Royal
Tour
The Ottoman Empire in North Africa
Ultra
Deluxe grand 16 day tour : From Marrakech to Constantinople Via Cairo
Private tours, choose
your own arrival date
Explore the two gems of North Africa--Morocco and Egypt,
then off to the capital of the Empire
The delightfully Istanbul . Tour Casablanca, Marrakech, Cairo and Luxor
Day
1 - MARRAKECH -Arrive any day of the week - Year Round
Your international flight arrives in mystical Marrakech. Our local rep.
escorts us to our hotel.
Private car, driver for all your transfers
Day
2 - MARRAKECH (BLD)
Full day today seeing Marrakech, including the Koutoubia, the landmark
mosque of the city. Perhaps you'll note its similarity to its sister
tower, the Giralda of Seville, in Spain. You'll continue to the Saadian
Tombs, and the Bahia palace, built in the nineteenth century, with room
after stately oriental room with intricate plaster work and finely detailed
columns, and sedate hidden gardens. In the afternoon, you'll discover
the old city and always-lively Djemaa El Fna Square, populated by water
sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians, and animal tamers, who carry
on an endless flurry of activities straight out of the middle ages.
Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner with folk dance
at a local restaurant. Evening dinner at a typical Moroccan restaurant.
DAY
3 - MARRAKECH (BLD)
We board a horse-drawn carriage for a clip-clop tour of this ancient
royal capital, including the Kotoubia, a former royal palace,
and of course the labyrinthine souks (bazaars). Lunch is included
at a charming local restaurant. Private car, driver and guide for all
your tours , dinner is included at the hotel.
Day
4 - MARRAKECH - Home Hosted Family Dinner (BD)
Now that you've got your bearings, today is yours to explore the city
on your own. If you prefer, join one of our optional tours (for an additional
fee): one takes you to a nearby Berber village, another takes you into
the souks for a shopping spree.
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Marrakech ! 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 dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting
us know your preferences.
Private
car, driver and guide for all your tours
Day
5 - BY TRAIN TO CASABLANCA (BL)
"Getting there is half the fun!" We board the train for our return to
Casablanca, cruising through the lovely countryside past green
fields, fruit-laden orchards, traditional villages and modern towns,
with the lofty Atlas Mountains soaring in the distance.
Lunch
is included in Casablanca. Our tour escort points out interesting features,
and fills us in on Moroccan life and culture. After arriving in Casablanca,
we visit the majestic new Grand Mosque of King Hassan II, second
only to the Great Mosque at Mecca in size. We continue on a panoramic
tour of the city and its souks. Overnight and hotel in Casablanca.
Day
6 - Casablanca / CAIRO (B)
After
breakfast , we check out . Our local rep. will escort you to Casablanca
Airport for your Royal Air Maroc or Egyptair flight across North Africa
to Egypt, air fare is included in business class , tax included.
We arrive in Cairo , upon
arrival in Cairo , our local representative greets you at the airport
and whisks you to your hotel. Visa fee for Egypt , visa may be issued
upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of nationalities
such : American , Australian, NZ, EU , Canadian and Japanese citizens.
Pleas epay the $ 15 in cash in USD , Euro or Japanese Yen etc. You are
responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month
beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo
. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you
(private vehicle) to the hotel.
DAY
7 - CAIRO (BL)
Today we visit Cairo's most famous monuments: The awesome pyramids of
Giza, the Valley Temple, Cheops Royal Barge Museum and
the timeless Sphinx. After lunch at the Mena House we drive to
Dahshour, the newly opened pyramid field south of Cairo, where
we visit several ancient structures, including the great pyramid built
by Senfru, father of Cheops. Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant.
DAY
8 - CAIRO - The Newly restored Al-Muizz Stree (BL)
Today weenjoy a walking tour of the newly restored Al-Muezz stree ,
feel free to discuss with your guide your preference as you explore
this true Medieval Cairo gem :
All entrance fees are included for all the monuments that would fit
in before sunset. Lunch is included and served at a charming local restaurant.
Partial list
of the historical monuments that may be visited :
Bab
al-Futuh (AD 1087). Bab Zuwayla (AD 1092) . Al-Hakim Mosque (AD 990
and later) .
Zawyat Abul-Kheir al-Kelibati . Al-Silihdar Complex (mosque, caravansary
and school) (AD 1837) . The Mustafa Jaafar Mansion . Al-Aqmar Mosque
.
The Katkhuda Sabeel/Kuttab (caravansary and school) . Amir Bashtak Palace
.
Al-Kamileya School .Sultan al-Zahir Barquq Funerary Complex .
The Sabeel/Kuttab of Khassru Pasha . The Madrasa of Baybars al Bunduqdari
.
Al-Ashrafiya School .The Sabeel/Wekala of Naffissa al-Baydha . Sultan
al-Mu’aid Mosque .
The Hammam (bath) of Sultan al-Ashraf Inal . Complex of Salih Najm al
Din Ayyub .
The
Sabeel of Mohammad Ali – Aqqadeen. The Sabeel of Mohammad Ali
– Nahasseen .
Al-Fakahani Mosque .Madrassa of al-Nassir ibn Qalawun . Al-Ghuri Complex
.
The Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun Complex
Photo
Gallery.
DAY
9 - LUXOR- By Air (BLD)
Very early breakfast at the hotel, we leave around 4 AM to board a an
early morning flight to Luxor , upon landing we cross the Nile to visit
the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon. After
lunch in Luxor, we tour the stupendous Great Temple of Amon at
Karnak, and visit the Sacred Lake and red granite quarry with
its huge unfinished obelisk. We take a quick look at the great temple
of Amon Ra at Luxor on our way to the airport for our flight
back to Cairo. Private
car, driver and guide for all your tours . Dinner is included at your
hotel.
DAY
10 - CAIRO -Home Hosted Dinner (BLD)
The world-famous Egyptian Museum, which holds the treasures of
Tutankhamon, is our first stop today, after which we visit the Citadel
of Saladin and its Alabaster Mosque, enjoying spectacular views
of the city below. We descend from the Citadel into Khan el-Khalili,
the bazaar district, in search of Egyptian treasures. Lunch is included
at Hadaik el-Azhar or Naguib Mahfouz.
In the evening you are invited to dinner with
an Egyptian local home to meet the locals,
you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (
T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town). ( if you prefer to have
a quiet dinner at the hotel, please let's know ).
Day
11 - Istanbul (B)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight
to Istanbul , air fare is included in business class with tax,
ticket is issued and delivered in Cairo Egypt
You're
met by our representative, who sees you to your hotel, and answers any
questions you may have about getting to know the city. As you ride into
the great metropolis from the airport, two thousand years of history
are revealed: towering Roman walls, ancient Byzantine churches, slender
minarets framing the bulbous domes of graceful mosques. These ancient
monuments float on the skyline of a bustling modern metropolis of ten
million people. Welcome fruit basket in your room awaits you with our
compliments.
DAY
12 - ISTANBUL (BL)
The center of ancient Constantinople and Istanbul was on Seraglio Point,
framed by the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. We
visit the Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet III to challenge
the architectural primacy of neighboring Sancta Sophia. We then
walk next door to compare achievements in Justinian's great Sancta Sophia.
Right behind Sancta Sophia is our next stop, sumptuous Topkapi Palace,
the sultans seraglio for centuries, filled with breathtaking exhibits
of priceless jewels, golden thrones, delicate colored tiles, and lavish
court costumes. After lunch in a local restaurant ,we finish up in the
bustling Grand Bazaar, where you can find jewelry, carpets, goat-hair
rugs, hand-painted ceramics, copper and brass in labyrinthine streets
holding nearly 4000 shops.
DAY
13 - BOSPHORUS - (BL)
Istanbul's history was formed by the Bosphorus, the winding strait
that separates Europe and Asia, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea
of Marmara. Now, as in ancient times, it is a maritime vital link between
the countries bordering the Black Sea and those in the rest of the world.
Today we take a leisurely cruise northward along this historic waterway.
Along its shores are ranged palaces great and small-Topkapi, Dolmabahçe,
Beylerbeyi, Küçüksu, Hünkar Iskelesi. Four
great fortresses rise on the hills, reminding us that to control the
Bosphorus was to control the destinies of nations. Our afternoon cruise
(morning cruise fro Oct-Apr season) of two continents, crossing from
Europe to Asia and back, includes visits to the Navy's Museum (showing
some magnificent boats used by the Ottoman Sultans), the Bosphorus Bridge,
Çamlica Hill lookout, and stupendous Dolmabahçe Palace.
Lunch
is included at a charming local restaurants . Hotel
Room amenity : Complimentary
Turkish Lokoom pastries
DAY 14 - ISTANBUL (B)
Istanbul is all yours, day at leisure, any way you like it.
Grab your Lonely Planet guidebook to Istanbul and stroll along the restored
19th-century thoroughfare of Istiklal Caddesi, once known as
the Grand Rue de Péra. Search for spices and folk remedies in the Egyptian
Bazaar. Admire the medieval mosaics in the city's many Byzantine
churches. Shop in the chic boutiques around Taksim Square. Climb
the Galata Tower, built by the Genoese six centuries ago, for
a panoramic view of Old Istanbul.
Day
15 - "Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque"
(late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:"
(BL)
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).
DAY
16 - Departure - ISTANBUL (B)
There are many more things to see and do in this fascinating city, but
they will have to wait for your next visit. After breakfast, our representative
escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight--until next time!
Bon
Voyage.
Add a Nile Cruise
Hotels
:
Deluxe Superior
Marrakech
in Morocco :
Deluxe Superior 5 stars Riad - RIAD KNIZA www.riadkniza.com
Deluxe five stars Superior hotel / Riad : JARDINS
DE LA KOUTOUBIA www.lesjardinsdelakoutoubia.com
In
Egypt : Cairo Four Seasons Hotel
In Istanbul : Four Seasons or Ciragan Palace
| RATES per
person in USD |
Deluxe
Hotels |
In
Triple occupancy
|
US$
9230. |
Double
|
US$
9438. |
Single
|
US$
10,940. |
Your
tour includes:
- International
airfare from Casablanca to Cairo and on to Istanbul in business
class, tax included
-
Domestic airfares in Egypt as per itinerary , in BUSINESS
( subject to plane configuration) , including tax
-
First-class day train Marrakech-Casablanca , including tax and service
- All
airport and train station transfers ( private car/driver ) as described
in the tour itinerary
-
Your hotel room at a carefully-selected deluxe hotel, including tax
& service
- B
= Breakfast or Buffet Breakfast , L = Lunch,
D = Dinner and all Egyptian airport taxes.
- Private
Guided sightseeing as listed in the itinerary including all entrance
fees.
-
Visa
fee for Egypt , visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport
for a limited number of nationalities such : American , Australian,
NZ, EU , Canadian and Japanese citizens. Pleas epay the $ 15 in
cash in USD , Euro or Japanese Yen etc. You are responsible for
having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond
the date of your arrival in Cairo
. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort
you (private vehicle) to the hotel.
-
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Click
for 19
day version with a Nile Cruise
and couple of nights at a deluxe camp in the Moroccan
sahara .
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Al
Sultan Muezz Le-Din-Allah ( LedeenAllaah )
He was the fourth Fatimid Caliph in Tunisia, the first in
Egypt and the 14th Imam of the Ismaili branch of Shi’ism.
He
ruled from AD 953 to AD 975 during which he sent his Commander
Jawhar al-Siqqily to conquer Egypt.
After
having wrenched the country out of Abbasid hands, Al-Siqqily
built a new capital, al-Qahira (Cairo), in which he established
the Eastern Palace and asked al-Muizz to preside at the
opening ceremony.
Al-Muizz
was well-read in numerous languages, and well-informed in
science and literature. He knew how to administer the affairs
of the state and was able to build a strong army, which
united Morocco and extended Fatimid influence as far as
southern Italy
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