Egypt and Turkey
15 days/14 nights
Featuring
EGYPT: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan with a 5 day/4 night Deluxe Nile cruise and an optional excursion to Abu Simbel
TURKEY: Kusadasi, Ephesus, Prienne, Didyma, Miletos, Istanbul.

The Program:

Day 01: (Saturday) CAIRO
Arrive Cairo, clear immigration and customs then staff will transfer you to the Le Meridien Pyramids hotel. Overnight Cairo
OPTIONAL sound and light show at the pyramids ($40 per person)

VISAS: All travelers to Egypt must have a visa. Citizens of most countries can obtain one on arrival. Please let us know what passport you are traveling with and we will confirm whether you can get your's on arrival.

Day 02: (Sunday) CAIRO, LUXOR
Enjoy an international buffet breakfast and check out before starting the day at the Pyramids at Giza, home of the 7th wonder of the world, the Great Pyramid and the inscrutable Sphinx. Staff transfers you to the airport, assists with checking in and you fly to Luxor. Arriving staff transfers you to the Sonesta Luxor Hotel. Overnight Luxor (B)
Optional: Sound and Light show at Karnak Temple $40 per person

Day 03: (Monday) LUXOR
International buffet breakfast, check out, Staff will meet you for transfer to your Deluxe Five Star Nile Cruiser, the M/S Royal Viking or the M/S Amarco. Lunch on board then visit the East Bank of Luxor including the Temple of Luxor and Temple of Karnak. Overnight Luxor (B, L, D)
Optional Tour of West bank sites not included in cruise: $95 per person (includes the Valley of the Queens, the tombs of the nobles and artisans, Medinet Habu, Ramessium, temple of Seti 1)

Day 04: (Tuesday) LUXOR, ESNA, EDFU
Breakfast, then visit the West Bank of Luxor including the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Return to the ship for Lunch while sailing to Esna, cross the river lock, continue sailing to Edfu. Dinner. Overnight Edfu. (B, L, D)

Day 05: (Wednesday) EDFU, KOM OMBO, ASWAN
Breakfast followed by a visit to the Temple of Horus in Edfu. After touring return to the ship for lunch while sailing to Kom Ombo. Upon arrival in Kom Ombo visit the Temple of Two Gods. Dinner while sailing to Aswan. Overnight Aswan (B, L, D)

Day 06: (Thursday) ASWAN
Breakfast then visit the Aswan High Dam, the Granite Quarries with the Unfinished Obelisk and the Temple of Philae. Lunch on board then in the afternoon FREE BONUS: Sail on the Nile by Felucca (native sailboat). (Please note that these boats are solely wind powered, if there is no wind this will not operate). Dinner on board. Overnight Aswan (B, L, D)
NOTE: Optional excursion to Abu Simbel including transfers, flights, guide, entry fees, service charges and taxes $250 per person. (This is a morning excursion so if you go you will visit the antiquity sites in Aswan upon your return, then enjoy the Felucca)

Day 07: (Friday) ASWAN, CAIRO
Buffet breakfast, disembark the cruise. Staff will transfer you to the airport and assist with checking in for a flight to Cairo. Arriving Staff will transfer you to the Fairmont Heliopolis hotel. Overnight Cairo (B)

Day 08: (Saturday) CAIRO
Buffet breakfast, visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities featuring King Tut's treasures followed by a visit to the famous Khan el Khalili bazaar where travelers have been finding bargains since the middle ages. Overnight Cairo (B)

Day 09: (Sunday) CAIRO, ISTANBUL, KUSADASI
Staff will transfer you to the airport, assist with exit formalities and checking in for your international departure to Istanbul. Arriving transfer to your flight to Izmir, where you will be met by our staff and transferred to hotel La Vista, in Kusadasi. (meals on the flight)
NOTE: International flight from Cairo to Istanbul NOT included in tour cost. You are welcome to arrange your own or we can assist.

All travelers to Turkey must have a visa. Citizens of most countries can obtain one on arrival. Please let us know what passport you are traveling with and we will confirm whether you can get your visa upon arrival.

Day 10: (Monday) EPHESUS
You will begin your full day's tour with a visit to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the world. This ancient city will give you the best understanding of what life was like in ancient times. This was the second largest city in the Holy Roman Empire and one of the seven wonders of the world. You will also visit the last house of the Virgin Mary and the important museum in Selcuk. Overnight La Vista Hotel in Kusadasi. (B, L)

Day 11: (Tuesday) PRIENNE, DIDYMA, MILETOS
After breakfast your tour will first stop at the peaceful site of Prienne, an ancient Hellenistic city, the home of an important temple of Athena, considered a classic example of pure Ionic style. A short drive from Prienne takes you to Miletos, which was on the sea in ancient times. Its magnificent theater was built during the Hellenistic period and held 15,000 people. Driving on, your last stop will be Didyma, not far from the coast. It was an important sacred site in the ancient Greek world and its famous oracle and Temple of Apollo brought large groups of pilgrims as it was second in importance only to Delphi. The name Didyma means twins and refers to the twins Apollo and Artemis. Overnight at La Vista in Kusadasi. (B, L)

Day 12: (Wednesday) ISTANBUL
Staff will transfer you to the Izmir Airport for your morning flight to Istanbul, where you will be met and transferred to Blue House Hotel. Your afternoon walking tour will begin with lunch, afterwards you will have a tour, beginning with the Spice Market. There you will see the best of fresh herbs and spices, amazing sweets, dried foods and a great variety of oils and rose water. Next you will visit the most attractive of Istanbul's smaller mosques, the architectural gem of Rustem Pasha. The Iznik tiles, inside and out, are among the most profuse of any mosque in Turkey. Overnight at the Blue House. (B, L)

Day 13: (Thursday) ISTANBUL
Today's tour of Istanbul will start with Topkapi Palace, which was constructed by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1478. The palace is famous for its superb collection of ceramics and jewels as well as for its intriguing Harem with its walls of exquisite tiles. Continue on to Hagia Sofia, the original having been built in the fourth century by Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor. After lunch you will be shown the immense Blue Mosque. The beautiful interior tiles from which it gets its name give the entire area a delightful blue atmosphere. Overnight at the Blue House. (B, L)

Day 14: (Friday) ISTANBUL
This morning your guide will show you first the Archaeological Museum in the Topkapi Palace outer gardens. This great museum contains the ornate Alexander Sarcophagus as well as a large collection of Turkish, Hellenistic and Roman artifacts. Continue to the enormous Basilica Cistern, which provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and continued to provide water into modern times. After visiting the cistern you will be shown the fabled Covered Bazaar, one of the grandest in the world. Overnight at the Blue House. (B, L)

Day 15: (Saturday) You will be met at your hotel and transferred to the Istanbul airport for your international departure. (meals on the flight)

EGYPT:
TOUR INCLUDES: Domestic flights in Egypt in coach (economy) class. All transfers by air-conditioned vehicle relating to the tour program starting with arrival to Cairo. Baggage handling of no more than 1 piece of luggage per person however baggage and personal effects are at the owner's risk at all time during the tour (baggage handling does NOT include tips for bellmen, porters, etc.). Hotels (based on double occupancy). 5 star Deluxe Nile cruise with outside Nile view cabin, private bath, individual climate control. Meals as outlined by B for breakfast, L for lunch and D for dinner. Fees for visiting antiquity sites and museums. Services of an English speaking licensed Egyptologist. Service charges and taxes. NOTE: During any of our small group tours people may join or leave at various times, however at no time would any group be larger than 16 travelers. We can provide private tours with an additional supplement. The cost depends on the tour chosen.

NOT included are: items of a personal nature such as tips, entry visa (available at the airport on entry for USA citizens. Other nationalities should check with the nearest Egyptian consulate), phone calls, laundry, beverages, any items not specifically covered in the included items.

TURKEY:
TOUR INCLUDES: Domestic flights in Turkey in economy class, transfers pertaining to the tour program, hotels (based on double occupancy), meals as outlined by B for breakfast, L for lunch and D for dinner, tours as detailed including entry fees (please know that the tours in Istanbul are walking tours, NO transportation is included) services of a licensed ENGLISH speaking guide, service charges and taxes. NOTE: During any of our small group tours people may join or leave at various times, however at no time would any group be larger than 16 travelers. We can provide private tours with an additional supplement. The cost depends on the tour chosen.

NOT included are: International air, items of a personal nature such as tips, entry visa, entry or exit taxes, phone calls, laundry, beverages, any items not specifically covered in the included items.

Laundry in Egypt

All hotels and the cruises have laundry/dry cleaning available.
Sample laundry prices IN EGYPTIAN POUNDS (LE) are:
Men:Shirts (collared, short or long sleeve): 9 to 17 LE
Trousers: 12 to 20 LE
Under shorts: 5 to 7 LE
T Shirts: 6 to 13 LE
Socks: 3 to 6 LE
Shorts: 7 to 13 LE

Ladies
Blouse: 10 to 17 LE
Panties: 5 to 8 LE
Bra: 5 to 8 LE
Slacks: 12 to 22 LE
Dress: 20 to 36 LE
T shirt: 6 to 13 LE
Shorts: 6 to 13 LE

Laundry in before 9AM is back at 6PM.
Laundry in after 9AM is back the following day.
Rush laundry is generally available at 50% more cost.
Dry cleaning is available with prices about the same as laundry.
Children's clothes are generally 50% of the adult cost.

Drinks with Meals

No drinks are included in tour prices. Some hotels and cruises give one bottle of water free daily others do not. As a general guide you could expect to pay:
Bottled water at hotels or on the cruise: $1 to $3 for a small bottle, $2.50-$5 for a large bottle.
NOTE: This is filtered water. If you order perrier it will cost more.
Coffee or Tea: 50 cents
Soft drinks (Coke, Pepsi, etc): $1 each
Alcoholic drinks:
Local beer: $3 per bottle
Imported beer: $5 to $8 per bottle
Wine: local $4 to $6 per glass. imported will be more $$.
Liquor: local $5 per cocktail + cost of mixer (soft drink, juice, etc), imported $8-$15 per cocktail + cost of mixer)
ICE: In the hotels and on the cruise the ice is prepared from filtered water.

Egypt & Turkey Tour Price	PP/Double	PP/Single**
Low (Jun, Jul, Aug)	$4,340	$5,415
Shoulder (May and Sept*)	$4,445	$5,525
Peak (Oct-Apr)	$4,555	$5,645
10% supplement for travel over the Easter period.
Holiday (Christmas, New Year)	$4,925	$6,145

NO triples allowed except children under the age of 12 sharing with two adults.
Child sharing with one adult: Single rate + childs rate.

CHILDREN:
ages 06 through 11: $1195 per child
ages 02 through 05: $800 per child
under 02: Free (Unless they have their own seat on included flights in which case they will pay the under 02 years air plus taxes).

*September tours must end no later than September 30 to get the shoulder season rate.

**Single Price is for Single occupancy hotel rooms and cruise cabins based on a minimum of two travelers. Single travelers (one person on the tour) would have additional cost.

Tours must be booked at least 45 days prior to arrival.
Prices and itinerary subject to change without notice.

 

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