Transfer Option:

Day 1: Cairo
Arrive at Cairo International Airport. Our representative will be waiting for you in the Arrivals Hall.  Our representative will help you through the passport control formalities, luggage identification and customs procedures.  Once completed enjoy a welcome drink and transfer to your hotel.  After the hotel check-in we meet again for dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2:  Sakkara North (approximately 3 hours).

We begin the day with a buffet breakfast at the hotel. We then take a transfer by van to the stables area and begin our ride from the farm to Sakkara North (approx 3 hours).

Ride south from the farm through fields to a trail along the canal that parallels the Mariouteya Road. We will pass Fagnoon, the children's art centre where students learn pottery, painting and woodworking.  Bird life along this canal is plentiful with many local and migratory waterfowl seen. We ride through palm groves and enter the desert south of the Step Pyramid at one end of the village of Sakkara to begin the return journey.  We will see the Step Pyramid from the desert and ride past the sites of Japanese, Czech and Egyptian excavations as we travel northwest of the pyramids of Abu Sir and leave the desert near the Sun Temple of Niuserre. Lunch at deluxe restaurant optional.  Return to hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Cairo
Buffet Breakfast at the hotel.
Optional trips: Egyptian Museum or Coptic Cairo depending on the choice of the group. Includes entrance fees, transportation and guide.

Sunset & Night Riding (2-3 hours)
Arrive at the farm before sunset to ride through the countryside as the sun sets and the farmers move their buffalo and donkeys home at the end of the day. As the sun goes down over the desert, the canals change from blue to quicksilver and the birds that have been foraging in the fields come home to roost in the trees. The sounds of farmers working their fields fade as they reach their village homes where the family will sit around a low table to enjoy their evening meal.  With nightfall comes the bats, owls, Sengal Thick Knee, and other night birds. With no moon there is enough ambient light to comfortably ride in the countryside and through villages, on moonlit nights.  Barbeque dinner at the farm including soft drink. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 4: Dahshur Lake

Buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Dahshur Lake: This ride is long (40km / 25 miles) and at a walk can be extremely tiring. It is recommended for experienced riders who can enjoy long canters/gallops along the desert and canal trails where it is appropriate. 6 hours riding.

We leave the farm to travel south through the countryside along canals and through fields of crops. At the road entering the Sakkara Antiquities area the landscape changes to palm groves and we ride south through the village of Sakkara, a village devoted to aspects of date palm farming and the manufacture of products from parts of the trees.  At the end of the village we emerge from the palm groves to ride south along a dirt track past farm families and weekend homes to emerge at Dahshur lake, a winter wetland retreat for migrating waterfowl.  We have a lunch stop near the lake for sandwich and juice - and then continue around it to observe the wildlife and then enter the desert south of the Black Pyramid. We ride north past the Bent and Red Pyramids and then on through the desert along the line of the farmlands past the pyramids of the Sakkara South group, the Step Pyramid and the pyramids of Abu Sir, to our entry to the village near the farm.  Return back to the hotel and overnight.


Day 5:  Sakkara South (4 hours)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

This ride begins with the same countryside trail as ride two.  When we enter the Sakkara South pyramid area we will ride to the south around the pyramids of Pepi, Mastabet Faroun, and a number of semi-excavated sites further in the desert. Turning back at the Fayoum railway tracks, we ride across wadi's towards the Japanese Hill, where Japanese Egyptologists have been excavating the hill for many years. We leave the desert between the pyramids of Abu Sir and the Sun Temple. Return to the hotel, lunch at deluxe restaurant optional, check in at the hotel.  Dinner at Nile Cruise - 7.45pm.  The dinner cruise includes spectacular belly dancing and a folklore band with the unforgettable and extraordinarily colorful tannoura spin (in keeping with Egypt's Whirling Dervishes tradition). Overnight at Cairo hotel.

Day 6: Cairo (Final Departure)

After breakfast, enjoy a day of leisure until your departure flight and transfer to Cairo International Airport.
subject to change

Your accommodations will be at the five-star Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel (or similar if sold out - Sofitel le Sphinx, Intercontinental Pyramids, Hilton Pyramids or Movenpick Pyramids) ). We will provide a buffet breakfast and evening meals - 3 dinners at the hotel, 1 night Barbecue at the riding center and 1 dinner on a Nile cruise.

Le Méridien Pyramids, nestled between the city and the wilderness, boasts unparalleled views of the majestic, ancient splendour of the Giza Pyramids. A mere glance out a guestroom window reveals one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Le Méridien Pyramids is surrounded by landscaped gardens, providing a respite of greenery amidst golden sands.
With a peerless choice of restaurants and cuisines, a Royal Club floor, a magnificent swimming pool, and spa amenities, Le Méridien Pyramids is conveniently located only twenty minutes from Cairo’s city centre.

Dining
Le Méridien Pyramids has a variety of international restaurants to choose from and live entertainment every evening.
Al Shams - a perfect setting with sumptuous international buffet and à la carte menu. 24-hour restaurant.
The Med - elegant atmosphere for the finest Mediterranean cuisine.
Laredo - for the best Tex-Mex food in a fun and informal setting.
Nubian Village - outdoor and indoor dining, overlooking the pool and offering a wide selection of oriental and Lebanese dishes.
Harris Café - offering freshly prepared cakes, pastries and breads.
Shisha Café - For a typical oriental Egyptian evening with specially flavoured shisha (water pipe) and drinks.

Passports
Passport valid for at least six months from the date of travelling required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.
Passport Note
Visitors from all countries, except nationals of the EU and the USA, must register with the police within one week of arrival in Egypt, although this service is normally undertaken by hotels.

Visas
Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except the following:
(a) 1. EU nationals travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Newiba or Taba resorts for up to 14 days, who will receive an entry permission stamp on arrival;
(b) those continuing their journey to a third country within 24 hours and remaining in the airport, provided holding confirmed onward tickets.
Visa Note
(a) Those in possession of a residence permit to Egypt are not required to obtain an entry visa if they leave Egypt and return within the validity of their residence permit or within six months, whichever period is less. (b) Visitors of Egyptian origin or married to an Egyptian are entitled to obtain a multiple-entry visa free of charge. (c) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the consulate/embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist and Business (single- and multiple-entry). Cost varies according to nationality. For UK nationals: Tourist: £15 (single-entry); £18 (multiple-entry). Business: £53 (single-entry); £91 (multiple-entry). Processing fees for other nationals vary considerably; nationals are advised to contact the consulate/embassy to check cost (see Contact Addresses).
Validity
Single- and multiple-entry visas are valid for six months from date of issue for a maximum stay of three months. Visas cannot be post-dated. Extensions are available from the ministry of foreign affairs in Egypt.
Applications to:
Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see Contact Addresses.
Working Days Required
Postal applications will be processed within seven days. Visas are issued on the same day if applied for in person. One person may apply on behalf of others.