Cradles of Civilizations – Turkey & Egypt Tour

We begin our tour with a visit to the Blue Mosque, followed by the Hippodrome of Constantinople and the Aya Sophia museum. We then head to the Dolmabache Palace, the former residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Today we visit the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar, take a private ferry ride on the Bosphorus strait, and tour Topkapi Palace, the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans. We end the day at the Grand Bazaar. Overnight stay in Istanbul.

After checking out of our hotel, we transfer to Istanbul’s airport for a flight to Kayseri, about 1.2 hours away from Cappadocia. Upon arrival, we transfer to a cave hotel and begin our tour of the region, including a hike through volcanic rock formations and visits to the Red Valley, Pasabagi area, Goreme Open Air Museum, and Uchisar. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.

Explore the largest excavated underground city in Turkey, Derinkuyu, and visit the Ihlara Valley with its more than 4,000 homes and 100 cave churches. Take a lunch break in Belisirma village before heading to Selime to see the largest rock monastery in the region. Finally, transfer back to the hotel before boarding an overnight coach to Selcuk or Kusadasi. Optional: Flight from Kayseri to Izmir and transfer to Kusadasi.

Visit the well-preserved ancient city of Ephesus and its highlights such as the Agora, Odeon, Roman Baths, and Grand Theatre. Enjoy lunch at a local Turkish restaurant before exploring the House of Virgin Mary and the Artemis Temple site. If time allows, visit the old Greek Orthodox village of Sirince. Finally, transfer to the airport in Izmir for the Istanbul flight and check-in at the hotel.

Check out from the hotel and transfer to Istanbul airport for a flight to Cairo. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and overnight stay in Cairo.

Visit the Egyptian Museum, the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, including many treasures of King Tutankhamen. Then visit the Citadel of Saladin, a medieval Islamic fortification, and the Ottoman-style mosque, the Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque. Lastly, visit the Khan El Khalili Bazaar with its numerous shops and restaurants. Finally, transfer back to the hotel for overnight stay in Cairo.

Take a scenic drive to the ancient city of Memphis and explore the Saccara, a vast ancient burial ground with numerous pyramids, including the Step Tomb. See the Sphinx of Giza, the largest monolith statue in the world, and the Great Pyramid, the only one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World to remain largely intact. Finally, drive back to Cairo for overnight stay.

After checking out of the hotel in Cairo, we will take a 1.2 hour flight to Aswan city, the hottest and driest inhabited city in Egypt. Upon arrival, we will be transferred to a luxury cruise ship to begin our journey on the Nile. Alternatively, you may choose to take an optional tour to Abu Simbel, located about 280 kilometers south of Aswan, to visit the Abu Simbel temples known as the “Nubian Monument.” After completing the tour, you will fly back to Aswan to meet up with the cruise ship and stay overnight in Aswan.

We will cruise along the Nile River from Aswan to the town of Kom Ombo, famous for the Temple of Kom Ombo. Next, we will sail to Edfu city to visit the Temple of Horus, the most completely preserved temple remains in Egypt and the second-largest. Our last stop of the day is Luxor city for an overnight stay.

The day begins with a tour of the West Bank, which includes the Valley of the Kings, where tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles. Here we see the Queen Hatshipsut at Deir el Bahari temple, one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt. We also see the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. We then head back to the cruise for lunch before proceeding to the East Bank to visit Luxor city, known as the “world’s greatest open-air museum.” We will explore the ancient temple complexes, including the Karnak, known to be the largest ancient religious site in the world. We will also visit the Luxor Temple built by King Amenhotep III. We will be transferred to a hotel for an overnight stay in Luxor.

After checking out of the hotel in Luxor, we will be transferred to the airport for a flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival, we will be transferred to the hotel and shortly afterwards, we will go to Old Cairo for a tour. Here we will visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue, known to be the location where baby Moses was found. We will proceed to the Coptic Museum, which contains the largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world and the most important examples of Coptic art. We will end the day with a transfer to the hotel in Cairo for an overnight stay.

Enjoy a free day at leisure in Cairo and stay overnight.

It’s time to say goodbye to Egypt. After checking out of the hotel, we will be transferred to Cairo’s airport for a departure flight.