Enticing Egypt & Turkey l
Full Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Istanbul where you will be met by our tour escort and transferred to your hotel, the luxurious Intercontinental Hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast, then start a full day city tour to explore the famous treasures of Istanbul, the bridge between the past and the present: Saint Sophia, the Blue Mosque, famous for its colorful tiles; The Hippodrome, a center for political events of the old city; Topkapi Palace, Imperial residence of Ottoman Sultans exhibiting imperial treasury, weapons, calligraphy and more. Also, visit Soliman Mosque built in the 16th century as well as the Grand Bazaar claimed to be the largest in the world with nearly 4000 shops. Transfer back to your hotel. Later in the evening you will be met and transferred to the Sea Port Fish restaurant in an old Turkish house for dinner on the Bosphorus. Transfer back to your hotel for overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3
You will be met by our representative and transferred to Istanbul airport for your flight to Ankara. Arrive Ankara, start your tour visiting the Museum of Anatolian Civilization which is located in a restored bazaar. The museum has the most unique and priceless collection dating back to the Prehistoric Era. Continue tour, visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk. It is a magnificent structure serving as a tribute to the founder of modern Turkey. Drive to Cappadocia. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel, the Dedeman Hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast, then start your tour visiting the Citadel of Uchisar which will enable you to get a panoramic view of the region. Continue to the Goreme Valley which is the highlight of the day. This valley houses the Goreme open-air museum with its churches hewn out of rock with colorful frescoes that decorate them. Our next stop is Zelve and the caves of this ancient village, the underground city of Kaymakli (Derinkuyu) which was carved by refugees from persecutors during the early Christian Era. Enjoy dinner at a typical Turkish restaurant with a Turkish folkloric show. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5
Transfer to Ankara Airport for your domestic flight to Izmir. Arrive in Izmir where you will be met and transferred to the Hilton Hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6
Start your tour of Ephesus: This is one of the best-preserved and most often visited sites in Turkey. It is dedicated to Artemis who is the virgin goddess of Chase. Continue our tour to visit the house of the Virgin Mary which is world-famous. Drive to Izmir for dinner at a famous restaurant in Kordon, the most popular area of Izmir. Transfer back to your hotel for overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast, then start your tour of Izmir visiting the castle of Agora the antique and modern city. Transfer with your tour guide to Izmir airport for your domestic flight back to Istanbul. Arrive in Istanbul where you will be met and transferred to your hotel, the luxurious Swissotel in Istanbul. Balance of day at leisure. In the evening you will be met and transferred to Pescatore, a famous seafood restaurant on the Bosphorus shore for dinner. Later transfer back to your hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8
Visit the Spice Bazaar and Dolmabahce Palace: the last residence for Ottoman sultans, with 365 rooms and 22 reception areas. In the afternoon visit Akmerkez, the beautiful and most popular shopping center in Europe. Transfer back to your hotel. In the evening you will be met and transferred to Kervansaray Night Club for dinner and a Turkish folkloric music dance show including a traditional show and Turkish belly dancing. Later transfer back to your hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9
You will be met and transferred to Istanbul airport for your flight to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport, you will be met by our Egypt Tours and Travel tour manager and transfer to your hotel, the luxurious Semiramis Inter-Continental Hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 10
Meet with your Egypt Tours tour guide. Start your tour by visiting the Pyramids of Giza. Cheops (Khufu) Pyramid, the largest of the three, was built in the 4th dynasty about 2690 BC and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In front of the pyramid of Chephren (Khafre), you will find the Sphinx carved from a single piece of stone. Enjoy a camel ride by the Pyramids area. Continue your tour visiting the Egyptian Museum, famous for its antiquities from Egypt's Pharaonic period, which dates back some 50 centuries and includes the fabulous treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon. Also, visit the famous mummy room. In the afternoon take an excursion to Old Cairo, visiting the very old Coptic Churches and the oldest Jewish Synagogue of Beni Ezra. Continue your visit to the Citadel of Salah El-Din and the Mohammed Ali Mosque as well as the Medieval Bazaars of Khan-El-Khalili. Return to your hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 11
Meet with your Egypt Tours tour manager and transfer to Cairo Airport for your early flight to Abu-Simbel. Upon arrival at Abu-Simbel Airport, you will be transferred to visit the Temples of Ramses II and his favorite Queen Nefertari. The temples were saved from the rising waters of the Nile resulting from building the Aswan High Dam. The temples are so awesome and impressive by all measures, although they were built 3200 years ago. Transfer back to Abu-Simbel Airport for your flight to Aswan. Arrive Aswan and start your tour by "Felucca" (sailboat) to the Elephantine Island and the Botanical Gardens. Also, visit the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam. Transfer to Aswan Airport for your flight to Luxor. Arrive at Luxor Airport where you will be met by our representative and transferred to the luxurious St. George Sonesta Hotel for check-in. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 12
Start your tour with the Temple of Karnak, which took over 1500 years to build and considered the world's largest religious complex. Continue to the temple of Luxor, which was started by Amenhotep III, and completed by Ramses II. In the cross to afternoon, cross to the West Bank of the Nile, visit the Necropolis of ancient Thebes. Explore the Valleys of the Kings and Queens where tombs of 64 pharaohs and 57 queens have been discovered, and enter some of the most ancient tombs, including King Tut. Also, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Transfer back to your hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 13
Meet your tour guide, visit the Valley of the Nobles, Userhat Tomb as well as Rekhmire Tomb, many of which are vividly painted with naturalistic scenes of agriculture, fishing, fowling, feasting, and junketing. Continue your tour to the very large Temple of Ramses III known as Madinet Habu, which depicts the battle reliefs on the exterior of the temple. End the tour by visiting the Luxor Museum. Later transfer to Luxor Airport for your flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport, you will be met by our Egypt Tours tour manager and transferred to the luxurious and historical Cairo Marriott Towers and Casino hotel. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 14
Meet with your Egypt Tours tour guide. Start your tour by visiting the Red Pyramid as well as the Pyramid of Sneferu in Dahshur, often referred to as the "Bent Pyramid" because of the angle of inclination going from bottom to top. Transfer back to Cairo. Overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 15
You will be met by your Egypt Tours tour manager and transferred to Cairo Airport, where you will be helped with your check-in for your departure flight.
Meals: Breakfast
Also Included: Domestic flights in Egypt & Turkey. All taxes, service charges, port charges, and entrance fees to sights mentioned included as well. All transfers, meeting and assistance and baggage handling are also included.
Extensions & Optional Tours: Extra days and optional tours to sites are available upon request.
Pricing
$4589
Enticing Egypt & Turkey I
$649
Single Supplement
**Please keep in mind that if you are traveling alone, you are single occupancy.
