The
Grand tour
North Africa and
the Middle East
Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and Syria
From
Morocco to Damascus
Including Egypt and Jordan in 20 Days, Air fare is Included from
New York
Departure Weekly on Tuesday , year round
Compare
with the Nile Cruise Version
Here's
our own version of the Grand Tour. We'll take you to the walled desert
city of Marrakech, and across the sub-Saharan countryside of Morocco
by train to fabled Casablanca. You'll fly over the Egyptian Delta
and the Nile from Cairo to Luxor to view the temples of the ancient
Pharaohs at Luxor, and live an Indiana Jones adventure at the Nabatean
stone city of Petra in Jordan. To conclude it all, you'll ascend
to Damascus, the goal of merchants and Crusaders over the centuries. "Grand
Tour" is an understatement for this incomparable feast of sights and experiences.
DAY
1 - DEPARTURE FOR MOROCCO - Tuesday - Weekly . Year Round
Take off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on an Air
France or British Airways jet, bound for Casablanca via London or Paris
. Air fare add-on available from major cities in the USA , for a supplement.
Comapre with the
15-day version including Jerusalem , Palestine and Israel.
DAY
2 - CASABLANCA, MARRAKECH - Wednesday
You'll land at the international airport of fabled Casablanca . After
the formalities, you'll board a southbound flight to the magical city
of Marrakech. Our local staff will greet you and usher you directly to
your accommodations. Welcome mint tea.
DAY 3 - MARRAKECH - Thursday (BLD)
This morning you'll take a private tour of ancient Marrakech by horse-drawn
carriage. You'll see the Koutoubia, the landmark mosque of the city, and
perhaps you'll note its similarity to its sister tower, the Giralda of
Seville, in Spain. You'll continue to the Bahia palace, built in the nineteenth
century, with room after stately oriental room of intricate plaster work
and finely detailed columns, and sedate hidden gardens. Lunch will be
served in a restaurant redolent with local color. In the afternoon, you'll
take a walking tour through the labyrinthine souks, the bazaars where
goods from near and far have changed hands for centuries. Of course, you'll
want to try your hand at bargaining! After our eventful day, dinner will
be served at our hotel.
DAY 4 - MARRAKECH - Friday (BLD)
Now that you've been introduced to Marrakech,
it's time to adventure out on your own! Head for 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. If you have a spare moment, the souks
of Marrakech will always keep you entertained. Return to bargain for that
carpet or tea service that caught your eye yesterday. Or pass part of
the day at a sidewalk café in the new city, where Paris and the Orient
come together.
Complimentary
lunch 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):
Today
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 lunch , 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. Of
course, you may enjoy a quiet lunch with your travel companions, by letting
us know your preferences.
Evening Dinner & show at the famous "Chez Ali" in a small
man made oases on the edge of the Sahara & the outskirts of Marrakech.
DAY
5 - BY TRAIN TO CASABLANCA - Saturday (BLD)
It's "all aboard" today as as our local personnel see you to the Marrakech
railroad station. You'll roll in comfort toward Casablanca past green
fields, fruit-laden orchards, and traditional villages, backdropped by
the stunning Atlas Mountains. Our escort provides commentary and answers
questions, filling us in on the daily life of Moroccans. Once you detrain,
you'll visit the Hassan II Great Mosque, a monument to Moroccan artisanry
and architecture, second in size after the Great Mosque of Mecca. Then
we'll continue to see modern Casablanca, and on to the traditional souks.
After dinner, we'll head for the airport, where we'll board the Royal
Air Maroc flight that will take us across the Sahara to Egypt.
DAY
6 - CAIRO - Sunday (aBL)
We land at Cairo airport . Our local escorts see us through customs and
immigration, for American , EU , Canadian & Japanese citizens, visa
will be issued upon arrival at the Airport, your passport must be valid
at least for 6 month beyond the date of arrival, and onward through the
awakening city to our hotel.
The
Egyptian visa will be issued upon arrival in Cairo .
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 your name .
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 air conditioned vehicle)
to the hotel
We'll
have breakfast and take a break to refresh, then head out to see the wonders
of this thriving metropolis. First, we'll explore the Egyptian Museum,
with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, and precious
stones and metals. Travellers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on
these sights, but your day includes much more. We'll visit the Citadel
of Saladin with its Alabaster Mosque, and view the panorama of Cairo.
Then we'll set off for Khan el-Khalili, the labyrinthine bazaar district
with its array of spice shops and clothing merchants and purveyors of
baskets and brass ware and a thousand other specialties. After lunch at
a charming local restaurant, we'll return to our hotel. The rest of the
day is yours for exploring on your own. Venture out amid the shops, cafés,
peddlers from bygone days, modern-day professionals, and an unforgettable
array of sights, sounds, and aromas. Visit Cairo's museums, or try a restaurant
frequented by locals.
DAY
7 - CAIRO - Monday (aBLD)
After breakfast, we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, where we'll view the
mysterious, timeless Sphinx, the awesome Pyramids of Giza, and the Valley
Temple. After lunch, we'll continue southward to Dahshour, where still
more ancient wonders await. Among the monuments we'll visit is the Great
Pyramid of Senfru, the father of Cheops. In the evening, it's "all aboard!"
We'll settle you into your private first-class sleeping compartment on
the train bound along the banks of the Nile. You'll enjoy dinner en route,
as the lights of villages reflect in the river.
DAY
8 - LUXOR - Tuesday (BLD)
We'll detrain at Luxor and enjoy breakfast at a luxury hotel, before crossing
the Nile to view an array of ancient splendors: the tomb chambers of the
Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the
Valley of the Queens; and the Colossi of Memnon. We'll be back in Luxor
for lunch, then tour the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and
visit the Sacred Lake and red granite quarry, with its huge unfinished
obelisk. We'll have time for a look at the Great Temple of Amon Ra in
Luxor on our way to catch a flight to Cairo. Our eventful day will conclude
with a special evening, dinner and a show at the Falafel supper club of
the Ramses Hilton.
DAY
9 - AMMAN - Wednesday (B)
Our Cairo personnel will see you to the airport, where you'll board
a flight for Amman. Upon landing, our Jordan hosts will greet you, assist
you with the formalities, for American , EU , Canadian & Japanese
citizens, visa will b issued upon arrival at the Airport, your passport
must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of arrival, our local
rep will escort you to your hotel.
Welcome fruit basket awaits you in your room with our compliments.
You'll
have time to get acquainted with this city built on hills, its cafés and
shops, and its surprisingly cosmopolitan population of Bedouins, Palestinians,
and the descendants of migrants from the Caucasus.
DAY
10 - MADABA, KERAK, PETRA - Thursday (BD)
From Amman, we drive south along an ancient caravan route to Madaba, site
of a church containing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. At Mount
Nebo, we will behold the panoramic view of the Promised Land as seen by
Moses in his last moments. Further on, at Kerak, we walk among the ruins
of the Crusader castle of Renaud de Chatillon, one of a line that stretched
from Aqaba to Turkey. At the end of the day, we reach fabled Petra.
DAY
11 - PETRA - Friday (BD)
We'll spend the entire day at Petra, the stunning desert city hewn by
the Nabateans from solid cliffs of pink and violet sandstone. Petra was
known in the bible as Sela, and rediscovered only in 1812. You'll feel
like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark as you penetrate into the
city through a narrow sandstone gorge, the Siq, and wander among the Temple
of the Winged Lion, tombs, Roman theater, and the imposing Treasury. Our
discoveries complete, we'll savor another evening and overnight in Petra.
DAY
12 - WADI RUM, AMMAN - Saturday (BD)
It's a day of desert adventure, as we board four-wheel-drive vehicles
for an expedition to Wadi Rum, the "Valley of the Moon," where Lawrence
of Arabia organized the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans during World
War I. As you pass Bedouin encampments, you'll believe that nothing has
changed in the intervening years. Our day of adventure concludes in Amman.
DAY
13 - JERASH, BOSRA and DAMASCUS - Sunday
(BLD)
We travel overland today to Jerash, among the best-preserved cities of
the Romans, and walk among its colonnaded temples and theaters. We then
cross the border into Syria to visit Bosra, a Roman City with a 15,000-
seat amphitheater, before continuing to our next destination: Damascus.
We drive to the Syrian Jordanian borders.
The Syrian visa fee is included in our rate, please make sure to scan
and e.mail us a legible copy of your passports at least 45 days prior
to your departure.
Syria
will not issue you a visa , if your passport has any Israeli stamps or
visa for Israel, you are responsible for ensuring that your passport is
valid and in order .
DAY
14 - DAMASCUS- Monday (BLD)
Our tour of Damascus includes the National Museum, the Old Bazaar, Omayyad
Mosque, Azem Palace, Via Recta, the House of Anania, the Eastern Gate
(Bab ash-Sharqi) in the walls of the Roman City, and St. Paul's Window.
If there's time left over, the merchants of the city will be pleased to
welcome you with a cup of tea, to ask after your family, and to negotiate
a purchase, if you're interested.
DAY 15 - PALMYRA - Tuesday (BLD)
We leave Damascus today and visit Palmyra. The many sites of this ancient
city include the museum, the temples of Bel, Baal Shamin and Nebo, the
Roman baths, the Tetrapylon, Diocletian's Camp, and the Valley of the
Tombs. It'll take us all day to see it all, so we spend the night here.
DAY
16 - KERAK, HAMA & ALEPPO- Wednesday (cBLD)
Today we reach Kerak, the Krak des Chevaliers, the most spectacular
of the castles erected by the Crusaders in Holy Land. After an appreciation
of this military outpost, we'll continue to Hama, known for its giant
water wheels. By nightfall, we arrive in Aleppo.
DAY
17 - ALEPPO - Thursday (BLD)
We see the sights of Aleppo today, including the museum, the Grand Mosque,
the Citadel, and the old bazaar stretching fully eight kilometers in length.
We'll also have a chance to see traditional caravansaries. In the afternoon,
we visit St. Simeon's Cathedral, named for St. Simeon Stylites, a 5th-century
Byzantine ascetic who lived atop a pillar for 40 years.
DAY
18 - SERGELLA, APAMEA & MAALOULA - Friday (BLD)
Today we follow in the footsteps of Biblical peoples, visiting Sergella,
one of the 500 Dead Cities of the North, which flourished between the
fourth and seventh centuries but then was mysteriously deserted. Then
it's on to Apamea, the Hellenistic City of a thousand columns established
by Seleucus Nicator. Finally, we visit the village of Maaloula, where
the inhabitants still speak Aramaic, the very language spoken by Jesus.
We'll visit the St. Sergius chapel, then continue to Damascus.
DAY
19 - Damascus - Saturday (BLD)
Breakfsat is included at the hotel. Morning leisure
guided walking tour of the local souks and bazaar . Lunch is included
at a charming local restaurant.
The afternoon is at leisure.
In
the evening : Complimentary
Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals,
very few people will ever get to experience this in Syria. We are proud
to be one of the very few travel firms that allow you to experince the
local home cuisine and meet the good people of Syria.
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Damascus 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 a quiet
evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.
DAY
20 - RETURN HOME Sunday (B)
Our staff escorts you to Damascus International Airport for your return
flight. Comapre
with the 15-day version including Jerusalem , Palestine and Israel.
RATES
are per person in USD From JFK : Air fare is always subject to change
| |
Deluxe
Hotels |
First
Class Hotels |
| In
Triple Occupancy |
$
6700.00 |
$
6090.00 |
| In
Double Occupancy |
$
6898.00 |
$
6130.00 |
| In
Single Occupancy |
$
8460.00 |
$
7620.00 |
Holiday supplement:
For departures during the weeks of Easter, Christmas, and New Year's,
please add a supplement of 15 percent to the above rates ( Dec 20 - Jan
3 .
Airfare
Supplement: $350 for traveling : May - Sep
(This supplement doesn't apply when you handle your own air fare.
West
cost special add on (Subject to availability):
$350 for most west coast cities ( economy class )
Flying
Business Class (
air fare is always subject to change)
RATES per person in USD FROM JFK IN $:
West Coast Passengers need not to fly via JFK, you'll fly on LH, KL, or
BA non-stop West Coast to Europe ( Frankfurt, Londin, Amsterdam etc.,
then onward to Morocco ) . West Coast add -on applies ( $800 roundtrip
tax included )
| Hotel
Category |
Deluxe |
| Triple |
$
11,960 |
| Double |
$
11,001 |
| Single |
$
14,050 |
Prices
include:
-
International air fare from New York City to Amman via Casablanca, and
back to New York from Damascus , including tax. (Add-on air fare available
upon request .) .
- Domestic
air fare Casablanca-Marrakech and return, and from Luxor to Cairo, including
tax. All air fare i sin economy class.
- All
ground transportation as described in itinerary, including first-class
seating on day train from Marrakech to Casablanca, sleeper accommodations
on train from Cairo to Luxor, and tax and service charges.
- All
airport transfers in the three countries are on a private basis .
- Hotel
accommodations including tax and service at fine deluxe ,first-class
,or tourist -class hotels as selected.
- Meals
as specified from pre-set menu (B = continental breakfast, aB = full
American or buffet breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner).
-
Sightseeing with guide and entrance fees as indicated .
- Visa
fee for Jordan & Egypt. (Valid only for : American, Western Europe
, Canadian & Japanese citizens), your passports should be valid
at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival. Israel & Morocco
do not require visa for these listed nationalities. For other nationalities,
please contact the consulates or visa service in your home country.
-
Jordanian departure tax.
Our
hotels include the following, as available, similar hotels may be substituted:
| |
Deluxe
Hotels |
First
Class Hotels |
| Amman |
Sheraton
or SAS Radisson |
Regency
Palace |
| Petra |
Movenpick |
Forum |
| Damascus |
Le
Meridien |
Fardos
Tower/ Carlton |
| Plamyra |
Cham
Palace |
Heliopolis |
| Aleppo |
Cham
Palace |
Amir
Palace |
Every effort is made to adhere to the planned itinerary, however, for
reasons beyond our control, it may be necessary to change routings, sequence
of visits, and departure times.
Not
included:
-
Personal
expenses and beverages
-
Gratuities
-
Additional
meals and services
-
Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance (please consult your own insurance
agent ).
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THE
LANGUAGE OF THE JESUS IN THE LAND OF THE BOOK
Syria
is truly the Land of the Book. The ancient alphabets of the Near East
grew into Aramaic and then Hebrew, and finally Arabic and the modern Latin
script that you're reading!
Jesus
spoke to His Disciples in Aramaic. And nowhere else in the Holy Land does
His language live as in Maaloula, where His words may still be heard exactly
as He spoke them. For the believer, or for anyone who values traditions
of faith, it is a deeply moving experience.
Maaloula
is just a short drive from Damascus, and home to Christian community that
thrives after 2000 years.
As
much as any land, Syria is the birthplace of the Christian faith. St.
Paul converted on the road to Damascus, and in the early centuries of
the Church,
six Syrian bishops were elevated to the Holy See as popes. The grand Omayyad
Mosque is built on a sacred site shared by Muslims and Christians for
centuries,
expressing the true brotherhood at the center of both faiths. Two million
Syrians worship as Christians.
The
full panoply of the Christian experience in the Near East has been played
out in Syria. The Krak des Chevaliers is the unique never conquered Crusader
fortress
that stands intact as if ready to host the Knights of the Cross once again––and
is a must stop for the visitor of faith to the holy sites.
Extend
your stay in Syria for one day and visit Maaloula
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.
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