For reservations call 1-800-788-7885
or contact your local travel agent.

Airfare While on Tour – There are three on-tour flights which must be purchased through Tauck as part of your tour package.

 

Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, many quests prefer to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following their tour. Flying time to Cairo averages about 16 hours from eastern gateway cities in the U.S., and may include a stopover in Europe. Most international flights arrive between 3 PM and 11 PM local time, seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time. The first day of sightseeing is a busy day at the Pyramids. Guests may prefer to arrive one day early to acclimate to the time change as well as the heat.

As a service, Tauck will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through Tauck. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss with the reservations agent when you book your tour.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle guests’ luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to Tauck Travel Protection for more information.

Personal Expenses - Phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, laundry, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa services (if applicable), and other optional incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Tauck Director Gratuities - The customary gratuity to the Tauck Director is not included. Gratuities should be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.

 

Airline Security Measures – In the U.S., you must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.

If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.

Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter, or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, and aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times.

 

You may also visit the U.S. Transportation Security Administration Internet website to obtain more information on acceptable identity documentation and prohibited luggage items by clicking here.

Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through Tauck for travel originating in the United States. By using Tauck's air services, you agree that Tauck, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, is acting only as your agent and is not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by Tauck. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline (and not Tauck), even if purchased through Tauck. Tauck is not liable for, and does not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to, seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). Tauck must handle ticketing for Tauck's special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Special fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Tauck's air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a Tauck tour. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. If you cancel or change your air before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.

River Cruise Regulations – Travelers must provide their passport number and date of birth to Tauck at time of booking. Tauck must provide this information to the cruise line before departure or you may be denied boarding.

Holidays and Museum Closures – Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays locally observed.

Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility – Tauck pledges to make every effort to operate all tours as advertised. Tauck reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to passengers. Any resultant added expense will be covered by Tauck. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecasted at the time of printing.

Journey Start and End Times are provided at time of booking and are subject to change due to airline schedule changes. All booking agents and guests will be advised of such changes. When making flight arrangements, allow sufficient time to claim luggage and clear customs.

Membership will be granted to all persons. Tauck reserves the right to terminate the tour of any persons who are abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.

Photography on Tour – Occasionally, Tauck will use photographs taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your tour for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour.

 

Air Conditioning – All hotels and the Nile Adventurer provide air conditioning. All motor coaches are air-conditioned for your comfort.

 

ATM and Credit Cards ― We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing for this tour to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be “suspicious” charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Clothing and Packing -

Select a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. We suggest you wear loose, light cottons and linens in the summer and, in the winter, layers that can be taken off during the heat of the day and put back on for cool evenings. For the welcome and farewell dinners, many guests like to dress up, but by all means be comfortable.

It is inadvisable for women to wear anything short or sleeveless unless on the beach or by a pool so as not to offend local custom.

When visiting churches and mosques, women are not allowed to enter with bare shoulders or short pants or short skirts. A scarf is acceptable to cover shoulders if women are wearing a sleeveless top. Head covering is not required. Men should also dress appropriately for a holy sanctuary. Shorts are discouraged. Women and men will be required to remove their shoes in mosques.

We recommend that you pack your prescription medicines (an adequate supply to last through your journey) along with your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.

Following is a list of recommended items to pack:

All hotels on this tour offer valet laundry services. Laundry service is available aboard the Nile Adventurer, but there are no dry cleaning facilities on board.

Elevation - The maximum elevation on this tour is 3,000 ft (914 m) in the hill city of Amman, Jordan. The lowest elevation is -1,230 ft ( -375 m) at the Dead Sea (the lowest spot on Earth).

Health - All travelers to Egypt should be in reasonably good health. There is a significant amount of walking on this tour and archaeological sites and temple floors are far from even. On several days the walking can be arduous, and even on those days when walking is not difficult, there may be long stretches of time when guests will be on their feet. Guests who require assistance walking may not be able to fully participate in the sightseeing.

If you have a medical condition which might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify us as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance to guests for walking, dining or other personal needs. Persons needing such assistance must be accompanied by an able companion who will assist them.

Special Health Information for this Tour:

The Nile Adventurer does not have an elevator; you will need to navigate two flights of stairs to access guest cabins and public areas. We regret that wheelchairs cannot be accommodated. Disembarking the riverboat requires walking down many steps to a narrow gangway. The steepness and the number of steps depend upon the river water level.

Tap water in hotels, restaurants and aboard the Nile Adventurer is not potable. Use caution when eating salad items that may have been washed in tap water. Always drink bottled water with an unbroken seal. Well-known brands of bottled beverages are generally considered to be safe. For the first few days it may be advisable to clean your teeth with bottled water. Avoid having ice in drinks unless you are confident it has been made with bottled water.

Eating uncooked vegetables should be avoided. Eat fruit that you can peel, and make sure fresh fruit has been washed. Wash your hands before and after eating. Most meals on this Egypt and Jordan tour are in hotel restaurants where cleanliness is good and they are used to catering to westerners.

There is a physician on board the Nile Adventurer.

Smoking is very common in Egypt and Jordan. As a result, few restaurants and hotels have nonsmoking sections. A “non-smoking” room often means the establishment has merely removed the ashtray. Where possible we have requested non-smoking rooms and non-smoking sections of restaurants.

On board the Nile Adventurer, smoking is only permitted on the outer decks. Smoking is not allowed in cabins or in public areas. Smoking is not permitted on motor coaches used during shore excursions.

For vaccination and inoculation information, guests should contact their personal physician, the public health service in their area, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour, pre-recorded “Travelers' Health Hotline" at 877-394-8747 (toll free in the U.S). You may also log on to the CDC Internet website at www.cdc.gov.

Luggage Restrictions:

Due to space limitations aboard motor coaches and on-tour flights, only one average-size piece of checked luggage per person, weighing up to 44 pounds, or 20 kilograms, is allowed. Luggage exceeding these restrictions is at risk of being left behind, or, if permitted on board, may be subject to additional excess luggage charges.

In addition, guests are limited to one soft-sided, carry-on bag per person weighing no more than 15 lbs (6.8 kg), and no larger than an average knapsack.

Checked Luggage – General

While it is common for airlines to allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.

In addition, airlines have adopted more strict policies in enforcing size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.

Many carriers require checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, Tauck cannot be held liable to the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage size and weight may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers.

Tauck World Discovery cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage size, piece or weight policies.

Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home!

Carry-on Luggage – General

Although oversized bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and only those items you need handy during the day such as purses, make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or in the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may not be accessible during daytime travel.

Travel Document Requirements – U.S. citizens traveling to Egypt and Jordan require a passport with at least two blank visa pages and an expiration date of at least six months beyond the completion of the tour. A visa is also required for U.S. citizens visiting Egypt and Jordan.

U.S. citizens may obtain their Egypt visas in one of the three following ways:

 

1.       A renewable, 30-day tourist visa may be easily obtained on arrival at Cairo International Airport. The cost is currently $15, payable in U.S. dollars only. Visitors arriving overland and/or those previously experiencing difficulty with their visa status in Egypt should obtain a visa prior to arrival.

 

2.       Tauck has partnered with Zierer Visa Service for processing visas to destinations in which U.S. citizens are required to have an entry visa. Over the past several years, Zierer Visa Service has effectively processed hundreds of visas for Tauck travelers. Tauck will automatically send a visa application once a reservation is made and the deposit received. The visa fee, as well as any applicable consular fees and shipping fees, are not included in the tour cost, and payment should be mailed with the completed application directly to the visa service. The amount of the visa fee varies by destination nd will be stated on the application.

For more information or to download a Zierer Visa Service application, please log on their Internet website by clicking here. To speak directly with ZVS Customer Service, call 866-788-1100 (toll-free in the U.S.). Please note that visas cannot be processed more than 90 days prior to departure and that the process will take several weeks.

 

3.       A visa may be obtained directly through an Egyptian Consulate. For more information, log on to the Internet website by clicking here.

The Jordan Visa is included for U.S. citizens in the price of the tour and will be obtained for them by the Tauck Director while on tour.

Citizens of other countries should contact an embassy or consulate of Egypt and of Jordan to determine what travel documentation is required.

 

In addition, we recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, date of expiration and your citizenship, as well as the front and back sides of your driver’s license. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Travel with Children –

 

Age Recommendations – Children 5 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, for each itinerary we have a minimum recommended age to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.

Babysitting – Tauck journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. However, our guests have occasionally inquired about babysitting services. If you are interested, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements, to ensure your precise needs are met. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer babysitting services that may be arranged on site; however, babysitting services are not guaranteed at all of our hotels. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.

Safety and Welfare Responsibility – We welcome the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. For safety and security purposes, children under 18 years of age must be booked into a room with at least one accompanying adult. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with Tauck, you release Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.

 

Tauck is not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for any travelers, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard for these letters, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.

 

Cell Phones - We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that guests refrain from cell phone usage during motor coach travel, group functions, sightseeing and when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There are usually ample opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not affect others.

Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine if your service extends to Egypt and Jordan.

Currency and Exchange Rates - The official currency in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (EGP); in Jordan, the Jordanian Dinar (JOD). Most major credit cards are accepted in better hotels, restaurants and tourist shops. Banks are usually closed on Friday and/or Saturday, but private exchange bureaus and banks in hotels open daily, if not 24 hours a day. ATMs are available, though acceptance of foreign cards is limited.

Contact your bank in advance of departure to determine whether you will be able to use your credit card or ATM card in Egypt and Jordan. Should you have any questions, your Tauck Director will be happy to assist you.

To obtain the up-to-date currency exchange rate, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website www.oanda.com.

Important Note - Personal incidental accounts aboard the Nile Adventurer may be settled in cash (U.S. dollars), travelers’ checks, American Express, Visa or MasterCard. There is no foreign exchange facility on the ship.

Customs and Tax-Free Shopping:

Import Regulations: "High value" articles that a traveler brings to Egypt - particularly computers and camcorders, but also including cameras, typewriters, tape recorders, VCR's and other electronic items - must be declared upon entry, be listed on the traveler's passport, and be duly exported at the conclusion of the visit. If "high value" items are not re-exported at the time of departure, duty must be paid. In the case of certain electronic and computer goods, duty can be as high as 100%. Cigarettes and alcohol are permitted in limited amounts. Duty-free camera film is limited to 25 rolls for still cameras and 10 reels for movie cameras.

For U.S residents returning to the United States, current regulations permit bringing back $800 worth of items duty-free, as long as you physically bring them with you. There are limits to the alcohol and tobacco that can be a part of this exemption - one-liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, and 100 cigars. Certain restrictions apply to unaccompanied goods mailed from abroad to the United States. Please call your local customs office or consult the U.S. government's customs website for further details and up-to-date limits at. www.cbp.gov.

Residents of other countries should refer to their own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance.

Electrical Current - The electrical current in Egypt, Jordan and onboard the Nile Adventurer is 220v, 50 Hz, and sockets take the standard continental European dual round-pronged plug. Guests whose appliances do not meet this standard will need to bring the appropriate converters and adapters. These items can be purchased in a store that specializes in travel products.

Time Zones – Egypt and Jordan are 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time). From late March through September in Amman, and late April through September in Cairo, these locations switch to Daylight Savings Time and are both 3 hours ahead. In June, Cairo is 7 hours ahead of New York City. To determine current time in major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to the Internet website www.timeanddate.com.

Weather - Egypt has one of the hottest and sunniest climates in the world, although on the whole it can be best described as mild. While the midsummer months can get quite hot, the heat is less taxing than elsewhere because of low humidity. Jordan is similarly hot and dry. Rainy days are few and far between in Cairo, and nearly unknown in Upper Egypt. In Jordan the winter months can average 2 inches or 50 millimeters of precipitation per month. Cairo and Amman can be chilly from December through February. As in all desert climes, it would be wise to pack both lightweight and warm clothing to accommodate the change in temperature between day and night.

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, www.weather.com.

 

Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in Tauck incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, if you have to cancel a confirmed booking, Tauck will charge you a cancellation fee according to when your cancellation notice is received in its Norwalk, CT office. To help limit guests’ liability, Tauck offers its guests Tauck Travel Protection.

If you choose to purchase Tauck's Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will have your cancellation penalties waived. Please click here for more details.

If you choose not to purchase the Tauck Protection Plan, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:

 

60 days or more before departure
$700 per person

59-8 days before departure
$1400 per person

7-1 days before departure
$2000 per person