Legends of the Greek Isles and the Nile

A grand 14 day tour of Egypt and Greece : a Greek Mediterranean cruise and a Nile Cruise

Compare with the 13 day version or  Add a stay in Santorini

DAY 1 - ATHENS - Weekly - March thru Nov
Our local personnel meets you at the airport and escorts you to your hotel. Welcome fruit basket .

DAY 2- ATHENS (BLD)
Today in Athens we'll cover the high points of the city : : the towering Acropolis and the adjacent museum. You'll visit Syntagma Square, at the very heart of the city, and see the Parliament, and guards in colorful traditional outfits. After lunch at a local restaurant, we return to the hotel with the remainder of the afternoon is free for further exploring or shopping, or you could well be drawn back by the charm of the Plaka. Or take advantage of one of our optional tours, such as an afternoon visit to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, with spectacular sunset view.
In the evening, we'll take in our dinner with traditional Greek entertainment.

DAY 2- CRUISE TO MYKONOS (BLD)
Our staff will escort you to Piraeus, the port of Athens, where you'll embark on your three-day cruise to the Greek Isles. You'll sail into the Aegean, and by sunset, reach the jet-set isle of Mykonos. Stroll at your own pace along lanes lined with whitewashed houses, up to the Church of Paraportiani, or along the shore to the island's signature windmills. Enjoy an ouzo or a glass of retsina at a waterside cafe. Re-embark for a nighttime sailing.

DAY 3- RHODES (BLD)
Our cruise ship arrives early at the harbor, allowing a full day on the Island of Roses. The compact, cobbled medieval city is perfect for exploring on your own. You'll want to visit the Palace of the Knights of St. John, take a look at the wares in the boutiques, and spend some time in a seaside cafe. Or discover a hill-fringed beach a short walk or taxi ride from town. We also offer an optional excursion to the Acropolis of Lindos and the Valley of the Butterflies. Spend a restful night on board as we sail to our next destination.

DAY 4- KUSADASI (Turkey), PATMOS (BLD)
We anchor at 7 a.m. in Kusadasi, on the Turkish mainland, gateway to ancient Ephesus. Stroll the streets and stop in at shops filled with leather goods and bargains in gold. Our optional tour takes you to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in the world. You'll reboard in time for an afternoon sailing. In the late afternoon, your ship will call at the island of Patmos. Here you can visit the Monastery of St. John where the Book of Revelations was written.

DAY 5- HERAKLION (CRETE), SANTORINI (BLD)
We drop anchor in the port of Heraklion at 7 a.m. You can explore the old Venetian section of town on your own, or take an optional excursion to the 5000-year-old Minoan Palace at Knossos and the archaeological museum. We sail at midday. In a few hours, we'll reach Santorini, where the lost civilization of Atlantis flourished. Enjoy outdoor cafes and wander the lanes of Thira, lined with craft and clothing shops and bakeries and cafes. Ride the funicular to the cliff top, or be adventurous, and do it on mule-back! Either way, you'll be rewarded with a spectacular sunset over the Aegean.

DAY 6- ATHENS, CAIRO (BD)
You'll sail into Piraeus early in the morning. Our Athens-based personnel will take you to the airport to catch your flight , air fare is included in economy class tax included Athens to 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 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.

DAY 7- 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 fro entry to the King's chamber inside the Pyramid, you must be physically fit to be able to climb.

DAY 8 - ASWAN (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. 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.

DAY 9 - 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.

DAY 10 - 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.

DAY 11 - 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, on the way back to the ferry landing, the Colossi of Memnon.