SEKEM plus The Red Sea

This combined tour SEKEM plus The Red Sea offers a stay in and getting to know the sustainable development project SEKEM, the major touristic sites of Cairo are added as excursions on two days.

A three-day (or longer) addition at the Red Sea offers you a relaxing time in the dry climate in some of the best hotels at the Red Sea around Hurghada. All offers, but one are based All-Inclusive.

SEKEM PLUS THE RED SEA - DAILY ITINERARY

DAY 1 – Sunday: Flight to Cairo. Transfer from airport to SEKEM. Welcome and move in to your room. Meal according to your arrival time.

DAY 2 – Monday: Getting accustomed to the outstretched farm by a guided tour. Relax amidst this man-made paradise, kept alive and thriving by the traditional art of irrigating desert land. Enjoy walking in the shade of more than 1,000 date palms, Australian Pine trees (casuarina equisetifolia) neem- and orange-trees, caressed by the breeze. After lunch you will be taken to visit the SEKEM run HU (Heliopolis University) possibly enjoying an art-performance, if given. Dinner in SEKEM.

DAY 3 – Tuesday: Excursion to the famous and oldest of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, the Giza Pyramids. Visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Continuing to the Step Pyramid of Sakkara and visit Mastabas with very well preserved wall paintings. Lunch in a shady restaurant (food and beverages at your own cost). Back to SEKEM for a relaxing evening dinner.

DAY 4 – Wednesday: A relaxed Cairo sight seeing day. Guided tour through the world-famous Egyptian Museum, which is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities and some of the world's most unique treasures, such as the golden masks of Tutankhamun, Grave Mask of king Amenemope, Mummy mask of Psusennes I, and Figurine of Khufu, mummies, hieroglyphics, among other.

Lunch at a nice restaurant (food and beverages at your own cost). After lunch you will have the opportunity to stroll along Cairo’s most famous Basar Khan-el-Khalili, with all the diverse and colourful offers. Accompanied by your guide to be sure the exhibition is not done alone, but the bargaining we leave to you! Dinner awaits for you back at the SEKEM farm.

Interesting to note: eating and drinking in Egypt for Westerners is much cheaper than at home. Cost for food/drinks would likely be around 60 euro / 50 GBP / 70 USD for an entire week.

DAY 5 – Thursday: Comprehensive guided tour through some production lines of the SEKEM Farm, e.g. the workshops of Naturetex, where hundreds of people are sewing. You will participate at the weekly assembly of the school, where children of many classes show each other and the many ever present visitors what they’re actually learning. Enjoy a nice lunch. If time permits, at about 4 p.m. you are invited to share in the weekend circle, together with about 800 SEKEM locals/employees, saying farewell to the Abouleish Family. Transfer to CAI Intl. Airport for your flight to Hurghada late afternoon.

DAY 5 - DAY 8 / or DAY xx - 3 resp. XX nights in chosen hotel HB (Oberoi B&B), most transfers and all flights, incl. CAIHRG and back and of course your flight CAI-home.
Transfer (incl.) to Guesthouse of former German Honorary Consul Ely, Hurghada resp. transfer (excl.) to Hotel Steigenberger Al Dau, Hurghada resp. transfer (excl.) to Hotel Oberoi, Sahl Hasheesh resp. transfer  to Hotel Sultan Bey, El Gouna

Booking according to your dates

Duration: 8 to xx days - Min number: 2 participants

Prices: On from 1,680 euro pp in DBL-Room - on from 1,750 euro in SGL-Room

Booking Aspects

What's Included

Transfer CAI Intl. Airport to SEKEM. Complete care by SEKEM staff, fluent English speaking guides in SEKEM and Cairo. Transfers and all entrance fees to the sights, as mentioned in the itinerary; bio-dynamic full board menus at SEKEM (tea, coffee and non-alcoholic juices included), if not stated otherwise in the itinerary. Transfer to CAI Intl. Airport, transfers as stated under ITINERARY and below from HRG Intl. Airport to your hotel and back.

What's not Included

Flights. SEKEM Reisen can help book all flights from/to any airport you wish to depart/return to. We will book the flights with renowned airlines, in close coordination with you, preferring direct flights at decent times resp. flights with the least stops possible. The service charge for booking flights at the actual price on the day of booking will be 10 % pp.

Accommodation Options

In SEKEM - DBL- or SGL-Room

Hotels at The Red Sea - DBL-Room / SGL-Room
Unique: Guesthouse of former German Honorary Consul Ely, HB, Hurghada
***** Hotel Steigenberger Al Dau, AI, Hurghada
**** Hotel Sultan Bey, AI, El Gouna
*****+ Hotel Oberoi, B&B, Sahl Hasheesh

Unique: Guesthouse Ely in Hurghada - an unparalleled accomodation with half-board (HB) is the guesthouse of former German Honorary Consul Peter Ely.
Mrs Karin Ely has furnished each of the 20 appartements and flats individually, some guests were so enchanted, that they bought their accomodation's furniture!
The roof terrace on 3rd floor can be reached by stair or elevator. From up there you have a wide view of the Red Sea, even when sitting in a 4-person-whirlpool.
The Ely family run their guesthouse as sort of a hobby, no wonder their hospitality is unique, also thanks to Mrs Ely's delicious dinners and to interesting conversations.
You will get a mobile with an Egyptian SIM-Card, and get help to call a taxi, to go to the beach or to wherever and back. Peter will help you find the best beaches (mostly hotel-beaches, where they might ask for a modest entrance fee) and other sights in and around Hurghada. Hurghada with its population of 250.000 has lots of attractions. Almost a must is a boattrip to an offshore island to snorkel or relax. There is ample opportunity for diving activities.

***** Hotel Steigenberger Al Dau Resort in Hurghada, about 2 m south of HRG-center (AI)
This grand and luxurious hotel has a beautiful garden and a real great pool, that winds through the extended area. There are attractions for kids, but also quiet areas for adults. On the premises you find the very good and experienced staff of the diving club Ilios, managed by Martina and Magdy Aziz, an Egyptian-German couple, offering 8 boats for whatever length of trips for under water adventures. A 9-hole golf-course is on the hotel's premises. The beach is wide and clean.

**** Hotel Sultan Bey in El Gouna, about 15 m north of Hurghada (AI)
A charming smaller hotel is offered by SEKEM Reisen since 7 years. A visit in DEC 2016 proved that the trust in it is rightly justified. It borders a lagoon, on which a shuttle boat crosses regularly from the hotel's pier to the island Zeytouna a few minutes away, whose strand gives way to the Red Sea. El Gouna is an enormous, but though attractive touristic project run by Orascom Company, owned by Mr Sawiris, who also transformed the Swiss village Andermatt into an interesting ski resort. El Gouna (the lagoon) breathes a calm and pleasant atmosphere. Many renowned international architects were invited to realise their dream-hotel. The result are exhilarant buildings all over the spot, all owned by Orascom, and leased by big hotel chains. A charming village core is the center, where one likes to stroll. If you don't feel like using your feet too much, you can hire a water-taxi to the lively Marina or a cheap environment-friendly Tuk-Tuk. Sultan Bey has shady niches and archways. El Gounas's hotels participate in a "dine-around"-program, where guests are invited to try out other hotel's cooks culinary skills. Many customers of Sultan Bey say that it attracts more guests from other hotels than all the other places do...

The hotel mentioned hereunder is excellent and SEKEM Reisen recommends it highly, though it is expensive and exclusive. It is situated some 12-14 m south of Hurghada, located in the wide bay Sahl Hasheesh.

*****+ Hotel Oberoi in Sahl Hasheesh (B&B)
The Oberoi belongs to the Indian Oberoi Group, „Member of the Leading Hotels of the World“ with the nicest hotels at the planet's nicest spots. The service and the interior of The Oberoi is topnotch! The Oberoi extends at the nicest part of the bay on sort of a height overlooking a long spotless white strand, coral reefs for snorkeling. There is a very attractive pool. Roomy DeLuxe Suites are standard. Since years the Oberoi leads the rankings of the more than 250 hotels in and around Hurghada.

Travel Tips

Before traveling to any country its also always a good idea to do a little research and learn more about the destination; its climate, culture, and general environment. We've prepared an introduction to general practical information about travelling to Egypt

Travel insurance is always advisable. Either you can arrange speak to SEKEM Reisen for more information, or book itself yourself directly using the below link.

• Book travel insurance directly online
• Read more information on our partner travel insurance company

Booking Info

Model calculation for the Guesthouse Ely.

SEKEM (4 nights Su-Th) 1,680 euro pp in DBL / 1,750 euro pp in SGL-Room.

Transfer to SEKEM and transfer to flight CAIHRG. SEKEM program as described above
plus
Red Sea (3 nights Th-Su) HB in Guesthouse Ely, transfer HRG from/to Guesthouse Ely,

Normal (NS) and Peak Season (PS = Easter, Christmas) 

         
NS: 1,680 euro pp in DBL-Room  - 1,750 euro pp in SGL-Room                                                                                

PS: 1,740 euro pp in DBL-Room  - 1,810 euro pp in SGL-Room

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2024/25 - Rates in euro pp/day - NS

Guesthouse Ely HB --- DBL 120 euro / SGL 150 euro
Steigenberger Al Dau Resort AI --- DBL 175 euro seaview / SGL 240 euro seaview
Oberoi DeLuxe Suite B&B --- DBL 240 euro / SGL 425 euro
Sultan Bey AI --- DBL 120 euro / SGL 175 euro  

2024/25 - Rates in euro pp/day - PS

22th December 2024 - 6th Januaray 2025 and 11th thru 28th April 2025

Guesthouse Ely HB --- DBL 120 euro / SGL 150 euro
Steigenberger Al Dau Resort AI --- DBL 210 euro seaview / SGL 290 euro seaview 
Oberoi DeLuxe Suite B&B --- DBL 390 euro / SGL 840 euro
Sultan Bey AI --- DBL 155 euro / SGL 210 euro

Attention: The above rates are of September 2024 Though tourism at the Red Sea is after Corona and in times of high inflation far from bustling, the hotels try to attract guests by sometimes moderate prices, but are quick to adjust them, when more tourist seem to or really do flock in. Nobody can predict, under what conditions and when booking fees will increase again. The future will prove ... The above rates reflect the actual prices under the actual conditions. Rates will be adjusted if necessary.

*Therefore: PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE!

This could help to calculate your stay at the Red Sea.

(Of course it is a good idea to brighten up any other SEKEM Tour by sunny days at The Red Sea.)
SEKEM (4 days) plus __ nights at the Red Sea
SEKEM ESSENTIAL (7) plus __ nights at the Red Sea
SEKEM & Luxor (9) plus __ nights at the Red Sea
SEKEM & THE DESERT (10) plus __ nights at the Red Sea
SEKEM ESSENTIAL & Dahabeya (13) plus __ nights at the Red Sea
SEKEM & Luxor & Dahabeya (13) plus __ nights at the Red Sea

Booking requires a minimum of 2 participants
Deadline in general 8 weeks before traveling

Prices guaranteed till 31th August 2025 (with reservations, *see above)

I make a voluntary CO2 compensation payment for 1 ton of CO2 from my flight emissions for the round trip from Germany/Switzerland/Austriato Cairo for the SEKEM project “Greening the Desert”, an overview can be found here:

https://sekem.com/en/offset-your-co2-footprint-with-sekem/