Legends
of the Greece and the Nile
A Grand 15 day Mediterranean Tour : Exploring
Greece by land & Egypt on a Nile Cruise
Arrival
Friday
A Great Family Friendly Vacation : Greece & Egypt
Tour
starts weekly in Athens on : Friday or Saturdays
, March through Oct . You may add extra days pre or post .Among the
most treasured memories of many travelers are a trip to Greece and a
journey on a Nile steamer. You'll experience both, along with the high
points of Classical Greece, on this tour.
Grand
Tour ATHENS, ISTANBUL & NILE CRUISE
Compare with Egypt & Israel version
. Compare
with the Santorini edition.Add
a Greek Cruise ?
Add
Air fare from JFK
DAY
1 - Friday -ATHENS (D)
Our local personnel meets you at the airport and escorts you to
your hotel.
Athens is yours and you may wish to cover on your own the high
points of the city, especially the towering Acropolis and the adjacent
museum. In the evening, we'll take in a dinner with traditional Greek
entertainment. Click for Saturday
arrival
Add
Istanbul ? Please click here
DAY
2 - Saturday- ATHENS (B)
On your first morning in Athens we show you the top sights: the Acropolis
and its museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, the Theater
of Dionysus, and more. In the afternoon, plunge into the city as you
like for sightseeing and shopping.
DAY
3 - Sunday- ATHENS (B)
Full day at leisure , explore Athens on your own.
DAY
4 - Monday - MYCENAE, EPIDAURUS & Olympia (BD)
After breakfast we'll escort you to the tour
terminal; we are passing by the Olympic Stadium of the 2004 Olympics
main venue. We continue for the Corinth Canal (brief stop). Drive to
EPIDAURUS and visit the Ancient theatre, world famous for its outstanding
acoustics. Proceed to NAUPLIA (short stop) and through the plain of
Argos arrive to MYCENAE. Visit the archaeological site and the Tomb
of Agamemnon. In the afternoon (optional stop for souvenirs) depart
for OLYMPIA, the birth place of the Olympic Games, through the cites
of Tripolis and a brief stop at MEGALOPOLIS . Overnight stay in Olympia.
First class hotels : Europa or similar . Tourist class
: Ilis or similar
DAY
5 - Tuesday - Delphi (BD)
Visit the archaeological site with the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of
Hera, the altar of the Olympic flame, the Stadium and the archaeological
Museum. Depart via PATRAS (short stop) to RION, cross the Corinthian
bay by the new bridge to ANTIRION. Pass by the city of NAFPAKTOS and
from there on, along the coastal road to DELPHI, known in ancient times
as the navel of the world. In the afternoon visit the picturesque mountain
village of ARACHOVA. Overnight stay in Delphi. First class hotels
: Amalia or similar . Tourist class : Hermes or similar
DAY
6 - Wednesday - DELPHI - Kalambaka (BD)
Visit the archaeological site, and, the MUSEUM of Delphi. Depart for
KALAMBAKA via Central Greece (short stop by Lamia). Overnight stay in
Kalambaka (a small town built at the foot of the majestic gray rocks
and crowned by the METEORA Monasteries).
DAY
7 - Thursday - Meteora & ATHENS (B)
Leave in the morning for nearby Meteora to visit the BYZANTINE MONASTERIES.
Return to Athens passing the heroic monument of Leonidas at THERMOPYLAE
DAY 8- Friday - ATHENS, CAIRO (B)
Our Athens-based personnel will take you to the airport to catch
your flight ( air fare is included in economy class with tax) for Cairo,
where our local staff whisks you through the excitement and hubbub of
the terminal, and onward through the desert to your hotel .
Visa fee is included, issued upon arrival for EU , American, Japanese
and Australian, NZ citizens, passports must be valid for at least 6
month beyond the date of arrival. You are responsible for your passport
being valid & in order.
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
9 - Saturday - ASWAN- Camel Caravan - Nubian Village (BLD)
Our Cairo personnel will escort you to the airport to board your
flight to Aswan in Upper Egypt. You'll arrive in time to take lunch
aboard your Nile cruiser. Welcome fruit basket awaits you on board.
We'll have the opportunity to experience Egypt at its most authentic,
as we sail the Nile in a graceful felucca. If you wish, try your hand
at camel riding! We'll take a traditional caravan to enjoy tea with
Nubian villagers.
Wish
to add a true Ancient Wonder of the World: Abu
Simbel Temples ?
DAY 10 -Sunday - ASWAN, KOM OMBO (BLD)
After breakfast on board, we'll visit the dams at Aswan,
including the High Dam, a modern wonder in this ancient land. At the
ancient granite quarry, we'll see an obelisk left unfinished, then board
a launch on Lake Nasser to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from
rising waters. Back aboard our cruiser, we'll sail northward down the
Nile at a stately pace, disembarking for a visit to Kom Ombo, the twin
temple dedicated to the crocodile river god, Sobek. Cabin
amenity : 2 Large bottled water.
DAY
11 - Monday- EDFU, ESNA (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages or vans meet us at riverside to take us through
Edfu to the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Later,
we'll cruise to Esna, and by evening, we'll be in fabled Luxor.
Cabin
amenity: Egyptian Sweets platter.
DAY
12- Tuesday - LUXOR (BLD)
We'll cross the Nile to view an array of ancient splendors: the
tomb chambers of the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of
Queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens; and the Colossi of Memnon.
Evening
farewell dinner & a belly dance show: Complimentary Galabya
will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments.
DAY
13 -Wednesday - LUXOR, CAIRO, Home Hosted Dinner
(B)
We'll visit the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak and the
great Temple of Luxor before heading to the airport to catch our flight
to Cairo. After we settle you into your hotel, you'll have your last
opportunity to experience the excitement of this great city and, of
course, do some last-minute shopping.
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Cairo ! 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
14 - Thursday - CAIRO (BLD)
Today, you'll explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, with its
treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones
and metals. Travellers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these
sights, but your day has just started. You'll also see the Citadel of
Saladin and the alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali. In Giza, on the edge
of the desert, you'll gaze in awe at the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids
, for those interested a complimentary ticket is included for entry
to the King's chamber inside the Pyramid, you must be physically fit
to be able to climb.
DAY
15 -Friday - RETURN HOME (B)
Our
Cairo-based staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Bon
Voyage.
- Start
in Athens weekly on Sunday, March through Oct
. Cruise itinerary may vary according to ship and line selected.
- RATES
are per person in double occupancy in US$:
- Rates
are based on an outside standard cabin with two lower beds. ( for
other preference , please do let us know)
| Tourist
Class Hotel |
First
Class |
Deluxe
Hotel |
| US$
3620.00 |
US$
3990.00 |
US$
4590.00 |
Rate
includes:
- Lonely
Planet travel guides to Greece and Egypt
- 5-day
Nile cruise, including all meals , afternoon tea served on deck daily
, and shore excursions.
- One
large bottled water per person delivered to your cabin daily while
you are on board the Nile Cruise . Plus a small bottle of water with
each & every meal on board the cruise
- Tea
or coffee and water with each & every meal while you are on board
the Nile cruise.
- Complimentary
welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
- Complimentary
welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
- Hotel
accommodation as mentioned in Athens and Cairo, including tax and
service charges, and breakfast daily.
- Meals
as indicated, with preset menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner).
- Airport
greeting and assistance. Transportation between airports, hotels,
and port.
-
One-way air transportation from Athens to Cairo .
- Port
taxes.
-
Domestic air transportation in Egypt " Y " class , please
add $ 150 to upgrade to business class in Egypt.
- Egyptian
visa fee, available for American, Canadian, EU, NZ, Singaporean &
Japanese citizens.
Must have a valid passport. Issued upon arrival at Cairo airport.
Not
Included:
- Trip
interruption and cancellation insurance (please see our insurance
brochure).
- International
air fare.
- Additional
personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically mentioned
in the itinerary .
Deluxe
Nile Cruises : Monaco , Monte Carlo , Mojito , Beau Soleil
, Florence. Adonis or similar
First Class : Nile Dream ,Lady Diana , Ruby or Similar
Upgrade
to the Ultra Deluxe Nile Cruises: Movenpick
Radamis II, the Royal Lotus
Moon
Goddess , or M/S Philae ( all state rooms are Junior
Suites do offer private balconies)
The Ultra Deluxe" Queen TiYi
Supplement : 20 % applies to be added to the deluxe rate
The all suites M/S
Amarco
The
Ultra Deluxe all suites M/S Amarco :
Supplement : 30 % applies
to be added to the deluxe rate
DEPARTURE
NOTES:
this tour departs on Fridays , weekly, year round For departures
during Christmas, New Year's or Easter weeks, please add 15% to the
rates above.
Honeymoon/
Anniversary & Birthday trips : Please advise us in advance:
Free Upgrade to a Junior Suite
subject to availability
For
PRIVATE GUIDE/CAR/DRIVER for Nile Cruise Shore Excursions:
For the full duration of the Nile Cruise & shore excursions: please
add $250 per person .This supplement doesn't apply when you have at
least 6 guests in your party, as you'll have always your own private
car/driver/guide.
Nile
Cruise :
DINING NOTES
The set-menu meals included in your tour are indicated in the itinerary:
B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast), L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
On our luxury Nile cruise vessels, our spacious dining rooms accommodate
all passengers at one seating, so there is no need to worry about
making reservations ,
one less thing to worry about while you are on the Nile. Enjoy the
cosmopolitan atmosphere with several different languages being heard
at dinner.
Compare
with Jordan & Israel Version
or the Grand
Tour of Athens ,Istanbul & a NILE CRUISE
BIBLICAL
ODYSSEY: EGYPT,
JORDAN , Palestine & ISRAEL
Cairo, Luxor, Petra, Amman, Jerusalem, and four days by the Red Sea
at Sharm el Sheik-
Weekly on Saturdays. All in 11 days
DRESS
CODE :
All
of our Nile cruise vessels are fully air conditioned. Onboard dress
is casual except at dinner, when smart casual is the rule. Lightweight
cotton and other natural fiber clothing is best, with swimsuits and
sun hats for the sundeck and pool. Bring a light sweater or light
jacket for cool mornings and evenings, but most days are warm to hot,
with very little rain. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for
shore excursions.
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.
|
