DAY 8 - Thu. ISTANBUL, CAIRO (B)
Air fare is issued in Istanbul by Mr. Gokhan, and delivered to you in Istanbul, air fare Istanbul Cairo is in economy class, tax included .
After breakfast our local representative 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, Australian , NZ , 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 and 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 9 - Thursdat 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, before we head for the legendary 11-century Khan El-Khalil Bazaar district. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant.

  DAY 10 - Fri. CAIRO (BLD)
After breakfast we drive to the edge of the Sahara and Giza, you'll gaze in awe at the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids. Lunch is included at the Mena House . The afternoon is dedicated to old Coptic Cairo , we tour the Coptic Museum , al-Moalaka Church, and Beni Ezra Synagogue.
Dinner is included at the hotel .

DAY 11 - Sat. ASWAN (BLD)
Very early morning flight to Aswan ( air fare is always included with tax )
Transfers are always on a private basis. 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 12 - Sun. ASWAN, KOM OMBO - Nile Cruise (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 13 - Mon. EDFU, ESNA - 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.

DAY 14 -Tue. LUXOR - Nile Cruise (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 Karnak Sound & Light Show

DAY 15 - Wed. LUXOR, CAIRO, (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 is included at the hotel

Day 16 - DAHSOUR - HOME HOSTED MEAL - Thursday (BL)
After breakfast, we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King's Chamber your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (Included) is entirely your own choice! Continue to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure: The "Discovery" of Dahshour: For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru's pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza's Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru's--miraculously--is still in place. Lunch is included at a local restaurant or at your hotel.

Dinner 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): This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo 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 17 - Cairo / DAMASCUS - Daily - Year Round
Air fare is included Cairo Damascus , ticket is included , issued and delivered in Cairo by Mr. Yasser Anwar . Syrian Visa is included in our rate , provided that you e.mail us a legible scan of your passport info page at least 45 days in advance. If your passport has any Israeli stamp/visa: Syria will not issue your visa and will deny you entry.
In Damascus : Our staff greets you at Damascus International Airport and escorts you to your hotel. You can begin your explorations of this "Arabian Nights" city just after you arrive. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.

DAY 18 - DAMASCUS (BL)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur. Today we explore the Syrian capital, visiting the National Museum, with treasures dating from the 1400s BC; the bustling Old Bazaar, the Eastern Gate (Bab ash-Sharqi) in the Roman city walls; the Street Called Straight (Via Recta); the house of Anania; and the chapel with a window from which disciples lowered St. Paul so he could escape those who sought to kill him (Acts 9:24-25).

DAY 19 - PALMYRA (BLD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner is included at your hotel . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
We drive to ancient Palmyra (Tadmor), in a desert oasis on the trade route between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, to visit its museum, the temples of Bel, Baal Shamin and Nebo, the Roman baths, the Tetrapylon, Diocletian's camp, and the Valley of the Tombs, before settling in at our Palmyra hotel.

DAY 20 - KRAK DES CHEVALIERS, HAMA & ALEPPO (BLD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner is included at your hotel . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
Get your camera ready, for today we see the famously photogenic Krak des Chevaliers, the most spectacular 12th-century Crusaders' castle of all. From this marvel of military architecture we head north to Hama, one of Syria's prettiest towns, to see its great norias (water wheels), some up to 65 feet in diameter, scooping water from the fabled Orontes River. We continue to Aleppo for the night.

DAY 21 - ALEPPO (BLD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Dinner is included at your hotel . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
The sights of Aleppo (Halab) include the Grand Mosque, the vast Ottoman bazaar, the 12th-century Citadel, and a camel caravanserai. We visit them all, then continue to the church (Qala'at Samaan) built to honor the Byzantine ascetic St. Simeon Stylites, who lived atop a column for over 35 years in the 5th century. We return to our comfortable Aleppo hotel for the night.

DAY 22 - SERGELLA, APAMEA, MAALULA & DAMASCUS  (BL)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant .
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
We head south to Sergella, one of the 500 Dead Cities, fabled ghost towns built between the 4th and 7th centuries which were abandoned mysteriously around the 9th century. Our next stop is Apamea (Qala'at al-Mudiq), the Hellenistic "city of a thousand columns" built by Seleucus I Nicator in the 2nd century BC and named in honor of his wife. We continue to Maalula, where villagers still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus, for a visit to the chapel of St. Sergius, before returning to Damascus for the night.

DAY 23 - Damascus - Departure (B)
Our local rep. escorts you to the airport . Bon Voyage .

While this tour operates daily , yet please keep in mind that we keep the right to substitute some site based on the following: Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday. Ayasofia is closed on Monday. Kariye Museum is closed on Wednesdays. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.

RATES per person in double occupancy in US$:
All cabins on the Nile cruise are outside cabins with two lower beds, all with panoramic windows.

  Christmas/ New Years, Easter Weeks: Please add : 20 percent to the rates

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 .M/S Tuya , M/S TIYI .


Sample Suite on board the Ultra Deluxe M/S Amarco (supplement applies for the suite)

For Ultra Deluxe Cruise :please add % 20, to the deluxe rate
Or the All Suites/ All with private balconies : Sonesta M/S Star Goddess , Sonesta M/S Moon Goddess

• Lonely Planet travel guides to Syria , Turkey and Egypt
  
• Air fare in economy class : between Istanbul Cairo and Damascus , tax included.
  
  
• Five day Nile cruise, including all meals and shore excursions.
  
  
• Guided tours as listed , including all entrance fees.
  
  
• Hotel accommodation as mentioned in Turkey 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.
  
  
  
  
• Domestic air fare within each country as listed including tax, economy class .
  
  
• Egyptian , and Syrian visa fee, available only for American, Australian, NZ, Canadian, EU , Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Must have a valid passport. Issued upon arrival at Cairo airport.
  
  
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
  
  
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
  
  
• Large bottle of water ( per person ) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
  
  
• Tea or coffee an bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.

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

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 .
• International air fare from/ to your home country

Traditional Turkish Spa ( Turkish Hamam)

  Visa information : Important
Syria will not issue visas for any passport holder that may carry any stamp or visa for Israel. Border crossings may take some time, depending of several circumstances (traffic, police, documentation, visas, etc.)

More choices :

• Compare with the 14 day version adding Athens tour.
  
• Compare wit the 16 day Santorini Version , or a foray into Istanbul .
  
• Touring Greece by land rather than by cruise - 15 day Edition .
  
• Grand Tour ATHENS, ISTANBUL & NILE CRUISE .
  
• Compare with the Ultra Deluxe Version including Istanbul.
  
• Compare with Egypt , Palestine and Israel version .
  
• Add the Arabian Gulf hottest destination : Dubai , the true 1001 Arabian Nights destination.
  
• Compare with the Santorini edition
  
• The 20-Days Grand Tour of the East Mediterranean including Cappadoccia
  
• Around the World : Athens , Istanbul and Tokyo, add Egypt

Extend your tour to cover Abu Simbel :Temple of Queen Nefertari :
The great funerary temple built in the 12th century BC by Ramses the Great for Queen Nefertari is unique in Egyptian history. Beautifully restored with American aid, it's the only such temple built by a pharaoh for his queen. We rise early to see it as few visitors are admitted each day. It's sure to be a highlight of your Egyptian adventure.

Abu Simbel:
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‹and only then‹the sun penetrates to the Holy of Holies, illuminating the stone figures of Ramses and Nefertari. We've planned our visit to maximize your Abu Simbel experience. Rising before dawn, we drive along the shore of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the temple while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun's light still golden‹just right for photographs. We explore the huge temple by ourselves, 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 in time for a late lunch.