Tour Egypt and Greece in 15 days
Exploring Greece by land and Egypt on a Nile Cruise

Greek Royal Guard in their Sunday best outside the Parliament.
Photo by Ron Guay.

Tour starts weekly in Athens: March through November. You may add extra days pre or post. Among the most treasured memories of many travelers are a trip to Greece and a journey on a Nile steamer. You will experience both on this tour along with the high points of Classical Greece.

DAY 1 – Saturday – Weekly – March to end of Nov. – ATHENS
Our local personnel meets you at the airport and escorts you to your hotel.

Sample Athens hotels:

• Deluxe: Divani Palace Acropolis.
• First: Titania. Electra Palace.
• Tourist: Stanley

Athens is yours and you may wish to cover on your own the high points of the city, especially the towering Acropolis and the adjacent museum.

DAY 2 – Sunday- ATHENS – Private Tour (BL)
On your first morning in Athens we show you the top sights: the Acropolis and its museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Theater of Dionysus, and more. In the afternoon, plunge into the city as you like for sightseeing and shopping. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner is included at the hotel. Private chauffeur, private guide private air conditioned vehicle for all your touring today.

DAY 3 – Monday – MYCENAE, EPIDAURUS – NAUPLIA- Group Tour (BD)
We set forth from Athens to tour classical Greece, passing Corinth and its steep-walled canal as we go. We stop at Mycenae, center of ancient Mycenaean civilization (2800-1100 BC); and Epidaurus, site of the temple of Asclepius. We spend the night in Nauplia.

• First class hotels: Amalia or similar.
• Tourist class: Victoria or similar

DAY 4 – Tuesday – OLYMPIA- Group Tour (BD)
We pass by Tripolis and Megalopolis on our way to Olympia, ancient site of the Olympic games. We visit the great Temple of Zeus, one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, and tour the museum.

• First class hotels: Europa or similar.
• Tourist class: Ilis or similar

DAY 5 – Wednesday – DELPHI- Group Tour (BD)
We drive through Rion, Antirion and Nafpaktos and along the Corinthian coast on our way to Delphi, site of the famed oracle, at the foot of Mount Parnassus.

• First class hotels: Amalia or similar.
• Tourist class: Hermes or similar

DAY 6 – Thursday – DELPHI – ATHENS (B)
We tour the ruins of Delphi and its oracle, sacred to Apollo and Dionysus. In the afternoon, we drive via the lovely village of Arachova to the Byzantine monastery of Ossios Loucas, then on to Athens.

DAY 7- Friday – ATHENS – CAIRO (B)
Our Athens-based local rep. will take you to the airport to catch your flight for Cairo. Air fare is included in economy class Athens Cairo with tax included.

Cairo Airport: VIP meet & greet
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Sample Deluxe Hotels:

• Ramses Hilton, Nile Hilton, J. W. Marriott, Cairo Conrad, Grand Hyatt or similar.
• Sample First Class Hotel: Sonesta Hotel or similar
• Sample Tourist Class Hotel: Novotel or similar

Private chauffeur, private air conditioned vehicle for all your airport transfers.

DAY 8 – Saturday – CAIRO (BL)
Today, you’ll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. Travelers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these sights, but your day has just started. You’ll also see the Citadel of Saladin and the alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz, or the new Al-Azhar Park. In the afternoon we enjoy a walk thru the Khan El Khalili Bazaar.

DAY 9 – Giza – Sunday (BL)
Today, we drive to the edge of Cairo and reach Giza, on the edge of the desert, you’ll gaze in awe at the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids, for those interested a complimentary ticket is included for entry to the King’s chamber inside the Pyramid, you must be physically fit to be able to climb. Lunch is included at the Mena House. Afternoon tour of Memphis and Sakkara including the Step Pyramid and the Nobles Mastabas and tombs, on the way back to Cairo, we stop at the Haraniya girls Kleem/ rugs village.

DAY 10 – Monday – ASWAN- Camel Caravan – Nubian Village- on Board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Our Cairo personnel will escort you to the airport to board your flight to Aswan in Upper Egypt. You’ll arrive in time to take lunch aboard your Nile cruiser. Welcome fruit basket awaits you on board. We’ll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful felucca. If you wish, try your hand at camel riding! We’ll take a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers.

DAY 11 -Tuesday – ASWAN, KOM OMBO- on Board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
After breakfast on board, we’ll visit the dams at Aswan, including the High Dam, a modern wonder in this ancient land. At the ancient granite quarry, we’ll see an obelisk left unfinished, then board a launch on Lake Nasser to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters. Back aboard our cruiser, we’ll sail northward down the Nile at a stately pace, disembarking for a visit to Kom Ombo, the twin temple, dedicated to the crocodile river god, Sobek. Cabin amenity: 2 Large bottles of water.

Sample Nile Cruises:

• Deluxe: M/S Monaco. M/S Mojito or similar
• First Class: M/S Nile Dream. M/S Ruby
• the First Class cruises will be used for the Tourist class rate as well

DAY 12 – Wednesday- EDFU, ESNA- on Board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages or vans meet us at riverside to take us through Edfu to the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Later, we’ll cruise to Esna, and by evening we’ll be in fabled Luxor. Cabin amenity: Egyptian Sweets platter.

DAY 13- Thursday – LUXOR- on Board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
We’ll cross the Nile to view an array of ancient splendors: the tomb chambers of the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens; and the Colossi of Memnon. Evening farewell dinner & a belly dance show: Complimentary Galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.

DAY 14 -Friday – LUXOR, CAIRO (B)
We’ll visit the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the great Temple of Luxor before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Cairo. After we settle you into your hotel, you’ll have your last opportunity to experience the excitement of this great city and, of course, do some last-minute shopping. Private chauffeur, private air conditioned vehicle for all your transfers.

DAY 15 -Saturday – RETURN HOME (B)
Our Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage!

Rate includes:

• At Cairo Airport: VIP meet & greet at Cairo Airport. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel.
• Egyptian Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel.
• Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments
• Nile cruise, including all meals, afternoon tea served on deck daily, and shore excursions.
• One large bottled water per person delivered to your cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise. Plus a small bottle of water with each & every meal on board the cruise
• Tea or coffee and water with each & every meal while you are on board the Nile cruise.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Hotel accommodation as mentioned in Athens and Cairo, including tax and service charges, and breakfast daily.
• Meals as indicated, with preset menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• Airport greeting and assistance. Transportation between airports, hotels, and port.
• One-way air transportation from Athens to Cairo.
• Port taxes.
• Domestic air transportation in Egypt “Y” class, tax included

Not Included:

• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance.
• International air fare.
• Additional personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned in the itinerary.
• All tips to porters, drivers, guides etc

A Grand 14 day Dream Vacation Tour
of Egypt and Greece including
A Greek cruise and a Nile Cruise

Cruise ship in the coast waters of Mykonos island.
By Mstyslav Chernov (mstyslav-chernov.com) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

DAY 1 – ATHENS – Arrive Weekly on Sundays: March thru end of Nov
Our local personnel meets you at the airport and escorts you to your hotel. Athens is yours and you may wish to cover on your own the high points of the city.

Sample Athens hotels:

• Deluxe: Divani Palace Acropolis.
• First: Titania. Electra Palace.
• Tourist: Stanley

Private chauffeur, private air conditioned vehicle for your transfers between airports and hotels.

DAY 2- CRUISE TO MYKONOS- Monday (BLD)
Our staff will escort you to Piraeus, the port of Athens, where you’ll embark on your three-day cruise to the Greek Isles. You’ll sail into the Aegean and, by sunset, reach the jet-set isle of Mykonos. Stroll at your own pace along lanes lined with whitewashed houses, up to the Church of Paraportiani, or along the shore to the island’s signature windmills. Enjoy an ouzo or a glass of retsina at a waterside cafe. Re-embark for nighttime sailing.

DAY 3- RHODES- Tuesday (BLD)
Our cruise ship arrives early at the harbor, allowing a full day on the Island of Roses. The compact, cobbled medieval city is perfect for exploring on your own. You’ll want to visit the Palace of the Knights of St. John, take a look at the wares in the boutiques, and spend some time in a seaside cafe. Or discover a hill-fringed beach a short walk or taxi ride from town. We also offer an optional excursion to the Acropolis of Lindos and the Valley of the Butterflies. Spend a restful night on board as we sail to our next destination.

Rhodes, Greece by NASA Earth Observatory

DAY 4- KUSADASI (Turkey), PATMOS – Wednesday (BLD)
We anchor at 7 a.m. in Kusadasi, on the Turkish mainland, gateway to ancient Ephesus. Stroll the streets and stop in at shops filled with leather goods and bargains in gold. Our optional tour takes you to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in the world. You’ll reboard in time for an afternoon sailing. In the late afternoon, your ship will call at the island of Patmos. Here you can visit the Monastery of St. John where the Book of Revelations was written.

DAY 5- HERAKLION (CRETE), SANTORINI – Thursday (BLD)
We drop anchor in the port of Heraklion at 7 a.m. You can explore the old Venetian section of town on your own, or take an optional excursion to the 5000-year-old Minoan Palace at Knossos and the archaeological museum. We sail at midday. In a few hours, we’ll reach Santorini, where the lost civilization of Atlantis flourished. Enjoy outdoor cafes and wander the lanes of Thira, lined with craft and clothing shops and bakeries and cafes. Ride the funicular to the cliff top, or be adventurous, and do it on mule-back! Either way, you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular sunset over the Aegean.

DAY 6- ATHENS, CAIRO – Friday (BD)
You’ll sail into Piraeus early in the morning. Our Athens-based local rep. will take you to the airport to catch your flight for Cairo. Air fare is included in economy class Athens Cairo with tax included. On arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.

VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport?
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Sample Deluxe Hotels:

• Ramses Hilton, Nile Hilton, J. W. Marriott, Cairo Conrad, Grand Hyatt or similar.
• Sample First Class Hotel: Sonesta Hotel or similar
• Sample Tourist Class Hotel: Novotel or similar

Private chauffeur, private air conditioned vehicle for all your airport transfers while you are in Greece and / or Egypt with us.

DAY 7- CAIRO – Saturday (BLD)
Today, you’ll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. Travelers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these sights, but your day has just started. You’ll also see the Citadel of Saladin and the alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali. In Giza, on the edge of the desert, you’ll gaze in awe at the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids. For those interested, a complimentary ticket is included for entry to the King’s chamber inside the Pyramid. You must be physically fit to be able to climb. Dinner is included at the hotel. Private chauffeur, private air conditioned vehicle and private Egyptologist.

DAY 8 – ASWAN – Board your Nile cruise – Sunday (BLD)
Our Cairo personnel will escort you to the airport to board your flight to Aswan in Upper Egypt. You’ll arrive in time to take lunch aboard your Nile cruiser. We’ll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful felucca. If you wish, try your hand at camel riding! We’ll take a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers.

• sample Nile Cruise: Deluxe: M/S Monaco. M/S Mojito or similar
• sample First Class: M/S Nile Dream. M/S Ruby
• the same First Class cruises will be used for the Tourist class rate as well.

DAY 9 – ASWAN, KOM OMBO- On board your Nile cruise – Monday (BLD)
After breakfast on board, we’ll visit the dams at Aswan, including the High Dam, a modern wonder in this ancient land. At the ancient granite quarry, we’ll see an obelisk left unfinished, then board a launch on Lake Nasser to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters. Back aboard our cruiser, we’ll sail northward down the Nile at a stately pace, disembarking for a visit to Kom Ombo, the twin temple dedicated to the crocodile river god, Sobek.

DAY 10 – EDFU, ESNA – On board your Nile cruise – Tuesday (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages or vans meet us at riverside to take us through Edfu to the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Later, we’ll cruise to Esna, and by evening, we’ll be in fabled Luxor.

DAY 11 – Luxor- On board your Nile cruise – Wednesday (BLD)
We’ll cross the Nile to view an array of ancient splendors: the tomb chambers of the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens; and, on the way back to the ferry landing, the Colossi of Memnon.

DAY 12 – LUXOR, CAIRO – Home Hosted Family Dinner – Thursday (B)
We’ll visit the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the great Temple of Luxor before heading to the airport to catch our flight to Cairo. After we settle you into your hotel, you’ll have your last opportunity to experience the excitement of this great city and, of course, do some last-minute shopping. This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 13 – Fayoum Oases – Friday (BLD)
On Desert Safari for the Day – Fayoum Oases – And you thought the Pyramids were old!

We leave Cairo by sunrise (private air conditioned car/driver/guide): Full day to the Biblical Fayoum Oases including the Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, and adrive by Lake Qarun. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Fayoum irrigation system and the Oasis were said to be designed by Joseph after the Pharaoh entrusted Egypt’s fate to him in facing the 7 years of abundance that were followed by 7 years of drought.

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales (In Arabic: Wadi-El-Hitan). Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived – almost forty million years ago – in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone. This valley was discovered in 1936, by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore. A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80’s that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet. This was a startling discovery, suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well, these whales were not related to any of the whales we have today, rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales.

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included enroute. Dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 14 – RETURN HOME – Saturday (B)
Our Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage!

Cruise itinerary may vary according to ship and line selected.
Rates based on Greek and Nile cruise in an outside standard cabin with two lower beds.

Rate includes:

• At Cairo Airport: VIP meet & greet at Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel.
  Egyptian Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel.
• Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments
• Three day cruise to Greek Isles and Turkey, including meals. Louis Cruise Lines, or Golden Sun, we’ll confirm the specific ship before you send us your deposit.
• Five day Nile cruise, including all meals, afternoon tea served on deck daily, and shore excursions.
• One large bottled water per person delivered to your cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise. Plus a small bottle of water with each & every meal on board the cruise
• Tea or coffee and water with each & every meal while you are on board the Nile cruise.
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Hotel accommodation as mentioned in Athens and Cairo, including tax and service charges, and breakfast daily.
• Meals as indicated, with preset menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
• Airport greeting and assistance. Transportation between airports, hotels, and port.
• One-way air transportation from Athens to Cairo in Y class.
• Port taxes.
• Domestic air transportation in Egypt in economy class.

Not Included:

• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• Shore excursions from Greek cruise ships (Please note that the Egyptian Nile Cruise does include all shore excursions as part of our services & rate).
• International air fare.
• Additional personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned in the itinerary.