Triangle of Ancient Lands

Egypt, Israel, Palestine , Greece
A grand 17 Day Private Mediterranean Tour
Including Santorini and Crete

Visa will be issued upon arrival. As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops, at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign with the name you prefer to use for the sign . Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel

Day 3 - Fayoum Oases - The Valley of the Whales ( BL)
A True Gift from Joseph to the Mighty Pharaoh of Egypt As a token of gratitude for taking in the Israelites escaping the drought in Palestine.

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. Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo.

You will enjoy your private : Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser. Services of your own private chauffeur and private English speaking guide .
Lunch is included today at a local seafood restaurant.

 

 

 

DAY 4 - CAIRO -Tel Aviv - JERUSALEM (B)
Today we board your flight for a mere one hour across the Sinai peninsula to tel Aviv, where our local rep. meets you . We drive up into the Judean Hills to Jerusalem and your hotel. Air fare Cairo Tel Aviv is included in our rate in economy class, tax included.

 

 

 

DAY 5 - JERUSALEM - BETHLEHEM (B)
The Holy City is at our feet: we visit the Western Wall, Temple Mount, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Roman Cardo, fabled Mount Zion, and King David's Tomb, then drive to biblical Bethlehem to visit Rachel's Tomb and the Church of the Nativity, returning to our Jerusalem hotel in the evening.

 

DAY 6 -THE DEAD SEA (B)
We drive down below sea level to the Dead Sea for a visit to one of its mineral spas. Try a swim in the Dead Sea's saline waters, where you'll be as buoyant as a cork!

 

 

 

DAY 7 - JERUSALEM (BD)
Today fabled Jerusalem is yours to explore as you like, guidebook in hand.
Breakfast and dinner : included at your hotel.

 

 

 

DAY 8 - ATHENS (BD)
Our local rep. escorts you to Tel Aviv's airport for your flight to Athens (airfare Tel Aviv Athens is included in our tour rates, economy class , tax included , ticket is issued and delivered locally ). Upon arrival in Athens, our staff meets you and escorts you to your hotel in the Greek capital. The rest of the day is yours: Athens awaits you! Dinner is included at your hotel .

 

 

 

DAY 9 - ATHENS- Private Tour - Private Guide (BLD)
A half-day private city tour shows you this great city's layout: we visit Syntagma Square, the heart of modern Athens, drive by the parliament, and climb up to the Acropolis. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant. Now that you know the layout, the city is yours to explore as you like. Visit a museum, take in some shopping
Lunch is included in a charming local restaurant. The evening brings us traditional Greek dancing and entertainment, a fitting celebration of our three-country Triangle Tour, after which we return to your Athens hotel.

 

 

DAY 10 - GREEK ISLANDS CRUISE (BL)
We drive to the Marina Trocadero and board a boat for a tour of the Saronic Gulf and its islands: Aegina, Poros and Hydra.

 

 

Day 11 - ATHENS TO SANTORINI (B)
We escort you to the airport for your flight across the sparkling blue Aegean to the fabled volcanic island of Santorini for a four-night stay at the Dana Villas, Santorini Palace, or similar first-class accommodation of traditional-style houses with panoramic sea views. Each villa has a fully-equipped modern kitchen, large bathroom, direct dial phones, color satellite TV, air conditioning, bar, pool bar, swimming pool, and daily maid service. After we escort you to your villa, relax and enjoy this portion of paradise!

 

 

Day 12 - SANTORINI (B)
Your villa is only a ten-minute walk from the heart of the town. The island is yours to explore as you like, observing the rhythms of traditional Greek daily life-and nightlife!

 

 

 

Day 13 - SANTORINI (B)
Santorini is actually the rim of a caldera (collapsed volcano), with steep lava cliffs plunging into the sea. But there are numerous swimming areas reached by steep paths and stairways. The shopping streets are even more easily accessible.

 

 

Day 14 - Crete (B)
We'll rendezvous in time to take you to your flight to Crete, Heraklion& your hotel. Flights operate only on Thu & Sat, on other days, it will be the ferry which is 5 hours, or flights via Athens (Supplement applies$ $95).

DAY 15- CRETE (BL)
Today in Heraklion. We visit the unique 5000 year old museum, enjoy lunch in a local tavern, and tour to the three-story Minoan palace of Knossos.

DAY 16- CRETE (B)
Enjoy your stay at the hotel or explore one of the beaches. Or explore on your own the Venetian part of the old town , see below more details on tours in Crete.

DAY 17 - DEPARTURE (B)
Do your last-minute shopping this morning, or just linger deliciously in bed. Then we'll call for you and see you to the airport for your flight to Athens and connect on your own for your onward flight. Air fare Crete Athens is included in our rate in economy class. Tax included .

The Great Pyramid of Cheops . . . Are You Up to the Adventure?

A journey into the heart of the Great Pyramid is a real-life Indiana Jones adventure. But it can also be a taxing and frightening one.

You'll follow claustrophobic passages cut into the heart of the pyramid, feel the pull of the mass of stone directly above. For better or worse, you have placed yourself in the hands of the engineering expertise of the ancients.

As you continue along the unventilated passages, the oxygen becomes depleted, the air becomes noticeably warmer and more pungent. The ascent of steep stairways consumes more energy than you imagined, and you find yourself short of breath. Lighting is dim, every footstep must be carefully calculated. Low passageways repeatedly oblige you to advance while bent down, and your muscles protest. Where walls disappear into the dark above, you feel wedged into a shaft. Despite warnings, and your own resolve, claustrophobic feelings are hard to suppress.

Finally, you behold the King's Chamber at the heart of the Great Pyramid. The effort to reach it has made the reward more exhilarating than you imagined. If only you can face the return.

Is the King's Chamber for you? If you're not used to bending and regular exercise, you might find the challenge beyond your capabilities. Turning back is more difficult the farther you go, and the experience could leave you aching for days afterwards.

Be realistic about yourself, your abilities, and your disposition. And remember that there are many other rewarding sights and adventures at Giza, without the physical challenge and risks of the King's Chamber.

The decision is up to you.