Compare
with the Nile Cruise Version, or the 21
day version
Here's
our own version of the Grand Tour. We'll take you to the walled desert
city of Marrakech, and across the sub-Saharan countryside of
Morocco by train to fabled Casablanca. You'll journey alongside
the Nile from Cairo in your private rail compartment to view
the temples of the ancient Pharaohs at Luxor, and live an Indiana
Jones adventure at the Nabatean stone city of Petra in Jordan.
To conclude it all, you'll ascend to Damascus, the goal of merchants
and Crusaders over the centuries. "Grand Tour" is an understatement
for this incomparable feast of sights and experiences.
DAY 1 - DEPARTURE FOR MOROCCO - Tuesday
Take off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on an
Air France or British Airways jet, bound for Casablanca via London or
Paris . Air France or British Airways service is also available from
the West Coast, for a supplement. Please
deduct $ 850 when you handle your own air fare.
DAY
2 - CASABLANCA, MARRAKECH - Wednesday
You'll land at the international airport of fabled Casablanca .
After the formalities, you'll board a southbound flight to the magical
city of Marrakech. Our local staff will greet you and usher you directly
to your accommodations. Welcome mint tea.
DAY
3 - MARRAKECH - Thursday (BLD)
This morning you'll take a private tour of ancient Marrakech by horse-drawn
carriage. You'll see the Koutoubia, the landmark mosque of the city,
and perhaps you'll note its similarity to its sister tower, the Giralda
of Seville, in Spain. You'll continue to the Bahia palace, built in
the nineteenth century, with room after stately oriental room of intricate
plaster work and finely detailed columns, and sedate hidden gardens.
Lunch will be served in a restaurant redolent with local color. In the
afternoon, you'll take a walking tour through the labyrinthine souks,
the bazaars where goods from near and far have changed hands for centuries.
Of course, you'll want to try your hand at bargaining! After our eventful
day, dinner will be served at our hotel.
DAY 4 - MARRAKECH - Friday (BD)
Now that you've been introduced to Marrakech, it's time to adventure
out on your own! Head for the old city, and always-lively Djemaa El
Fna Square, populated by water sellers, magicians, peddlers, politicians,
and animal tamers, who carry on an endless flurry of activities straight
out of the middle ages. If you have a spare moment, the souks of Marrakech
will always keep you entertained. Return to bargain for that carpet
or tea service that caught your eye yesterday. Or pass part of the day
at a sidewalk café in the new city, where Paris and the Orient come
together. Of course, there are many restaurants where you can enjoy
the culinary adventure of Morocco's superb cuisine. We also offer optional
tours, at an additional fee, to a Berber village, or through the souks.
Evening Dinner & show at the famous "Chez Ali" in a small
man made oases on the edge of the Sahara & the outskirts of Marrakech.
DAY
5 - BY TRAIN TO CASABLANCA - Saturday (BL)
It's "all aboard" today as as our local personnel see you to the Marrakech
railroad station. You'll roll in comfort toward Casablanca past green
fields, fruit-laden orchards, and traditional villages, back dropped
by the stunning Atlas Mountains. Our escort provides commentary and
answers questions, filling us in on the daily life of Moroccans. Once
you detrain, you'll visit the Hassan II Great Mosque, a monument to
Moroccan artisanry and architecture, second in size after the Great
Mosque of Mecca. Then we'll continue to see modern Casablanca, and on
to the traditional souks. After lunch , we'll head for the airport,
where we'll board the Royal Air Maroc or Egyptair flight that will take
us across the Sahara to Egypt.
We land at Cairo airport . Our local escorts see us through customs
and immigration, for American , EU, Canadian & Japanese citizens,
visa will be issued upon arrival at the Airport, your passport must
be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of arrival.
Visa
will be issued upon arrival.
As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some
stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops,
at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers.
There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding
a sign with the name you prefer to use for the sign .
Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp
from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport
officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport
as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist
you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting
the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle)
to the hotel
Welcome
fruit basket , and local sweets platter await you in your room with
our compliments
DAY
6 - CAIRO - Sunday (BL)
We'll have breakfast , then head out to see the wonders of this thriving
metropolis. First, we'll explore the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures
of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, and precious stones and
metals. Travellers have long come to Cairo just to gaze on these sights,
but your day includes much more. We'll visit the Citadel of Saladin
with its Alabaster Mosque, and view the panorama of Cairo. Then we'll
set off for Khan el-Khalili, the labyrinthine bazaar district with its
array of spice shops and clothing merchants and purveyors of baskets
and brass ware and a thousand other specialties. After lunch at a charming
local restaurant, we'll return to our hotel.
The rest of the day is yours for exploring on your own. Venture out
amid the shops, cafés, peddlers from bygone days, modern-day professionals,
and an unforgettable array of sights, sounds, and aromas. Visit Cairo's
museums, or try a restaurant frequented by locals.
DAY
7 - CAIRO - Monday (aBLD)
After breakfast, we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, where we'll view
the mysterious, timeless Sphinx, the awesome Pyramids of Giza, and the
Valley Temple. After lunch, we'll continue southward to Dahshour, where
still more ancient wonders await. Among the monuments we'll visit is
the Great Pyramid of Senfru, the father of Cheops. In the evening, it's
"all aboard!" We'll settle you into your private first-class sleeping
compartment on the train bound along the banks of the Nile. You'll enjoy
dinner en route, as the lights of villages reflect in the river.
DAY
8 - LUXOR - Tuesday (aBLD)
We'll detrain at Luxor and enjoy breakfast at a luxury hotel, before
crossing 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 the Colossi of Memnon. We'll be back
in Luxor for lunch, then tour the imposing Great Temple of Amon at Karnak,
and visit the Sacred Lake and red granite quarry, with its huge unfinished
obelisk. We'll have time for a look at the Great Temple of Amon Ra in
Luxor on our way to catch a flight to Cairo. Our eventful day will conclude
with a special evening, dinner and a show
DAY 9 - AMMAN - Wednesday
Our Cairo personnel will see you to the airport, where you'll board
a flight for Amman. Upon landing, our Jordan hosts will greet you, assist
you with the formalities, for American , Western European , Canadian
& Japanese citizens, visa will b issued upon arrival at the Airport,
your passport must be valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of
arrival, our local rep will escort you to your hotel. You'll have time
to get acquainted with this city built on hills, its cafés and shops,
and its surprisingly cosmopolitan population of Bedouins, Palestinians,
and the descendants of migrants from the Caucasus.
DAY
10 - MADABA, KERAK, PETRA - Thursday (BD)
From Amman, we drive south along an ancient caravan route to Madaba,
site of a church containing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. At
Mount Nebo, we will behold the panoramic view of the Promised Land as
seen by Moses in his last moments. Further on, at Kerak, we walk among
the ruins of the Crusader castle of Renaud de Chatillon, one of a line
that stretched from Aqaba to Turkey. At the end of the day, we reach
fabled Petra.
DAY
11 - PETRA - Friday (BD)
We'll spend the entire day at Petra, the stunning desert city hewn by
the Nabateans from solid cliffs of pink and violet sandstone. Petra
was known in the bible as Sela, and rediscovered only in 1812. You'll
feel like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark as you penetrate
into the city through a narrow sandstone gorge, the Siq, and wander
among the Temple of the Winged Lion, tombs, Roman theater, and the imposing
Treasury. Our discoveries complete, we'll savor another evening and
overnight in Petra.
DAY
12 - WADI RUM, AMMAN - Saturday (BD)
It's a day of desert adventure, as we board four-wheel-drive vehicles
for an expedition to Wadi Rum, the "Valley of the Moon," where Lawrence
of Arabia organized the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans during World
War I. As you pass Bedouin encampments, you'll believe that nothing
has changed in the intervening years. Our day of adventure concludes
in Amman.
DAY
13 - JERASH, BOSRA & DAMASCUS Sunday
(cBLD)
We travel overland today to Jerash, among the best-preserved cities
of the Romans, and walk among its colonnaded temples and theaters. We
then cross the border into Syria to visit Bosra, a Roman City with a
15,000- seat amphitheater, before continuing to our next destination:
Damascus.
DAY
14 - DAMASCUS Monday (cBLD)
Our tour of Damascus includes the National Museum, the Old Bazaar, Omayyad
Mosque, Azem Palace, Via Recta, the House of Anania, the Eastern Gate
(Bab ash-Sharqi) in the walls of the Roman City, and St. Paul's Window.
If there's time left over, the merchants of the city will be pleased
to welcome you with a cup of tea, to ask after your family, and to negotiate
a purchase, if you're interested.
DAY 15 - PALMYRA Tuesday (cBLD)
We leave Damascus today and visit Palmyra. The many sites of this ancient
city include the museum, the temples of Bel, Baal Shamin and Nebo, the
Roman baths, the Tetrapylon, Diocletian's Camp, and the Valley of the
Tombs. It'll take us all day to see it all, so we spend the night here.
DAY
16 - KERAK, HAMA & ALEPPO Wednesday (cBLD)
Today we reach Kerak, the Krak des Chevaliers, the most spectacular
of the castles erected by the Crusaders in Holy Land. After an appreciation
of this military outpost, we'll continue to Hama, known for its giant
water wheels. By nightfall, we arrive in Aleppo.
DAY
17 - ALEPPO Thursday (cBLD)
We see the sights of Aleppo today, including the museum, the Grand Mosque,
the Citadel, and the old bazaar stretching fully eight kilometers in
length. We'll also have a chance to see traditional caravansaries. In
the afternoon, we visit St. Simeon's Cathedral, named for St. Simeon
Stylites, a 5th-century Byzantine ascetic who lived atop a pillar for
40 years.
DAY
18 - SERGELLA, APAMEA & MAALOULA- Damscus Friday
(cBLD)
Today we follow in the footsteps of Biblical peoples, visiting Sergella,
one of the 500 Dead Cities of the North, which flourished between the
fourth and seventh centuries but then was mysteriously deserted. Then
it's on to Apamea, the Hellenistic City of a thousand columns established
by Seleucus Nicator. Finally, we visit the village of Maaloula, where
the inhabitants still speak Aramaic, the very language spoken by Jesus.
We'll visit the St. Sergius chapel, then continue to Damascus.
Complimentary
Dinner is included at a local home:
We are proud to be the only ones that are able to afford you such window
on the true warm and hospitable Syrian people , come and meet the locals,
you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (
T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Syria l! You'll be invited to
a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties,
you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way
of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your
new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background.
Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that
you have more in common than you ever suspected. As some have inquired
after they returned , feel free to ask about the recipes for the local
dishes you will enjoy tonight , please let us know in advance of you
prefer vegetarian meals.
Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions,
by letting us know your preferences.
DAY
19 - RETURN HOME Saturday (cB)
Our staff escorts you to Damascus International Airport for your return
flight.
This
tour departs the first Tuesday of each month.
RATES
are per person in USD:
| |
Deluxe
Hotels |
First
Class Hotels |
| In
Triple Occupancy |
$
8200.00 |
$
7190.00 |
| In
Double Occupancy |
$
8398.00 |
$
7230.00 |
| In
Single Occupancy |
$
11960.00 |
$
9120.00 |
Holiday supplement:
For departures during the weeks of Easter, Christmas, and New Year's,
please add a supplement of 15 percent to the above rates.
