Eastern
Med Odyssey
Four Country Grand Tour
A
Private Tour of : Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Syria
A true Grand East Mediterranean Tour
All in 19 days, you choose your own date ( Daily departure)
we show you the top sights in these four historic countries
DAY
1 - JFK- Choose your own date - Daily - Private Tour
Board
your comfortable wide body jet at JFK International Airport.
For west coast passenger please add $ 350 USD $ roundtrip for most West
Coast cities ; SFO, LAX, SAN, SEA, West Coast passengers will fly non-stop
to Europe then on to Istanbul ( no need to go thru JFK)
Overnight on board your flight across the Atlantic. We keep the right
to use any of the international air carriers : KLM . SWISS , Lufthansa,
British, Egyptair, Turkish Airline etc.
DAY
2- ISTANBUL
Our staff greets you at Istanbul's airport and escorts you to your hotel.
You may pay for your visa for Turkey upon arrival at the airport in cash
( available to a limited number of nationalities ) , or contact the Turkish
Consulate nearest you.
DAY
3 - ISTANBUL (BL)
The City of the Sultans! We visit the top sights in an all-day tour,
including the Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome, the Turkish and Islamic
Arts Museum with its collection of priceless oriental carpets, and Topkapi
Palace Museum, the residence of the sultans for centuries. Lunch
is included at a local restaurant.
DAY
4 - ISTANBUL (BL)
"Imperial
Constantinople in the Belle Epoque" (late 19th century), the exotic romance
of the "Paris of the East:"
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
5 - ISTANBUL - ATHENS (BD)
Today we fly across the Sea of Marmara and the deep blue of the Aegean
to fabled
Athens. Upon arrival, our staff meets you and escorts you to your
hotel in the Greek capital. Evening dinner at a Greek local
restaurant. Air fare is included Istanbul Athens in economy class, tax
included .
DAY
6 - ATHENS (BL)
A private half-day city tour shows you this great city's layout: we visit
Syntagma Square, the heart of Modern Athens, drive
by the parliament, and climb up to the Acropolis.
Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant.
DAY
7 - GREEK ISLANDS CRUISE (BLD)
We drive to the Marina Trocadero and board a boat for a tour of the Saronic
Gulf
and its islands Aegina, Poros and Hydra. After our delightful day at
sea, entertainment on board the cruise offers us traditional
Greek dancing and entertainment.
DAY 8 CAIRO (B)
Full day at leisure for more shopping at the authentic Greek Plaka. Subject
to availability we may use Egyptair or Olympic Airways. If the flight
is a late evening one , then you 'll have a late check-out included in
our rate . Transfers are always on a private basis. Air fare Athens Cairo
is included in our rate.
Drive to Athens airport for our flight to Cairo
/ Egypt. Transfer to your hotel in Cairo.
Complimentary
Visa is issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport , this is valid for American
, Australian , NZ, Mexican, Singaporean EU, Canadian citizens as well
as Australia, NZ & Japan.
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
9 - Cairo (BLD)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including
the Mummies Hall, and King Tut's Gold Treasure Hall ,
Lunch is included in a charming local restaurant , after lunch , off to
the Citadel of Saladin, El Rifai Mosque and the Mohammed Ali Mosque,
made of alabaster. Then embark on a treasure hunt , walking
the 11-century Khan El-Khalili district. . Evening
dinner cruise on the Nile & a belly dance show on board the Hyatt
dinner cruise .
DAY
10 - Giza (BLD)
After breakfast , drive to the edge of the Sahara to visit the Pyramids
of
Giza, the Sphinx, the Solar Boat Museum , before we break for lunch at
the Mena House . Evening Sound & Light
show be the Pyramids ( it will be chilly , bring a jacket ) . Dinner is
included at the hotel .
DAY
11 - CAIRO, Jewish and Coptic Cairo as well as ROYAL PALACES (BL)
Half day visit to the Royal Palace of Abdeen, seat of power in Egypt for
almost a century, last used by President Sadat. Then on to Manial Palace,
of Prince Mohamed Ali, the last Crown Prince
Egypt ever had. After lunch at a local restaurant, we head for the treasure
filled Coptic Museum, then explore the Old Jewish Quarter that became
the Christian Quarter or Coptic Quaretr , we tour the Al-Moalaka Church
and Beni Ezra Synagoge as well as the spot where it is said that "
Baby Moses" was found by the Egyptian Queen entourage.
You'll
have one more opportunity to experience the excitement of this great city
and, of course, do some last-minute shopping.
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 dinner
in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know
your preferences.
You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T
shirt , small souvenirs of your home town).
DAY
12 - Cairo Fayoum (BL)
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought
the Pyramids were old
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 - Damascus (B)
Our staff escorts you to Cairo airport for your
flight to Damascus , air fare is included in our rate , tax included
Upon
arrival at the airport in Damascus , our local rep. meets you and proceed
with you to your hotel. You can begin your exploration of this "Arabian
Nights" city just after you arrive. Visa is issued at the airport upon
arrival, for a limited number of nationalities, such as EU, USA, Canada,
Australia, NZ, Singapore, Mexico and Japan , please make sure that you
e.mail us a legible scan of your passport info page at least 45 days prior
to arrival into Syria to allow us to secure your visa.
Visa
information : Important
Syria will not issue visas for any passport holder that may carry any
stamp or visa for Israel.
DAY
14 - DAMASCUS (BD)
Today we explore the Syrian capital, visiting the National Museum, with
treasures dating from the 1400s BC; the bustling Old Bazaar, the Eastern
Gate (Bab ash-Sharqi) in the Roman city walls; the Street Called Straight
(Via Recta); the house of Anania; and the chapel with a window from which
disciples lowered St. Paul so he could escape those who sought to kill
him (Acts 9:24-25).
You'll
have one more opportunity to meet the locals of the Near East / Middle
East :
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . .
. right into the homes of some of the people of Damascus ! You'll be invited
to a family dinner, this is never a touristy thing, we simply try to have
more people to people programs and allow our guests to have better experience
. Of course, you may enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel
companions, by letting us know your preferences.
DAY
15 - PALMYRA (BD)
We drive to ancient Palmyra (Tadmor), in a desert oasis on the
trade route between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, to visit its museum,
the temples of Bel, Baal Shamin and Nebo, the Roman baths, the Tetrapylon,
Diocletian's camp, and the Valley of the Tombs, before settling
in at our Palmyra hotel. Dinner is included at the hotel.
DAY
16 - KRAK DES CHEVALIERS, HAMA & ALEPPO (BD)
Get your camera ready, for today we see the famously photogenic Krak
des Chevaliers, the most spectacular 12th-century Crusaders' castle
of all. From this marvel of military architecture we head north to Hama,
one of Syria's prettiest towns, to see its great norias (water wheels),
some up to 65 feet in diameter, scooping water from the fabled Orontes
River. We continue to Aleppo for the night. Dinner is included at the
hotel.
DAY
17 - ALEPPO Thursday (BD)
The sights of Aleppo (Halab) include the Grand Mosque, the vast
Ottoman bazaar, the 12th-century Citadel, and a camel caravanserai. We
visit them all, then continue to the church (Qala'at Samaan) built to
honor the Byzantine ascetic St. Simeon Stylites, who lived atop a column
for over 35 years in the 5th century. We return to our comfortable Aleppo
hotel for the night. Dinner is included at the hotel.
DAY
18 - SERGELLA, APAMEA, MAALULA & DAMASCUS (BD)
We head south to Sergella, one of the 500 Dead Cities, fabled ghost
towns built between the 4th and 7th centuries which were abandoned mysteriously
around the 9th century. Our next stop is Apamea (Qala'at al-Mudiq),
the Hellenistic "city of a thousand columns" built by Seleucus
I Nicator in the 2nd century BC and named in honor of his wife. We continue
to Maalula, where villagers still speak Aramaic, the language of
Jesus, for a visit to the chapel of St. Sergius, before returning to Damascus
for the night. Dinner is included at the hotel.
DAY
19 - DEPARTURE Saturday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home
RATES
are in US &
are per person in :
|
Deluxe
|
First
Class
|
Tourist
Class
|
Triple
occupancy
|
US$
8100.00
|
US$
7510.00
|
US
$ 7290.00
|
Double
|
US$
8278.00
|
US$
7680.00
|
US
$ 7370.00
|
Single
|
US$
9968.00
|
US$
8490.00
|
US
$ 8119.00
|
Rates
are subject to change without notice. If/when you wish to handle you own
air fare from/ to USA please deduct $ 600 from the listed
rates.
Please
add a %20 supplement : Dec 15,through Jan 5
Rates
include:
- Air
fare from JFK, (if you wish to handle your own air fare please
deduct $600 : For JFK / Istanbul & Damascus / JFK ), add
on from most West Coast cities : $350.
Atlanta , Detroit , Chicago, Miami , Denver : $ 300 .
Summer air fare supplement of $350 ( May - Sep) this supplement
will not apply when you handle your own air fare. Please deduct
$600 when you handle your own air fare
- Hotel
accommodations (Deluxe , first class , Tourist class as
per your request), including tax, service charge and continental
breakfast daily.
- As
well as sightseeing tours and entrance fees as per itinerary,
locally escorted in each country.
- All
transfers in these countries , always on aprivate basis
- Airfares
between ISTANBUL, ATHENS , CAIRO , Damascus in " Y "
economy class .
- Visa
fee for Egypt, and Syria : valid for American & EU citizens
as well as Australian, NZ, Singaporean & Japanese .
- Meals
as listed : B/L/D preset menu breakfast/lunch/dinner
.
Visa
information : Important
Syria will not issue visas for any passport holder that may carry
any stamp or visa for Israel. Border crossings may take some time,
depending of several circumstances (traffic, police, documentation,
visas, etc.)
Not Included :
- Tips.
- Any
Travel Insurance (Please check with your insurance agent )
.
- Visa
fee for Turkey.
- Any
beverages.
-
Three
Country Grand Tour
: Turkey, Israel , Palestine and Egypt : An 18 Day Edition
| |
Deluxe
Hotel & Cruise |
First
Class Hotels
First Class Nile Cruise |
| Ashkelon |
Dan
Gardens Hotel |
Dan
Gardens Hotel |
| Amman
|
Four
Seasons ( Supplement applies)
Sheraton Amman
Grand Hyatt
SAS Radisson |
Bristol
Hotel Amman
Amman West Hotel
Golden Tulip Hotel |
| Athens |
Divani
Palace
(Upgrade to King George :
$150 Per person per night
Upgrade to the Grand Bretagne $ 200 Per person per night |
Titania
/ Electra Palace / Stanley |
| Cairo
|
Hilton
/ Sheraton/ Hyatt
Movenpick |
Shepheard's
/ Oases
Novotel |
Dead
Sea
( Jordan) |
Marriott
Jordan Dead Sea
Kempinski Ashtar Dead Sea Resort
Movenpick Resort Dead Sea |
|
| Istanbul
|
Hyatt
, Conrad , Divan |
Aygun
Plaza , Richmond, Arena, Sultan Ahmet , Blue House |
| Aswan |
Mövenpick Aswan .
New Cataract Hotel
(upgrade to Old Cataract : $150 per per person night Nile View
) |
Basma
|
| Jerusalem
|
American
Colony Hotel |
Notre
Dame Hotel |
| Luxor
|
Sonesta
Luxor Hotel
Luxor Hilton Hotel
Luxor New Winter Palace Hotel
Sheraton Hotel Luxor
Sonesta Luxor
(upgrade to Old Winter : $150 P. Person P. Night ) |
Novotel
|
| Mykonos |
Royal
Myconian |
Petassos
Beach |
| Santorini
|
Dana, Chromata, Grotto |
Volcano's
View |
| 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 |
Important
Syria will not issue visas for any passport holder that may carry any
stamp or visa for Israel. Border crossings may take some time, depending
of several circumstances (traffic, police, documentations, visas, etc.)
Sample
Charming Boutique Hotels in Syria :
Talisman Hotel: Damascus
Talisman is more than an hotel: it is more like a home. We will provide
you all the services and luxury of a five stars residence. Two wide opened
courtyards with outdoor swimming
pool. Private and exclusive Turkish Hammam.
The Talisman is a luxury «charm» hotel situated in the old
town of Damascus, twenty minutes from the airport, a hundred yards from
the old Roman straight way (Medhat Pacha) and the historical Bab Sharqi,
famous now for its souks and street markets. This old Jewish palace, built
in a quiet side street and easily accessible by car, has been restored
in the most authentic tradition of an Arab house.
Each
of the 16 rooms and suites at Talisman is unique with its personalized
lay-out and decoration. All the rooms are equipped with the latest commodities:king
size bed, mini bar, central heating, individual air-conditioning, plasma
television set with decoder so that you may choose any channel you please,
DVD reader, wi-fi internet connection, telephone. Executive suites are
larger and have a desk corner. The bathrooms are spacious and planned
for your rest and well-being: finely worked wooden basins with their matching
mirrors, old cement tiled or beige marble floors, bath tub or shower cabin,
or both, hair-drier and comfortable bathrobes.
Zenobia hotel: Palmyra
built in 1920 … Agatha Christy was one of the welcomed guests ,
the Zenobia Hotel is ideally located in the middle of Palmyra archeological
site; rooms offers a wonderful view of the traces of past civilizations,
which you can explore at your ease.
The
26-room hotel offers a wonderful view of the traces of past civilizations,
which you can explore at your ease. The hotel is a masterpiece of elegance
and warm hospitality that is part of our commitment to tradition particularly
amidst this historical surrounding. You are welcome to the world of Zenobia
hotel where you relive the past and feel the glorious days of Palmyra.
The hotel rooms; all are air-conditioned, with central heating and a telephone.
The Countess suite is a duplex room, with two double beds and a private
bathroom on each deck. ( Supplement applies, and you must really book
in advance to get this suite)
The
Oasis restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious cuisine whether it
is indoors or in the open air with a direct view on the ruins.
Palmyra
was known as the bride of the desert, where once stood as one of the greatest
Roman oasis cities of all times. The extensive roman ruins, only a three-minute
walk from the hotel; stand gracefully to remind us of the glory of Palmyra's
past
Beit Wakil Hotel: Aleppo
A true example of the distinguished 16th century Aleppine architecture,is
a charming palace situated just outside the old city walls.This perfectly
preserved structure which has stubbornly defied the destructive elements
of time,ranks among the most elegant and
beautiful palaces in the region.
The
Hotel is in " Jadidah" which is a particularly picturesque quarter.
Next to the main Maronite church is Sissi Street, which is full of old
Arab residences. Most have now been converted into small boutique hotels
and restaurants serving the delicious local Arab-Syrian cuisine for which
Aleppo is famous. Beit Wakil is one of the loveliest examples. Simple
on the outside, but you enter a beautiful courtyard with a fountain, a
majestic arch, coloured marble flooring and arabesque glass windows. You
can descend past an underground bar into stone-built cellars with a labyrinth
of tunnels, said to lead all the way to the Aleppo Citadel.
Beit
Wakil,a true example of the distinguished 16th. century Aleppine architecture,is
a charming palace situated just outside the old city walls.This perfectly
preserved structure which has stubbornly defied the destructive elements
of time,ranks among the most elegant and beautiful palaces in the region.
Faithful to the old Aleppine tradition the exterior is castle like,simple
and void of any decoration,but as soon one enters inside a magical oriental
story like world comes into existence
The
beautiful courtyards with breathtaking relief and tracery work of their
walls, the marble fountains among the jasmine and lemon trees, the unique
iwan with its majestic arch and colors marble flooring,the elegant arabesque
woodwork of the wall cupboards,the hand drawn wooden ceilings with corniche,
the famous central Qa'a (large room: Lobby ) with its suspended dome and
coloured arabesque glass windows,the stone built cellars and the lime
stone caves below with a labyrinth of tunnels , one of which , links the
palace to the Citadel of Aleppo , are just few of the many elements which
distinguishes the Aleppine masonry art and Arabian architectural genius
Today,
Beit Wakil welcomes its guests as a four star hotel with all the modern
comfort facilities. Beit Wakil rooms and suits are centrally air conditioned,
with traditional comfortable Aleppine furniture, minibar, music, T. V
and satellite services, phone and private bathrooms. Both our summer and
winter restaurants offer a wide verity of delicious Aleppine mezes and
specialties together with an oriental entertainment program of classical
Arabic music and dancing.
Aleppo
includes a virile population, a splendid architecture,and a fine Arab
tradition. Aleppo AL-Chahba, 355 Kilometers from Damascus, has been a
prosperous city since the 3rd millennium B.C. and has maintained its status
through town development and an increasing population. It has played a
vital role in the history of the area from the time of the Akkadian and
Amorite Kingdoms. Until recently it has always been the center of the
junction of the ancient trade routs. The old city was surrounded by a
wall incorporating defense towers and fortified gates built during the
Islamic period. A large part of the wall still standing, for example Bab
Qinisrin, Bab Al-Nasser, Bab Al-Hadid, Bab Antakia. Aleppo is also known
for its mosques and churches and is considered the third city in the Islamic
world because of the number of its mosques and schools. The Archaeological
Museum contains exhibits from the stone age to modern times. It has particularly
interesting collection of antiquities from some of the most ancient site
in Syria (Mari, Ugarit, Ebla) , objects found in the Euphrates Basin,
Hama, Tell Halaf and Ein Dara, in addition to remains from Greek, Roman,
Arab and Islamic periods. Most famous of Aleppo's sights is the citadel,
from where all of the city can be seen.
Extend
your stay on Santorini
|
