Nairobi to Cairo | 8 Weeks

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Trip Code NC8C

Trip Price From: $3 500

Local Payment: $2 300

This tour to Cairo are different from our other departures and other holidays you may have taken – we go through areas where no tourists go, the roads can be bad, food can be limited to what we have stocked on the truck, campsites are few and basic, visas can be hard to get and communication to the outside world limited or unavailable at times

To view available dates and to book, open the "Departure Dates" tab below.

	Local Payment	$2300
	Starts in	Nairobi, Kenya
	Ends in	Cairo, Egypt
	Length of trip	8 Weeks
	Accommodation Style	Camping
	Check-In Time	TBA
	Departure Time	TBA
	Countries visited	Kenya Uganda Ethiopia Sudan Egypt

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Limited single supplements are available after booking confirmation. Please inquire about this.

Prices are per person sharing

Prices are in USD

Nairobi and Uganda Week 1 to 2

Leaving Nairobi we pass the dramatic landscape of the Rift Valley to the highlands of Kenya. From the border at Malaba we drive through rain forests. We pass through tea and sugar plantations to Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Crossing the equator we camp on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest crater lake in Uganda.

Mountain Gorillas

We climb through lush terraced hills to Kisoro, from here we trek the famed mountain gorillas or you could visit Mgahinga National Park for a day hike up a volcano or a guided nature trail. We meander back to Lake Bunyonyi to relax, canoe, mountain bike and swim.

The modern bustling city of Kampala

See the National Museum, the Kasubi Tombs of the Buganda people. Crossing the Owen Falls Dam we arrive at Jinja on the shores of Lake Victoria. Spend an action-filled day white water rafting down the Nile, bungee jump, fish on Lake Victoria, take a guided village walk; or give up a day of your holiday to volunteer for the local community education project.

Kenya Week 3

Lake Nakuru & Nakuru Town, the capital of the Rift Valley Province

We visit Lake Nakuru, viewing game in a park famous for its soda lake surrounded by thousands, sometimes millions of pink flamingoes. We move on to camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha where hippos come to graze in the evenings.

Close by is Hell’s Gate National Park and Elsamere

Once the home of Joy Adamson and Elsa the lion of ‘Born Free’ fame. From here we return to Nairobi with the chance to feast at the renowned Carnivores Game Restaurant.

We visit the base of Mount Kenya and continue north through the Northern Frontier District of Kenya, a restricted area; semi arid with a spectacular diversity of people, wild game on the road side and a warm dry climate

Northern Kenya – the NFD Northern Frontier District

From Nairobi, we travel northeast around the foothills of Mount Kenya – to the Northern Frontier District of Kenya, a restricted area; semi-arid with a spectacular diversity of people, wild game on the roadside and a warm dry climate. In this wild frontier district which is 600k kilometres north to south, between Kenya and Ethiopia, this savage and beautiful land, kept the peoples of the Kenyan and Ethiopian Highlands separated for thousands of years. Before roads were pushed through this area, the only way to travel here was by camel, and with the tribes of the region; the Turkana, Rendille, the Gabbra, the Samburu, the Borana and others. All these peoples are semi nomadic pastoralists who have survived in a harsh land herding sheep, cattle, goats and camels. Their style of living, colour, form and traditions are strikingly beautiful.

Mount Marsabit

In the middle of this dry barren landscape is an old shield volcano – Mount Marsabit it sits 1,000 metres above the surrounding desert. The hills have their own insulated ecosystem. There is evidence of recent lava flow throughout the hills, with crater lakes and old volcanic cones dotting the landscape.

Ethiopia Week 4 to 5

Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region

We climb the mountains into the highlands and descend into the Omo Valley and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region with dozens of different people living their traditional lifestyle.

We pass through the capital Addis Ababa

We follow the Rift Valley Lakes to the capital; Addis Ababa. In Ethiopia the roads in the highlands and mountains can be slow going, as horse drawn carts and cattle have the right of way. Eat traditional Ethiopian food with teff, a grain made into a traditional pancake, which is dipped into an extremely tasty mix of dishes, followed by a traditional coffee ceremony. Or wash your meal down tej – actually mead - which is brewed from honey.

Visit Djibouti by train

While in Addis take in another country on a side trip by train to Djibouti. A rail journey on the new train from the Ethiopian capital to the Djibouti and coast through the desert to the Red Sea

Addis Markets

Visit the massive open air market of El Mercato, it’s a local produce market displaying foods and locally made goods from all over the country.

Bahir Dar & Blue Nile Gorge & Blue Nile Falls

Bahir Dar is on the southern edge of Lake Tana. Nearby is the beginning of the Blue Nile, and the Blue Nile Falls. On small islands in the lake are old Christian monasteries. From the lakeshore, you can take small boats out with the many local pilgrims to visit the monasteries.

Lalibela

300 km to the east is Lalibela, and its many monolithic rock cut churches. It’s one of Ethiopia's holiest cities and a centre of pilgrimage.

Gondar

Gondar is the old imperial capital of Ethiopia, with old castles and fortresses. Visit the 400 year old Fasil Ghebbi fortress and palace compound, the ancient seat of Ethiopian emperors.

Simien Mountains National Park

From Gondar you can visit the Simien Mountains National Park where you hike to the Gelada Baboons troops while they graze on fields of grass ten thousand feet up on the mountain tops.

Sudan Week 6

Blue Nile to the White Nile

From Gondar we cross to Sudan to Gedaref, then Wadi Medani on the Blue Nile, which we follow to Khartoum. Here at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile see the two different colours river branches come together and flow separately, before mixing downstream.

Khartoum

Our stay here is on the banks of the Nile, beside General Kitchener’s old gunboats, a relic from the British military campaign against the Mahdi over a century ago. Here you can visit; Omdurman Market; the largest in Africa, the Khalifa's House, the Mahdi's tomb, Sufi dancing - whirling dervishes, and Nuba wrestling.

The ancient Pyramids at Meroe

The pyramids are to the north of the capital Khartoum. Our drive across the Nubian Desert will see us either hugging the banks of the Nile as it winds its way north, or crossing the vast open desert plains. We pass through sleepy Nubian villages, rest in outdoor tea rooms, wander around the local souqs and experience the desert roads on the way to Wadi Halfa.

Egypt Week 7 to 8

Abu Simbel

We enter Egypt and board the ferry across the Nile to Abu Simbel –The massive stone monuments built by the greatest of all pharaohs, Ramses ll, after spending the night we will travel on to Aswan.

Aswan High Dam & Philae Island Temple

Take an evening boat cruise to a Nubian village and a walk through the colourful souk, is a great way to spend your days here. Above Aswan between the Aswan Dam and the High Dam is a lake with an island where the ancient Egyptians built a temple to the goddess Isis.

The Aswan-to-Luxor section of the trip visits ancient Egypt’s most important sites; El Kab – the ancient capital of Upper Egypt prior to the construction of the Pyramids, the Temple of Kom Ombo - dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the sun god Ra.

Three day felucca sailing boat, from Aswan 200 km to Luxor

Today felucca cruises offer travellers a slow meander through history; the chance to travel the River Nile as people would have in the time of the Pharaohs, to visit the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo. It’s an open-decked boat, unchanged since the time of the Pharaohs, and covered in colourful cushions and pillows for comfort, complete with canvas shelters to block the desert sun. You sleep and eat on the deck under cover on the deck of the boat itself. When it’s hot – cool down with a swim on the Nile

Luxor Temples, Colossi of Memnon

We visit Karnack Temple the Colossi of Memnon and the Valley of the Kings with Tutankhamen’s Tomb. We do a big day trip to the monuments on friendly happy donkeys. They tend to walk off home alone after we arrive at the Valley of the Kings leaving us free to do the rest of the day in a bus.

Colossi of Memnon, Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun’s Tomb

Visit the Valley of Kings and Queens, with well preserved tombs of the ancient rulers of Ramses ll and Tutankhamun, with coloured paintings and hieroglyphics. The walls of the tombs are fresh after 3,000 years. Karnak and Luxor Temples are both within easy walking distance from our camp, as is the local souq for fantastic souvenirs.

The Red Sea Coast

Through the ancient desert mountains to the Red Sea Coast to relax on the beach for a couple of days; snorkelling, windsurfing and diving in the cool clear blue waters with the best coral reefs in the world.

Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx

We reach Cairo on the Nile, a massive and ancient city. We visit the great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.

The Cairo Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque, Old Cairo

Visit the Egyptian Museum, Mohamed Ali Mosque. Its the best mosque in the Middle East, in a fortress citadel and Old Cairo

Africa is an unpredictable continent. We do not have a fixed itinerary so please treat the information given as a guideline only. Although our information is written in good faith when writing, our route may vary at any time due to weather, politics or road conditions.

On this tour to Cairo we guarantee; we’ll break down, that we will have to wait some where we don’t really want to be for visas spare parts or just for someone to open a closed road and we’ll have to dig the truck out of mud and sand. The trip might overrun so finish late; the route can change due to rains, closed roads visa issues, breakdowns and politics. It’s best not to book your return flights home until you finish the trip.

To join this African adventure from Nairobi to Cairo you need to be prepared to work as part of a team and to share with the others on the trip. Some of the things you’ll never forget are the satisfaction of getting a 16 ton truck unstuck, cooking over open fires after collecting the firewood, pitching a tent and getting it right even when it rains, going to sleep when its dark and waking at dawn and wanting to get out of your sleeping bag to start another day in which you have no idea of what will happen, washing in rivers, not washing and not caring that your dirty, living outside for months, seeing more than you have ever before, trying to learn Arabic or Swahili and having people understand what you say, finding out just how far places are away from where you started and how different places can be and how unaffected out of the way places are from the world we normally live in. Most people who do this tour to Cairo find it a lot of fun though of course hard at times.

Included

Transport in expedition truck

Two meals per day, on average, prepared by the group,

Excluded

Flights, visas, transfers, personal insurance, drinks, meals out, tips

Optional excursions/side trips

Flights (in case of flyover)

As we will be camping and travelling for an extended period of time, you must be prepared for an adventurous challenge. It can be hot and dusty, and will sometimes be out of contact from the rest of the world. This means no telephones, shops or any other mod cons. We need you to participate and work with all members of the expedition. For the Trans we use sturdy purpose-built vehicles for these rugged off-road conditions.

HIGHLIGHTS

Uganda, Mountain Gorillas, Source of the Nile, White Water Rafting. Kenya - Lake Nakuru Nat Park, Hell’s Gate, Rift Valley Lakes, Northern Frontier District. Ethiopia - Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Blue Nile Falls, Lake Tana, Gondar. Sudan - Omdurman, Meeting of the Blue & White Nile, Meroe Pyramids. Egypt - Abu Simbel, Valley of Kings & Queens, Karnak Temple, Red Sea Coast, Pyramids of Giza, Cairo.

*All Trip Prices exclude Flights and Local Payment

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Side trips

Ethiopia - Bahir Dar - Tissisat [Blue Nile] Falls $20, Lake Tana churches $20, boat trip $40, Gondar Monastery & Fasilidas Castles $25, Lalibela Rock Churches $55, Simien Mountain walk $70 a day, Addis Ababa: National Museum $5 US$ 200

Sudan - National Museum, Khartoum US$ 6

Egypt - Alexandria on the Mediterranean day trip US$ 100

Egypt – Luxor - Balloon Flight over the Nile & Luxor $90, Karnak Temple $14 Luxor Temple $11, Luxor Museum$17 Karnak Temple Sound & Light Show $15, Tomb of King Tutankhamen $15, Valley of the Kings & Workers Tour, entry & guide $35 US$ 20

Egypt – Cairo - 4 Star Nile Dinner Cruise $30, Cairo Tower $13, Pyramids at Giza pyramid entry $7-35, Giza Pyramids Sound & Light Show $35, Egyptian Museum $15, Mummy Room in Egyptian Museum $15, Solar Boat Museum at Giza Pyramids $10 US$ 10

Egypt – Aswan - Aswan High Dam, Philae Temple entrance, guide & transport $40, Guided tour & Entrance to Abu Simbel $20, Tombs of the Nobles $5, Kitchener Island & Elephantine Island sail boat $5, Edfu Temple $10, Day Trip to Abu Simbel by air $170 US$ 170

Kenya - Nairobi day trip, pre or post trip. Baby elephants $65, Giraffes feeding $12 half day taxi $30. Yaya Centre Masai Market and shopping, Day's taxi $50 US$ 30

Kenya - Lake Naivasha - Horse Riding, Naivasha $25, Boat trip $60, Elsamere home of Joy Adamson $25, Hells Gate cycle thru the park $65 US$ 25

Uganda Mountain Gorillas plus local transfer $50. Gorillas trek fees must be paid for before departure US$ 900

Uganda - Jinja Bungy jumping $60, White water rafting on the White Nile US$ 160

Visit Djibouti by train. While in Addis take the train Djibouti. A rail journey on the new train from the Ethiopian capital to the Djibouti and coast through the desert to the Red Sea US$ 120

Nairobi to Mombasa by train. While on the weeks break in Nairobi take the train to Mombasa and the Indian Ocean Coast 1st class for 5 hour day trip across the willd plains US$ 50

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