DAY 1 -- Arrive ISTANBUL Any day year round - Private Transfer
Tour starts daily in Istanbul. Private transfers
Our staff meets your flight and escorts you to your hotel ; The Inter.Continental or Ciragan Palace Kempinski
Welcome fruit basket at your room, with our compliments.

This tour starts daily in Istanbul, yet please keep in mind that we keep the right to substitute some site based on the following: Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday. Ayasofia is closed on Monday. Kariye Museum is closed on Wednesdays. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.

DAY 2 -- ISTANBUL - Private Guide. Private Car & Driver (BLD)
We dive right into this fascinating city with visits to its top sights: Topkapi, the palace of the Sultans for centuries; Hagia Sophia, the greatest church in Christendom for a thousand years; the Blue Mosque, with its exquisite blue tiles; the Byzantine Hippodrome, scene of chariot races and gladiator combat; and the eerie Sunken Palace cistern beneath it. Then a drive through modern neighborhoods brings us to the ancient city walls and the Kariye Museum (Chora Church), filled with brilliant Byzantine mosaics.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and fold show .

DAY 3 -- ISTANBUL - Private Guide. Private Car & Driver (BL)

ISTANBUL-
"Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque"
(late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:"

Morning walking tour : We start with our guide in Karaköy where the foreign bankers and shipping companies had their headquarters, then take the Tünel up to istiklal Caddesi; stop in the whirling dervish tekke, and walk past the various old embassy buildings (now consulates), and point out the architecture. Stop for tea (included) at the famous Pera Palace Hotel.
Walk at least as far as Galatasaray Square, and have lunch in the Çicek Pasaji (Flower Passage); then walk up to Taksim Square and be picked up for the afternoon tour. In the afternoon the tour visit Yildiz Palace Park and the Ihlamur Kasri, a mini-palace south of Yildiz, and finish up with a visit to the Military History Museum in Harbiye in time to hear the "Mehter," or Ottoman military band (mid-afternoon). Then go on a shopping spree at the labyrinth of the Grand Bazaar.
Breakfast, Lunch.

DAY 4 - Istanbul / Athens - Private Transfers . Private Car & Driver(B)
Our local rep will assist you with the transfer to Istanbul airport for your flight to Athens . Breakfast is included at the hotel in Istanbul
Air fare is included Istanbul Athens in Business Class .
Hotel in Athens : King George or Grand Bretagne Hotel .
In Athens 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, especially the towering Acropolis and the adjacent museum. In the evening, we'll take in a dinner with traditional Greek entertainment.

DAY 5 - ATHENS Private Guide. Private Car and Driver (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.
The afternoon at leisure or plunge into the city as you like for sightseeing and shopping. Car & driver is at your disposal at no additional charge un till 6 PM . Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant

DAY 6 - Athens Markets or BYZANTINE Churches - Classy Subways !!
Private Car & Driver - (BL)
Ride the new Athens Subway alongside the locals today ( always escorted with your English speaking Guide) ! We take pride in affording you this experience, some by public transportation, and some with a private car /driver with orientation always by our English-speaking representative.

You'll get to tour Athens fascinating vegetable and fruit markets by subway and/ or private car .
Enjoy lunch at a charming local restaurant ( included ) before we head back to the hotel . Markets days/dates are subject to change, we may have to change your program in Athens to accommodate such changes.

After lunch pleas e choose one of the following tours :

A - BYZANTINE CHURCHES
Russian Orthodox Church at Filellinon & Amalias
Athens cathedral (Mitropolis) at Mitropoleos
Kapnikarea at Ermou
Saint Theodore at Klafthmonos
They then visited the Jewelry museum (LALAOUNIS) before breaking for lunch.
They used the metro 3 times (because they wanted to).

B - HISTORICAL INTEREST- Museum Tour :
BENAKI MUSEUM - (closed on Tuesdays)
Covering the history of Greece from Paleolithic (pre-historic, 60000 B.C.) till present. Can easily spend over 4 hours in there. There is also a cafeteria for breaks.

C - ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTEREST
Temple of Olympian Zeus / Dionissos Theatre/ Ancient Agora/ Roman Agora



Above are only suggestions , you may discuss with the guide and modify (add/subtract) according to what you are most interested in. The guide will advise you on what is feasible to cover within today .

DAY 7 - ATHENS, MYKONOS- Private Car - Driver (B)
In the morning , we'll call for you and see you to the airport for your flight to the island of Mykonos, economy class . We'll have a representative on hand to meet you, and check you in to your hotel. Relax!

DAY 8 - MYKONOS (B)
The day is totally yours. There's no need to venture beyond the grounds of your lovely hotel. But on the other hand, there's plenty of reason to do so, starting with 350 whitewashed churches and chapels, dramatic cliffs, blue seas, and secluded beaches.

DAY 9 - MYKONOS (B)
Maybe this will be your day to stay put. Or maybe you'll mix relaxation with walks to photograph the famed windmills of Mykonos, or to watch fishermen at work along the sea.

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 the name you prefer to use for the sign .
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

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo Egypt

DAY 11 - CAIRO - Private Egyptologist -Private Car & Driver (BLD)
Today, you'll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. Travellers 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.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops . . . Are You Up to the Adventure?

A journey into the heart of the Great Pyramid is a real-life Indiana Jones adventure. But it can also be a taxing and frightening one.

You'll follow claustrophobic passages cut into the heart of the pyramid, feel the pull of the mass of stone directly above. For better or worse, you have placed yourself in the hands of the engineering expertise of the ancients.

As you continue along the unventilated passages, the oxygen becomes depleted, the air becomes noticeably warmer and more pungent. The ascent of steep stairways consumes more energy than you imagined, and you find yourself short of breath. Lighting is dim, every footstep must be carefully calculated. Low passageways repeatedly oblige you to advance while bent down, and your muscles protest. Where walls disappear into the dark above, you feel wedged into a shaft. Despite warnings, and your own resolve, claustrophobic feelings are hard to suppress.

Finally, you behold the King's Chamber at the heart of the Great Pyramid. The effort to reach it has made the reward more exhilarating than you imagined. If only you can face the return.

Is the King's Chamber for you? If you're not used to bending and regular exercise, you might find the challenge beyond your capabilities. Turning back is more difficult the farther you go, and the experience could leave you aching for days afterwards.

Be realistic about yourself, your abilities, and your disposition. And remember that there are many other rewarding sights and adventures at Giza, without the physical challenge and risks of the King's Chamber.

The decision is up to you.

Dinner Cruise and folk show is included on board the Hyatt boat or similar

DAY 13- Private Egyptologist -Private Car & Driver - ASWAN, KOM OMBO (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, 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.

Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

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 bottled water.

DAY 14 - Private Egyptologist -Private Car & Driver - EDFU, ESNA (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 15 - Private Egyptologist -Private Car & Driver - LUXOR (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.

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. All transfers and tours are always on a private basis .

DAY 16 -Private Egyptologist -Private Car & Driver - LUXOR, CAIRO, Home Hosted Dinner (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.
Tonight you are invited to meet the local, and enjoy dinner with our compliments , you'll be honored guests at a local family home, if you prefer to have a quite evening on your own , please do let's know.

A 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, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences. All transfers and tours are always on a private basis .

Four Seasons Hotel standard room , or the Grand Hyatt or Conrad Hotel - Club Level rooms .

DAY 17 -Private Car & Driver - Departure from Cairo (B)
Our Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage.  

Unique interiors at the Cairo Four Seasons Hotel

RATES are per person in double occupancy in US$: $ 7240

RATES are per person in triple occupancy in US$: $ 7120

Rates are based on an outside Junior Suite with two beds or one queen bed .
( for other preference , please do let us know)

• Travel guide books for Istanbul ,Greece and Egypt
  
• Junior Suite on a Five day ultra Nile cruise, including all meals , afternoon tea served on deck daily , and shore excursions.
  M/S Amarco ( suite ) , M/S Moon Goddess ( suite ) . Movenpick Royal Lotus ( suite) .
  or Presidential suite on M/S Mojito or M/S Monaco
  
  
• 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 Istanbul , Greece, 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 . private Transportation between airports, hotels, and port.
  
• One-way air transportation from Istanbul to Athens to Cairo " C " business Class .
  
• All hotel ,and Nile Cruise taxes.
  
• Domestic air transportation in Egypt " C" business class
  
• Egyptian visa fee, available for American, Canadian, EU, NZ, Singaporean & Japanese citizens.
  Must have a valid passport. Issued upon arrival at Cairo airport.
  
  
  
  

Not Included:

• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• International air fare.
• Turkish Visa fee, please secure in your home country or upon arrival in Istanbul ( Cash only) , please check with the Turkish consulate near you.
• Additional personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned in the itinerary

the Ultra Deluxe version , based on:
Queen TiYi , M/S Senator , M/S Radamis II , Royal Lotus , Alexander the Great , Nile Vision , the all suites M/S Amarco , or the all suites Nile Cruise : the M/S Moon Goddess ( all state   rooms do offer private balconies)

Sonesta M/S Moon Goddess

The Ultra Deluxe M/S Amarco

More choices :

• Compare with the 14 day : Including a foray into one of the Egyptian Oases and Valley of the Whales
  

• or add snorkeling and diving in the Red Sea Riviera : Hurgada , el-Gouna and Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh

• The 14 day Tour of Egypt and Greece including a Mediterranean Greek cruise and a Nile Cruise

• Compare with the 14 day version adding Athens tour.
  
• Compare wit the 16 day Santorini Version , or a foray into Istanbul .
  
• Touring Greece by land rather than by cruise - 15 day Edition .
  
• Grand Tour ATHENS, ISTANBUL & NILE CRUISE .
  
• Compare with the Ultra Deluxe Version including Istanbul.
  
• Compare with Egypt , Palestine and Israel version .
  
• Add the Arabian Gulf hottest destination : Dubai , the true 1001 Arabian Nights destination.
  
• Compare with the Santorini edition
  
• The 20-Days Grand Tour of the East Mediterranean including Cappadoccia
  
• Around the World : Athens , Istanbul and Tokyo, add Egypt