Customized Itinerary: Conner & Kate from NYC

Conner and Kate were referred to us by one of the Columbia University tour participants. The newlyweds asked us to design a customized program before they continued onto the Maldives. We put together a great 6-night whirlwind tour of mainland Egypt. Get jealous!

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After spending two fantabulous nights at the Oberoi Mena House in Cairo, overlooking the Giza Pyramids, Conner and Kate were whisked away by private car to the Bahariya Oasis. They enjoyed a local lunch before beginning their jeep safari with Waheed's family (a fixture of all our Western Desert excursions). Above, Connor is hanging out in the camp the crew prepared for him and Kate.

Our safari crew prepares this typical desert cuisine from scratch over a few burners and a fire. Nice, filling food after an amazing trip.

Conner and Kate traveled down to Luxor by the overnight Sleeper Train. An experience in and of itself (check out Pat and Claud's itinerary below for their take on the Sleeper experience). Mostafa, our expert Egyptologist, graciously took the two around to the best sites in Thebes. As guiding is not allowed INSIDE the tombs at Valley of the Kings, Mostafa explains King Tutankhamun's chamber (above).

Here is a nice snapshot from Luxor's countryside. This is a typical West Bank scene and just so happens to be the same area Conner and Kate spent their night in Luxor. We prefer to place our clients on the quieter West Bank - it's more authentic and sorry to say, there's less harassment than the East Bank. More on their West Bank accommodation below.

Here, Conner is speaking to Eric, owner of Backpacker Concierge. All of our custom itinerary clients receive a mobile phone with local SIM card upon arrival in Cairo, Luxor, Sharm, or any other port of entry. This is a great way for the BC team to keep in touch with clients, but also a way for the clients to keep in touch with their friends and family.

So, back to the accommodation. Since this was a honeymoon, we recommended the romantic Moudira Hotel in Luxor. Above, Kate sits by the pool.

Yep, this was their room. The Moudira features local architectural techniques, including domed ceilings to keep the rooms as cool as possible, especially during the summer months.

After Luxor, Backpacker Concierge arranged a private car down to Aswan where they met their felucca captain for an afternoon sail through the islands, followed by a camel ride through the Nubian villages.

And back to Cairo again. This time, the Egyptian Museum with our Egyptologist Faten. Backpacker Concierge tries to use female guides as often as possible, as the average tourist will not have much contact with the women of Egypt. Pairing our clients with a gregarious guide is a nice way to them to expose them to a somewhat hidden world.

Conner takes one last puff on the sheesha in Khan al Khalili market before returning to Cairo Airport for their onward flight to the Maldives!

Itinerary:
- March 4 - Arrival and transfer to the Mena House for free afternoon
- March 5 - Full day sightseeing to Giza Pyramids and Saqqara, overnight at the Mena House
- March 6 - Transport to Bahariya for 1-night White Desert jeep safari
- March 7 - Return to Cairo for overnight Sleeper Train to Luxor
- March 8 - Early morning visit of Valley of the Kings and Hatchepsut Temple before a relaxing afternoon at the Moudira
- March 9 - Morning visit of Karnak Temple and onward transport to Aswan. Upon arrival, felucca excursion and camel trek on the West Bank.
- March 10 - Morning flight to Cairo and guided sightseeing of the Egyptian Museum and Islamic Cairo