tombs & Beaches Tour 15 days

Tour Options
Jeep Safari from Dahab
This option takes a 4x4 jeep safari into the Sinai desert from Dahab. You visit the Coloured Canyon, the Ain Khudra Oasis, have a traditional lunch, then visit the White Canyon, before returning to Dahab.
Single Room Supplement
This option guarantees you a single room in all the hotels throughout the tour.
If you are a single traveller, then you may share a twin or triple room with other single travellers in the group. If we do not have any other single travellers available for you to share with at the time of your booking, then we will need to add this supplement to your tour price (this can be refunded to you later if other people book who you can share with).
Sleeper Train upgrade (one way)
Our standard tours use the First Class carriages on the ‘sitting train’ from; Cairo to Aswan, Cairo to Luxor, and Luxor to Cairo. These are comfortable reclining seats with plenty of space around them. If you wish, you can exchange this train for the European-style ‘wagon-lit’ sleeper train, where you get your own private cabin and berth. This option covers a one-way journey on the train and includes transfers and a light evening meal & breakfast on the train.
Wadi Rayan & Valley of the Whales day trip
This tour features a day trip from Cairo to the Fayoum region where we head for the Wadi Rayan Protected Area, which surrounds a fresh-water lake in the middle of the desert, filled by the remaining irrigation water from the Fayoum area. There are several waterfalls here, and a bird hide which gives good views of the lakes birdlife, particularly in the winter months when the lake is an important stop for migrating water-birds. We also visit the Springs Oasis area, a rare example of an uninhabited Saharan oasis, and host to many different plants and animals, including Dorcas Gazelle, Ruppell’s Sand Fox and Fennec Fox.
After a stop for a packed lunch, we then drive into the stunning desert & mountain scenery of Wadi Hitan (Valley of the Whales). This World Heritage Site is accepted as the most significant site in the world to demonstrate the evolution of whales, and we take a 2-3km walk here to see several specimens of fossilised whales of different types sitting on the surface of the sand, as well as fossilised mangroves and the remains of crab holes.
This tour requires a minimum of 2 people to run.
Hot Air Balloon Flight - Luxor
This trip runs early in the morning in Luxor, so that you catch the early morning sun over the Valleys of the Kings & Queens, temples and desert. The trip runs from between 5.00am and 10.00am (start times vary), with about 1 hour in the air. We normally book this for you on your second day in Luxor, before the West Bank tour. There is a minimum number of people required for the trips to run, and they are also weather dependent. It is very rare however that are cancelled, and if this happens, we will refund you in full.
Day trip to Petra
This is a long but exciting and rewarding day trip from Dahab to the fabulous & colourful rock-carved city of Petra in Jordan. You leave Dahab very early (around 05.00am) and drive to Taba (approx. 3 hours) for a short 1-hour ferry to Aqaba in Jordan (no visa fee for most nationalities). Then it is another drive (approx. 1 1/2 hrs) into the mountains and the city of Petra. We include a half day inside the site, including a 2 1/2-hour guided tour, lunch, entrance fees, and some free time to walk up to the High Place of Sacrifice or the Monastery with its huge carved facade and stunning views over the Jordan valley. We then make the drive & ferry crossing back to Dahab, arriving late in the evening. Note: The option price is based on doing this option on a sharing basis with other travellers not booked with Egypt Uncovered. We can also run the tour privately for you, but for a higher price - please contact us for details if required.
Open Water Diving Course
If you have 4 or 5 days in Dahab, why not embark on the PADI Open Water diving course, the most popular diving course in the world. Successful completion leads to entry-level certification, and the exotic world of scuba diving. Where better to learn how to dive, than in the crystal clear, warm blue waters of Dahab, renowned for its extremely diverse marine ecosystem including some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. The great thing about learning to dive in Dahab is there are no pool sessions - everything is done in the sea near the dive centre, with a good reef just metres away to enjoy while you are doing your open water dives.
Note: The option price includes GBP 30 p/p to cover your PADI Course Manual, which you keep with you and take home with you afterwards.
Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids
Watch this spectacular laser light and sound show at the pyramids. Listen to the head of the Sphinx as it tells the story of the Pharaohs and how the great pyramids were built. The show is available in different languages and runs from early to late evening. All transport is provided along with entrance fees.
Introductory Dive
Introductory dives take approximately two and a half hours and begin with some basic training in the classroom. Then you are accompanied into 'confined water' to practice basic skills (mask clearing, equalising and regulator recovery). Finally, you go into 'open water' for a dive on the reef with an instructor by your side. The instructor will control your buoyancy the whole time as you descend to a maximum depth of 12m. Actual dive time underwater varies on an individual's air consumption but on average lasts 30-40 minutes. You do need to be able to swim for an Introductory Dive. All instruction, transport and equipment is included in the price. An Introductory dive is the perfect way to discover whether scuba is for you without committing yourself to the full course.
2 pre-booked dives
This option adds 2 extra dives into your tour. You can arrange when and where to take these dives while you arrive in Egypt. We can also offer any number of 'Extra Dives' on all of our Dive courses and Packages. Please contact us for more details and prices.