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.
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.

Sunset-Santorini Island

DAY 7 - ATHENS, CAIRO - Fri (BD)
You'll sail into Piraeus early in the morning. 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 (Western) European , American, Canadian, 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 - 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 -Sun (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.

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.

Rate includes:

• Lonely Planet travel guide books to Istanbul,Greece and Egypt

• All tips to portesr, drivers, guides etc
  

• Greek Isles cruise including Turkey as per itinerary , including meals. Royal Olympic Cruises, or Golden Sun, we'll confirm the specific ship before you send us your deposit.
• 5-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 as well as Cairo to Istanbul economy class .
• Port taxes.
• Domestic air transportation in Egypt .
• Egyptian visa fee, available only for American, Canadian, Australian, NZ , EU , Mexicans & 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 ).
• 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.