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Let's
Go to Turkey and Egypt
Tour
Egypt and Turkey in 20 Days- Weekly - Year Round
Visit
Turkey's top sights-- Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia
and Ankara, then on to Cairo to see
the best of Egypt: a good look at Cairo , Giza and even a visit to Joseph's
Oases : Fayoum and a 5-day cruise along the Nile, locally escorted ,
all in 20 days on a Locally escorted tour
On board your Nile Cruise in Egypt
compare
with the Bodrum Edition
DAY
1 - ISTANBUL -
Monday - Tour starts weekly in Istanbul on Wednesdays , year round
We meet your flight and escort you to your
hotel.
Sample : Deluxe : Hilton Istanbul, Ceylan Inter.Continental Istanbul,
Hyatt Istanbul , or similar.
First Class (4-star) hotel : Blue House , Arena boutique hotels, or
Senator ,Yenisehir or Aygun Plaza Hotel or similar.
DAY
2 - ISTANBUL - Tuesday
(B)
After
breakfast , drive to Balat along the Golden Horn where the Star of David
appears on the facades of some buildings. See Ahrida Synagogue, built
in the 15th century. See the Jewish Cemetery, where the martyrs of Neve
Shalom are buried.
Continue to the centuries-old Jewish neighborhood, Galata, with its
tower built by the Genoese. From the panorama balcony. See the stunning
views of old constantinople, Bosphorus, Golden Horn and the Jewish quarters.
Enjoy refreshments in this historical atmosphere. Afterwards see Neve
Shalom Synagogue & Ashkenaz Synagogue, Afterwards drive to Ortaköy,
first disembark point of Sepharads, welcomed by the Ottoman Sultan,
and visit to Etz-Ahayim Synagogue.
Your last stop will be Zulfaris Synagogue, a 19th century synagogue
which houses a museum. Here learn about the Turkish Jews who were welcomed
by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century after Inquisition forced them
to flee Spain. There is an opportunity for rich collection of history
books and novels about Turkish Jewry as well as CDs of Turkish Jewish
folk music and lithurgical music, selection of souvenirs including Mezuzahs,
Hamsa keyrings .
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, private
guide.
DAY
3 - ISTANBUL- A Very Full Day- Wednesday (BL)
Let us show you the city: the Blue Mosque, Byzantine Hippodrome,
Hagia Sophia , then the Underground Cistern. walk thru the columns
of this grand water reservoir and Topkapi Palace.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Private air-conditioned
vehicle, private chauffeur, private guide.
DAY
4 - CANAKKALE- Thursday (BL)
After breakfast we start our scenic drive south to the famous Galipoli,
we cross the strategic Dardanelles, to land in Asia ! , tour Troy ,
before we reach Çanakkale . Private air-conditioned vehicle,
private chauffeur, private guide.
DAY
5 - PERGAMON & IZMIR- Friday (BL)
We drive to Pergamon to see its Acropolis, Temple of Trojan,
Altar of Zeus and Temple of Dionysus, the Red Basilica, and the ancient
medical center of the Asclepion, then continue to Izmir and your
hotel . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur,
private guide.
DAY
6 - EPHESUS & PAMUKKALE - Saturday (BL)
We drive to Selçuk to visit the extensive ruins of Roman
Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary. After lunch we continue to
Pamukkale for a tour of the ancient Roman spa of Hierapolis and
its warm calcium-rich mineral baths. Private air-conditioned
vehicle, private chauffeur, private guide.
DAY
7- KONYA -
Sunday (BL)
Passing through Turkey's fertile Lake District, we drive to Konya,
capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and home of the Whirling Dervishes.
We visit the Mevlana Museum, where the founder of the dervish order
is buried. Overnight Konya. Private air-conditioned vehicle,
private chauffeur, private guide.
DAY
8 - CAPPADOCIA-Monday (BL)
Enjoy your breakfast before continuing on to Cappadocia, stopping
at the Sultanhan Caravanserai on the way. We descend into a labyrinthine
Underground City at Kaymakli, then tour the rockhewn cave churches
and monasteries of the Göreme Valley and the rockhewn natural
citadel of Uçhisar. Private air-conditioned vehicle,
private chauffeur, private guide.
DAY
9 - ISTANBUL -Tuesday (cB)
After breakfast we head to the airport for our flight to Istanbul
and your hotel by the airport . Private air-conditioned vehicle,
private chauffeur,
DAY
10 - Istanbul / Cairo -Wednesday (B)
We escort you to the airport for your flight
to Cairo,
air fare is included in our rate. Economy class Istanbul Cairo . Our
representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel.
Visa fee for Egypt is included and visa 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 at least for 6 month 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 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 : Deluxe : Cairo Marriott or similar. First Class : Oases
Hotel or similar .
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
DAY
11 - CAIRO - Thursday
(BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum,
including the " Mummies Room" , and King Tut's Gold Treasure
Rooms . Lunch at the new Hadaik Al-Azhar Park . In the afternoon we
tour the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque,
made of alabaster, then conclude the day with a walking tour of the
legendary 11-century Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district.
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, private
guide.
Day
12- Joseph's Oases gift to the Pharaoh:
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids
were old ,
Friday (BL)
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide):
Full day Fayoum Oases including: Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid,
Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun, lunch is included at a local
restaurant.
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
DAY
13 - CAIRO - Giza - Saturday (BL)
We drive to the edge of Cairo and reach the sahara and Giza to show
you the Pyramids of Giza, visit Cheops Royal Wooden Barge ( the
oldest in the world) , the Sphinx, then enjoy lunch at the Mena
House before we head for Memphis , Sakkara , the Step Pyramid and the
Nobles Mastabas Conclude the day with the visit to Imhotep Museum in
Sakkara, then head back to your hotel .
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, private
guide.
DAY 14 - LUXOR - BOARD your NILE CRUISE - Sunday (BLD)
Very early breakfast, and flight to Luxor , from the airport we proceed
to visit Luxor Museum then check in on your Nile cruiser , complimentary
welcome drink will be served upon arrival, also in your cabin, you will
find a basket full of fresh fruits with our compliments. After lunch,
we visit the great temples of Luxor and Karnak, then return to
our Nile cruiser in time for afternoon tea. In the evening your guide
will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor souks
and Bazaars.
DAY
15 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS Monday (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the
Kings, including Tut-Ankh-Amon's tomb, and the great temple of Queen
Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back
to our cruise. Then it's on to Queen Hatshepsut's Temple 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.
DAY
16 - EDFU & KOM OMBO Tuesday (BLD)
We cruise by Esna to Edfu, where we board horse-drawn
carriages for the ride to the Temple of Horus. Returning to our
ship, we set sail for Kom Ombo. In the evening, there's a jolly galabia
party aboard.
DAY
17 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN Wednesday (BLD)
We explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek at Kom Ombo,
then sail south to Aswan. After lunch we board a graceful felucca
and cruise among the islands, returning to our ship in time for tea.
DAY
18 - ASWAN ABU Simbel CAIRO Thursday (B)
After
breakfast we check out, visit the awesome Aswan dams, and next
an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk, then
board a motor launch to visit the Temples of Philae, returning
to Aswan by late morning. Transfer is included ( private car/driver)
back to Aswan airport.
A
short flight to Abu Simbel.
If you wish to overnight in Abu Simbel &
attend the Sound & Light show, please click here
in Abu Simbel : There we'll marvel at the temples dedicated to Ramses
the Great and Queen Nefertari, saved from rising waters of the Nile
when the High Dam was built, fly back to Aswan and connect with our
returning flight to Cairo . Domestic air fare is included Aswan
Abu Simbel Aswan as well as back to Cairo , in Cairo , we meet you at
the airport & escort you back to your hotel .
DAY
19 - CAIRO Friday (B)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Full day on your own, or
ask us for help with optional tours.
Maybe another visit to the Egyptian Museum, or a shopping spree at Khan
El Khalili 12-Century old bazaar district
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.
DAY
20 - CAIRO- Saturday - Departure (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.
Bon Voyage !
Itinerary
is subject to change without notice.
Bon Voyage
Rates
per person in USD $
| Private
Touring |
First
Class Hotels
|
Deluxe
Hotels
|
| Triple |
US$
6605.00 |
US$
7305.00 |
| Double |
US$
6785.00 |
US$
7400.00 |
| Single |
US$
8110.00 |
US$
9430.00 |
Tour
starts in Istanbul weekly , year round . Click here for the 12
days edition ( Without Egypt)
YOUR
TOUR INCLUDES:
One way air fare Istanbul Cairo in economy class, tax included.
Domestic airfare within Turkey and Egypt (economy class ) , tax included
.
Nile Cruise in Egypt including all meals & shore executions.
All transfers and porterage within Turkey and Egypt.
Fully escorted, guided sightseeing (including admissions fees) as described in the itinerary
Meals as shown: (cB = continental breakfast;
L = set-menu lunch; D
= set-menu dinner)
First Class (4-star) hotel & Nile Cruise accommodations, including
hotel tax and service charges
Bonus! Lonely Planet Turkey guidebook
Sample
Hotels used or similar : 5 Stars and best available, or similar :
Istanbul
: Conrad Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Inter.Continental or similar . If you prefer
a boutique style Ottoman Mansion Hotel, please let's know in advance
: Sample : Blue House . Arena . Yesil Ev, Sultanahmet Sarayi , Sultanhan
or similar
Izmir: Deluxe : Hilton . First
Class : Kaya Prestige Hotel, Konak hotel or similar .
Kusadasi : Korumar Hotel or similar
Pamukkale: Deluxe ( best available) Colassae Hotel or similar,
First class: Lycus
River Hotel or similar.
Antalya: Talya Hotel or similar
Konya: Riixos Hotel or similar , Konya
Ozkaymak Hotel, or similar.
Cappadocia : Cave Suites Hotel ,
Kapadokya Lodge
or similar . First
Class : Cappadocia Inn Hotel , Perissia Hotel or, or similar
Rate
doesn't include :
- International
air fare.
-
Visa
Fee : in cash upon arrival,or
from any of the Turkish Consulates
- Trip/travel
insurance
- Tips
More
Choices :
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