Legends of the Greece and Egypt
Including the Nile
Tour
Greece and Egypt in 15 days : Exploring Greece by land and sail on
a Nile Cruise
Including Abu Simbel Temples in Nubian . We
have even included all the tips
Tour
starts weekly in Athens on : Saturdays, March through Oct .You may add
extra days pre or post
.
Among the most treasured memories of many travelers are a trip to Greece
and a journey on a Nile steamer. You'll experience both, along with
the high points of Classical Greece, on this tour.
Grand Tour ATHENS, ISTANBUL &
NILE CRUISE
Compare with Egypt , Palestine and Israel
version . Compare
with the Santorini edition. Add
a Greek Cruise ?
DAY
1 - Saturday -ATHENS - Weekly : March -
Oct
Our local personnel meets you at the airport and escorts you to
your hotel.
Athens is yours and you may wish to cover on your own the high
points of the city, especially the towering Acropolis and the adjacent
museum. Private
chauffeur, private air conditioned vehicle for all your transfers while
you are in Greece, Turkey and Egypt with us
Compare
with the Four Ultra Deluxe Edition ,
or
the 20-Days Grand Tour of the East Mediterranean
DAY
2 - Sunday- ATHENS- Private Tour (BLD)
On your first morning in Athens we show you the top sights: Private
tour : Private air-conditioned vehicle, private guide, private chauffeur
: the Acropolis and its museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's
Arch, the Theater of Dionysus, and more. In the afternoon, plunge into
the city as you like for sightseeing and shopping.
Lunch
is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner is included at a
typical Greek restaurant.
Private chauffeur, private guide private air conditioned vehicle for
all your touring today.
DAY
3 - Monday - MYCENAE, EPIDAURUS - NAUPLIA- Group Tour (BD)
We set forth from Athens to tour classical Greece, passing Corinth and
its steep-walled canal as we go. We stop at Mycenae, center of ancient
Mycenaean civilization (2800-1100 BC); and Epidaurus, site of the temple
of Asclepius. We spend the night in Nauplia. First class hotels
: Amalia or similar . Tourist class : Victoria or similar
DAY
4 - Tuesday - OLYMPIA- Group Tour (BD)
We pass by Tripolis and Megalopolis on our way to Olympia, ancient site
of the Olympic games. We visit the great Temple of Zeus, one of the
Wonders of the Ancient World, and tour the museum. First class
hotels : Europa or similar . Tourist class : Ilis or similar
DAY
5 - Wednesday - DELPHI- Group Tour (BD)
We drive through Rion, Antirion and Nafpaktos and along the Corinthian
coast on our way to Delphi, site of the famed oracle, at the foot of
Mount Parnassus. First class hotels : Amalia or similar . Tourist
class : Hermes or similar
DAY
6 - Thursday - DELPHI & ATHENS- Group Tour (B)
We tour the ruins of Delphi and its oracle, sacred to Apollo and Dionysus.
In the afternoon, we drive via the lovely village of Arachova to the
Byzantine monastery of Ossios Loucas, then on to Athens.
DAY 7- Friday - ATHENS,
CAIRO (B)
Our Athens-based
personnel will take you to the airport to catch your flight for Cairo,
where our local staff whisks you through the excitement and hubbub of
the terminal, and onward through the desert to your hotel .
Visa fee is included, issued upon arrival for EU , American, Japanese
and Australian, NZ citizens, passports must be valid for at least 6
month beyond the date of arrival. You are responsible for your passport
being valid & in order.
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
8 - Saturday - CAIRO (BL)
Today, you'll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its
treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones
and metals. Travellers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these
sights, but your day has just started. You'll also see the Citadel of
Saladin and the alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali. In Giza, on the edge
of the desert, you'll gaze in awe at the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids
, for those interested a complimentary ticket is included fro entry
to the King's chamber inside the Pyramid, you must be physically fit
to be able to climb. Private
chauffeur, private guide private air conditioned vehicle for all your
touring today.
The
Great Pyramid of Cheops . . . Are You Up to the Adventure?
A journey into the heart of the Great Pyramid
is a real-life Indiana Jones adventure. But it can also be a taxing
and frightening one.
You'll follow claustrophobic passages cut into the heart of the pyramid,
feel the pull of the mass of stone directly above. For better or worse,
you have placed yourself in the hands of the engineering expertise of
the ancients.
As
you continue along the unventilated passages, the oxygen becomes depleted,
the air becomes noticeably warmer and more pungent. The ascent of steep
stairways consumes more energy than you imagined, and you find yourself
short of breath. Lighting is dim, every footstep must be carefully calculated.
Low passageways repeatedly oblige you to advance while bent down, and
your muscles protest. Where walls disappear into the dark above, you
feel wedged into a shaft. Despite warnings, and your own resolve, claustrophobic
feelings are hard to suppress.
Finally,
you behold the King's Chamber at the heart of the Great Pyramid. The
effort to reach it has made the reward more exhilarating than you imagined.
If only you can face the return.
Is
the King's Chamber for you? If you're not used to bending and regular
exercise, you might find the challenge beyond your capabilities. Turning
back is more difficult the farther you go, and the experience could
leave you aching for days afterwards.
Be
realistic about yourself, your abilities, and your disposition. And
remember that there are many other rewarding sights and adventures at
Giza, without the physical challenge and risks of the King's Chamber.
The decision is up to you.
DAY
9 - Sunday - Abu Simbel - Aswan (BLD)
Our Cairo personnel will escort you to the airport to board your
flight to Abu Simbel with a stop in Aswan in Upper Egypt. (Please note
that cruise boarding is in Aswan or Luxor
)
Abu
Simbel A Savage Grandeur :
Abu Simbel is the grand finale for the Egyptian Nile : Ramses the Great's
huge desert temple at Abu Simbel marked the southern border of the pharaoh's
dominions. Rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser by an international
effort, it is a marvel of sacred engineering. Twice a year Feb 20 and
Oct ( thought to be the birthday& coronation of Ramses the Great
) and only then the sun penetrates to the Holy of Holies, illuminating
the stone figures of Ramses and Nefertari.
We explore the huge temple with your own PRIVATE GUIDE ,
admire its ancient aura and artistry, then retire to a comfortable hotel
for refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the
temple we begin our leisurely drive back along the shore to Aswan, arriving
late afternoon. And your hotel in Aswan, for deluxe the legendary Old
Cataract or Oberoi Aswan.
This
afternoon We'll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most
authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful felucca.
Jacquie
Kennedy & Abu Simbel Temples in Egypt :
All Americans alive during the 1960s remember President John F Kennedy
and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Most Americans from that
time also remember Abu Simbel, the dramatic, ancient pharaonic temple
threatened by the rising waters blocked by the new Aswan High Dam.
It’s
worth remembering that it was Jacquie Kennedy who provided crucial support
for the mammoth rescue project. Without her help, Abu Simbel might have
been lost. Arrive early in Egypt, extend one day to be able to see Abu
Simbel . Read More
DAY
10 - Monday - Camel Caravan - Nubian Village - Nile Cruise (BLD)
If you wish, try your hand at a complimentary camel riding! We'll
take a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers. Upon
return , proceed to your Nile cruise.
You'll
arrive in time to take lunch aboard your Nile cruiser. Welcome fruit
basket awaits you on board.
.
DAY 11 - Tuesday - ASWAN, KOM OMBO (BLD)
After breakfast on board, we'll visit the dams at Aswan, including
the High Dam, a modern wonder in this ancient land. At the ancient granite
quarry, we'll see an obelisk left unfinished, then board a launch on
Lake Nasser to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters.
Back aboard our cruiser, we'll sail northward down the Nile at a stately
pace, disembarking for a visit to Kom Ombo, the twin temple dedicated
to the crocodile river god, Sobek. Cabin
amenity : 2 Large bottled water.
DAY
12 - Wednesday- EDFU, ESNA- on board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages or vans meet us at riverside to take us through
Edfu to the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Later,
we'll cruise to Esna, and by evening, we'll be in fabled Luxor.
Cabin
amenity: Egyptian Sweets platter.
DAY
13 - Thursday --
on board your Nile Cruise-
LUXOR (BLD)
We'll cross 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.
Evening
farewell dinner & a belly dance show: Complimentary Galabya
will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.
DAY
14 - Friday - LUXOR, CAIRO (B)
We'll visit the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the
great Temple of Luxor before heading to the airport to catch our flight
to Cairo. After we settle you into your hotel, you'll have your last
opportunity to experience the excitement of this great city and, of
course, do some last-minute shopping.
DAY
15 - Saturday - RETURN HOME (B)
Our
Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon
Voyage.
General
Notes
- Departures
are weekly , March through Nov . Cruise itinerary may vary according
to ship and line selected
- RATES
per person in double occupancy in US$:
- Rates
based on an outside standard cabin with two lower beds.
Rate
Per person in double in USD $
Tourist
Class |
First Class |
Deluxe
Hotels |
$
3785.00 |
US$
4390.00 |
US$
5040.00 |
Regardless of the category / rate you choose : your cabin will always
be an outside cabin with 2 lower beds.
Rate
includes:
-
Lonely
Planet travel guide books to Greece and Egypt
-
All
tips to porters, drivers, guides etc
- A
five -day Nile cruise, including all meals , afternoon tea served
on deck daily , and shore excursions.
- One
large bottled water per person delivered to your cabin daily while
you are on board the Nile Cruise . Plus a small bottle of water with
each & every meal on board the cruise
- Tea
or coffee and water with each & every meal while you are on board
the Nile cruise.
- Complimentary
welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
- Complimentary
welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
- Hotel
accommodation as mentioned in Athens and Cairo, including tax and
service charges, and breakfast daily.
- Meals
as indicated, with preset menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
- Airport
greeting and assistance. Transportation between airports, hotels,
and port.
-
One-way air transportation from Athens to Cairo .
- Port
taxes.
-
Domestic air transportation in Egypt .
- Egyptian
visa fee, available for American, Canadian, EU, NZ & Japanese citizens.
Must have a valid passport. Issued upon arrival at Cairo airport.
Not
Included:
- Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance (please see your insurance
agent )
- International
air fare
- Additional
personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned
in the itinerary .
More
choices :
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