The Romance of the Near East
A Grand tour of Jordan ,Turkey and Egypt

All in 21 days on a Locally Escorted Private Tour

Visit Turkey's top sights-- Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia and Ankara. Then on to the land of the Pharaohs: Tour Egypt's top sights : Cairo , Giza, Luxor and Aswan , you 'll get to cruise the Nile in Luxury . As well as get to see the top sights in Jordan , including Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum . We have even included all the tips .

This Private Tour starts weekly in Istanbul , compare with the Bodrum Edition

DAY 1 - ISTANBUL Tuesday - Weekly - Year Round
We meet your flight and escort you to your Deluxe (5-star) hotel :Ceylan Inter.Continental , Hilton Istanbul , Conrad, Hyatt or if you prefer a boutique hotel : Blue House or similar . All transfers are on a private basis . private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur .

DAY 2 - ISTANBUL - Wednesday (BL)
Let us show you the city: the Blue Mosque, Byzantine Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia , then the Underground Cistern. walk thru the columns of this grand water reservoir and Topkapi Palace.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant. All tours and transfers are on a private basis . private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur . Private guide for all the touring .

DAY 3 - CANAKKALE -Thursday (BL)
After breakfast we start our scenic drive south to the famous Gallipoli, we cross the strategic Dardanelles, to land in Asia ! , tour Troy , before we reach Çanakkale and your hotel .

DAY 4 - PERGAMON & IZMIR- Friday (BL)
We drive to Pergamon to see its Acropolis, Temple of Trojan, Altar of Zeus and Temple of Dionysus, the Red Basilica, and the ancient medical center of the Asclepion, then continue to Izmir and your hotel.

DAY 5 - EPHESUS & PAMUKKALE - Saturday (BL)
We drive to Selçuk to visit the extensive ruins of Roman Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary. After lunch we continue to Pamukkale for a tour of the ancient Roman spa of Hierapolis and its warm calcium-rich mineral baths. Lycus River Hotel or similar.

DAY 6 - KONYA -Sunday (BL)
Passing through Turkey's fertile Lake District, we drive to Konya, capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum and home of the Whirling Dervishes. We visit the Mevlana Museum, where the founder of the dervish order is buried, overnight in Konya .

DAY 7 - CAPPADOCIA -Monday (BLD)
Enjoy your breakfast before continuing on to Cappadocia, stopping at the Sultanhan Caravanserai on the way. We descend into a labyrinthine Underground City at Kaymakli, then tour the rockhewn cave churches and monasteries of the Göreme Valley and the rockhewn natural citadel of Uçhisar. Cappadocia Inn Hotel , Kapadokya Lodge or one of the top Cave suites hotels

DAY 8 - ANKARA & ISTANBUL -Tuesday (cB)
Heading north, we drive to Ankara for a visit to the monumental mausoleum of Atatürk, father of modern Turkey, then we tour the famous Museum of Anatolian Civilizations before heading to the airport for our flight to Istanbul. Deluxe (5-star) hotel : Conrad, Hyatt or if you prefer a boutique hotel : Blue House or similar

DAY 9 -CAIRO - Wednesday (cBD)
We escort you to the airport for your flight to Cairo, air fare is included in our rate in economy class with tax .
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Hyatt , Conrad , Sonesta or similar 5 stars
Visa fee for Egypt is to be paid locally upon arrival in cash ( $15 subject to change ) , visa may be issued upon arrival for a limited number of nationalities such as : Australian, NZ, American,EU , Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.Our local rep. will meet after you exit the passport and customs control .

DAY 10 - CAIRO - Thursday (BL)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including the " Mummies Room" , the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster. Lunch is included at the Mena House.

DAY 11 - Friday (BL)
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide): Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun, lunch is included at a local restaurant.

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included

Complimentary 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 12 - LUXOR - BOARD your NILE CRUISE - Saturday(BLD)
After an early breakfast , we fly to Luxor , check in on your Deluxe Nile cruiser at noon. After lunch, we visit the great temples of Luxor and Karnak, then return to our Nile cruiser in time for afternoon tea.

Sample deluxe Nile cruises :    M/S Monaco , M/S Monte Carlo , M/S Mojito . Queen of Hansa ,
 MS Beau Soleil . MS Adonis , M/S Florence. MS Renaissance.

DAY 13 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS -Sunday (cBLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings, including Tut-Ankh-Amon'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 14 - EDFU & KOM OMBO- Monday (cBLD)
We cruise by Esna to Edfu, where we board horse-drawn carriages for the ride to the Temple of Horus. Returning to our ship, we set sail for Kom Ombo. In the evening, there's a jolly galabia party aboard.

DAY 15 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN Tuesday (cBLD)
We explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek at Kom Ombo, then sail south to Aswan. After lunch we board a graceful felucca and cruise among the islands, returning to our ship in time for tea.

DAY 16 - ASWAN ABU Simbel CAIRO Wednesday (cB)
After breakfast we check out, visit the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk, then board a motor launch to visit the Temples of Philae, returning to Aswan by late morning. Transfer is included ( private car/driver) back to Aswan airport.

A short flight to Abu Simbel.

If you wish to overnight in Abu Simbel & attend the Sound & Light show, please click here

in Abu Simbel : There we'll marvel at the temples dedicated to Ramses the Great and Queen Neferatri, saved from rising waters of the Nile when the High Dam was built, fly back to Aswan and connect with our returning flight to Cairo .
Domestic air fare is included Aswan Abu Simbel Aswan as well as back to Cairo .
In Cairo , we meet you at the airport & escort you back to your hotel

DAY 17 - CAIRO - Amman - Thursday (BD)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your Amman flight. Air fare is included in Y class, tax included . Our staff will meet you upon arrival and help with the transfer to your hotel in Amman .Complimentary visa is issued upon arrival for American & Japanese passport holders. Passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival. Dinner is included at your hotel

DAY 18 - MADABA, KERAK & PETRA - Friday (BD)
We drive south along the King's Highway, an ancient caravan route, to Madaba to visit the church containing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. Continuing to Mount Nebo, we enjoy the panoramic view of the Promised Land the way Moses saw it for the first time. Further on, at Kerak, we tour the ruins of its romantic Crusaders' castle of Renaud de Chatillon, one of a line which stretched from Aqaba to Turkey. Finally, we arrive to PETRA .

DAY 19 - PETRA - Saturday (BD)
Today the fabulous Nabatean City of Petra awaits us. Made famous in the Indiana Jones movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark," its ancient temples, tombs and striking Khazneh (Treasury) were hewn right from the pink and violet sandstone. We spend a full day here, and another night.

DAY 20 - WADI RUM & The Dead Sea - Sunday(BD)
We board four-wheel-drive vehicles for an expedition to Wadi Rum, the "Valley of the Moon" where T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") organized Arab resistance to Ottoman rule during World War I. After our visit, we return to the Dead Sea resorts such as the Mövenpick, Kempinski , or SAS Radisson

DAY 21 - Monday - Departure (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight. Bon Voyage !

Itinerary is subject to change without notice.

For guests that are going on to Syria with us. You will continue on to The Syrian border, visit Bosra before continuing to Damascus. Or if you are touring Syria on your own, we'll be glad to arrange for the transfer to Bosra in Syria ( Supplement $65 per person, minimum 2 guests, private car/driver to Bosra), Do you Speak THE LANGUAGE OF THE JESUS IN THE LAND OF THE BOOK ? Visit Maaloula in Syria . Extend to Dubai & the United Arab Emirates

Jordanian departure tax is included in our rate. Salam & Bon Voyage . Click here for the 12 days edition ( Without Egypt)

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES:

• Complimentary visa is issued upon arrival in Cairo and Amman for American, Australian, NZ, EU , Singaporean & Japanese citizens, passports must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of  your arrival
• Domestic airfare within Turkey, Egypt (economy class ) as well as sleeper train ticket within Egypt.
  
• One way air fare Cairo Amman in economy class , tax included.
  
• Deluxe Nile Cruise in Egypt including all meals, shore excursions. Large bottle of water per person per day delivered to your cabin while on board the Nile cruise Afternoon tea daily onboard the Nile cruise   .
• Tea/ Coffee and one small bottle of water per person with each meal on board the Nile cruise
  
  
• All transfers and porterage
  
• Jordanian Departure tax
• Locally escorted, guided sightseeing (including admissions fees) as described in the itinerary
• Meals as shown: (cB = continental breakfast; L = set-menu lunch; D = set-menu    dinner)
• Deluxe ( 5 stars ) and First Class (4-star) hotels as listed , including hotel tax and service charges
  
• Bonus! Lonely Planet Turkey, Egypt and Jordan guidebooks
• Tips to drivers, porters, guides , all the crew on board your Nile cruise. No Hidden charges, no additional tax.

Rate doesn't include :

• International air fare from / to your home country .
• Visa Fee : in cash upon arrival, in Cairo and Istanbul ,or from any of the Consulates
  
• Trip -travel insurance
  

Sample Hotels in Turkey or similar : 5 Stars and best available :

Istanbul : Conrad Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Inter.Continental or similar . If you prefer a boutique style Ottoman Mansion Hotel, please let's know in advance : Sample : Blue House . Arena . Yesil Ev, Sultanahmet Sarayi , Sultanhan or similar
Kusadasi : Korumar Hotel or similar
Pamukkale: Colassae Hotel or similar
Antalya: Talya Hotel or similar
Konya: Riixos Hotel or similar
Cappadocia : Cave Suites Hotel or similar (local 4 star)

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea

Amid scenes of exquisiteness and peace, the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar will give you the opportunity to enjoy its riches where Marc Anthony, Queen of Sheba, Aristotle and even Cleopatra once strived to unravel mystery.

Millennia Of History, Welcome to Ishtar

Surely there is no region on earth where nature and history have more wonderfully conspired, where so exciting a drama has obtained so beautiful a theatre.... Read More .

More Choices :

Click here for this tour with Egypt extension

Compare with the 7 Day Heart Of Anatolia version

compare with the 10 day edition

Bodrum Edition

The Jewish Heritage Tour of Turkey .

Add Greece and the Peloponnese .

Compare with the 9 Day Istanbul and Anatolia version .

Click here for the 12 days edition, including air fare from JFK

Most popular Yachting package : A Week's Escape on a Mediterranean Yacht
8- Day : Including a Mediterranean Gulet Cruise

You may choose to cruise the Nile on a Deluxe Yachts on the Nile
Or for a supplement : A deluxe private Air conditioned felucca or Dahabiya cruise on the Nile

Sultans , Caliphs and Pharaohs (17 Days)
Istanbul , Petra , Sinai and Cairo and even include a Deluxe Dahabiya Nile Cruise. Weekly year Round : 17-Day Adventure in Turkey, Jordan and Egypt


Alexandria Edition , including camping with the Bedouins in Wadi Rum
Memphis and Sakkara in Giza Egypt .

Go Beyond Istanbul and combine the Grand Tour of Turkey, Egypt and Jordan
Including a one week Deluxe Dahabiya Nile Cruise