Private Tour of Egypt and The Greek Isle of Santorini
Luxury Nile Cruise Boarding Luxor

This 12 -day itinerary combines a Nile Cruise of Ancient Egypt with Classical Athens and the romance of the honeymoon Greek Isle of Santorini. Compare with the 14-day version with extended stay in Egypt.
Extend your stay in the Greek Isles: Add Crete

DAY 1 – Athens:
Daily arrival in Athens: Apr Oct, subject to the Nile cruise availability in Egypt. Our local rep will meet you at Athens Airport and assist with your transfer to your hotel. If you arrive early morning from the USA on Olympic Airways then you’ll have time on your own to explore the Greek capital, browse for treasures and curios, and venture to a terrace cafe or a fine meal in the old Plaka district.

DAY 2 – Athens – Private Tour (BL)
A half-day private morning guided city tour will orient you to the high points of Athens. This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Your expert private guide will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896 (short stop). Continue and pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace) guarded by the Euzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library, and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). On the Acropolis visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon. Continue and visit the place where at last the statues found their home and admire the wonders of the classical era: The new Acropolis museum. Lunch is included in a charming local restaurant , followed by a leisurely walking tour of the Plaka District. Return to your hotel late afternoon or early evening. Remainder of the day at leisure.

Acropolis of Athens. Photo by Ron Guay.

DAY 3 – Santorini (B)
Fly to Santorini. Luxuriate on the beach at Santorini, mecca for Honeymooners and the perfect romantic getaway. Remainder of the day at leisure. Maybe visit on your own Thirassia Island (enjoy lunch on you own at a local restaurant /tavern) and watch the sunset in Oia. Usually you return to your hotel/villa early evening.

DAY 4 – Santorini (cB)
Enjoy your lovely hotel or venture out on your own to explore Akrotiri, reputedly the site of fabled Atlantis. Then maybe on to Athinios port to take a boat across to the dormant volcano, and ascend through a crater-pocked moonscape to the crater. You may have some free time to enjoy a swim in a hot spring!!

DAY 5 – Santorini – Athens – Cairo (cB)
After breakfast, we escort you to the airport for your flight to Athens connecting same day to Cairo on Egyptair or Olympic Airways. Air fare in economy class is included in our rate with tax. VIP Meet & Greet upon arrival at Cairo Airport. Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative will greet you at the airport and whisk 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 for at least 6 months 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, 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 and Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.

Sample Deluxe Hotels: Ramses Hilton, Cairo Sheraton, Sonesta, Cairo Marriott, Cairo Conrad, Semiramis InterContinental Hotel or similar.

DAY 6 – CAIRO (BLD)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. Lunch is included at the Mena House. Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant.

DAY 7 – Luxor (or Aswan), Board your Nile Cruise! (BLD)
We fly to Luxor (or Aswan) we proceed to cross the Nile to the West Bank. We tour today the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon’s tomb and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and we stop briefly at the Colossi of Memnon. Afterward, we’ll continue on Luxor’s west bank to get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs. Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

Head back to your cruise and board our Nile cruiser in time for a delicious lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin.The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon. We’ll return in time for the afternoon tea served on deck. You’ll have a chance to explore your ship before dinner. Late afternoon your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor and the waterfront. Cabin amenity: Local sweets platter and 2 large bottles of water. Evening Sound and Light show at Karnak, please bring a jacket.

DAY 8- On Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
We sail to Esna to go through the locks, and on to Edfu where we dock for the night. In the evening, we’ll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing national costume (a galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments).

DAY 9 – On Board Your Nile Cruise EDFU, KOM OMBO – Aswan (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved temple. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we enjoy lunch as we sail further south upriver. We disembark downstream at Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, the continue our voyage to Aswan, while we party after dinner with music and dance. In the evening, there’s a jolly galabia party aboard. Cabin amenity: Fruit basket- 2 large bottles of water

Temple of Isis from Philae on Agilkia Island in Lake Nasser, Egypt. Video by Xandra Dekker.

DAY 10 -ASWAN – Cruising The Nile  (BLD)
First we tour Aswan dams, the Nubian Museum then on to the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae, dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS.

The Mystery of Isis
Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis: “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled.”

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld. Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world.

In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile then on to Soheil Island and a Nubian Village. After noon horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan souks and waterfront. Evening Sound and Light show at Philae, bring a jacket.

DAY 11- Aswan – CAIRO (BL)
Breakfast on board, followed by a return flight to Cairo. Air fare is always included. Transfers are always on a private basis. Lunch is included in Cairo at the hotel.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town). 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 by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 12 – CAIRO/DEPARTURE (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. If you wish to fly back to Athens we are happy to assist with the air fare. All tour rates are subject to change without notice.

The tour includes…

• Airfare Athens Cairo in economy class, with tax included.
• Airfare Athens Santorini Athens in economy “Y” class, with tax
• As well as domestic air between Cairo and the Nile Cruise in economy class, tax included or fly  in Business Class  within Egypt when you choose to book Deluxe Hotel/Nile Cruise category.
• All transfers in Greece and Egypt always on a private basis, private air -conditioned car/driver.
• Private touring in Cairo and Athens, private air-conditioned air-conditioned car, private chauffeur.
• Hotel accommodations, including all taxes and service charges, based on the rate category you choose.
  For Ultra Deluxe Upgrade: Cairo: Four Seasons Hotel (Premiere room) and Grande Bretagne Hotel in Athens, please add: Supplement of: %15 to the Deluxe rate.
• 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.
• Welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
• Welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
• Pre-set menu meals as shown including B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
• Guided, escorted sightseeing tours in Athens, the Nile Cruise and Cairo as indicated in the itinerary, including all entry fees
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required). Egyptian Visa will be issued 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 for at least 6 months 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, 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 in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments

Not included:

• Trip Cancellation/travel insurance
• International air fare from/to USA, please ask for information on these fares or use your own free air miles.

Sample Accommodation in Santorini:

• Dana Villas, in Firostefani with view of the volcano.
• Chromata Apartments, in Imerovigli with a view of the volcano.

Sample hotels in Athens:

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

Sample hotels in Cairo:

• Deluxe: Hilton. Sheraton. Sonesta. Kempinski. Semiramis InterContinental. Conrad Cairo Hotel. Marriott. JW Marriott or similar
  First: Helnan Shepheard’s. Oases or similar

Luxury Nile Cruise and The Greek Isle of Santorini

This 14-day private itinerary combines a Nile Cruise of Ancient Egypt (boarding in Aswan) with Classical Athens and the romance of the Greek Isle of Santorini. Extend your stay in the Greek Isles: Add Crete

DAY 1 – Athens
Daily arrival in Athens: Apr – Oct – subject to the Nile cruise availability in Egypt. Our local rep will meet you at Athens Airport and assist with your transfer to your hotel. If you arrive early morning from the USA on Olympic Airways then you’ll have time on your own to explore the Greek capital, browse for treasures and curios, and venture to a terrace cafe or a fine meal in the old Plaka district. Private air-conditioned Vehicle. Private Chauffeur.

DAY 2 – Athens- Private Tour (BL)
A half-day private morning guided city tour will orient you to the high points of Athens. This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Your expert private guide will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896 (short stop). Continue and pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace) guarded by the Euzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library, and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). On the Acropolis visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon. Continue and visit the place where at last the statues found their home and admire the wonders of the classical era: The new Acropolis museum. Lunch is included in a charming local restaurant , followed by a leisurely walking tour of the Plaka District. Return to your hotel late afternoon or early evening. Remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 3 – Santorini (B)
After breakfast, our local representative in Athens will assist with your private transfer to Athens Airport where you will board your flight to Santorini (domestic air fare in Greece is always included in our rate). Fly to Santorini. Luxuriate on the beach at Santorini, remainder of the day at leisure.

Incredible Santorini. Video by Chillout Channel.

DAY 4 – Santorini (B)
Honeymooners… this is your dream “fantasy island.” Santorini is the perfect romantic getaway. Remainder of the day at leisure, maybe visit on your own Thirassia Island, enjoy lunch on your own at a local restaurant /tavern and watch sunset in Oia.

DAY 5 – Santorini (B)
Enjoy your lovely hotel or venture out on your own,to explore Akrotiri, reputedly the site of fabled Atlantis. Then maybe on to Athinios port to take a boat across to the dormant volcano, and ascend through a crater-pocked moonscape to the crater. You may have some free time to enjoy a swim in a hot spring!!

DAY 6 – Santorini – Athens – Cairo (B)
After breakfast, we escort you to the airport for your flight to Athens connecting same day to Cairo on Egyptair or Olympic Airways. Air fare in economy class is included in our rate with tax. 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 for at least 6 months 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, 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, Cairo Sheraton, Sonesta, Cairo Marriott, Cairo Conrad, Semiramis InterContinental Hotel or similar.

DAY 7 – CAIRO (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. Lunch is included at the Mena House. Private air-conditioned Vehicle. Private Chauffeur. Private Egyptologist.

DAY 8 – Tanis – Suez Canal – (B. Lunch Box)
Breakfast is included at the hotel, lunch box will be prepared by your chef with bottled water.

To the Lair of Rameses and the Suez Canal
Venture where few visitors have gone before, away from trafficked pathways and neatly packaged tours, to the legendary capital of Rameses II, the Great. So unusual is this full-day adventure, and so select are the people who take it, that special permits are required from the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. And if this opportunity is not enough to whet your appetite, we’ll round out a spectacular day with a journey forward through the centuries, to the modern wonder of the Suez Canal.

Arrange your wake-up call… we’ll be heading out from Cairo at 6 a.m. on our day of discovery. We’ll make our way through busy streets, and beyond, to the fertile farmlands of the Nile Delta, seemingly unchanged since the time of the pharaohs, watered by a web of canals running from the life-giving Nile, worked by villagers with hand tools and the aid of camels and donkeys. We’ll pass through Zagazig, a bustling cotton and grain farming center, and stop at nearby Bubastis, capital of the 22nd and 23rd dynasties. Here, the cat was more than a king, it was honored as a goddess, and sacred cats were buried in chambers that lie behind an Old Kingdom Chapel. Parts of temples erected by Osorkon II and Nectanebo II also remain.

But this is only prologue… We’ll continue to Tanis–modern San El Hagar–famed in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark as the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Tanis was the capital of Smendes, founder of the 21st Dynasty, a grand center whose rich remains include the main temple of Amun, and a royal Necropolis with the only Pharaonic burials never touched by ancient tomb raiders. There are even artificial lakes contained by limestone blocks.

So grand was Tanis that many believe that it was the capital of Rameses the Great. Among the layers of cities and palaces might lie the site of the Pharaoh’s court that was built by the labor of the ancient Hebrews before Moses led them out of Egypt.

Tanis is a restricted site because of its ongoing excavations and its intact burial chambers that are still yielding treasures and understanding of the ancients. It will be your privilege to make your own discoveries as one of the few to tread these stones. Because our path is away from the usual routes of visitors, we will travel with provisions, including a box lunch, and of course, bottled water.

After our discovery of Tanis, we’ll journey northeastward through the delta and across the centuries to a wonder of the modern world. The Suez Canal opened in 1869 to international celebration that included the commissioning of the opera Aida, after ten years of excavation that employed more than a million laborers. The canal was the technological feat of its day, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, cutting trade routes to the East in half, and changing the course of history. Even today it is the mainstay of Egypt’s economy, its neutrality guaranteed by treaty.

We’ll visit Ismailia, where the historic Canal headquarters are located. We’ll soak up the atmosphere of worldwide commerce passing through this sash of the sea, and conjure up the international intrigues of bygone days, as we take a break for tea and sandwiches at a local establishment. If time permits, we’ll see the fortifications of the Bar Lev line, held by Israel after the Six Day War of 1967, and demolished by water cannon in 1973 in a surprise Egyptian attack.

After a day of encounters with ancient and modern history, we’ll continue on our way back to Cairo.

DAY 9 – ASWAN (or Luxor), Board your Nile Cruise: Camel Caravan! (BLD)
We fly to Aswan (or Luxor) and board our Nile cruiser in time for a delicious lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin. Morning Tour of the Nubian Museum. In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile. Only for those who are interested: a short camel caravan and boat ride to visit a local Nubian Village. Cabin amenity: Local sweets platter and 2 large bottles of water. In the evening your guide will call on you for a private horse-drawn carriage ride to explore Aswan souks and the water front.

DAY 10- ASWAN – KOM OMBO- Sailing The Nile (BLD)
First we tour the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the island temples of Philae. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples. Cabin amenity: Egyptian Galabya with our compliments.

DAY 11 – EDFU – Luxor – Cruising The Nile (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved temple. Re-embarking, we cruise to Esna, pass through the locks. Evening finds us in Luxor. Cabin amenity: Fruit basket- 2 large bottles of water

DAY 12 – LUXOR- Deir El Medina Village- Cruise The Nile (BLD)
Today’s tour includes the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first known “Workers Village.” These were the true creative heroes who built the temples and tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank where you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community.

Today’s tour include as well a visit to the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon’s tomb, temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch. Following lunch aboard, we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, returning to our vessel in time for tea. Evening Sound and Light show at Karnak, please bring a jacket with you.

DAY 13- LUXOR – CAIRO (B)
After breakfast, we fly back to Cairo. In the afternoon, wander through the city on your own, or do your last-minute shopping.

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt, small souvenirs of your home town). 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 – just let us know your preferences.

DAY 14 – CAIRO/DEPARTURE (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage!

This tour starts daily in Athens: Apr – Oct, but subject to Nile Cruise availability.
All tour rates are subject to change without notice.

The tour includes…

• Airfare Athens Cairo in economy class with tax included.
• Airfare Athens Santorini Athens in economy “Y” class, with tax included.
• Domestic air between Cairo & the Nile Cruise in economy “Y” class, with tax included. But in BUSINESS class when you book the Deluxe Hotel/Nile Cruise Category.
• All transfers in Greece and Egypt always on a private basis, private air -conditioned car/driver.
• Private touring in Cairo and Athens, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
• Hotel accommodations, including all taxes and service charges, based on the rate category you choose.
• Hotel accommodations, including all taxes and service charges, based on the rate category you choose.
  For Ultra Deluxe Upgrade: Cairo: Four Seasons Hotel Premiere room and Grande Bretagne Hotel in Athens, please add: Supplement of: %15 to the Deluxe rate.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.
• Pre-set menu meals as shown including B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
• Guided, escorted sightseeing tours in Athens, the Nile Cruise and Cairo as indicated in the itinerary, including all entry fees
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required).
• Egyptian Visa will be issued 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 for at least 6 months 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, 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 in Cairo upon arrival with our compliments

Not included:

• Trip Cancellation/travel insurance.
• Tips
• International air fare from/to home country.

Sample Hotels:

• Sample Accommodation in Santorini:
  Dana Villas, in Firostefani with view of the volcano.
  Chromata Apartments, in Imerovigli with a view of the volcano.
• Sample hotels in Athens:
  Deluxe: Divani Palace Acropolis. First: Titania, Stanley
• Sample hotels in Cairo:
  Deluxe: Hilton. Sheraton. Sonesta. Kempinski. Semiramis InterContinental. Conrad Cairo Hotel or similar
  First: Helnan Shepheard’s. Oases or similar

A 12-Day Private Tour
of Egypt, Palestine, Israel and Greece

Come with us on a grand 12-day triangle tour of these three awe-inspiring lands of antiquity… all in 12 Days.

DAY 1 – CAIRO – Thursday Weekly – Year Round
VIP Meet & Greet Service at Cairo Airport
Our local representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. VIP Meet & Greet Service at Cairo Airport.

Visa fee is included and will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for: Australian, NZ, American, EU, Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order, valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.

Visa will be issued upon arrival. As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two, down some stairs, then walk for 2-5 minutes, until you pass the duty free shops, at the end of a wide corridor, you will see the security officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign with your name.

Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs. After exiting 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 or similar: Cairo Marriott, Hilton, Cairo Conrad, InterContinental Hotels or similar

DAY 2 – CAIRO – Friday (BLD)
Private car, private driver, private Egyptologist. Welcome to the City of the pharaohs and sultans! We visit the top sights in an all-day tour. Our first stop is the Egyptian Museum, filled with the wealth of the pharaohs. Following lunch at a local restaurant, we head for the Khan El-Khalil Bazaar district then off to the old Coptic and Jewish quarter and the Coptic museum as well as al-Moalaka Church. In the evening, we host you for dinner on a Nile cruise complete with exotic Egyptian entertainment. All meals today are included.

DAY 3 – Giza Pyramids: DAHSOUR – HOME HOSTED MEAL – Saturday (BL)
Private car, private driver, private Egyptologist. After breakfast, we’ll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. The museum of the Royal Barge of Cheops The museum is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years, the wooden boat was readied for the king’s daily journey with the sun god, Ra. Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt.

Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King’s Chamber your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (included) is entirely your own choice!

Continue to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structures:

The “Discovery” of Dahshour
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru’s pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza’s Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru’s–miraculously–is still in place. Lunch is included at the Mena House.

DAY 4 – CAIRO TO JERUSALEM – Sunday (B)
Today we board your flight across the Sinai peninsula to Israel. Air fare is included in economy class. Tax included. Upon arrival We drive up into the Judean Hills to Jerusalem, where our local representative meets you at the airport and assist with your private transfer to your hotel in Jerusalem.

DAY 5 – JERUSALEM and BETHLEHEM – Monday (B)
Private car, private driver, private guide. The Holy City is at our feet. We visit the Western Wall, Temple Mount, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Roman Cardo, fabled Mount Zion, and King David’s Tomb, then drive to biblical Bethlehem to visit Rachel’s Tomb and the Church of the Nativity, returning to our Jerusalem hotel in the evening.

DAY 6 – JERUSALEM  – Tuesday (B)
Today fabled Jerusalem is yours to explore as you like, guidebook in hand.

DAY 7 – THE DEAD SEA Wednesday (B)
We drive down below sea level to the Dead Sea for a visit to one of its mineral spas. Try a swim in the Dead Sea’s saline waters, where you’ll be as buoyant as a cork! Private car, private driver, private guide.

DAY 8 – TEL AVIV – ATHENS  – Thursday – Private Transfers (B)
Our local representative escorts you to Tel Aviv’s airport for your flight to Athens (airfare is included in tour rate with tax).
VIP Club Transfer Services at the airport in Tel Aviv.
Upon arrival in Athens, our local rep. meets you and escorts you to your hotel in the Greek capital private transfer. The rest of the day is yours: Athens awaits you!

DAY 9 – ATHENS – Private Tour – Friday (BL)
A half-day private morning guided city tour will orient you to the high points of Athens. This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Your expert private guide will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896 (short stop). Continue and pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace) guarded by the Euzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library, and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). On the Acropolis visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon. Continue and visit the place where at last the statues found their home and admire the wonders of the classical era: The new Acropolis museum. Lunch is included in a charming local restaurant , followed by a leisurely walking tour of the Plaka District. Return to your hotel late afternoon or early evening. Remainder of the day at leisure.

DAY 10 – GREEK ISLANDS CRUISE Saturday (BL)
We drive to the Marina Trocadero and board a boat for a tour of the Saronic Gulf and its islands: Aegina, Poros and Hydra. After our delightful day at sea, the evening brings us traditional Greek dancing and entertainment, a fitting celebration of our three-country Triangle Tour, after which we return to our Athens hotel.

DAY 11 – ATHENS MARKETS Sunday (BL)
Ride the new Athens Subway alongside the locals today! We take pride in affording you this experience, entirely by public transportation, with orientation by our English-speaking representative. You’ll get to tour Athens fascinating vegetable & fruit markets by subway and/or taxi. Enjoy lunch at a charming local restaurant (included) before we head back to the hotel. Your private guide will always be there to answer any question you may have, this is a private tour.

DAY 12 – DEPARTURE -Monday (B)
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel before meeting our local representative to escort you to Athens airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage!

Inclusions:

• Hotel accommodation (including tax, service charge and continental breakfast daily)
• Sightseeing tours, always on a private basis: Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, private guide
• Transfers while on tour as described in the itinerary, always on a private basis.
• Air fare Cairo Tel Aviv Athens in economy class, tax included, yet in Business Class when you book the Deluxe Hotels category.
• Pre-set menu meals as listed: cB (Continental breakfast). L/D pre-set menu lunch/dinner
• VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
  Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required). Egyptian Visa will be issued 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 for at least 6 months 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, 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
• VIP MEET & GREET at Tel Aviv Airport: the local rep. will meet you just before the immigration, at Tel Aviv Airport, then walk you through the immigration and luggage claim, on to the arrival hall and meeting the guide/driver and drive on to your hotel.Vip Club Airport Transfers Service (Tel Aviv Airport)
  Description of service

Flights: Incoming/Arrival
Porter services included

• • Meeting the guest at the exit of the plane’s sleeve.
  • Transfer to passport control with luxury car.
  • Quick transfer through passport control.
  • Pickup luggage, porter service included.
  • Quick transfer through Customs and exiting to the Arrivals Hall.

Outgoing / departure flights:
Porter services included

• • Meeting the guest at departure hall, gate 32.
  • Quick transfer through security check.
  • Porter service is included.
  • Check-in for flight and deposit of baggage at designated counter,
  • Quick transfer at hand bags security.
  • Quick transfer during boarding.

Not Included:

• International air fare from/to your home country.
• Tips
• Travel insurance 

Sample Hotels in Israel/Palestine:

• Please click for sample hotels listing in Israel/Palestine.

Sample Hotels in Athens:

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

Sample Hotels in Cairo:

• Deluxe: Hilton. Sheraton. Sonesta. Kempinski. Semiramis InterContinental. Conrad Cairo Hotel. Marriott. JW Marriott or similar
• First: Helnan Shepheard’s. Oases or similar