Google
 
Web www.travelinstyle.com
back to travel in Style Main page

E-mail  |  Home  | 
Cruises | JordanSpain | ItalyTurkey  | Terms | Egypt
Egypt and Jordan Tours A La Indiana Jones    | African Safaris   | Syria and Arabia

Greece | Turkey and Greece Tours  | Nile Cruises  |  Grand Tours of North Africa and Arabia
Circuitos Europea | Morocco Romance in the Kasbah  | How to book

(415) 440-1124, 459 Fulton Street # 108 , San Francisco, CA 94102 USA

 



The Grand Maghreb and the Near East

Tour Jerusalem , Marrakech and the Nile -
All in 16 Days : Tour Starts Daily . Year Round
This is a private tour . Choose your own travel date

Explore the two gems of North Africa--Morocco and Egypt-- then on to explore the splendors of Israel and Palestine , on this 16-day, Casablanca, Marrakech, Cairo , Jerusalem and Luxor!



Tour of Isreal and  Palestine

 

 

DAY 1 - MARRAKECH - Daily Arrival - This is a private tour - Choose your own date
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight to Marrakech.
Air fare Paris Marrakech is included in our rates. Our international flight arrives in Casablanca. After completing customs and immigration formalities, we connect with our flight which takes us south to mystical Marrakech. Our staff escorts us to our hotel . Welcome mint tea & Moroccan sweets .

 

 


DAY 2 - 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.

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 Marrakech 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. Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

 

 


DAY 3 - OURIKA VALLEY, THE POTTERS VILLAGE OF TAFZA (BLD)
This morning, we'll head 30 kilometers outside of Marrakech to the lush valley of the Ourika River, which winds down from the peaks of the High Atlas, through clusters of mud-walled houses. Our visit coincides with one of the regular market days, and we'll walk among the stands of butchers and vegetable-sellers, merchants of cereals and olive oil, itinerant blacksmiths and sellers of patent medicines and herbal remedies. A barber sets up shop with nothing more than a scissors, hand clipper, and stiff wooden chair, an open-air eatery offers hot food freshly prepared on a brazier. We'll continue to Tafza to see how vases and lamp bases are made in home workshops, and to view quartz and amethyst and other minerals of the region. We'll be received for tea in the customary local manner. We'll meet up with local villagers at a well, help to draw water, and join in preparing a Berber meal of soup, tanurt (bread), and tajine (meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot). Our hosts are modest local persons who will appreciate offerings of useful small items, such as pencils or notebooks, or even small treats, such as candy. We'll return to Marrakech through the stunning scenery of the valley. Dinner is included at a local Moroccan dinner with folk show

Henna party ( For ladies only ) :
One of the "insiders" excursions into Moroccan culture, a chance to attend a henna party, the painting of hands and body r with this natural red dye is a symbol of joy at weddings and regarded as a way to enhance one's beauty , if interested in attending a Henna party , please let's know in advance.

 

 

Dar Donab Riad, Moroccan Kasbah, Moroccan Golden Dunes, Riad Gyvo, Riad Dar Madina
One of the lounges at Dar Donab Riad

 

 

 

Day 4 - BY TRAIN TO CASABLANCA (BLD)
"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. 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. After dinner, we drive to the airport for our Royal Air Maroc night flight across North Africa to Egypt, air fare is included in our rate.

 

 

 

Day 5 - CAIRO (BD)
We arrive in Cairo with the dawn,Complimentary visa issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport, valid only for American, Canadian, Australian, NZ, EU & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for 6 month at least at time of arrival.

We drive through the awakening city to our hotel for breakfast and a bracing cup of coffee or tea. Refreshed, 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. The rest of the day is yours: find a little local restaurant for lunch, go museum-hopping, take a nap, or stroll along the Nile, as you like. Dinner at the hotel.

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 6 - CAIRO (BLD)
Today we visit Cairo's most famous monuments: the awesome pyramids of Giza, the Valley Temple 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. Camel ride is included , it is more of a photo opp with the Pyramids in the background, as you have a very full day . Dinner cruise on board the Hyatt Yacht .

 

 

DAY 7 - LUXOR (BL)
Very early morning flight to Luxor , upon arrival
: proceed to cross the Nile and explore the city that was the Pharaohs capital for more than 20 centuries : Start with the Ramesseum , Medinet Habu 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.
Of course there is more : We visit the Valley of the Kings ( including King Tut's Tomb ) , Valley of the Queens including Queen Hatshepsut Deir El Bahari Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.

Lunch is included at Al-Moudira , or return to your hotel for lunch .
Afternoon horse drawn carriage ride through the local village and souks, stop for a tour at the small yet charming Luxor Museum.
For your tours : Private air-conditioned vehicle . Private Egyptologist.

 

 

 

DAY 8 - LUXOR/ Cairo (B)
This morning tour the stupendous Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and visit the Sacred Lake and red granite quarry with its huge unfinished obelisk. We tour as well the great temple of Amon Ra , on our way to the airport for our flight back to Cairo and your hotel, all tours and transfers are on a private basis. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur , private guide for the tours.

 

 

honeymoon tour, paris & Nile tour

 

 

DAY 9 - CAIRO - Home Hosted Dinner -(BL)
The world-famous Egyptian Museum, which holds the treasures of Tutankhamon, is our first stop today, after which we wander the narrow streets of Old Cairo (once a Roman fort). We go on to the Jewish Quarter, then the Coptic Christian Quarter, stopping at the churches of Abu Serghius and Al Molaka, the Coptic Museum, and the Ben Ezra synagogue. Lunch is included at Hadaik Al-Azhar or similar .


Meet the local : Complimentary Family dinner : This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo and Egypt , of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

 

 

DAY 10 - On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old , (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 11 - TEL AVIV - JERUSALEM (B)
Air fare is included Cairo to Tel Aviv in economy class, tax included .
Our local rep. meets you at Ben-Gurion airport, assists with arrival formalities, and escorts you to your Jerusalem hotel. When you choose your own date, we may have to change tours / sites visits around to accommodate religious holidays and Sabbath.
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur , private guide for the tours.

 

 

 

DAY 12 - JERUSALEM ( tours are subject to change in Jerusalem subject to the weekend and religious holidays (B)
We start our explorations of Jerusalem, holy city to Christians, Jews and Muslims, with a drive to the Mount of Olives, which offers panoramic views. We visit the Church of Pater Noster and the Chapel of the Ascension on our way to the Garden of Gethsemane. From the Garden, we enter Jerusalem's walls to the Old City for a visit to the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. We follow in Jesus' footsteps along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur , private guide for the tours.

 

 

DAY 13 - JERUSALEM (B)
Now that you've had a tour of the city, set out on your own to discover its charms: the narrow bazaar streets of the Old City, the cheerful cafés of New Jerusalem, and the broad boulevards surrounding the modern city.

 

 

DAY 14 - JERUSALEM & BETHLEHEM (B)
We start our tour at the scale model of Jerusalem as it appeared in Herod's time, then go on to the Shrine of the Book to see the sacred Dead Sea Scrolls. Then it's on to Ein Kerem and Bethlehem for a visit to the Church of the Nativity, stopping at the Shepherds' Field on the way back to Jerusalem.
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur , private guide for the tours.

 

 

DAY 15 - BETHANY, DEAD SEA & MASADA (B)
We drive to Bethany and the site of the Good Samaritan's inn, then continue through the Judean Hills down to the Dead Sea, below sea level. At Qumran, we see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We go on to the verdant oasis of Ein Gedi, and return to Jerusalem passing by fabled Jericho, the oldest city in the world.
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur , private guide for the tours.

 

 

Day 16 - DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast, our staff escorts you to the airport . Bon Voyage
. This tour starts in Marrakech weekly , year round, add Paris ? please click here .

 

RATES per person in USD

Deluxe Hotels
First Class
Triple
US$ 8410.00
US$ 7412.00
Double
US$ 8580.00
US$ 7590.00
Single
US$ 9801.00
US$ 9186.00


 

 

Your tour includes:

  • Regional airfare from Casablanca / Cairo / Tel Aviv , including tax in economy class with tax .

  • Domestic airfares within Egypt and Morocco as well as Cairo Tel Aviv, all in economy class , including tax

  • First-class day train Marrakech-Casablanca and sleeper train Cairo-Luxor, including tax and service

  • All airport and train station transfers in Morocco and Egypt as described in the tour itinerary, always on a private basis

  • Your hotel room at a carefully-selected deluxe, first class l, whichever you prefer, including tax & service. Egypt : we use Hilton/ Sheraton/Meridien/ Sonesta for Deluxe or for First Class : Shepheard's or similar
  • B = Breakfast, (or aB, American Buffet Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner and all Egyptian airport taxes.

  • Private guided sightseeing as listed in the itinerary including all entrance fees. US , Australian, EU , Canadian , NZ, and Japanese passport holders need a visa to enter Egypt. You will obtain a visa at the airport upon arrival in Cairo With our compliments, as long as you have an American or Japanese passport that is valid for at least 6 month . Visas are not required of US and Canadian passport holders for entry into Morocco.


     

    What's not included:

    • Insurance of any kind.
    • Tips.
    • International air fare from/ to your home country

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ON LUGGAGE: When flying between North Africa cities and Tel Aviv you will be allowed only one piece of luggage to be checked in plus one for the carry on

 

 

Sample Hotels ( or similar ) : Jerusalem
Jerusalem Hotel

 

Quiet European elegance, comfort, and affordability meet in the Jerusalem Gold Hotel
to create a hidden sanctuary amid the overwhelming blaze of history, diversity, and faith that is Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Gold Hotel along with a world renowned architect has designed a haven of tranquility and warmth set into the very hub of local and national transportation in Jerusalem, thus allowing
guests to enjoy the seemingly impossible combination of calm and serenity, with the ultimate accessibility.

Jerusalem is one of the most popular and cherished cities in the world.
The Jerusalem Gold hotel is an up scale hotel, situated a mere 25 minutes from the Israel's International- Ben Gurion Airport. The Jerusalem Gold Hotel is located at the gateway to Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, touching the heart of the city center, at 234 Jaffa Street. The 11 story, hotel stands across from "Binyaney Hauma", Israel's International Convention Center, and is adjoining the new modern Egged Central Bus station with its contemporary shopping mall.

The Jerusalem Gold Hotel is walking distance from the city center and right near the central bus station, from which you can find transportation to every city in Israel.

Pray at the West Wall, visit the Old City of Jerusalem, the City of David, the Israel National Museum, the Knesset- Israeli Parliament, the famous Mahane Yehuda Shuk, the Rose Gardens, and so much more.

Whether you are a tourist, or on a business trip rest assured that the staff at the Jerusalem Gold Hotel will offer you a unique lodging experience with genuine hospitality.


Guest Rooms
The hotel has 196 elegant rooms, rooms for handicapped, (Brail numbers on all doors) including 24 Jr. Suites. Every room has sound-proof window frames, equipped with, television, internet, E-mail, video games, mini fridge, safety deposit boxes (laptop size), telephone with international line, bathroom with a bath, Air-conditioning, elegant Mahogany furniture, etc.

 

 

 

 

General Hotel Listing

  Deluxe Hotel & Cruise First Class Hotels
First Class Nile Cruise
Ashkelon Dan Gardens Hotel Dan Gardens Hotel
Athens Divani Palace
(Upgrade to King George or Grand Bretagne Supplement applies)
Electra Palace / Stanley
Cairo Hilton / Sheraton/ Hyatt
Movenpick
Shepheard's / Oases
Novotel
Istanbul Hyatt , Conrad , Divan Aygun Plaza , Richmond, Arena
Aswan Mövenpick Aswan
(upgrade to Old Cataract closed now for renovation : $150 per per person night Nile View )
Basma
Jerusalem American Colony Hotel Notre Dame Hotel
Luxor Sonesta / Hilton
Sheraton / Sofitel

(upgrade to Old Winter : $150
P. Person P. Night )
Novotel
Nile Cruise Monaco / Monte Carlo / TiYi / Nile Vision / Mojito Nile Dream / Ruby /
Presidential Nile Cruise
Tel Aviv Dan Panorama . King David ( Supplement applies Metropolitan Hotel
Tiberias   Nof Ginnosar Kibbutz

 

 

 

More Choices ;

 



  •  

     

    What others say about our service in Morocco

    Lebes (Berber greeting) or sbah ikheer (Arabic for good morning)!

    Spring break is about over and it's back to work tomorrow. It will be a shorter week at CAS for me because on Thursday I'll be leaving for the Optimal Match Conference (SPED and Technology) in Rabat. Last year I
    attended the conference in Madrid, Spain. I'm eager to see if the teachers from Rome, Paris, and Barcelona who I met last year will be attending this year. It is great to network with other teachers and find out about their programs plus hear about new and innovative strategies. The presenters are from the US.

    Paul is currently enroute between Casablanca and Amsterdam with arrival due in the US at about 5:30 tonight and then back to work for him tomorrow. We had a fantastic week of touring and seeing more of
    Morocco - a truly remarkable country with beaches, mountains, deserts, and everything in between in a relatively small area. Paul will send from his email account a number of pictures which might give you an idea of
    our experiences this past week.

    Trekking in the Amizimiz area while seeing the Atlas Mountains with its picturesque landscapes and Berber villages was quite remarkable. Our guide Said served us Moroccan tea and a lamb tagine for lunch in his
    home. As you can see from the photo they also decided to dress us up in the typical Berber attire for lunch.

    We continued on with the drive through the High Atlas Mountains crossing through the Tizi N' Tichka Pass and descended down through the Draa Valley stopping to see ancient Kasbahs (fortified palaces) and to the
    caravan-town of Ouarzazate (movie site of The Mummy, Black Hawk Down, Babel, Syriana, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.). Enroute we stopped to hike up Ait Benhaddou and up the sandstone hill which has been the site for
    a variety of movies including Gladiator. People still live in this UNESCO World Heritage village including Uemna and her husband. She invited us in to see her cave dwelling in the side of the hill and shared delicious
    home-grown almonds.

    Our next two nights were spent in the desert. The first night was at Zagora and in the middle of a sandstorm. Paul thinks that I probably have never been so grouchy upon awaking in the morning after a night spent trying to breathe while attempting to sleep in our nomad Berber tent amongst a haze of blowing sand. I think that the sand is all out of our ears by now. The next night after some fun camel riding we enjoyed a night on the Merzouga Desert in a deluxe tent under the stars.
    Both nights we had our own private concert with talented musicians and dancers entertaining us with traditional Gnaouan music and delicious Moroccan cuisine.

    It was interesting to study the information displayed on Paul's GPS in the mountains, deserts, etc. In the photo you can see our Moroccan friend and Paul discussing the merits of such equipment. We read in one
    of the tour books that it is difficult for tourists to locate their reserved auberges (lodging accommodations) or tent sites and that they are encouraged to call ahead for the GPS coordinates in order to locate the correct place in the Sahara Desert.

    Riding out into the golden dunes near Merzouga on camels to see the sunset was so much fun while watching four-wheel-drive vehicles zipping up and down the sand dunes (some in preparation for the Dakar Rally).
    All too soon it was time to start the travel back to Casablanca via Fez.
    On one of our stops we fed peanuts to the Barbary apes near Ifrane.

    Staying in the Riad Dar Al Andalous was an experience of seeing more of the history and culture of Fez. Here we had one more example of the challenges of communication in a foreign country. Paul asked if he should pay for a Coca Cola and before he knew it he was being enthusiastically escorted into the kitchen to meet the 'cook' (Coke).

    Living and visiting in an international setting is truly an exciting and stimulating experience.

    A week after leaving Casablanca via train we arrived back in Casa with our very informative and helpful driver Hamid. Now, we have the memories and the pictures (and a few souvenirs) to enjoy of this
    adventure in another area of incredible Morocco.

    Our time in Morocco is fast approaching an end with one last trip
    before returning home to Minnesota. At this point we are thinking of exploring more of Spain and the Moroccan coast of the Mediterranean.

    M'a ssalama (goodbye - Arabic)

    Paul and Dixie

 

 

What others say about our services in Egypt ..

Adrian and Melina Barnes on acamel in Egypt

 

 

-------- Original Message --------
From: "Adrian"
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 2:04 PM
To: omar@travelinstyle.com>, > Subject: We're Back!

We just wanted to let you know we made it back home after our weeklong detour through Italy. Athens was fantastic. The tours were very good, and short of heading out to the islands, I can't think of a single thing
we would have rather done while there.



Although we had an excellent time in Athens, Egypt was by far the highlight of our entire trip, including Italy. We just can't say enough about Ahmed, Isis, Ashraf, and all our drivers. We simply could not have done the trip without their help. Ahmed was very professional, courteous, and helpful, and always went out of his way to make sure we were where we needed to be at the right time. Our Egyptologist guides, Isis and Ashraf, were both very knowledgeable and made our visit so much better with their endless supply of information. We wore out both days long before they did. We will definitely try to come back to Egypt when
we have more time to spend.



Thank you so much for arranging the trip, allowing us to customize what we needed to, and putting us in touch with such good people. And please find attached pictures of us enjoying a camel ride. :-)



Adrian & Melina Barnes




Back to Travel In Style Main page


Honeymoon Vacations
 |  Grand Tours of Europe  |
 Nile Cruise  |  Diving  |  Terms | Italy

Mediterranean Cruises  | Greece  | Greek Hotels  |
Egypt from Italy | South Africa

Egyptian Oases   | Spain and Portugal Tours   |  Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski Hotel

Dahabiya Yachts on the Nile Sonesta Dahabiya Nile Cruise  | Japan 
|  Viajes En Espanol  | Egypt

E-mail  |  Home | Grand Tours of the Near East