Women V Cancer Cycle the Nile 2023

When can I go?

3 November - 10 November 2023	On Sale
Duration	8 days

3 November - 10 November 2023

On Sale

Duration

8 days

What does it cost?

Women V Cancer Cycle the Nile 2023

The Challenge

Channel your inner goddess and explore the world-famous ancient wonders of the Nile on our once-in-a-lifetime women-only cycling challenge for Women V Cancer. Kicking off in Cairo, we’ll cycle to the amazing sites in Memphis and Saqqara, the City of the Dead, including the sacred sphinxes and pyramids of Giza. Then we'll head to the Fayoum Oasis, which has supported the lives of humans and wildlife in Egypt for over 8,000 years!

Next, we'll jet south to Aswan and follow the Nile to the Philae Temple Complex on Agilika Island and our exquisite Nile River cruise ship! Resting on the cruise ship by night, by day we’ll cycle to a mind-blowing variety of monuments built across millennia and gain insight into their history from our fantastic local guide.

The humidity and length of our cycling days will prove tough but with spectacular river-side panoramas and a team of Women V Cancer warriors by your side, it could be the best experience of your life.

We’ll cycle through the 31 dynasties of the Ancient Egyptians and on to the Greco-Roman period, as we visit the Kom Ombo, Esna, Edfu and Luxor Temples, the underground tombs at the Valley of Kings and the magnificent temple honouring the female pharaoh, Hatshepsut, whose reign was one of the most extraordinary in world history.

All this leads to a legendary finish at the largest religious monument ever to be built on our planet, the city-sized Karnak Temple! Our local guide will give us an eye-opening tour, before we journey back to Cairo and celebrate at a hill-top restaurant overlooking the city!

The best part is that it's all in aid of Breast Cancer Now, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action. Through the work of these crucial charities, we can support and save the lives of countless people facing cancer.

Self fund your Women V Cancer adventure!
We want as many of you as possible to experience this epic challenge with the Women V Cancer community, so we've opened a self funding option! You can pay your own challenge costs and then fundraise as much as you can for the Women V Cancer charities with no target to reach. We encourage you to do your best at collecting donations, as they will go a very long way to help people facing cancer.

Your itinerary

Day 1
UK – Cairo

Our adventure starts at the airport in London, where we meet for the first time as a group and catch our flight to the iconic city of Cairo.

Touching down in Egypt in the late evening, we meet our fantastic local challenge leader and transfer to our hotel to rest for the night.

Day 2
Cairo – Memphis – Saqqara – Pyramids & Sphinx – Cairo | approx. 57km

Waking to breakfast at our hotel, we prepare for the ride ahead with a challenge briefing and bike fitting. Then, we hop onto our bikes and head south.

Cycling on the scenic and fairly flat terrain we can expect throughout our challenge, we cycle first to the extraordinary ruins of Memphis, the ancient capital of Inebu-hedj. Dating back to 2686—2181 BC, Memphis was the seat of power of the Old Kingdom of Egypt for eight dynasties and home to the pharaohs who raised the pyramids that Egypt is famous for.

Immediately, we see the striking, thirty-foot statue of Ramesses II overlooking the city. As the centre of worship of Ptah, the God of Creation and Artworks, Memphis also boasts the Great Temple of Ptah, which we jump on the chance to explore, along with several smaller Temples of Ptah and the Temple of Hathor.

Our journey through time continues as we ride on to Saqqara, the City of the Dead, where our challenge leader gives us a guided tour of the world-famous Step Pyramid of Djoser. Built here on the banks of the Nile in the Third Dynasty (in the 27th Century BC), the Step Pyramid is the oldest colossal stone building on the planet.

We cycle to a local restaurant for lunch and tackle our final stretch to more pyramids and the legendary Great Sphinx of Giza! With a face resembling that of the pharaoh Khafre, who lived between 2600 and 2500 BC, this magnificent, limestone statue is said to be the oldest monumental structure in Egypt.

From here, we ride back to our hotel in Cairo, where we’re treated to a trip to see Cairo’s amazing Sound and Light Show this evening, followed by a delicious welcome dinner.

Day 3
Cairo – Fayoum – Cairo | approx. 110km

After breakfast at our hotel, we cycle along the Nile to one of Egypt’s most beautiful and biodiverse destinations, Fayoum. Having conquered an amazing approx. 110km already today, we take a break from the bikes to tour the natural and man-made treasures of Fayoum.

We start by visiting the Qasr (palace) of Qarun, whose small exterior seems unremarkable, a stark contrast to the fascinating maze of chambers, stairways and tunnels hidden inside. From here, our bus takes us to Tunis Village, which enjoys an idyllic location overlooking Lake Qarun and is home to some of Egypt’s finest potters.

After browsing its array of mud-brick craft shops, we descend to the lake and look out for the amazing range of birds that enjoy its waters, including flamingos in the winter.

We then transfer to a local restaurant for lunch, before journeying on to the famous Fayoum Waterwheels. Manmade but powered solely by the river, these wheels are a prominent symbol of the town and oasis, manifesting Fayoum’s vital role in supporting human culture in Egypt for some 8,000 years!

From here, we transfer back to our hotel to relax and close the evening with a delicious group dinner.

Day 4
Cairo – Aswan – High Dam – Nile River Cruise | approx. 35km

Leaving our hotel after breakfast, we transfer to Cairo airport and catch a short flight to Aswan to discover the wonders further South.

Also known as the ancient city of Swenett, after the Egyptian Goddess of childbirth, Aswan was seen to be the city where Ancient Egypt began, sitting just below the first cataract of the Nile.

Our support crew collects our luggage on our arrival and we cycle to Aswan High Dam, the biggest embankment dam on the planet! Stretching an incredible 3,600m across the Nile, the Dam provides electricity and irrigation water for the whole of Egypt.

Our route then takes us downstream to the fascinating Temple of Isis and the Philae Temple Complex. The pharaoh Nectanebo started the complex in the 30th-dynasty (380-362 BC) on Philae Island, but the rulers of the following Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods all added to the masterpiece. The complex we see today, however, enjoys the home of Phillae’s neighbouring Agilika Island, after a flood ruined its original home in the 20th century.

Travelling back to the mainland, we cycle to Aswan Cruise Port to board an exquisite cruise ship on the river, where our luggage awaits.

We tuck into a delicious lunch on board and then you’re free to spend the afternoon as you wish, relaxing and enjoying the views from the ship and taking advantage of the optional massages. We reunite for dinner and spend the night in the brilliant rooms on board.

Day 5
Nile River Cruise – Kom Ombo Temple – Nile River Cruise | approx. 45km

Breakfast on the ship sets us up to cycle alongside the river on fairly flat terrain, becoming immersed in modern-day Egypt and admiring the lush, river-side surroundings, all the way to Kom Ombo Temple, with a picnic lunch en route.

Once again, we’re transported back in time as we tour this extraordinary Ptolemaic dynasty (180 - 47 BC) double temple. Impeccably symmetrical, the temple boasts duplicate courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms for two sets of gods.

Several crocodile mummies have been discovered in Its southern half, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world, along with Hathor and Khonsu. The northern part was built to worship the falcon god Haroeris, Tasenetnofret (the Good Sister) and Panebtawy (Lord of the Two Lands).

By the time our ship picks us up at the temple, we have explored the monument to our heart’s content and we spend another night dining and relaxing on board.

Day 6
Nile River Cruise – Edfu Temple – Esna – Luxor Temple – Nile River Cruise | approx. 82km

We wake up in Edfu to visit the enthralling Edfu Temple of Horus, said to be the most impressive of all the Nile-side temples between Luxor and Aswan.

Although the temple was dedicated to the Ancient Egyptian god Horus and matches the Egyptian style perfectly, it was built during the Greco-Roman period, two millennia after the Ancient Egyptians, so it gives us an awesome example of how the ruins of the original Egyptian monuments would have looked, before 2,000 years’ worth of erosion weathered their full splendour.

Returning to the ship, we cruise to Esna with breakfast and lunch on board. Then, we mount our bikes and cycle to the next ancient landmark, the “Southern Sanctuary” of Luxor Temple. It’s a longer day in the saddle, but with a fairly flat route along the Nile and another captivating temple complex to look forward to, we tackle it with joy.

Overlooking the Nile from its east bank, the 1400 BCE temple wasn’t dedicated to a god or a pharaoh, but to the rejuvenation of kingship and is likely to have been where many of the pharaohs were crowned.

Like many of the monuments in Egypt, the complex was built by a multitude of rulers, including Tutankhamun, Alexander the Great and Amenhotep III. What’s more, it played an important role in the Roman era as a legionary fortress and the home of the local Roman government.

We can stretch our legs as we tour its chapels, before cycling our final stretch to our ship at the Luxor Cruise Port. Here, we enjoy another delicious dinner with a view.

Day 7
Nile Cruise Ship – Valley of Kings – Hatshepsut Temple – Colossi of Memnon – Karnak Temple – Luxor – Cairo | approx. 80km

We bid the cruise ship farewell after breakfast and head to the spectacular Valley of Kings. Sprawling across 1,000 feet, this burial site is home to over sixty underground mausoleums, including those of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses II. The rock-cut tombs were looted, but we can still see the original hieroglyphs and carvings their worshippers made all those millennia ago.

We then cycle a short way to Deir el Bahri (aka. Djeser-Djeseru, meaning "the Holy of Holies”). Here lies the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, honouring one of Ancient Egypt’s first female pharaohs, who held one of the most extraordinary reigns in history. She became queen regent after her husband died, but instead of giving up her reign when her stepson came of age, she adopted the title of pharaoh and ruled for over two decades. Her temple is one of the world’s most striking architectural masterpieces, with beautiful Egyptian statues, set against a mountain backdrop.

We hop back on our bikes for another short stetch to the twin giant statues of the Colossi of Memnon, which resemble the 14th century BCE pharaoh, Amenhotep III. The Egyptians had to transport the quartzite sandstone the statue is made from a phenomenal 675km overland from el-Gabal el-Ahmar, near modern-day Cairo.

We have a final approx. 40km to our finishing point at the incredible Karnak Temple, the biggest religious building ever constructed. The complex was built over two millennia (approx. 2055 BCE to around 100 AD) by the Ancient Egyptians, Ptolemies, Romans and early Christians and takes up the area of an entire city! It is dedicated to the gods Amun (Egyptian god of the sun and air), Mut (the mother goddess) and her son, Khonsu (Egyptian god of the Moon).

We’re greeted at the entrance by a line of sphinxes and beyond that, we have a whole city’s worth of temples, sanctuaries, pylons, and other decorations to explore – what a way to end our adventure!

It's now time to transfer to Luxor Airport for our flight back to Cairo. Touching down in the evening, we transfer to our nearby hotel, before we close the day with a fantastic celebration dinner at a hilltop restaurant overlooking the city.

Day 8
Cairo – UK

Waking up to a final breakfast in Egypt, we transfer to Cairo Airport and fly back to the UK. Touching down in London later in the day, you make your own way home, no doubt buzzing to book your next Women V Cancer challenge!

Book my place

How fit do I have to be?

This cycling challenge is not designed for Olympic athletes – it is designed for people looking for an amazing goal to train and get fit for. A number of the people who will take part in this challenge will have a low level of fitness when they sign up.

We'll follow a relatively flat route, but we will be cycling in humid conditions and will tackle long distances on this challenge, so we strongly recommend you train. Once you sign up, we'll send you a fantastic training plan, which builds up over time and will set you up for success. Remember, the more you train, the more you'll enjoy the real deal!

This adventure is the perfect motivation to get fit, gain amazing insight into the history and culture of Egypt, and most importantly, make a massive impact for people facing breast, cervical and ovarian cancers.

I’m worried about signing up on my own…

Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up on their own and our Women V Cancer challenges are renowned for the amazing camaraderie and lifelong friendships made as our groups take on these incredible feats together.

Once you've signed up for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for Women V Cancer Cycle the Nile 2023. Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow Women V Cancer heroes on your training and fundraising.

You may also want to reach out to the other participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.

Is there a minimum/maximum age limit?

Absolutely not! One of the amazing things about the challenge is that people of all ages will come together to do something very special. Everyone who is at least 18 years old by the challenge date is more than welcome to join the challenge.

If you would like someone under the age of 18 to join you on the challenge please contact us to discuss (01590 646410 or events@dream-challenges.com)

What is included?

Your non-refundable registration fee of £349 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.

Your challenge costs of £1,695 cover:

Your flights (not including airport taxes and the fuel surcharge, approx. £350)
Meals throughout the challenge
The management fee for the challenge
Accommodation*
Luggage transportation throughout the challenge
Entry fees to all the amazing Ancient Egyptian sites we visit on our challenge
3-night hop-on-hop-off Nile River Cruise
Bike hire
All transfers and luggage transportation in Egypt
English speaking local guide, who will give us exclusive tours of all the sites on our adventure
A team of awesome, outdoor remote first-aid trained local guides and Dream Challenges staff
Full support from the Dream Challenges office in the lead up to and during your challenge
Medical support, including a UK doctor with expedition medicine training, who will accompany us throughout the challenge
Your Women V Cancer Cycle the Nile 2023 medal and t-shirt

*Accommodation is included on a twin-sharing basis. If you would rather pay for a single supplement and have a room to yourself, we can arrange this for you for an additional cost of approx. £250. Please email us at events@dream-challenges.com or call us on 01590 646410 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm)

What other costs will I pay?

In addition to paying your registration fee (£349) and either self funding your challenge costs or fundraising the minimum sponsorship target, you will need to budget for:

Your airport taxes and the fuel surcharge (currently £350 but subject to change – up or down)
Your tourist visa for Egypt (approx. £25 but subject to change)
Your personal travel insurance
Gratuities
Personal expenses and any extra optional relaxation services/activities you choose to pay for on the river cruise
You may also choose to pay approx. £250 for a single supplement and have a room to yourself.

How much goes directly to the charities?

Sponsorship
Of the £3,000 minimum sponsorship target you raise, 50% (£1,500) covers your challenge costs.

The remaining 50% (or more if you've exceeded the target) goes directly to the work of the three charities, divided equally between Breast Cancer Now, Ovarian Cancer Action and Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust.

Self fund
If you choose the self funding option for your challenge, you pay your challenge costs yourself, so 100% of the funds you raise or donate will go directly to the charities and be divided equally between Breast Cancer Now, Ovarian Cancer Action and Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust.

Although you don't need to commit to the minimum sponsorship target if you're self funding, we strongly encourage you to fundraise as much as you can for our amazing Women V Cancer charities. We cannot express enough the difference your support makes for the Women V Cancer charities and all the people that benefit from their work.

Why not challenge yourself and try to reach £3,000? Then you'll prove to yourself that you can smash your Women V Cancer fundraising targets in the future.

How does the money I raise help women affected by cancer?

The money you raise funds the vital work of our three Women V Cancer charities who are raising awareness, providing support and funding research into breast, ovarian and cervical cancers.

If you’d like to know more about how each charity is making a difference for women affected by cancer, visit their websites below.

Breast Cancer Now

www.breastcancernow.org

Registered charity no 1160558 (England and Wales) and SC045584 (Scotland) and 1200 (Isle of Man).

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust

www.jostrust.org.uk

Registered charity no. 1133542 (England and Wales) and SC041236 (Scotland)

Ovarian Cancer Action

www.ovarian.org

Registered charity no. 1109743 (England and Wales) and SC043478 (Scotland)

How will you support me?

The Dream Challenges team is here to help you achieve your challenge and we will support you all the way. We are on hand from the minute you sign up to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.

Once you have registered, we will send you a Welcome Pack with everything you need to know about your challenge, including the itinerary, an example insurance policy, details about our challenge destination and the weather we can expect on our cycle, the structure of an average cycling day, a full kit list and a realistic training plan to help you get fit for the challenge. The training programme builds up gradually as the event gets closer.

We'll also send you regular updates in the lead-up to the challenge, with more important details and seasonal fundraising ideas. During the cycle, we'll have a UK doctor with expedition medicine training accompanying the group from the get-go and at all times throughout the challenge, along with a team of experienced, outdoor remote first-aid trained challenge guides.

How many participants will there be?

There will be around 50-60 participants in our group for Women V Cancer Cycle the Nile 2023. You'll no doubt make a bunch of awesome new friends!

Do I need special equipment?

A cycle helmet is essential and must be worn at all times. Everyone will need their own water bottles or a camel back-type hydration system.

Apart from that, no specialist equipment is required. We will supply you with a list of everything you will need to take before you go.

Cyclists will have the use of 18 or 21-gear bikes and we suggest you bring the saddle or gel cover you are used to riding on.

What happens if I don’t reach my fundraising target?

If you don't reach your fundraising target, you can either top up the additional funds yourself or simply forfeit your place on the challenge and lose your registration fee.

Alternatively, you may choose to pay your own challenge costs of £1,650 and then just fundraise as much as you can for the Women V Cancer charities with no minimum sponsorship target to reach.

Where will we sleep overnight?

We stay in comfortable, three-star class hotels and a fantastic Nile River Cruise Ship, which is renowned for its hospitality.

*Please note, accommodation is included on a twin-sharing basis. If you would rather pay for a single supplement and have a room to yourself, we can arrange this for you for an additional cost of approx. £250.

Please email us at events@dream-challenges.com if you would like to do this at least fourteen weeks before the challenge starts.

Can I extend my stay at the end of the challenge?

Yes of course! If you would like to extend your stay in Egypt, please get in touch at least 14 weeks before the challenge by emailing us at events@dream-challenges.com and we can arrange this for you.

What about insurance and visas?

You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation.

Dream Challenges has a policy that provides appropriate cover for this type of activity and also covers you for cancellation due to medically-diagnosed COVID-19. We will send you the details once you have registered.

You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity cycle in Egypt.

Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate cover for your challenge.

All participants will need to arrange their own tourist visa for Egypt (approx. £25, not included in your challenge costs). We will send you all the relevant forms and details you will need for this closer to the challenge date.

Is there a doctor?

We’ll have an experienced local first-aid trained event leader, plus a UK doctor with expedition medicine training, who will be with you the whole time. We'll also have a team of outdoor remote first-aid trained challenge guides.

Can I pay for a single supplement?

Certainly. Our hotel accommodation is included in your challenge cost on a twin-sharing basis.

However if you would prefer to have a room to yourself and pay for a single supplement, we'll be happy to arrange this for you at an additional cost of £250.

If you would like a single supplement, please get in touch by emailing us at events@dream-challenges.com or call us on 01590 646410 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).

What will the terrain be like?

You'll be pleased to know that we cycle on relatively flat terrain throughout this challenge. However, we will be facing humidity and our cycling days are long, so we do recommend that you train for the challenge.

Can you offer travel vaccination advice?

As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.

We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.

NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home

Women V Cancer Cycle the Nile 2023

When can I go?

What does it cost?