Turkiye, Egypt & Greece Tour

On day two, start your day with a visit to the famous Hagia Sophia basilica, followed by a tour of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque. Explore the ancient Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar before enjoying lunch. After lunch, visit Topkapi Palace, the center of the Ottoman Empire. Return to the hotel for overnight in Istanbul.

Start the day with a visit to the Dolmabahce Palace, followed by a trip over the Intercontinental Bosphorus Bridge to Camlica Hill. Afterward, tour the Golden Horn and see the 21km long City Walls of Istanbul. Enjoy the beautiful view from the cable car as you climb the hill to the café named after the famous French writer Pierre Loti. Then, take a cruise along the Bosphorus and enjoy lunch on the boat. Return to the hotel for overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, transfer to Istanbul Airport for the early morning flight to Kayseri. Upon arrival, transfer to Cappadocia and start your day with a gentle hike through orchards and unusual volcanic rock formations. Visit the old Christian Village of Cavusin, followed by a lunch break and an excursion to Pigeon Valley. Continue to the Goreme Open-Air Museum and Uchisar for a panoramic view of the landscape. Overnight in Cappadocia.

On Day 5, you can take an optional Hot Air Balloon Tour for a unique view of Cappadocia. After the tour, return to the hotel for breakfast. Then, proceed to Rose Valley to see the first inhabited rock-cut houses, and visit the Church of St. John the Baptist for a panoramic view of the village. After lunch, visit Kaymakli Underground City, the widest underground city in Cappadocia, and Ortahisar with its Castle of Ortahisar. Overnight stay in Göreme.

After breakfast, transfer to Kayseri Airport for a flight to Izmir. Visit the Ancient City of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world. Located in modern-day Turkey, it was an important center of trade and culture in the ancient world, with a history dating back to the 10th century BC. We will visit the Ephesus Open Air Museum, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the remains of the Artemis Temple. Then, transfer to Kuşadası to check in at the hotel for a free evening of leisure. Overnight stay in Kusadasi.

Hotel check-out and transfer to Izmir Airport for departure flight to Cairo via Istanbul. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and an overnight stay in Cairo.

We start the day in Cairo, one of the most thriving modern societies and most historical, with a tour to the Egyptian Museum located in Tahrir Square. This museum contains many important pieces of ancient Egyptian history and houses the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, and many treasures of King Tutankhamen. We stop for lunch before continuing onto the Citadel of Saladin, a medieval Islamic fortification on Mokattam hill near the center of Cairo. Originally built to protect the old city of Cairo, this structure is now a historic site with museums and an Ottoman-style mosque, the Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque built in the 19th century. Lastly, we stop by the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, known as the Turkish Bazaar during the Ottoman period and built in 1382 to visit its numerous shops, restaurants, coffeehouses, and vendors. Finally, we are transferred back to the hotel and overnight stay in Cairo.

On this day we take a scenic drive to the ancient city of Memphis located 20 kilometers/12 miles south of Cairo, on the west bank of the Nile River. Memphis was the capital of Ancient Egypt for over 8 consecutive dynasties during the Old Kingdom. Here we visit the Saccara, a vast ancient burial ground featuring numerous pyramids, including the world-famous Step Tomb. At Saccara, the oldest complete stone building complex known in history was built. We stop for lunch and continue on to see the Sphinx of Giza, the largest monolith statue in the world and the oldest known monumental sculpture. Also, we see the Great Pyramid, the oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. This structure was at one point the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. We end the day with a drive back to Cairo and overnight stay.

After the hotel check-out and transfer to the airport, we take a 1.2-hour flight to Aswan city located in the south and Egypt’s hottest and driest inhabited city. Upon arrival, we are transferred to a luxury cruise ship to begin the journey on the Nile. Or you may choose an optional tour to Abu Simbel located about 280 kilometers/173 miles south of Aswan to visit the Abu Simbel temples known as the “Nubian Monument.” The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill. Upon completion of the tour, you fly back to Aswan to meet up with the cruise ship and for an overnight stay in Aswan.

Today we cruise along the Nile River from Aswan to the town of Kom Ombo famous for the Temple of Kom Ombo. This is a unique temple because it has a double design duplicated for two sets of gods. Next, we sail to Edfu city to visit the Temple of Horus. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, this is the most completely preserved and the 2nd largest. Our last stop of the day is to Luxor city for an overnight stay.

The day begins with a tour of the West Bank which includes the Valley of the Kings where for a period of nearly 500 years tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles. The valley is known to contain 63 tombs and some are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues to the beliefs and funerary practices of the period. Next, we visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a mortuary temple dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra, located beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari. Hatshepsut was the second historically confirmed female pharaoh and one of the most successful rulers in Ancient Egypt.

After lunch, we cross the Nile to visit the Karnak Temple, the largest ancient religious site in the world. The temple complex was built over 2,000 years ago and is dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. We continue on to the Luxor Temple, a large ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River. The temple was built approximately 1400 BCE and was dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship. It is believed that many of the kings of Egypt were crowned in this temple. We end the day with a transfer back to our cruise ship for dinner and overnight stay in Luxor.

After an early breakfast and disembarkation from the cruise ship, we are transferred to Luxor International Airport for a flight to Athens via Cairo. Upon arrival in Athens, we are met by our local guide and transferred to our hotel. The remainder of the day is free to explore the city at your leisure or to rest and relax at the hotel. Overnight stay in Athens.

Today we embark on a guided city tour of Athens, starting with the famous Acropolis, an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city. The Acropolis contains the remains of several ancient buildings, including the Parthenon, a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. We continue to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the largest temple in Greece, and the Ancient Agora, a central public space that was the heart of ancient Athens.

After lunch, we visit the Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, and the National Archaeological Museum, one of the most important museums in the world dedicated to ancient Greek art. The day ends with a scenic drive through the city, passing by important landmarks such as the Parliament Building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Overnight stay in Athens.

Hop on board your luxury bus and enjoy a unique journey northwest to Delphi, arriving around noon. Famous for its theater, Temple of Apollo, and ancient ruins, Delphi was considered the center of the earth and the universe and played a central role in the classical Greek world. Visit the archaeological site and the TEMPLE of APOLLO famous for its oracle. In the afternoon after lunch depart through Central Greece and the cities of Lamia (short stop), Trikala crossing the Thessalian plain, to Kalambaka (a small town built at the foot of the majestic grey rocks, and crowded by the METEORA Monasteries (short stop for souvenirs). Overnight in Kalambaka.

Savor breakfast in your hotel and then travel for nearby UNESCO-listed Meteora for a tour of the cliff-top monasteries. Visit two different impressive Byzantine Monasteries built on top of rock towers and providing breathtaking views over the plain. The monasteries are perched on top of towers of sandstone, which for centuries provided inaccessible retreats for the monks. Meteora is considered one of the most beautiful and inspiring areas of mainland Greece, and its monasteries are one of the country’s most unique attractions. By your return, you may visit an optional factory of Byzantine-style icons. Return to Athens passing by the heroic monument of Leonidas king of Sparta in Thermopylae (short stop for photos). Arrive in Athens in the early evening. Overnight in Athens

After pick up from the hotel, we will visit one of Greece’s most photographed monuments on this half-day tour to the Temple of Poseidon from Athens. Wind your way along the coastal cliffs and beaches on the scenic drive to Cape Sounion, then grab your camera as you spot the magnificent remains of the Temple of Poseidon, perched high on the sea cliffs. You have a chance to get up close to the ancient monument, explore ruins dating back to 444 BC, and soak up the impressive coastal views. Half-day tour to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon from Athens. Overnight in Athens.

After the hotel check-out, there is a transfer available to Athens airport for the departure flight.