DAY 1 - USA Thursday
Your wide-body jet departs JFK bound for Cairo. Turkish Airlines or British Airways. We maintain the right to use any IATAN accredited international air carrier. Dinner is served on board.

WELCOME TO ISTANBUL! Friday (D)
Tour starts in Istanbul : Fridays. For private touring arrive ANY day. We meet your flight at Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport and escort you to your hotel located in the heart of the city's historic district. After freshening up, we visit the spectacular Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, followed by dinner at our hotel.

Meet the locals, come closer to the real world of women Egypt & Anatolia

DAY 2 - ISTANBUL'S TOP SIGHTS Saturday (BL)
Today we explore Istanbul's top sights, including the imperial palace of Topkapi, with its sumptuous 500-room Harem, ruled by the second most powerful person in the vast Ottoman Empire: the Valide Sultan (Queen Mother). A short walk takes us to the Byzantine Hippodrome and, beneath it, the eerie Sunken Palace cistern. Finally, we dive into the Grand Bazaar, the world's oldest "shopping mall," to look for treasures in its 4000 shops.

DAY 3 - ISTANBUL, BELLE EPOQUE Sunday (BL)

"Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque" (late 19th century), the exotic romance of the
"Paris of the East:"

Morning walking tour of Istanbul :
We start with our lady 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). Continue by car/coach to the mouth of the Golden Horn, we delve into the colorful sights, vibrant sounds and intriguing scents of the Egyptian Market (Spice Bazaar) before returning to our hotel.

DAY 4 - ISTANBUL to CAPPADOCIA Monday (BD)
A morning flight takes us across Anatolia ("Great Mother" in Turkish) to Kayseri, from which we drive into the eerie volcanic landscape of biblical Cappadocia. We settle in at the Ottoman House Hotel ( Or Similar), in the afternoon, we explore the foremost sights in this historic, visually striking region. Our first stop is the Göreme Open Air Museum, with its dozens of ancient cave-churches carved from the soft volcanic stone. Many still contain their beautiful colored fresco decoration. Next we explore the monastic valley of Zelve, where whole monasteries were carved into the rock. In the Pasabag and Dervent valleys we view the "fairy chimneys," pinnacles of volcanic rock formed by wind and water erosion over millennia. We enjoy a panorama of the Red and Rose Valleys before we head back for our hotel to enjoy a typical Turkish dinner.

DAY 5 - EXPLORING CAPPADOCIA Tuesday (BLD)
We drive across the rolling steppe of Central Anatolia to the town of Derinkuyu and descend into an underground labyrinth carved thousands of years ago. Hundreds of cave-rooms and passageways descend eight levels into the earth. Storerooms, kitchens, larders, and churches show that this "underground city" was capable of housing thousands of people when danger threatened. On our way back to our hotel we stop at the striking Agzikarahan Caravansaray, built by the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century as a way-station for the rich camel caravans plying the Silk Route between Europe and Asia. Late afternoon drive to Avnos , a traditional potter- making town to visit the local artisans, and admire the fine detailing of the famous Iznic ceramic designs. In the evening we visit an underground restaurant for a traditional Turkish folklore show, with dances and costumes from several regions rich in folklore, including Gaziantep, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea. The mysterious and alluring art of belly-dancing, and an enjoyable evening of traditional Turkish dance.

DAY 6 - CAPPADOCIA LIFESTYLE WALK Wednesday (BLD)
Morning tour of the small local bustling vegetables, fruit and spice market. Enjoy meeting locals as they do their daily shopping. Now that we've seen the highlights, it's time to really enter into the daily life of women in Cappadocia. We visit local cave homes in rockhewn villages set in spectacular valleys off the beaten track, and learn from local women how to prepare and cook several Cappadocian culinary specialties. Depending upon the season, we may pick fresh grapevine leaves to make dolma, or use a slender rolling pin to roll the dough for manti (Turkish ravioli), or prepare fresh vegetables for a savory lamb stew cooked in an earthenware crock. Best of all, we get to enjoy our culinary creations for lunch! In the late afternoon, choose any of several activities depending upon your interests. One of the most popular is to learn how beautiful Turkish kilims and carpets are created by talented Turkish female artists: we watch carpets being woven, and talk with the artists creating them. Evening at leisure. Dinner is served back at our hotel.

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DAY 7 - CANYONS & LABYRINTHS Thursday (BL)
This morning we'll enjoy a brief demonstration by the Ottoman House's Chef, on the dishes served to the Sultans and Sultanas , including a variety of traditional meze (Turkish hors d'oeuvres) made with eggplant, garlic, spiced yoghurts, salad greens, and goat cheese; oven baked lamb or skewered meats; and plump figs, apricots and nuts. Food- you may join in , try your hand in Ottoman cooking , memories--are twice as good when you make them yourself! Enjoy lunch at the Ottoman House and the meal you help prepared. Afternoon at leisure.

DAY 8 - WHITE VALLEY WALK Friday (BLD)
We continue our explorations of Cappadocia with a visit to the natural rockhewn citadel of Uchisar, one of the highest points in Cappadocia, and the nearby Pigeon Valley. Then we take a leisurely 1-1/2-hour stroll through the lunar landscape of the White Valley to see its spectacular rock pillars, fairy chimneys, tunnels, caves and passages. Our walk ends in a lavish picnic lunch, after which we return to Göreme village to meet local women in their homes We share in delicious sweets ! The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy as you wish. You may wish to wander through Goreme's winding streets and alleys to observe daily village life, or sit and sip in a sidewalk cafe, or do some shopping, or write postcards. If you're up for more adventure, just ask us about our many optional activities and tours. Evening farewell dinner.

DAY 9 - MONASTERIES & MARKETS/ ISTANBUL Saturday (BL)
Today we visit some of the most interesting sights in Cappadocia: the striking scenery and cave churches of the Pancarlik Valley, the Keklik Monastery complex in Soganli Valley, and the Ottoman village of Mustafapasa, filled with graceful old Greek and Turkish houses. Afterwards we drive to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul and your hotel.

DAY 10 - CAIRO Sunday (B)
Fly south across the Mediterranean to the Nile Kingdom: Egypt.
Our staff meets you at Cairo airport and escorts you to your deluxe hotel: Sheraton,Royal Meridien or Hilton.

Visa fee is included & issued upon arrival. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of arrival. Valid only for American, Australian, NZ, Western European Canadian,and Japanese citizens.
Welcome Fruit basket/Hotel room.

DAY 11 - CAIRO Monday (aBL)
We start with the best of Cairo: the Egyptian Museum, Citadel of Saladin and its Alabaster Mosque, where you will participate in a " Q & A " presentation on "Women in Islam " as well as "Women in Egypt".

After lunch at a charming local restaurant, we wander through the alleys of the 12-century district of Khan el-Khalili with it's Caravanserai, Medieval Trade Centers , and bazaar shops that changed little since 12-13 century. You 'll have some time to wander on your own maybe in search of souvenirs.

Finally we walk the narrow streets of Old Cairo, once a Roman fort, later the Jewish Quarter, then the Coptic Christian Quarter. We visit the Coptic churches of Abu Serghius and Al Molaka, the Coptic Museum, and Ben Ezra synagogue. While we are at one of the churches or the Coptic Museum we'll discuss how the Nile Delta environment and local Egyptian tradition has affected women in the Nile Valley regardless of their religion. Evening Sound& Light show at Giza

DAY 12 - MEET AMERICAN & EUROPEAN WOMEN IN CAIRO Tuesday (aBLD)
In the morning, we visit the majestic pyramids of Giza, the Valley Temple and the timeless Sphinx. After lunch we drive to Dahshour, the newly opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit several ancient structures, including the great pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops.

On our way back to Cairo , we stop at the village of Harania, after a brief tour we'll have a group discussion , that will include an American or a European woman /women who settled in Cairo to share their own insight on/about the Egyptian Society & Egyptian Women. These guests will join you for lunch at a charming local restaurant

In the evening, we board our first-class sleeper train. Dinner is served in our private compartments as we speed southward along the banks of the Nile.

DAY 13 - LUXOR Wednesday (aBL)
We leave our train for a full buffet or American breakfast at your hotel, after which we cross the Nile to visit the Valley of the Kings , including King Tut's Tomb, and the Colossi of Memnon.
Return to your hotel for lunch .
In the afternoon we tour the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and visit the Sacred Lake and red granite quarries with their unfinished obelisk. As well as the great Luxor temple of Amon Ra .Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak

DAY 14 - CAIRO Thursday (aBL)
Morning tour of one of the local girls school, you may wish to bring with you a small gift of school supplies , pencils, notebooks etc. to give to the children , then we are off to visit the small and yet charming Luxor museum. Later in the day and after lunch we head for the airport for our flight back to Cairo, and our hotel.

DAY 15 - RETURN HOME Friday (B)
We escort you to the airport for your onward or homeward flight.

RATES are in US $ and are (per person)

Not Included:

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