Day 1: ISTANBUL
Arrival at Istanbul International Airport (IST). Meet and greet with our staff and transfer to your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure to explore Istanbul, formerly known as Byzantium and Constantinople. The city's historic areas were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 for their significant monuments and historical remains. Overnight stay. Please note: Arrival transfer to Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) will incur an additional fee.
Day 2: ISTANBUL
Breakfast. Free day to stroll through the city or go shopping. You will have the option of taking a full-day tour with lunch included to the magnificent city of Istanbul, a city located between two continents: Europe and Asia. We will begin by visiting the Hagia Sophia, which houses one of the richest museums in the world, a culmination of Byzantine art and the pearl of Istanbul. We will also visit the famous Topkapi Palace, residence of the sultans and the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th to the 19th century. Today, it houses a display of the Ottoman royal treasury and other religious relics, and we will visit its famous harem. We will continue with a visit to the Blue Mosque, a marvel of harmony, proportion, and elegance. With more than 20,000 handmade blue ceramic tiles imported from Iznik, this mosque has six minarets that complete its silhouette, more than any other mosque in Istanbul. The construction of this number of minarets caused some problems, as Mecca alone had so many, so the sultan had no choice but to later add a seventh to the holiest of mosques. We will also visit the Roman Hippodrome, which houses the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpentine Column, the Emperor William Fountain, and the Egyptian Obelisk. In the late afternoon, we will visit the famous Grand Bazaar, where we will enjoy free time to wander among its four thousand shops. (Visit included only in the -SI option). Accommodation.
Day 3: ISTANBUL
Breakfast. In the morning, we will depart to visit one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, the Jewish quarter of Balat, with its famous Orthodox church and colorful houses. We will continue with a boat ride along the Bosphorus Strait, which separates Istanbul into two continents. During this trip, we will see the Sultans' palaces, ancient and typical wooden houses, and experience history in a different way. Next, we will visit the Egyptian Bazaar, known as the Spice Bazaar, which was built in the 17th century after the Ottomans conquered Egypt. The rest of the day is free to stroll through the city or go shopping. You will have the option of taking an excursion, including lunch, to the Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent Mosque, located atop Eminonu Hill. Next, crossing the Bosphorus Bridge, we will visit Beylerbeyi Palace, an Ottoman-era palace located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Unlike other Ottoman palaces, it still retains all of its original decoration. We will continue to visit Camlica Hill, the highest hill in Istanbul, located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. (Visit included only in the -SI option). Return to the hotel and overnight stay.
Day 4: ISTANBUL - ANKARA
Breakfast. At the scheduled time, transfer to the high-speed train station for the journey to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. During the journey, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful landscape and admire places such as Lake Sapanca, one of the most touristic and closest to Istanbul. You will also enjoy views of the Bolu Mountains, part of a small city of the same name, located about two hours east of Istanbul. We will also pass through Eskisehir, a city primarily known for its universities. Arrival in Ankara, the second largest city in the country, and transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA
Breakfast. In the morning, we will visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic and whose name means "Father of the Turks." We will then visit Ankara Castle: perched on a hill overlooking Ankara's Old Town, the castle (Ankara Kalesi), also known as the Ankara Citadel (Hisar), is the city's most imposing monument. Framed by 7th and 9th-century fortifications, its streets are lined with Ottoman houses and restaurants with wood-beamed walls that offer spectacular views of the city. We will continue to Hamamönü, a famous old neighborhood in Ankara, known for its Seljuk and Ottoman-style houses. In the afternoon, we will depart by road for Cappadocia, the fascinating region of lunar landscapes formed over centuries on the sculpted layers of lava from two nearby volcanoes. On the way, we passed by the Salt Lake, the second largest lake in Türkiye, which produces more than half of the salt consumed in the country. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: CAPADOCIA
Possibility of an optional "Hot Air Balloon Ride" tour, during which, very early in the morning, you can admire one of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth (Visit included only in the -YES option). Breakfast. Departure for a full-day excursion to the Cappadocia region, located between three cities in Turkey: Kirsehir, Nigde, and Kayseri. We will visit the Goreme Valley, an incredible Byzantine monastery complex made up of rock-hewn churches with beautiful frescoes, the troglodyte villages of Uchisar, a natural fortress, the fairy chimneys of Urgup, and the duplicate and triple chimneys of the area. We will also pass through the Guvercinlik Valley (Dovecote Valley) and admire a wonderful panoramic view of Uchisar Castle, located atop a volcanic rock promontory pierced by tunnels and windows. At the end of the tour, we'll stop at a shop where they make and sell artisanal decorative items, traditional stones, and Cappadocian jewelry. Dinner and overnight stay. In the evening, you can attend the optional Turkish Night show. (Visit included only in the -SI option).
Day 7: CAPPADOCIA - PAMUKKALE
Breakfast. Departure for the Anatolian region. We will continue to Denizli province to reach Pamukkale, which, along with Hierapolis, is a World Heritage Site. Arrival and visit of Hierapolis, an ancient Hellenistic city now in ruins, and Cotton Castle, a natural wonder with gigantic white waterfalls and natural pools formed over centuries by the passage of limestone salt water from hot springs. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: PAMUKKALE - EPHESUS - IZMIR - ISTANBUL
Breakfast. We will then depart for Ephesus, the best-preserved Greco-Roman city in Asia Minor from the 1st and 2nd centuries. Due to its incredible value to humanity, Ephesus was included in 2015 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It boasts several buildings that are notable for their importance and state of preservation, such as the Roman Theater, the Library of Celsus, and Marble Street. We will then visit the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be the final resting place of Jesus' mother, and today a pilgrimage site visited by more than 800,000 pilgrims each year. We will continue with a visit to a leather shop where we will see the famous fabrics of the Aegean region. Next, we will transfer to Izmir airport for your flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.
Day 9: ISTANBUL - CAIRO
Breakfast. Free time until transfer to Istanbul Airport (IST) to board your flight to Cairo (flight not included). Arrival at Cairo Airport, assistance and transfer to the hotel. Free time in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, located on the banks of the Nile River and a witness to humanity's first great civilization. Known by the country's inhabitants as the "Mother of the World" for its ancient history. Overnight stay. Note: Transfer upon departure from Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) will incur an additional fee.
Day 10: CAIRO (Pyramids)
Breakfast. We'll begin our visit with one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid of Giza, built by Khufu around 2550 BC, as well as the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure. We'll enjoy some time for photography. Just 500 meters away, we'll find the Great Sphinx, an imposing sculpture featuring a human head and a lion's body carved from rock, symbolizing the pharaoh's strength and wisdom. The rest of the day is free. Overnight stay.
Day 11: CAIRO - LUXOR
Breakfast. Early morning transfer to the airport for a scheduled flight to Luxor. Arrival and transfer to the ship, boarding procedures, and overnight stay. Lunch. Afterward, we will visit the Temple of Karnak, the largest temple built during the Pharaonic period, dedicated to the god Amun-Ra (God of the Sun and Love). It is surrounded by a colossal adobe wall approximately 8 meters thick and 2,400 meters long. We enter the complex through the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes to find ourselves inside the largest place of worship, where the pharaohs competed to erect buildings and obelisks to honor the god Amun. The complex contains the great sacred lake, as well as the Temple of Amun and other smaller temples. We will continue our visit to the Temple of Luxor, one of the best-preserved temples of Ancient Egypt. Built between 1400 and 1000 BC by Amenophis III and Ramses II, it was dedicated to Amun-Ra, Mut (Amun's wife, represented by a vulture), and Khonsu. At the entrance to the temple, we find a large Pylon, with a frontage of more than 65 meters, where bas-reliefs are carved depicting Ramses II's military campaign against the Hittites, as well as the famous poem of Pentaur. Return to the ship, dinner, and overnight stay on board.
Day 12: LUXOR - EDFU
Full board on board. Optional visits to the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon are available. We begin the tour in the Valley of the Kings, known to the Egyptians as Ta-sekhet-ma'at, home to the tombs of the major pharaohs of the New Kingdom. We continue to the Colossi of Memnon, two impressive statues of Amenophis II, built 3,400 years ago and presided over his funerary temple on the west bank of the Nile. Standing 18 meters tall and weighing 1,300 tons, they depict the pharaoh with his hands on his knees, gazing at the rising sun. We then arrive at the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a unique funerary temple built in the form of enormous terraces on three levels, the most important of which is the third level, embedded in the mountain. The temple is dedicated to Amun-Ra, although there are rooms dedicated to Hathor and Anubis. Hatshepsut, wife of Thutmose II who assumed the regency upon her husband's death, was one of the most important female pharaohs in Egyptian history. Sail to Edfu. Overnight on board in Edfu. Note: In the Valley of the Kings, it is not permitted to visit the tombs inside them. For this reason, our guide will provide information from outside (the Tomb of Tutankhamun is not included, as all its treasures are in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo).
Day 13: EDFU - KOM OMBO - ASWAN
Full board on board. Free morning with the option to visit the Temple of Horus (the god represented by a falcon), son of Isis and Osiris, one of the most beautiful temples from the Ptolemaic period and exceptionally well preserved. Sail to Kom Ombo. Free time with the option to visit the Temple of Sobek and Horus. This is the only temple dedicated to two goddesses: Sobek, the god with a crocodile head and human body, and Horus the Elder. The temple's structure has a symmetrical floor plan, with two halves separated by a main axis, making it an atypical temple. Its double design suggests that there were duplicate courtyards, corridors, and rooms for the two gods. Interestingly, we can see medical instruments from the period on its walls; this temple has always been associated with medicine. In addition, in the courtyard, we'll find a Nilometer, an ancient system for measuring the level of the Nile River. Leaving the temple, we'll pass the museum, which houses a collection of 22 modified crocodiles of different sizes, as well as crocodile coffins, wooden sarcophagi, eggs, and more. We'll return to the boat and sail to Aswan. Overnight stay on board.
Day 14: ASWAN
Full-board accommodations on board. Optional visit to the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis, goddess of love, located on an island reached by boat. According to legend, when King Osiris was murdered by his brother, who scattered his body across the country, his wife Isis collected the remains and took refuge on Philae Island to reconstruct it. Afterwards, we will visit the quarry with the Unfinished Obelisk, a 40-meter-long granite mass weighing over 1,000 tons, one of the most important mysteries in the archaeological world. Later, we will visit the Aswan Dam, one of the largest dams in the world, which created Lake Nasser, which stretches over 500 km. Accommodation and overnight on board in Aswan.
Day 15: ASWAN - CAIRO
Breakfast on board. Disembarkation and transfer to the airport. Departure on a scheduled flight to Cairo. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay. NOTE: Passengers who wish to do so may take an optional excursion to the Temple of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II. Thanks to an extraordinary rescue carried out by UNESCO, the two rock-hewn temples were moved 65 meters higher and 210 meters from their original location, to save them from the floodwaters created by Lake Nasser. The four colossal 20-meter-high statues, two located on either side of the entrance to the Great Temple, are carved directly into the mountain and depict Ramses II enthroned. Beneath these gigantic statues are smaller statues depicting his conquered enemies, the Nubians, Hittites, and Libyans. The Small Temple, or Temple of Hathor, was built by Ramses II for his wife Nefertari. It is also adorned with colossi along the front, three on each side of the entrance representing Ramses and his queen Nefertari, four statues of the king and two of the queen, each 10 meters high. The prestige of the queen is evident from these statues, since women were usually represented on a much smaller scale than the pharaoh, while at Abu Simbel Nefertari is represented at the same size as Ramses. This temple is also significant because it is the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a ruler dedicated a temple to his wife; the first was Pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled from 1353 to 1336 BC, who dedicated a temple to his wife Nefertiti. If you wish to visit the temples at Abu Simbel, you must inform us upon arrival in Egypt.
Day 16: Cairo
Breakfast. Free time until transfer to Cairo airport for your flight. End of services.
16 days and 15 nights
2 Countries
