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29 to 46 days · Istanbul to Cairo
Turkey, Syria, Jordan & Egypt
The Facts
· 95% hotels and hostels, 5% Bedouin camp · 39 breakfasts, 1 dinner · A combination of private & public buses, ferry, plus extensive walking · For info about how it all works, see pages 4 to 9 · Entrance fees to sites listed as part of the itinerary are not included The details on this page are for the full 46 day expedition, please refer to the trip notes for the 29 & 36 day itineraries.
This is our ultimate Middle Eastern adventure! Wander the ruins of ancient civilisations, explore exotic desert towns, and bargain at bustling bazaars doused with the smells of local foods and brilliantly-coloured spices. Fall in love with friendly locals, gain an insight into a variety of unique cultures and submerge yourself in this truly amazing region.
Day 1-7, Istanbul - Gallipoli - Selçuk & Epheseus Pamukkale - Dalyan - Olympos - We begin in Istanbul with time to cruise the Bosphorus and visit the beautiful Hagia Sophia mosque. Then, via Gallipoli and Troy, we make our way to Selçuk, a city with a diverse history and our base for visiting the ruins of Epheseus. We travel to Pamukkale, located near the ancient city of Hierapolis, and then you can enjoy a mud bath in relaxing Dalyan. Olympos, with its famous Chimaera, is next on our list. Day 8-14, Cappadocia - Khata - Gaziantep - Aleppo Cappadocia, with a landscape resembling a scene from `Star Wars', is famous for its `fairy chimneys' or unusual rock formations. After time here to explore the intriguing surrounds, we drive across the stunning Eastern Taurus Mountains to Kahta, near Mt Nemrut. We then enter Syria and visit the ancient town of Aleppo; brush up on your bargaining skills as there are stacks of local goodies here! Day 15-22 - Hama - Palmyra - Damascus - Amman - Petra Passing by the Crac des Chevaliers fortress we admire the `norias' (water wheels) in Hama and then enjoy a stay in the desert oasis of Palmrya. After a stop in Damascus, Syria's ancient capital, we enter Jordan and head to Amman, a city of contrasts with a stunning citadel. Next, we visit Petra, a mystical desert city that was once an ancient Nabataean trading town. Day 23-29, Wadi Rum - Aqaba - Dahab - St Catherine - Cairo - We take in one of the desert wonders of the world, Wadi Rum, with its endless layers of golden and red sands, and then we camp in the desert in traditional Bedouin-style. After a camel trek into the desert (optional), we visit Aqaba at the Red Sea before arriving in Dahab for some serious R&R. This a great place to dive, snorkel, or simply relax. Then we make our way to St Catherine where we'll rise early to ascend Mt Sinai in time for sunrise. We then enjoy time to soak up Cairo's chaotic culture and visit the famous Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza. Day 30-37, Wadi El Natrun - Siwa - Alexandria - Cairo - After a stop in Wadi El Natrun to visit the Coptic monasteries, we travel to Siwa with time to visit the `mountain of the dead' and take an optional jeep safari to the surrounding desert. Alexandria, founded by Alexander the great, is steeped in ancient history and there are many famous sights to admire here. Next, we return to busy Cairo for more shopping and sightseeing. Day 38-46, Aswan - Felucca cruise - Luxor - Cairo - We visit Aswan, home of the friendly Nubian people, and there's time to explore the colourful markets before our relaxing 2 night Felucca cruise along the River Nile. After we disembark, we visit to the breathtaking Karnak Temple and then take a donkey ride into the Valley of the Kings, the home to the famous tomb discovery of King Tutankhamun. We return to Cairo for our last night to get into a bit of last minute shopping and sightseeing! Please note: It is possible that the Egyptian Government may stop tourists from using overnight seater trains between Cairo and Luxor/ Aswan. If this does happen we will have to use the sleeper trains and this will attract a surcharge of US$35 per journey. We hope that this change does not come in to effect but recommend that you check at the time of booking for the latest information.
Choose your options!
Visit our website to download our Optional Excursions Guide for details about the activities and optional extras offered on this tour. Istanbul to Cairo (inc Siwa & Nile) - 46 days Code: BXEIC3 £800 · 1,200 · CHF2,000 · US$1,600 C$1,720 · A$1,920 · NZ$2,160 Plus Local Fund of US$840
Start Sat 10 May 08 Sat 07 Jun 08 Sat 05 Jul 08 Sat 02 Aug 08 Sat 30 Aug 08 Sat 27 Sep 08 Sat 25 Oct 08 End Tue 24 Jun 08 Tue 22 Jul 08 Tue 19 Aug 08 Tue 16 Sep 08 Tue 14 Oct 08 Tue 11 Nov 08 Tue 09 Dec 08 Start Sat 22 Nov 08 Sat 20 Dec 08 Sat 14 Feb 09 Sat 14 Mar 09 Sat 11 Apr 09 Sat 09 May 09 Sat 06 Jun 09 End Tue 06 Jan 09 Tue 03 Feb 09 Tue 31 Mar 09 Tue 28 Apr 09 Tue 26 May 09 Tue 23 Jun 09 Tue 21 Jul 09 Start Sat 04 Jul 09 Sat 01 Aug 09 Sat 29 Aug 09 Sat 26 Sep 09 Sat 24 Oct 09 Sat 21 Nov 09 Sat 19 Dec 09 End Tue 18 Aug 09 Tue 15 Sep 09 Tue 13 Oct 09 Tue 10 Nov 09 Tue 08 Dec 09 Tue 05 Jan 10 Tue 02 Feb 10
Gallipoli Selcuk Ephesus Dalyan
Istanbul
Ankara
Pamukkale Antalya Olympos
TURKEY
Cappadocia Mt. Nemrut Khata
Istanbul to Cairo (inc Siwa Oasis) - 39 days Code: BXEIC2 £650 · 980 · CHF1,630 · US$1,300 C$1,400 · A$1,560 · NZ$1,760 Plus Local Fund of US$640
Start Sat 10 May 08 Sat 07 Jun 08 Sat 05 Jul 08 Sat 02 Aug 08 Sat 30 Aug 08 Sat 27 Sep 08 Sat 25 Oct 08 End Tue 17 Jun 08 Tue 15 Jul 08 Tue 12 Aug 08 Tue 09 Sep 08 Tue 07 Oct 08 Tue 04 Nov 08 Tue 02 Dec 08 Start Sat 22 Nov 08 Sat 20 Dec 08 Sat 14 Feb 09 Sat 14 Mar 09 Sat 11 Apr 09 Sat 09 May 09 Sat 06 Jun 09 End Tue 30 Dec 08 Tue 27 Jan 09 Tue 24 Mar 09 Tue 21 Apr 09 Tue 19 May 09 Tue 16 Jun 09 Tue 14 Jul 09 Start Sat 04 Jul 09 Sat 01 Aug 09 Sat 29 Aug 09 Sat 26 Sep 09 Sat 24 Oct 09 Sat 21 Nov 09 Sat 19 Dec 09 End Tue 11 Aug 09 Tue 08 Sep 09 Tue 06 Oct 09 Tue 03 Nov 09 Tue 01 Dec 09 Tue 29 Dec 09 Tue 26 Jan 10
Gaziantep Aleppo Hama
SYRIA
Palmyra
Damascus
Alexandria
Amman
Petra Nuweiba
Cairo
JORDAN
Istanbul to Cairo - 29 days Code: BXEIC1 £570 · 850 · CHF1,410 · US$1,130 C$1,210 · A$1,360 · NZ$1,530 Plus Local Fund of US$440
Start Sat 10 May 08 Sat 07 Jun 08 Sat 05 Jul 08 Sat 02 Aug 08 Sat 30 Aug 08 Sat 27 Sep 08 Sat 25 Oct 08 End Sat 07 Jun 08 Sat 05 Jul 08 Sat 02 Aug 08 Sat 30 Aug 08 Sat 27 Sep 08 Sat 25 Oct 08 Sat 22 Nov 08 Start Sat 22 Nov 08 Sat 20 Dec 08 Sat 14 Feb 09 Sat 14 Mar 09 Sat 11 Apr 09 Sat 09 May 09 Sat 06 Jun 09 End Sat 20 Dec 08 Sat 17 Jan 09 Sat 14 Mar 09 Sat 11 Apr 09 Sat 09 May 09 Sat 06 Jun 09 Sat 04 Jul 09 Start Sat 04 Jul 09 Sat 01 Aug 09 Sat 29 Aug 09 Sat 26 Sep 09 Sat 24 Oct 09 Sat 21 Nov 09 Sat 19 Dec 09 End Sat 01 Aug 09 Sat 29 Aug 09 Sat 26 Sep 09 Sat 24 Oct 09 Sat 21 Nov 09 Sat 19 Dec 09 Sat 16 Jan 10
Siwa Oasis
Suez St. Wadi El Catherines Natrun
Riv er Ni le
Wadi Rum Aqaba Dahab
EGYPT
Luxor Aswan
Abu Simbel
Lake Nasser
Ephesus, an ancient Roman city near Selçuk
Take a leisurely camel ride on the outskirts of the city
Istanbul to Cairo Trip Notes: www.budgetexpeditions.com/tripnotes/bxeic3 Istanbul to Cairo Trip Notes: www.budgetexpeditions.com/tripnotes/bxes
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Is t anbul t o C air o · 29 t o 46 da y s
Istanbul to Cairo
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