Departures are weekly on: Thursdays & Fridays year round
Compare with the 12 day Version , or the Grand Tour : Athens , Istanbul and a Nile Cruise. Cruise the Nile in the Privacy of your own Royal Cleopatra Sailing boat,click for details.

DAY 1 - Thursday ( Arrive weekly in Istanbul on Thursday and Friday ) . ISTANBUL (B)
Upon arrival at Istanbul , you're met at the airport by our representative, who sees you to your hotel, and answers any questions you may have about getting to know the city. As you ride into the great metropolis from the airport, two thousand years of history are revealed: towering Roman walls, ancient Byzantine churches, slender minarets framing the bulbous domes of graceful mosques. These ancient monuments float on the skyline of a bustling modern metropolis of ten million people. Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur for all your transfers in Turkey & Egypt.

DAY 2 - Friday . ISTANBUL (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 3 - Saturday . ISTANBUL - (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 4 - Sunday , ANKARA / CAPPADOCIA (BL)
Morning Flight to Ankara, air fare is included in our rate in economy class, tax included , tour the Museum and Atatürk Mausoleum , then proceed by private air-conditioned vehicle to Sultanhani the Seljuk Turkish caravanserai before arriving to biblical Cappadocia and your Hotel. Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur and private guide.

Day 5 - Monday . CAPPADOCIA (B)
We explore the "moonscape" of Cappadocia, visiting the painted churches in the Göreme and Zelve Valleys, the rockhewn dwellings in Ortahisar, the pottery-making center of Avanos, and the incredible underground city of Kaymakl (or Derinkuyu). Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur and private guide

Day 6 - Tuesday . CAPPADOCIA / KAYSERI / IZMIR, EPHESUS (BL)
Proceed by private car to Kayseri, board your flight on to Istanbul & connect to Izmir , and your hotel. Air fare is included in our rate in economy class, tax included . Remainder of the day at leisure. Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur for all your transfers .

DAY 7 - Wednesday . Ephesus / ISTANBUL (B)
We proceed to time capsule & the gem of ancient cities of the Greco Roman world: Ephesus, the capital of Roman Asia Minor, we spend most of the day in Ephesus and touring the Basilica of St. John, said to mark his tomb. Then fly back to Istanbul & our hotel, 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. Private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur and private guide

DAY 10 - Saturday - Luxor ( or ASWAN ) - Board your Nile cruise (BLD)
Breakfast is served on board your sleeper train before you arrive in Luxor in Upper Egypt. You'll arrive in time to take lunch aboard your Nile cruiser. Upon arrival proceed to 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. On to the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu then back to the East Back to check-in around noon on board your Nile cruise , in time for a delicious lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin . Afternoon tour of Luxor Museum , In the evening , we have arranged for a horse drawn carriage ride for you to attend the Sound & Light show at Karnak ( Please bring a jacket and always carry with you a bottle of water ( long performance , bring a jacket and a flash light )

DAY 11 - Sunday . Luxor / Edfu   (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.

The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon . We'll return in time for the afternoon tea served on deck. You'll have a chance to explore your ship before dinner. We cruise to Esna to go through the locks , and on to Edfu where we dock for the night. In the evening , we'll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing national costume, a galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments)

Day 12 - Monday - EDFU, KOM OMBO (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved temple. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we enjoy lunch as we sail further south upriver . We disembark downstream at Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, the continue our voyage to Aswan, while we party after dinner with music & dance.

DAY 13 - Tuesday - ASWAN- Camel Ride (BLD)
First we tour Aswan dams, then on to the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS . In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile.
If you wish, try your hand at camel riding ! Then, we'll take a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with Nubian villagers. Our farewell dinner this evening is a buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by a show featuring oriental performers, including of course a belly dancer. In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage throughout Aswan and the water front .

DAY 14 - Wednesday . Aswan , CAIRO, (B)
we 'll head 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 - 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. Prefer to extend your stay in Egypt or Turkey ? please click here.

DAY 16 - Friday . RETURN HOME (B)
Our Cairo-based local rep. escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Departures are weekly, year round, on Thursdays & Fridays.