Egypt: |
Israel: |
| Port Said | Ashdod |
Cairo, Pyramids of Giza & cruise on the Nile (PSD – 01)Full day tour with lunch
|
Depart
from the city of Port Said in luxury a/c motor coaches en route to Africa’s
largest city, the teeming metropolis of Cairo. Your first stop will be at Tahrir
(Liberty) Square, the heart of down town Cairo. Visit the National
Archaeological Museum and acquaint yourself with Egypt’s ancient history,
spanning a period of over 50 centuries. The Museum is the repository of the
world’s largest and richest collection of Egyptian Antiquities amongst them the
priceless collection of King Tutankhamen. At the banks of the River Nile
downtown a luxurious cruise boat
awaits to sail you on the same timeless waterway traversed by Pharaohs, Queens
and Nobles thousands of years ago. Sit back, relax and enjoy a sumptuous buffet
lunch in elaborate interiors as you glide past Cairo’s waterfront landmarks. For
your entertainment, a folkloric presentation and belly dancing will take place
during lunch. After lunch drive to the Giza Plateau, where the only remaining
Wonder of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza still stand. Visit the
Pyramids and enjoy panoramic views from the Western Plateau. Your coach will
park at the base of Chephren’s pyramid and time will be allocated to explore the
site on your own. Continue down the valley where the guardian of this mortuary
complex, the mighty Sphinx lies watching the passage of time and men in eons of
silence its expression an enigma yet to be unravelled. Visit a Papyrus Institute
where the art of paper making from reeds discovered by the Ancient Egyptians
will be demonstrated for you. Limited time for souvenir shopping will also be
allocated before you commence the return drive to Alexandria.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
| 7-Day Three Continents cruise |
Saladin Citadel, Sakkara and Bazaar (PSD – 02)Full day tour with lunchD |
epart
Port Said in a convoy of luxury air conditioned motor coaches for Africa’s
largest city, the teeming metropolis of Cairo. Your first stop will be at the
Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali. Admire the exquisite
interiors of the Mosque and view the fascinating skyline of Old Cairo from the
top of the hill. Drive southwards to Egypt’s first capital Memphis with its
ancient cemetery of Sakkara. Here, the world’s first monumental stone building,
the Step Pyramid of King Zoser built by the engineer Imhotep almost 5,000 years
ago still stands. After visiting the complex continue to one of the Mastabas
(funerary chambers) built nearby, such as those of Ptah-Hotep, Mereruca, Idut or
Ti for an inside visit. Enjoy a set menu lunch at the restaurant. Visit a
Papyrus Institute where the process of paper making from reeds, an art
discovered by the Ancient Egyptians will be demonstrated. The exotic and
colourful Khan El Khalili Bazaar is a shopper’s paradise and a photographer’s
dream come true. Bargaining is an art and expected when you are negotiating a
purchase. Gold and silver, precious stones and gems, bronze and copper, the
smell of exotic spices, leather goods, the aroma of brewed coffee sifting
through elaborately carved wooden doors and coffee shops, the captivating sound
of music and a plethora of an unbelievable display of merchandise, together with
a multitude of colourfully dressed crowds bring to life scenes from “A Thousand
And One Arabian Nights”. Enjoy free time to purchase souvenirs before you
commence the return drive to Alexandria.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
| 7-Day Three Continents cruise |
Best of Alexandria (PSD – 03)Full day tour with lunch
|
Lying
northwest of the Nile Delta, Alexandria is the largest port in the Arab Republic
of Egypt, one of the major summer resorts on the Mediterranean Sea. Founded by
Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.. Alexandria is the shining Pearl of the
Mediterranean. Immortalizing Alexander’s name, the city flourished beyond all
expectations, into a prominent cultural, intellectual and economic metropolis,
the remains of which are still evident to this day. It was the renowned capital
of the Ptolemies and the scene of the most thrilling drama involving Cleopatra,
Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Octavius. On arrival at Alexandria you will
proceed to visit the eerie and intriguing Catacombs of Shawqafa, an extensive
three level funerary complex dating from the 2nd century A.D.. Your next stop
will be the National museum housing underwater photographs and statues from the
ongoing operation to salvage artefacts from the identified sunken palace of
Cleopatra six meters underwater. Treated and restored objects together with
other exhibits are on display. Take time out to relax and enjoy a delicious set
menu lunch at one of Alexandria’s leading restaurants. After lunch visit the
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
,
one of the most unusual architectural masterpieces of the 21st century and
continue to the famous Montaza Gardens where the summer residence palace of
former king Farouk is situated. Take a stroll through the palm covered grounds
and view the palace still used today by the present government for official
state functions. Within the grounds, the grand Salamlek Hotel, previously a
royal villa, is another impressive architectural structure. Your last stop will
be at a Papyrus Institute where you will be introduced to the process of paper
making from reeds, an art discovered by the Ancient Egyptians.
Above shore excursion is available during the: |
| 7-Day Three Continents cruise |
Ports of call in Greece, in Turkey |
A
panoramic drive of approx. 1 hour and half will bring you to Jerusalem, giving
you the chance of catching a glimpse of Israel, old and new. Upon your arrival
in town, your motor coach will drive through West Jerusalem, passing by the
Knesset - Israel Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Museum of Israel with the
Shrine of the Book. You will be amazed by the heartbreaking panorama from the
Mount of Olives, where you will have a photo stop. The second visit will be the
Gethsemane Garden and the Church of All Nation. Gethsemane garden is at the foot
of the Mount of Olives, famous as the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed
the night before Jesus' crucifixion. According to Orthodox tradition, Gethsemane
is the garden where the Apostles buried the Virgin Mary. The Church of All
Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony, is a Roman Catholic
Church which enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed
before his arrest. Afterwards you will have a guided tour in the old city of
Jerusalem starting with a stroll through the famous quarters of the old city.
Until the 1860s this area constituted the entire city of Jerusalem. The Old City
is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Temple Mount and its
Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Christians, and the
Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. Traditionally, the Old City has
been divided into four quarters, although the current designations were
introduced only in the 19th century. Today, the Old City is roughly divided into
the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian
Quarter. The Jewish Quarter of the Old City was largely destroyed by Jordan
following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980, Jordan proposed the Old City to be
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. It was added to the List in
1981. T
he
Wailing Wall, sometimes referred to as the Kotel and as al-Buraaq Wall by
Muslims, is one of the most important Jewish religious sites. Just over half the
wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of
the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 B.C. by Herod the Great,
while the remaining layers were added from the 7th century onwards. The tour
will continue to Bethlehem, where you will have lunch in an oriental restaurant,
followed by free time to stroll around and get some souvenirs from the Holy
Land. The main site you will visit in will be the Church of the Nativity, one of
the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built
over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and it is
considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam.
