Magic of Istanbul and the Nile

Start in Cairo
A 13 day Tour of these two gems of the Mediterranean - Private touring
Start weekly in Cairo , year round , subject to the availability of flights and a Nile Cruise

DAY 1- CAIRO - Wednesday - Weekly - Year Round
Land at Cairo International Airport . Visa fee for Egypt is included, issued upon arrival for EU , American, Japanese and Australian 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 to your hotel (private vehicle) to the hotel . Prefer to start in Istanbul ? Please click here.
Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur for all your transfers in Egypt and Turkey .

DAY 2 - CAIRO - Thursday (BL)
Today, you'll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals, we include as well the ticket for King Tut's Gold and treasure room.
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. Lunch is included at the Hadaik Al-Azhar Park. Then conclude the day with a walk through the famous Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district. Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur and private guide

DAY 5 - ASWAN, KOM OMBO- Sunday (BLD)
First we tour new Nubian Museum then the dams at Aswan, including the High Dam, a modern wonder in this ancient land, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the the Island temple of Philae , rescued from rising waters it was moved to this island after building the High Dam. dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS :

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.

 
Honeymoon on the Nile - Enjoying a drink before sunset on deck :

DAY 6 - EDFU, ESNA- Monday (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 7 - LUXOR- Tuesday (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings , including Tutankaomn's tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.

Afterward, we'll continue on Luxor's west bank to get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs. Here we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

DAY 8 - LUXOR, CAIRO- Wednesday (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 9 - CAIRO- Istanbul - Thursday (B)
Air fare is included between Istanbul and Cairo in economy class , tax included . After breakfast our local representative will take you to the airport to catch your flight for Istanbul , please be ready with the cash for your visa to be issued upon arrival in Istanbul ( specific number of nationalities such as USA , Canada, EU, Japan , etc. or secure from the consulate nearest you ) after your clear passports and customs our local staff whisks you through the excitement and hubbub of the terminal, and onward to your hotel .

DAY 10 - ISTANBUL - Friday (BL)
The center of ancient Constantinople and Istanbul was on Seraglio Point, framed by the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. We visit the Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet III to challenge the architectural primacy of neighboring Sancta Sophia. We then walk next door to compare achievements in Justinian's great Sancta Sophia. Right behind Sancta Sophia is our next stop, sumptuous Topkapi Palace, the sultans' seraglio for centuries, filled with breathtaking exhibits of priceless jewels, golden thrones, delicate colored tiles, and lavish court costumes. We finish up in the bustling Grand Bazaar, where you can find jewelry, carpets, goat-hair rugs, hand-painted ceramics, copper and brass in labyrinthine streets holding nearly 4000 shops. Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur and private guide

DAY 11 - ISTANBUL - Saturday (BL) ISTANBUL- "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).

Then go on a shopping spree at the labyrinth of the Grand Bazaar. Breakfast, Lunch .Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur and private guide

DAY 12 - ISTANBUL - Sunday (B)
Full day on your own in Istanbul , one last chance for shopping spree in the legendary covered Bazaar. Istanbul is all yours, any way you like it. Grab your Lonely Planet guidebook and stroll along the restored 19th-century thoroughfare of Istiklal Caddesi, once known as the Grand Rue, DE Péra. Search for spices and folk remedies in the Egyptian Bazaar. Admire the medieval mosaics in the city's many Byzantine churches. Shop in the chic boutiques around Taksim Square. Climb the Galata Tower, built by the Genoese six centuries ago, for a panoramic view of Old Istanbul.

DAY 13 - RETURN HOME - Monday (B)
Our Cairo-based local rep. escorts you to the airport for your flight home.

Rates per person in US$ :

Sample Deluxe Nile Cruise:
M/S Mojito , M/S Monaco or M/S Monte Carlo Nile Cruise, M/S Adonis , M/S Beau Soleil , M/S Florence

For Ultra Deluxe Cruises Please add 20 % Supplement : M/S Tuya , M/S Tuya , M/S TI-YI .
The All Suites/ All with private balconies : Moon Goddess ,
The All Suites Amarco , please add % 20, to the deluxe rate

For Dec 20 - Jan 5 , Easter : Please add 20 % supplement to any of the rates

• Lonely Planet travel guides to Turkey and Egypt
  
  
  

• Five day Nile cruise, including all meals and shore excursions ..
  
  

• Guided tours as listed , including all entrance fees. Private Guide in Cairo, Istanbul & on board the cruise, for all the shore excursions.
  
  

• Private car/driver for all airport/hotel/cruise transfers.
  
  

• Hotel accommodation as mentioned , 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 between Istanbul and Cairo . Economy class with tax
  
  

• Domestic air flights within Egypt in economy class , tax included .
  
  

• Egyptian visa fee, available only for American, Australian, NZ, EU , Canadian, British & Japanese citizens. Must have a valid passport. Issued upon arrival at Cairo airport.

For children : 2-10 years of age : 25 % discount will apply when sharing with parents in a double room

Sample hotels ( Subject to change subject to availibility at the time you book ):

Not Included:

• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• Turkish Visa fee, you may contact the Turkish Consulate nearest to you to secure your visa before you travel, or upon arrival at Istanbul in this case cash only
• Additional personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned in the itinerary .

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