Legends of Greece and the Nile (15 days)

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