Cancellation / Refund Policy

• If you need to cancel and cannot attend for any reason, you have until June 6th to cancel for a full refund.
• After June 6th, there are no refunds of deposits or payments.

Payments 

• If you  split your payments, 60 days after first payment, the second one will go through.
• All payments need to be made 6 weeks before the retreat because we have to pay all the vendors and accommodations in advance.

Coming to Egypt 

• Tour Dates: Wednesday, September 6th – Saturday, September 16th, 2023
• You need to buy a separate ticket to Cairo International Airport. The price of the tour doesn’t include flights to, or from, Cairo.
• We suggest booking your ticket to and from Cairo International Airport as soon as you reserve a spot on the tour and have sent in your initial payment.
• And please be sure to select your airline ticket so that you arrive before 6pm on September 6th.

After successful registration and signing the waiver, you will be sent an intake form where you can share your:

• Airline name
• Flight number 
• Time of your arrival
• Place of origin

Transportation between the Airport and the Hotel

Arrival
You will be picked up at the airport and taken to the hotel to join our group. 

Departure
The morning of tSeptember 16th, 2023 you will be taken to the airport.

Documentation You Need to Bring for the Tour

• A passport valid for 6 months beyond the return date.
• $25 USD in cash for a Visa is required for entry into Egypt.
  • They don’t make change at the airport, so please be sure to bring a $20 & $5 bill. 
• You must have a blank page in your passport for them to stamp the Visa on.
• If you are from another country, please ask your embassy about the requirements for obtaining an Egyptian Visa.
• Highly recommended: Short-term travelers insurance covering lost baggage, accident/life and trip cancellation.
• Carry your passport with you at all times. A secure travel belt is a good idea for this purpose.
• Also, please be sure to make and keep a digital copy of your passport on your phone.

The Price of the Tour Includes:

• All accommodations from the evening of September 6th to the morning of September 16th
• All Ground transportation in Egypt
• Domestic flights during trip dates
• Visits to the following sites:
  (A complete description of each site with dates can be found in the Tour Itinerary)
  • Giza Plateau
  • Enclosure of the Sphinx
  • Egyptian Museum
  • Step Pyramid of Sakkara
  • Subterranean Serapeum in Saqqara
  • Bent Pyramid
  • Red Pyramid 
  • Valley of the Kings
  • Valley of the Queens 
  • Seti, the First Abydos Temple
  • Osirion Temple
  • Dendera Temple Complex including the Temple of Hathor and the Old Crypts – ‘The ‘Dendera Light Bulb’  
  • Great Temple of Luxor  
  • Great Temple of Karnak
  • The Sekhmet Sanctuary 
  • Sailing through the Esna Lock towards Edfu
  • Temple of Horus at Edfu
  • Temple of Kom-Ombo  
  • Elephantine Island of the Nile 
  • Temple of Isis on the Isle of Philae
  • The Great Pyramid

Meals Included:

• September 6th – DinnerSeptember 7th – 10th – Breakfast & Lunch
• September 11th – 15th- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• September 16th – Breakfast

Who Can’t Join the Tour?

• You CANNOT join the Tour for A Few Days. We have designed this tour as a container of transformation for a group who are taking the entire journey together.
• We cannot accommodate children under 14 years.

How Many People Will Be Attending?

We will know at the closing of registration around June 1st.
Please Follow the Local Cultural Customs In Egypt

We take care to provide the absolute safety of all our participants, and we want to share some points to help ensure a happy trip for all.

Monies – Bring Cash for the Journey

• It is advisable to exchange your money once you have arrived in Egypt.
• We also strongly recommend bringing a travel money belt or other secure way to carry your documents and cash funds.  Most hotels have room safes. Please use them.
• Small bill, $1 & $5 and $10 bills. Egyptians like American dollars as they hold their value.
  You can often buy souvenirs in American dollars and the vendors prefer it.
  There are ATMs all over Egypt and many you can just put in dollars and it gives you a very good exchange rate in Egyptian pounds.

Passport and Egyptian Travel Visa 

• Put $25 [current rate] in your Passport for entry into the country. 
• Someone will be there to help you through customs but you need the money and 1 empty page for the Egyptian visa and at least 6 months left in your passport. 
• For your own protection, have a paper copy of your passport’s picture page and keep it in a separate location.  

Dress Protocol

Dress Protocol for Men and Women

• Modest dress will serve you well in Egypt. It is a conservative culture.
• This is especially true in rural areas, mosques and markets. 
• Jeans are recommended in any color. Wearing jeans will be hot, but it also is more practical.
• We advise comfortable, loose fitting clothing for daytime.
• Bring some fancier dinner attire for evenings dining out.

Dress Protocols for Women

• If you are walking around the town it is advisable for women to  cover legs, upper arms and shoulders.  
• Pants are ok for women to wear.  
• Shorts are okay to wear at the tourist sites, however, there is a strong sun and often mosquitos, so socks are sometimes needed to protect your feet and a light long-sleeve shirt to cover your arms from the sun is also recommended. 
• Women are not required to wear head scarfs in Egypt and almost no one but the locals wear them in the tourist areas.
• However, it is not a bad idea to take one suitable scarf along just in case, if you happen to go out with a few friends in the local towns, you may feel more comfortable to just put it on, but it is not a requirement in Egypt.

Dressing Protocols for Men

• It is advisable that you cover their chest when in public.
• Shorts are okay to wear, however, there is a strong sun and often mosquitos, so socks are sometimes needed to protect your feet and a light long-sleeve shirt to cover your arms from the sun is also recommended

Shoes

• Comfortable walking shoes or sandals and/or climbing shoes are recommended.
• When you go in and out of the Pyramids around Giza you actually climb up planks so it’s important to have the proper shoes.
• Also there is lots of sand so low shoes or  sneakers are better than shoes that cover your ankle which can allow sand into your shoes and become uncomfortable.

Behavior

• Please avoid public displays of affection, as these are known to make locals feel uncomfortable,  as this  is not a common practice in these areas.

• If you choose to drink alcohol, please do so only in licensed restaurants and bars.
• Do not drink in the streets as this practice is not allowed and can lead to arrests.
• Although homosexuality is not in itself illegal under Egyptian law, homosexual acts in public are illegal and homosexuals have been convicted for breaching laws on public decency.
• Women traveling alone should be sure to take extra precautions. Harassment and sexual assault can  occur, but not often.

Shopping at Stores and Marketplaces

• Some  local people in Egypt believe that all tourists are super wealthy. You may receive many offers to purchase things. It is therefore strongly advisable to remember the phrase “la shukran” which means “No thank you”.  
• Do not feel pressured to buy anything you do not want. Please speak up and use this phrase with authority whenever you do not want something someone is trying to sell you, because if you are not firm, you will be asked over and over again.

Weather in Egypt in September

• September weather in Egypt is typically lovely and pleasant!
• Most days will typically be in the vicinity of 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius), but that can vary a bit depending on the exact location. 

Packing for Egypt 

• Do your best not to over pack and be sure to leave room in your luggage for items you may purchase to bring home.
• A positive outlook and expectancy of a wonderful journey, plus a big smile and sense of humor are the most important things to bring! 

Important items to Bring

• Sunglasses
• A light jacket
• Cotton socks
• Bathing suite if you like to swim — the Mena house has a beautiful  pool
• An umbrella—it can and does rain in Egypt! 
• Wear a brimmed hat to keep the sun off of your face
• If you wear sunscreen, bring the high intensity version
• Small Zippered Purse/ pouch or safety wallet to strap under your clothes around your waist, or another suitable means of securing your cash and documents. Better safe than sorry. You can bring a small lockable purse with you to keep your daily necessities. 
• An easy to carry day bag or light backpack
• Several packs of travel tissues: public facilities do not all have toilet paper
• Insect repellent
• Toiletries, earplugs, eye mask
• A small camera or cell phones are advised, not big oversized cameras
• Make sure your cell phone has plenty of space for pictures
• A flashlight or know where the flashlight lives on your cell phone for easy access
• Some people like to bring headband lights for some of the chambers in the Giza area
• A journal or notebook and pens

Drinking Water In Egypt

• Do NOT drink the  tap water anywhere in Egypt.   
• Use only bottled water for drinking and tooth brushing.

What Else Is Advisable Regarding Health?

• Sometimes, travelers experience diarrhea during the trip.  
• It is therefore recommended to take megadophilus or acidophilus daily for at least a month before and during the trip as a preventative measure. 
• Consider bringing your favorite immune supporting herbal supplements as well.
• Pills like Pepto Bismol can help. 
• Probiotics are good to bring along.

Mosquito Protection

• There is a problem with mosquitos throughout Egypt, although you may never see one– some seasons and places are worse than others.
• Also some people are not affected by mosquitoes while others are magnets for them. 
• If you are one of those who are mosquito magnets, we recommend you come prepared.
• This can range from chemical sprays (DEET), to natural lavender oils, tiger balm.
• You may want to also look at  mosquito head nets for sleeping. 
• These are less than $10 on amazon, some are under $5.
• There are also fuller suits for under $30.
• Small room machines, you could bring with you, for your sleeping room is another option.
• Again, you may not encounter a mosquito in your sleeping rooms but if you do, it is best to be prepared and ensure you have a comfortable rest.

Electrical Outlets / Travel Adapter 

• You will need a 220 volt adaptor plug.
• This is the standard European type of plug/ adaptor with two round pins that will work for most electrical devices including cell phone chargers. 
• It fits over the standard US plug and is needed for their electric outlets.
• They are very inexpensive in most hardware stores in the US.
• Please buy a few in advance if you don’t have them already.
• A converter is optional but is required for certain appliances, so be sure to look into what your appliance requires before traveling if you are bringing any appliances. 

Computers for Travel

• We suggest that unless you plan on doing work — please don’t bring a large expensive laptop to Egypt.
• You are better working from your phone or a ipad for the days we are traveling or bring an older laptop just for backing up your pictures and writing emails.

Camera

• The best camera is a good cell phone.
• The new iphone 13 or 14 from Apple have one of the best cameras in the world and are great for low light. 
• Come with a way that you don’t run out of space on your cell phone when you take 100s of pictures.
• Do not bring large video cameras — they are generally not allowed at the sites.
• Even small video cameras sometimes require special permission.
• Cell phones with lots of data space are your best solution.

Photography

• No photographs at official military locations. It  is strictly prohibited, This includes the Suez Canal. 
• Don’t take photos of any officials without asking their permission first.
• Photos can be taken in all the temple sites and all places on the tour, the cruise ship and the hotels
• We will provide a participant website so everyone can share their photos, if you want.

Access the Internet During the Trip

• The hotels and the cruise ship have internet access in your room,  their business center, and in some hotel lobbies. 
• There may also be internet cafés in a couple of spots along our journey.

Language in Egypt

• The official language of Egypt is Arabic. Most shopkeepers and hotel staff speak some English.  Many students learn English and French during their school years.

Inoculation

• Flights originating in the US or Europe have no inoculation requirements.  No Covid restrictions exist at this point. If something changes you will be informed right away.