Istanbul
, Petra , Sinai and Cairo and even include a Deluxe Dahabiya Yacht
Nile Cruise on the Nile .
A 17-Day Adventure in Turkey, Jordan and Egypt
DAY
1 - Friday - Weekly - April - Oct - ISTANBUL
Our
local rep. meets your flight , or cruise line ( Oceania Cruises ,
Princess Cruises , Crystal Cruises or other Mediterranean cruises
), and escorts you to your hotel.
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. Start
from Athens , Greece ? or
start in Damascus ?
DAY
2 - Saturday - ISTANBUL - Private Air-conditioned vehicle. Private
chauffeur - Private guide (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. Lunch is included
in a charming local restaurant
Day
3 - Sunday - "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).
Private Air-conditioned vehicle. Private chauffeur - Private guide
Day 4 -Monday - Arrive Istanbul Amman
: (BD)
After breakfast , we escort you to Istanbul Airport and your flight
to Amman, airfare is included in economy class , tax included, issued
and delivered in Istanbul .
In Amman We'll pick you up from Queen Alia Airport . Visa Fee is included
& issued upon arrival for : Americans, Canadians, EU citizens, Australians,
NZ, And Japanese. Our local rep will meet you , assist with your visa
and then proceed
to Amman for check-in and overnight at the hotel of your choice.
Complimentary local sweets and bottled water : one large bottle for
each guest, await you in your room at the hotel . Transfers are always
on a private basis. Evening Dinner and folk show , bottled
water , tea or coffee included .
Day
5 - Tuesday - Mt. Nebo - Madaba - Jerash - Petra :
(BLD)
We
head south in our private air conditioned sedan . On to Mt. Nebo!
Then we'll continue to Madaba and visit the site of the oldest
map of the Holy Land, St. George's Cathedral, and Jerash,
the best preserved Roman City of the East.
On to Petra with lunch served ( Included) enroute at a local restaurant.
Reach Petra late afternoon , check-in and overnight at the hotel of
your choice. ( Complimentary fruit basket & one large bottled water
for each guests )
Now
open in Petra, The Petra Kitchen is a delightful way to round out your
Jordan travel experiences. Like any home kitchen, The Petra Kitchen
is a relaxed, informal atmosphere where you’ll gather to prepare
an evening meal, working alongside local women under the supervision
of our chef.
Each
evening meal includes soup, cold and hot mezza and salads, and a main
course—all typical Jordanian dishes. You will have get an inside
glimpse of the secrets behind the famous regional cuisine of the Levant.
The
Petra Kitchen offers an evening of learning, fun and a very special
dining experience, with each dish gaining the special flavor of a reward
well-earned. Great care has been taken to make The Petra Kitchen a truly
Jordanian experience—right down to the furnishings, all crafted
in Jordan, the tableware, all produced by the Iraq al Amir Women’s
Co-operative, and the aprons and table linens, all hand-embroidered
by the Jordan River Foundation.
The
rate includes the cuisine course, meal and all non-alcoholic beverages
as well as take-home recipes for all dishes prepared that evening.
Day
6 - Wednesday - Petra - Dead Sea : (BL)
A full day tour of Jordan's most famous site, the rose-red city of Petra.
Venture through the Siq (the gorge between two towering mountains)
until you reach the treasury which, like the most of the structures
at Petra, is carved into the rose-red Nubian sandstone. In the afternoon,
we
head for a ride through Wadi Rum and tea with the bedouins, before we
head north to the Dead Sea and one of the resorts :
Deluxe : Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea or Movenpick Dead Sea , for first
class : Dead Sea Spa Hotel , or similar
Lunch is included enroute.
DAY
7 - Thursday - Cairo - (B)
After breakfast we head to the airport , all transfers are always
on a private basis. Air fare is included in our rate in economy s class
with tax Amman Cairo , air ticket is issued and delivered in Istanbul
.
On
arrival in Cairo , our local rep. will escort you to your comfortable
hotel. Our
local representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your
hotel. Visa maybe issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited
number of citizens such as : American, EU , Canadian , EU Singaporean
and Japanese citizens. For Americans , please pay the $ 15 USD fee in
cash upon arrival . You are responsible for having your passport in
order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in
Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name you after
you clear the passport and customs formalities .
After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you
(private vehicle) to the hotel : Sample
Deluxe Hotels :Cairo Sheraton , Sonesta , J. W. Marriott,
Cairo Conrad , Grand Hyatt or similar .
DAY
8-
Friday - Cairo and Giza - (BL)
On
your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including
the " Mummies Room" , and King Tut's gold treasure room
, then on to Gize to tour : the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx,Cheops
Royal Barge Museum , time permitting we may be able to enjoy a walk
through Khan El Khalili bazaar district, the Citadel of Saladin,
and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster.
Lunch is included at the Mena House . Dinner is included at La Bodega
Restaurant.
DAY
9 -Saturday
-
CAIRO Luxor (BLD)
After breakfast , we fly to Luxor, all domestic flights are included
with tax . Upon arrival, our local rep,
will escort you to
board your deluxe air conditioned Felucca
Very
early morning breakfast and transfer to Cairo Airport. Flight is included
in our rate, in economy class , tax included . Morning arrival at Luxor
. We'll meet you at the airport , and escort you
to your
deluxe air conditioned Nile cruise felucca or dahabbiya , Board Luxor
( or Aswan ) .
Embarkation in Luxor for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously
appointed Dahabbiya.
After
lunch, excursion to the West Bank for visits to the burial places of
the Pharaohs - the Valley of the Kings - where Howard Carter discovered
the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of
the Queens, the temple of Medinet Habu , the Ramesseum Temple , the
Colossi of Memnon ,
and the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first
known "Workers Village" these were the true creative heroes
who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile
Kingdom.
Deir
El Medinah is on Luxor's west bank you 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.
In the evening your guide will call on
you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor souks and water
front. Overnight moored on the Nile banks of Luxor. Sonesta
Dahabiya or similar .
Day
10 - Sunday - Luxor - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
You will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak,
with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing
28 th Dynasty Luxor Temple. Evening Sound and Light Show at Karnak ,
please bring a Jacket . Overnight moored in Luxor.
Day
11 - Monday - Luxor to Esna - On board your Yacht
Nile Cruise
Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to
Esna where your Dahabbiya will moor
Day
12 - Tuesday - Edfu - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved
Temple of Edfu. Overnight
on board as we will look for an island in the middle of the Nile where
we moor.
Come to Egypt and enjoy your private honeymoon or Anniversary
cruise
Day
13 - Wednesday - Kom Ombo - On board your Yacht Nile
Cruise
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo visit see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated
to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning
sun. Overnight
moored beside a Nile island.
Day
14 - Thursday - Aswan - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
A leisurely day sailing to Aswan where the dahabiyya moors overnight.
Evening Sound and Light show at Philae Temple
Day
15 - Friday - Aswan - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old
Dam (completed in 1902) and the ' unfinished obelisk', lying in situ
since the days of the pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple,
dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters
of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam's construction. Afternoon
tour of the Nubian Museum , then sailing in a felucca among the rocky
islands of the Nile and a possible camel caravan to a nearby Nubian
Village.
Day
16- Saturday - Aswan - Fly back to Cairo
Breakfast aboard the dahabiyya and check-out. We
bid farewell to the crew, we switch transportation modes and head for
Aswan Airport and your flight back to Cairo and your hotel. Air fare
is always included within Egypt, economy class , tax included
Hotels : City Stars Inter.continental . Nile Hilton , Cairo Conrad or
Grand Hyatt or similar
DAY 17 - CAIRO/ Departure Sunday (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.
Bon Voyage
Inclusions:
-
All
Airport transfers by private air-conditioned vehicles and private
chauffeur.
-
private
air-conditioned vehicles , private guides in each of Jordan, Egypt
and Turkey , and private chauffeur.
-
Jordanian
departure tax fees
-
Jordanian visas are issued upon arrival in Amman : for Canadians,
Australian , NZ American, EU Citizens, Singaporean & Japanese citizens.
-
All
tours and transfers as per itinerary
-
All
entrance fees
-
Complimentary
Horse ride at Petra ( for those who are interested in riding horses)
-
English
speaking guide, private guide in each of Istanbul and Petra ( extended
4 hours tour & guiding in Petra rather than the usual 2 hours)
-
Hotel
accommodation including taxes
-
Greeting
and assistance upon arrival and departure
-
Meals
as listed: cB: Continental breakfast, L: preset menu lunch.
-
Air
fare : Istanbul Amman Cairo in economy class, tax included.
-
All domestic flights are included within Egypt- Possible free Upgrade
to business class , subject to availability .
-
Deluxe
Dahabiya Yacht accommodation: Private cabin.
-
All
Dahabiya Nile cruise shore excursions with all the guided sightseeing
including all entrance fees, all as per itinerary .
-
Private
Egyptologist and private car/driver for Cairo , Istanbul and Jordan
tour as listed including all entrance fees and lunch.
-
All
meals on board the Felucca / Yacht / Dahabiya Nile cruise : Pre
set meals as listed including B = Breakfast,
(or cB, Continental Breakfast), L
= Lunch, D = Dinner
-
Tea/
coffle and afternoon tea while on board the Deluxe Nile Cruise
Not included:
-
Tips
to drivers, guides and horse boy at Petra
-
All
personal items
-
Any
meals not mentioned above
-
Insurance
of any sort
-
Visa
fee for Turkey and Egypt , secure from the nearest Consulate or
upon arrival ( in cash) , must have valid passport (issued at the
airport for limited number of nationalities: USA, Canada, EU etc.)
Rates are per person, in US$:
| Category |
First Class |
Deluxe |
| In
Triple Occupancy |
$ 6390 |
$ 7609 |
| In
Double |
$ 6480 |
$ 7791 |
| In
Single |
$ 7695 |
$ 9300 |
Peak
Season Supplement : Dec 15 -Jan 5 Please add 15 % supplement
More
Choices :
Combine this tour with any Travel in Style tour to Egypt, or Turkey
for an even more exciting vacation adventure.
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