From Cappadocia to the Great Pyramids

Breakfast at the hotel. Begin your journey to Ankara, crossing the spectacular mountains of Bolu along the way. Arrive and enjoy a panoramic tour of Ankara, the Turkish capital and a modern and cosmopolitan city steeped in history and ancient culture.

Later, pay a visit to Anıtkabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk. Inaugurated in 1953, it’s dedicated to the founder of Modern Turkey. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Ankara.

Estimated distance and travel time: 280 miles, 6 hrs approx.

The timing indication shows the effective time of driving, it doesn't consider the obligatory stops every 2 hours lasting an average of 15 minutes each.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today, begin your journey to incredible Cappadocia, famed for its unique geological formations. Pass by the spectacular Salt Lake along the way.

Arrive in Cappadocia and transfer to the hotel. Head to a wonderful ceramic workshop where you’ll witness the traditional way of creating ceramic objects, from everyday artifacts to true works of art. Enjoy a visit to a precious stone shop and gain insight into the process of turning the raw material into stunning jewelry. Based on operative reasons this activities might be done the next day.

The remainder of the day is yours to begin discovering the landscapes of this magical region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To contemplate an unforgettable scene, we recommend our optional safari and sunset tour* for an adrenaline rush through the valleys of the city. Dinner and overnight stay in Cappadocia.

Estimated distance and travel time: 190 miles, 5 hrs approx.

The timing indication shows the effective time of driving, it doesn't consider the obligatory stops every 2 hours lasting an average of 15 minutes each.

*Optional Jeep safari and sunset in Cappadocia: Immerse yourself in the magical Cappadocia valley landscape, enjoying the sunset as you do impressive, adrenaline-pumping dips, donuts, and tricks, in a 4X4 jeep.

Breakfast at the hotel. Why not start the day with an optional hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia*, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Next, you have the chance to enjoy an optional visit to Kaimakli**, the incredible underground city*.

Mid-morning, discover the fascinating landscapes of Cappadocia, formed by the erosion of layers of lava and ash from ancient volcanic eruptions over 3 million years ago! Visit the Goreme Valley Open Air Museum, a Byzantine monastic complex with beautiful frescoes.

Explore the Valleys of Avcilar, Pasabagi and Güvercinlik, where the captivating "Fairy Chimneys" are located, followed by a visit to a local carpet workshop. Afterwards you can enjoy an optional Turkish night in Cappadocia***. Return to the hotel for dinner. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.

*Optional Hot Air Balloon flight: float over Cappadocia's fairy chimneys, tuff valleys and rock-cut churches and experience the sunrise from a unique viewpoint on a 1-hour hot air balloon flight. Enjoy panoramic sunrise views, celebrate with a non-alcoholic beverage and a personalized flight certificate. Minimum age limit for children: 6 years old.

Please note: The hot air balloon flight depends on weather conditions at the destination and will be confirmed the day before. If the activity cannot take place, it will be refunded upon return.

**Optional visit to Kaimakli, the underground city: discover the maze of tunnels and rooms carved eight levels deep into the earth 12 miles from the city of Nevsehir. Believed to have been built in the Hittite period, it's the widest of the underground cities in the region.

***Optional Turkish night in Cappadocia: A fun evening filled with typical dances from the different regions in Turkey, including the famous belly dance. Enjoy this colorful event and the party atmosphere as you take in the traditions of the area! Unlimited drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic) during the show.

Breakfast* at the hotel. You're returning to Istanbul today. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport to catch a flight back to the city. Arrive in Istanbul, transfer to the hotel and spend the remainder of the day exploring at your leisure. Overnight stay in Istanbul.

*Depending on the return flight schedule and the hotel breakfast service, you may not be able to enjoy the included breakfast on the last day.

Breakfast at the hotel. Continue your adventure today as you head to Egypt! At the indicated time, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo. 

Touch down in Cairo and transfer to the hotel. Once you've settled in, the remainder of the day is yours to get to know the sights and sounds of Cairo independently, in the shadow of the Great Pyramids! Overnight stay in Cairo.

You will have the option to add early check-in on arrival in the next step of the booking process. To guarantee optional services, we recommend that you add them to your current booking, as they are subject to availability.

Breakfast at the hotel. Get to know the Egyptian capital today with a tour of Cairo's most emblematic sights. Begin at the Giza plateau, home of the three Great Pyramids, built over 4,500 years ago and one of the Seven Wonders of the World! Explore the pyramids and learn about their fascinating history as you walk in the footsteps of the pharaohs.

Continue to the Great Sphinx to unearth more secrets of Ancient Egypt. The rest of the day is at your leisure, we recommend rounding it off with an evening tour of Cairo with dinner*. Overnight stay in Cairo.

*Optional Cairo by Night: we take a walk around the most beautiful corners of Cairo (Tahrir Square, Zamalek, Cairo Tower and the Opera House) before heading to the restaurant where we will enjoy a delicious dinner. We will finish the evening with a visit to the famous Mirror Café.

Breakfast at the hotel. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport for a flight to Luxor. On arrival, transfer to the port to board your full-board Nile cruise* boat, your home for the next four nights. Get settled in your cabin and enjoy lunch and the views of the river Nile.

In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Karnak, a huge complex of decayed temples, columns and other buildings. On the way back to the ship, stop at the impressive Temple of Luxor, dedicated to Amun-Ra, Mut and Khonu and built by Amenophis III and Ramses II.

Back on the ship, enjoy the remainder of the evening at your leisure. We recommend an optional Karnak Temple sound and light show**. Dinner and overnight on board.

*The order of the excursions and visits may vary, depending on the schedule of the internal flights, traffic and other logistical reasons. The planned visits will be carried out in any case.

**Optional Karnak Temple sound and light show: Visit the largest open-air museum in Egypt, the Karnak Temple in Luxor. Discover the secrets behind the temple's ancient name, Thebes, and explore its significant monuments, guided by the voices of the pharaohs. Watch as the temples and statues come to life with the clever use of special effects, relive the times of the ancient pharaohs with their customs and rituals as they recount the dramatic history of ancient Thebes.

Breakfast on board. Continue your discovery of the ancient city of Thebes today as you head to the world-famous Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of Tutankhamon was discovered, revealing the riches of the ancient pharaohs. It is here that the most powerful and influential kings of Ancient Egypt were buried.

After exploring the site, continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut, an imposing terraced structure, located below towering cliffs. Bid farewell to this world of ancient kings and queens as you cross the river into modern-day Luxor. Transfer to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at your leisure. Overnight stay in Luxor.

Please note: The excursion to the Valley of the Kings includes visits to three tombs. Entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun is not included but, if you are interested in visiting, you can buy a ticket to see this tomb at the site during your visit.

Full-board on board. Disembark the ship in Edfu and take a buggy ride to the magnificent Temple of Horus, the famous, falcon-headed Egyptian god. Explore the atmospheric temple ruins as you trace the footsteps of the pharaohs. Return to the ship and continue sailing south to Kom Ombo.

Upon arrival explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek and see the amazing Nilometer, used to measure the rising and falling levels of the Nile, an important life source in Egypt. Return to the ship and relax onboard as you continue towards Aswan. Overnight on board.

Full-board on board. This morning, we recommend an optional visit to the amazing temples of Abu Simbel.* Today, enjoy a tour of Aswan to uncover the sights of this fascinating city. Explore the famous granite quarry, where the building blocks of many of ancient Egypt's monuments were produced.

Visit both the old and new Aswan Dams, monumental engineering works built in the 19th and 20th centuries respectively to control the flooding on the banks of the Nile. End the day with a peaceful ride in a felucca, a typical fishing boat, on the river Nile. Aternatively, we recommend an optional visit to the Island of Philae.** Overnight on board.

*Optional excursion to Abu Simbel: visit these amazing temples, carved on the western cliff of the desert by Ramses II in the Xl century BC. See the iconic 20-metre high statues, dedicated to the god Amon Ra, and the Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hathor.

**Optional Island of Philae excursion: discover the historic island of Philae, in the reservoir of the Old Aswan Dam. It is home to the ancient ruins of the Temple of Isis and offers a fascinating insight into life and beliefs in Ancient Egypt.

Please note: the optional excursion to Abu Simbel departs at approx. 3 a.m. from the ship, to make the most of the coolest and quietest part of the day.

Alternatively, for a full experience of Egypt, you can choose one of our optional excursion packages to add 3/4 optional excursions to your trip!

Please note: the order of the optional excursions may vary depending on your departure day. Optional excursions can only be reserved at the time of booking or up to four days after booking.

Breakfast on board. At the indicated time, disembark the ship and transfer to the airport for a short flight to Cairo.* Arrive in the capital and transfer to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day at your leisure to get to know Cairo.

Spend the day visiting the Egyptian Museum to really get the most out of its unbeatable exhibitions, or go shopping in the busy city souks to bag a bargain. We recommend an optional excursion to the Saladin Citadel**. Overnight stay in Cairo.

*The order of the excursions and visits may vary, depending on the schedule of the internal flights, traffic and other logistical reasons. The planned visits will be carried out in any case.

**Optional excursion to Saladin Citadel: Visit the Alabaster Mosque and medieval fortification of Saladin Citadel, perched atop a hill in central Cairo, dating back to the 12th-century, and walk through the Coptic Neighborhood, home to various churches.

Alternatively, for a full experience of Egypt, you can choose one of our optional excursion packages to add 3/4 optional excursions to your trip!

Please note: The order of the optional excursions may vary depending on your departure day. Optional excursions can only be reserved at the time of booking or up to four days after booking.