Mediterranean Lovers
Tour Egypt and Greece. All in 14 days

The two gems of the Eastern Mediterranean : Here's the best of Egypt & the Greek Isles in 14 - days
Includes air fare between Cairo , Athens & Santorini - Start in Athens or Cairo

Tour Starts DAILY in Cairo or Athens - March - Nov

This is a trip tailored to make the most of that special company and unique occasion, be it an anniversary, a honeymoon, or a singular chance to be alone and away. We have selected superior and deluxe hotels notable for their charm, atmosphere, and, of course, fine service

DAY 1 - CAIRO Tour Starts DAILY in Cairo or Athens - Arrive any day of the week .( March - Nov )
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. 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 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

DAY 2 - CAIRO (BLD)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including the " Mummies Room" and King Tut's gold treasure room , lunch is included at the Mena HOuse , then we are off to the nearby Cheops Royal Barge Museum, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Sphinx, time permitting we may conclude with the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. Dinner is included at Abu El-Sid restaurant or La Bodega .

DAY 3 - ASWAN, 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. In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile. Only for those who are interested: a short camel caravan & ride for almost half an hour to visit a local Nubian Village. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan souks and the waterfront.

DAY 4 - ASWAN & KOM OMBO (BLD)
First we tour new Nubian Museum then 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.

Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples.

DAY 5 - EDFU & ESNA (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 and its great temple dedicated to Khnum, the creator-god. Evening finds us in Luxor.

DAY 6 - LUXOR (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings , including Tutankaomn's tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.

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 7 - LUXOR & CAIRO - Home Hosted Family Dinner (B)
The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the morning, followed by a return flight to Cairo. In the afternoon, wander through the city on your own, or do your last-minute shopping.

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 l! 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 evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 8 - CAIRO / Athens / Santorini (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your Athens bound flight. Air fare Cairo Athens is included in our rate, economy class , tax included , in Athens our Athens-based rep. meets you at the international airport, assists you with the formalities, and sees you to your charming and comfortable four-star hotel, Check in, relax, maybe then take a stroll through the lively streets. Browse for treasures and curios, savor a coffee or aperitif at a terrace café.
Tonight enjoy a complimentary fine Greek meal and Greek folk show with our compliments ( to take advantage of this complimentary dinner & show , your flights should arrive Athens in the morning or afternoon.

DAY 9 - ATHENS / Santorini (B)
Enjoy the sights, sounds, and flavors of the Greek capital, today we have included a half day tour of Syntagma Square, and the towering Acropolis. After the tour : We'll call for you and see you to the airport for your flight over the blue Aegean to Santorini (Air fare included, Isle of Ancient " Atlantis ?!", where you'll find a room waiting in a four-star beach hotel. Or a cliff -side Villa .

DAY 10, DAY 11 , Day 12 , Day 13 - Santorini (B)
Enjoy breakfast at your lovely hotel (or Villa).
Or venture out,to explore ON YOUR OWN with your travel boon at hand. Some suggestion that you may wish to consider (on your own):Akrotiri,reputedly the site of fabled Atlantis. Then on to Athinios port to take a boat across to the dormant volcano, and ascend through a crater-pocked moonscape to the crater. Visit Thirassia Island and watch sunset in Oia. Return to your hotel/villa early evening, the decision is totally yours .

DAY 14 - SANTORINI - Departure from Athens (B)
We'll rendezvous in time to take you to your flight to Athens ( air fare is included in our rate).
If your flight out of Athens return to your home country is in the morning , then you 'll need to fly into Athens the night before. Bon Voyage.

RATES per person in US$

Inclusions :

• All airfares and transfers within Egypt and Greece as per itinerary, in economy class . tax included .
  
• Air fare Cairo Athens , in economy class , with tax included.
  
• Hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
  
• A complimentary home hosted family dinner in Cairo.
  
• Bottled water ( one per person) delivered to your cabin daily while you are on board the cruise.
  
• Tea or coffee /bottled water with each meal while on board the cruise.
  
• Egyptian Visa fee , visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for : American,Australian, NZ, 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.
  
• Nile Cruise with all meals , one large bottle water ( per person ) daily while on board the cruise & a welcome fruit basket. For deluxe we use Monaco or Monte Carlo Nile Cruises
  
• All the shore excursions while on board the Nile Cruise.
  
• Preset menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner .
  
• All guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees. On board the Nile cruise you'll be part of an average 10-15 English speaking group.
  
  
• Transportation between airport and hotels in Egypt Greece
  
  
• Accommodations with breakfast (B) as indicated below, or at comparable properties, according to availability:
• Athens:
  For the deluxe - Divani Palace Acropolis : 5 Stars Moderate
  Stanley or Electra Palace (four stars).
  
  
• Sample Villas/ Apartments in Santorini:
• For Deluxe rates : Dana Villas with a view of the Caldera & the sea ( Firostefani) .
• First Class Superior accommodation:
  Sun Rocks , Astra Apartments, On The Rocks or Chromata Apartments
• For first class accommodation in the: Grotto Villas. Volcano's View.
  Or Rose Bay on Kamari Beach Hotel.

Not included:

• International airfares to or from your home country
• Tips.
• Travel Insurance

More choices :

• Flying from Madrid Spain ?

• Add a tour of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• Start from Madrid Spain - Group departure

• Go fishing for a day on Lake Nasser .  

• Add an extra night in Sharm . Going to Taba ?

• Honeymooners , Private Parties ? Ask for a Private Cruise .

• En Espanol ? or Extend to Andalusia Spain after Egypt

• Honeymoon Egypt : with an extended stay in Sharm El Sheikh - 13 Day Version

• Compare with the  9 day edition

• The family edition at the Conrad Hotel or J. W. Marriott in Cairo

• The Ultra Deluxe with Four Seasons Hotel

• The 10 days, 11 Day , 12 Day with extended stay in Luxor or Aswan .

• Prefer to use the sleeper train ?

• Add: Abu Simbel

• Add Petra A La Indiana Jones

• Add Dendera & Abydos Temples .

• Egypt in a Week and Santorini in Greece
  
  
  
  
  

• Click here for the 14 -day edition with one week in Hurgada or El Gouna on the Red Sea:
  A "Dream Come True" tour. 14 days , Cairo and the Pyramids. A Nile Cruise of course, and a beach resort at Hurgada or El Gouna, on the Red Sea. Including the welcome Zaffa (procession that will resemble an Arabian/Egyptian wedding party) with a troupe of dancers and musicians dressed with the Egyptian typical clothes, welcoming guests by singing and dancing Egyptian Folklore).

• Deluxe Yachts on the Nile - deluxe private Air conditioned felucca or Dahabiya
• Interested only in Egypt ? Compare with the Egypt only : 10 days with 2 nights stay in Luxor or Aswan.