Legends of the Greek Isles , Egypt and Turkey
A grand 16 day Mediterranean Tour : a Greek
cruise and a Nile Cruise and a Foray into Istanbul
Including
a private tour to Delphi

Tour
starts weekly in Athens , March through November . You may add extra
days .
Among the most treasured memories of many travellers are a cruise to
the Greek Isles and a journey on a Nile steamer. You'll experience both,
along with the high points of Classical Greece, and get to see the best
of historic Istanbul (Constantinople, Byzantium) on this tour . Compare
with the Ultra Deluxe Four
Seasons Hotel Edition
DAY
1 - ATHENS-Saturday
Our local personnel meets you at the airport and escorts you to
your hotel. Sample
Athens hotels :
Deluxe: Divani
Palace Acropolis. First : Titania . Electra Palace
. Tourist : Stanley
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. You'll visit Syntagma Square, at the very heart of the city,
and see the Parliament, and guards in colorful traditional outfits.
Your afternoon is free for further exploring or shopping, or you could
well be drawn back by the charm of the Plaka.
DAY
2 - DELPHI (BL)
-
Sunday
Private Air Conditioned Vehicle - Private Chauffeur - Private Guide
Breakfast at the hotel. Lunch is included at a local restaurant . Bottled
water / tea or coffee : included with your lunch Delphi or Zemeno (near
Delphi)
Tour
Delphi, site of the famed oracle, at the foot of Mount Parnassus. During the Mycenaean period, the female deity of Earth was worshipped
in the small settlement of Delphi. The development of the sanctuary
and oracle though, began in the 8th century B.C. with the establishment
of the cult of Apollo. Under the protection and administration of the
Amphictyony, the sanctuary continued to be
autonomous after the First Sacred War and, as a result, increased its
panhellenic religious
and political influence. The Pythian Games
were re-organized, the sanctuary was enlarged and it was enriched with
nice buildings, statues, and other offerings. In the 3rd century B.C.
it came under the domination of the Aetolians
and later, in 191 B.C., was conquered by the Romans. During the Roman
occupation the site was sometimes plundered but was also favoured by
some of the emperors. With the spread of Christianity, the sanctuary
lost its religious meaning and was permanently closed down with a decree
of emperor Theodosius the Great.
We
tour the ruins of Delphi and
its oracle, sacred to Apollo and Dionysus. Return to Athens in the early
evening. The
drive from Athens to Delphi is 2:30hrs each way . The distance is 170
kilometers each way.
DAY
3- CRUISE TO MYKONOS- Monday (BLD)
Our staff will escort you to Piraeus, the port of Athens, where
you'll embark on your three-day cruise to the Greek Isles. You'll sail
into the Aegean, and by sunset, reach the jet-set isle of Mykonos. Stroll
at your own pace along lanes lined with whitewashed houses, up to the
Church of Paraportiani, or along the shore to the island's signature
windmills. Enjoy an ouzo or a glass of retsina at a waterside cafe.
Re-embark for a nighttime sailing.
DAY 4- RHODES-Tue (BLD)
Our cruise ship arrives early at the harbor, allowing a full day
on the Island of Roses. The compact, cobbled medieval city is perfect
for exploring on your own. You'll want to visit the Palace of the Knights
of St. John, take a look at the wares in the boutiques, and spend some
time in a seaside cafe. Or discover a hill-fringed beach a short walk
or taxi ride from town. We also offer an optional excursion to the Acropolis
of Lindos and the Valley of the Butterflies. Spend a restful night on
board as we sail to our next destination.
DAY
5- KUSADASI (Turkey), PATMOS- wed (BLD)
We anchor at 7 a.m. in Kusadasi, on the Turkish mainland, gateway
to ancient Ephesus. Stroll the streets and stop in at shops filled with
leather goods and bargains in gold. Our optional tour takes you to Ephesus,
one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in the world. You'll
re board in time for an afternoon sailing. In the late afternoon, your
ship will call at the island of Patmos. Here you can visit the Monastery
of St. John where the Book of Revelations was written.
DAY
6 - HERAKLION (CRETE), SANTORINI Thu (BLD)
We drop anchor in the port of Heraklion at 7 a.m. You can explore
the old Venetian section of town on your own, or take an optional excursion
to the 5000-year-old Minoan Palace at Knossos and the archaeological
museum. We sail at midday. In a few hours, we'll reach Santorini, where
the lost civilization of Atlantis flourished. Enjoy outdoor cafes and
wander the lanes of Thira, lined with craft and clothing shops and bakeries
and cafes. Ride the funicular to the cliff top, or be adventurous, and
do it on mule-back! Either way, you'll be rewarded with a spectacular
sunset over the Aegean.
DAY 7 - ATHENS, CAIRO - Fri (BD)
You'll sail into Piraeus early in the morning.
Our
Athens-based local rep. will take you to the airport to catch your flight
for Cairo . Air fare is included in economy class Athens Cairo with
tax included .
Our local representative greets you at Cairo Airport and whisks you
to your hotel. Visa may be 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 :
Ramses Hilton , Nile Hilton , J. W. Marriott, Cairo Conrad , Grand Hyatt
or similar .
Sample First Class Hotel : Sonesta Hotel or similar
Sample Tourist Class Hotel : Novotel or similar
Private chauffeur, private air conditioned vehicle for all your
airport transfers while you are in Greece and / or Egypt with us .
DAY
8 - CAIRO & Home Hosted Dinner- Sat (BLD)
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.
Home hosted dinner, meet the locals you may wish to bring token
gifts to exchange with the host family (T shirt or small souvenir from
your home town). If you rather have a quiet meal at hotel, please let's
know.
DAY
9 - ASWAN -Sunday - On Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Our Cairo personnel will escort you to the airport to board your
flight to Aswan in Upper Egypt. You'll arrive in time to take lunch
aboard your Nile cruiser. We'll have the opportunity to experience Egypt
at its most authentic, as we sail the Nile in a graceful felucca. If
you wish, try your hand at camel riding! We'll take a traditional caravan
to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers. Sample
Nile Cruise : Deluxe : M/S Monaco . M/S Mojito or similar . Sample First
Class : M/S Nile Dream. M/S Ruby , these same First Class cruise will
be used for the Tourist class rate as well.
DAY
10 - ASWAN, KOM OMBO-Mon (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.
DAY
11 - EDFU, ESNA-Tue (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.
DAY
12 - LUXOR- Wed (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, on the way back to
the ferry landing, the Colossi of Memnon.
DAY
13 - LUXOR, CAIRO- Thu (BD)
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. Dinner included at the hotel.
DAY
14 - Istanbul - Fri (B)
Our
Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport for your flight to Istanbul
( air fare Cairo Istanbul is included in our rate. Our local rep meets
your flight at Istanbul Airport and escorts you to your hotel.
DAY
15 -- ISTANBUL - Sat (BLD)
We dive right into this fascinating city with visits to its top sights:
Topkapi, the palace of the Sultans for centuries; Hagia Sophia,
the greatest church in Christendom for a thousand years; the Blue
Mosque, with its exquisite blue tiles; the Byzantine Hippodrome,
scene of chariot races and gladiator combat; and the eerie Sunken Palace
cistern beneath it. Then we go on a shopping spree at the labyrinth
of the Grand Bazaar. If you like, join us for Istanbul by
Night, a dinner tour with live music and belly dancing (optional,
at extra cost)
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and folk show included tonight .
DAY
16 -- DEPARTURE-Sun (B)
We escort you to the airport for your flight home. Breakfast . Bon Voyage
- Departures
are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March through November
Cruise itinerary may vary according to ship and line selected
- RATES
per person in double occupancy in US$:
- Rates
based on Greek and Nile cruise in an outside standard cabin with two
lower beds.
| Tourist
Class Hotel |
First
Class |
Deluxe
Hotel |
| US$
4710 |
US$
5280 |
US$
5980 |
Rate
includes:
Not
Included:
- Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance
- Shore
excursions from Greek cruise ships (Please note that the Egyptian
Nile Cruise does include all shore excursions as part of our services
& rate).
- International
air fare from /to your home country .
- Additional
personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned
in the itinerary
- Turkish
,Visa
Fee : in cash upon arrival, or
from any of the Turkish Consulates.
- All
tips to drivers, guides etc
-
Egyptian
visa may be issued upon arrival for a limited number of nationalities
such as for American, Australian, NZ, EU , Canadian & Japanese
citizens etc. , Please pay the $ 15 USD in cash upon arrival in
Cairo , your passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond
the date of arrival
. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort
you (private vehicle) to the hotel
|