10-Day Tour of Turkey and Egypt

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul, Airport Transfer and Free Day

Upon your arrival at Istanbul New Airport(IST) or Sabiha Gökcen Airport(SAW), our team will be waiting for you at the exit of the international line of the Airport, holding a sign with your name written on it. After which, you will be transferred to your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to spend at leisure. Alternatively, you can join the Night Cruise on the Bosphorus with Dinner & Show.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day.
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, You will be picked up from your hotel at around 8:30 am in the morning to join the full-day Istanbul old city tour. The first stop of today’s Turkey and Egypt tours is Hagia Sophia, a former church that was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Then we will go to visit the opposite Blue Mosque. The mosque’s six minarets demonstrate its supremacy and glory. Next, we will visit the Hippodrome and Topkapi Palace, which was the residence of Ottoman Sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries. After visiting these tourist attractions, the guide will escort you to the bustling Grand Bazaar to experience the life of the locals. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 5:00 pm.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Fly to Cappadocia – North Cappadocia Tour

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul around 4:00 am and will be transferred to the domestic airport for your flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevsehir between 6:00 – 7:30 am. Upon arrival at Kayseri or Nevsehir airport, you will be picked up and transferred to Cappadocia. In Cappadocia, you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your full-day tour of North Cappadocia. Your tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Next, you will visit the Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley) to see the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. After this visit, you will drive to the city of Avanos. After lunch, you will visit the Zelve Open Air Museum in Cappadocia. The museum features a series of carved caves and ancient churches, providing a glimpse into the region’s monastic history. Finally towards the end of the day tour before returning to your hotel, you will be able to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia for check-in.

Optionally, attend a traditional Turkish Night show with dinner.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Heaven Cave House OR Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel OR Holiday Cave Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: South Cappadocia Tour – Fly Back to Istanbul

For an additional option, you can book an early morning hot air balloon ride and enjoy breathtaking aerial views of the valleys. Please be aware that this activity comes at an extra cost.

After breakfast at the hotel around 9:30 am you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. Your tour will begin with a visit to the Red Valley where you will be able to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike approximately 5 km through the Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi). Next, you will visit Cavusin Village which is famous for its houses and churches of Christian Clergymen. We will take a break for lunch around noon. After lunch, you will drive to the Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi). In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full-day tour. At the end of the tour, you will be taken to either Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your late evening flight back to Istanbul. Upon arriving in Istanbul, you will be welcomed at the airport and provided with a transfer to your hotel, where you will stay overnight.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 5: Free day in Istanbul to explore

Today you will have a free day in Istanbul which you can use at leisure. If you like you can also join an add-on optional tour at an additional cost. There are three add-on optional day trips from Istanbul that you can select during booking at an additional cost. The add-on optional day trips are 1) Bursa, 2) Troy and 3) Sapanca & Masukiye which return to Istanbul at the end of the day.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 6: Fly from Istanbul to Cairo (Flight Not Included) – Airport Pick-up

After breakfast, you will proceed to Istanbul International Airport to board your international flight to Cairo. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our local representatives after exiting the customs and transferred to your hotel in Cairo. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and enjoy the facilities of your hotel.

Kindly note that the international airfare from Istanbul to Cairo is not covered in this tour package. Arranging and purchasing this flight is your responsibility.

• Overnight in Cairo
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Hotel Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo OR Pyramisa Suites Hotel and Casino OR Hilton Cairo Heliopolis or similar (Standard quality)

Day 7: Pyramids of Giza & Egyptian Museum

After breakfast at the hotel, you will discover the world-famous pyramids of Giza. On the Giza Plateau just outside of Cairo, you will be impressed by the Pyramid of Cheops, the largest of the three pyramids, the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. With the head of a pharaoh and the body of a lion, the Sphinx of Giza is watching over the pyramids. Enjoy some free time to wander around this amazing site, and take pictures. Following lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit the Egyptian Museum of Cairo, home to the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. Finally go to the bustling Khan El Khalili Bazaar, one of Cairo’s oldest markets to experience locals’ lives. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cairo.

• Overnight in Cairo
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Hotel Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo OR Pyramisa Suites Hotel and Casino OR Hilton Cairo Heliopolis or similar (Standard quality)

Day 8: Fly to Luxor from Cairo – Luxor East Bank Tour

You will be picked up from your hotel for your transfer to the airport to catch your early morning flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel to check in. After a break, today you explore some of the most incredible sites in the country. You will visit the Valley of the Kings, where you will have the chance to explore three tombs of the ancient Pharaohs. You will then visit the nearby Valley of the Queens as well as the recently renovated mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was the second pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Our tour also includes a visit to the huge Colossi of Memnon, which is all that remains of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Luxor.

• Overnight in Luxor
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Steigenberger Luxor Hotel OR Sheraton Luxor Resort or similar (Standard quality)

Day 9: Luxor West Bank Tour – Fly back to Cairo

After breakfast at the hotel. Set off early in the morning to visit the Karnak Temple Complex, home to a vast array of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other ancient buildings. Explore the ruins as you soak up the unique atmosphere and let your imagination run wild as you learn about life in Ancient Egypt. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Luxor airport for your late evening return flight to Cairo. Upon your arrival in Cairo, you will be met at the airport and transferred from the airport to your hotel.

• Overnight in Cairo
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Hotel Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo OR Pyramisa Suites Hotel and Casino OR Hilton Cairo Heliopolis or similar (Standard quality)

Day 10: Departure from Cairo – End of Tour Service

After breakfast, you will check out from your hotel in Cairo (hotel check-out is before 12:00 noon) and will then be transferred to the Cairo International Airport according to your flight details. This will be the end of our tour and services.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• Greetings and transfers between airports and hotels.
• Round-trip domestic flights between Istanbul, Cappadocia / Cairo & Luxor.
• 9 nights hotel accommodation at 4-star hotels.
• English-speaking local guide during the tour in Turkey and Egypt.
• 9 breakfasts + 6 lunches.
• Entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the program.
• Local taxes and service charges.

NOT INCLUDED:

• International Flight Tickets.
• Entry visas to Turkey and Egypt.
• Flight ticket from Istanbul to Cairo.
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride.
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Drinks with meals.
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• Please be advised that the order /sequence in which the daily tours occur within the above day-by-day package tour itinerary can be subject to change depending on the availability of domestic flight tickets per the itinerary, opening/closing of various historical sites, etc.
• The tour in Turkey is designed for a regular group, while the tour in Egypt is arranged as a private tour.
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour.
• During religious holidays, the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar are closed.
• For 2 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room Accommodation
• For 3 travelers: 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• For 4 travelers: 2 Double/Twin Rooms Accommodation
• For 5 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room and 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• Please note that the Blue Mosque is not open for visitation on Fridays as it is closed for religious prayer services. You will only be able to visit the outside of the Blue Mosque area on tours operated on Fridays. No visitation will be allowed inside the Blue Mosque for tourists on Fridays.
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici).
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday.
• During religious holidays, the spice market and Grand Bazaar are closed.
• On flights luggage allowance is 15 kg per person for checked in luggage. For carry-on, you can take up to 8 kg per person. One carry-on is allowed per person.

WHEN TO BOOK?

• Book as soon as possible to guarantee availability, especially during public holidays and festivities.