DAYS 1 - 11 TURKEY
We leave Istanbul on the first day of the trip. We recommend you arrive at least a couple of days earlier to see all the sights of this impressive city. You’ll find most of these in the Sultanahmet area. The Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace, Roman underground cisterns, old marble Turkish baths and the Grand Bazaar are the main sights.
TURKEY - DAYS 1-11
We start the trip in Istanbul, Old Constantinople on the Bosphorus. Must sees are the Covered Bazaar, the biggest and oldest covered market in the world, the Topkapi Palace, home of the Sultans and harems of the Byzantium & Ottoman Empire, the Blue Mosque and Santa Sophia, a church now converted into a Mosque.
We leave Istanbul on the first day of the trip for Gallipoli. Famous for the futile WW1 invasion and the mass graves of Anzac soldiers, you can wander the bleak remains of the battlefields and trench networks.
We cross the Dardenelles by ferry from Europe to Asia, to Troy, the city made famous by Helen of Troy, Paris and Achilles, and of course the Trojan wooden horse. Ephesus is the largest and best-preserved Roman city on the Mediterranean coast. Nearby are the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Pamukkale is an ancient flow of mineralised water that has created a hillside of white limestone curtained terraces, with ancient spa pools.
In the summer we visit the Turquoise Coast near Kas and Olympos with its eternal flames, taking a boat out to the sunken temple of Kekova.
In central Turkey is Cappadoccia, a region formed from volcanic ash.
The nearby town of Goreme has churches and monasteries carved into the rock with Christian frescoes and valleys full of chimney shaped houses.
Derinkuyu is a massive underground city, 5 storeys deep and several miles wide, tunnelled beneath the plains it is large enough to hold 15,000 people. Here you can buy some of the best value Turkish carpets and pottery in the world.
Stage highlights:
Istanbul, Old Constantinople, the Blue Mosque, Gallipoli, Dardenelles, Pamukkale, the Turquoise Coast, Cappadoccia, The Sunken Temple of Kekova, Derinkuyu.
Stage duration:11 Days
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DAYS 12 - 15 SYRIA & LEBANON
SYRIA & LEBANON - DAYS 12-15
Aleppo in Syria is a trading city with covered markets, citadel and caravanserais. Overlooking one of the few valleys leading inland is the imposing crusader castle Krac-de-Chevaliers. Damascus the capital with its narrow streets and markets is the oldest inhabited city in the world.
Here you can take a day trip to Lebanon visiting the ruins of the temple of Jupiter at Baalbeck (the largest temple ever built) and in Beirut view the destruction along the old Green Line and the famous Hard Rock Café. Rebuilt and peaceful on the Mediterranean, it's slowly becoming a modern city once again.
Leaving Cappadocia and Turkey we enter Syria and the market city of Aleppo. It has a huge bazaar and the fortified citadel looks out over the sprawling town.
Stage highlights:
Aleppo, Crusader Castle Krac-de-Chevaliers, Damascus, The Temple of Jupiter, Hard Rock Café.
Stage duration:4 Days
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DAYS 16 - 19 JORDAN
JORDAN - DAYS 16-19
You can only try to swim in the Dead Sea, which is so salty you can only float on top; the mud in the city is meant to be very healthy to cover yourself with. The ancient rock cut city of Petra, with buildings and temples carved into the rocky walls of a vast red valley, is one of the must sees of the Middle East. It was lost for a thousand years and is now the set of many feature films such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Wadi Rum was the desert base of the famed 'Lawrence of Arabia' during the Arab revolt in WW1. Hire a camel to ride through the massive rock islands and sheer sandstone cliffs that rise out of an ocean of orange sand.
Stage highlights:
Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum.
Stage duration:4 Days
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DAYS 20 - 21 EGYPT
EGYPT - DAYS 20-21
We use a ferry to cross the Red Sea from Aqaba in Jordan to the Sinai in Egypt. At Dahab we stay on the beach where you can swim to coral reefs only yards from the shore.
To Cairo we travel by bus.
Weather Warning - The Middle East has extreme weather; with possible snow and temperatures as low as minus 10°C in winter in Turkey, and highs of 50°C in summer. For mild weather, travel in spring or autumn. We see the weather as part of the trip experience.
We use a ferry to cross the Red Sea from Aqaba in Jordan to the Sinai in Egypt. At Dahab we stay on the beach where you can swim to coral reefs only yards from the shore.
To Cairo we travel by bus to its museums, the Pyramids and Sphinx .
WEATHER WARNING - The Middle East has extreme weather; with possible snow and temperatures as low as minus 10°C in winter in Turkey, and highs of 50°C in summer. For mild weather, travel in spring or autumn. We see the weather as part of the trip experience.
Stage highlights:
Red Sea, Aqaba, Sinai, Dahab.
Stage duration:2 Days
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Cost includes:-
The tour cost includes transport in fully equipped expedition truck, road taxes and tolls, ferries, services of the driver-leader, use of camping and cooking equipment, and entrance to gameparks as specified.
Cost Excludes:-
The price does not include flights, visas, personal insurance, side trips, lunches and meals out. There are a number of optional side trips that you can choose from and pay for on the way.
Departure dates:-
28/08/2005 Cairo, 18/09/2005 Cairo, 25/09/2005 Istanbul, 16/10/2005 Istanbul, 13/11/2005 Istanbul, 05/12/2005 Istanbul
Baggage Limits:-
One backpack and one daypack
Age Limits:-
Minimum Age:- 16 Maximum Age:- 45
Passenger Limit:-
20
What to bring along:-
A full list of items will be issued on receipt and confirmation of your reservation. We suggest you travel light. Please pack warm clothes for the winter months of June to September. Further items should include a torch, water bottle, spare film and camera batteries, binoculars, suntan lotion, comfortable walking shoes and any prescription medication.
Price:-
The cost of the Istanbul to Cairo (or Reverse) Tour 21 Days is GBP 350.00
Local Payment:-
GBP 125.00
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