Travel Insurance Information | Terms and Conditions Book Your Tour Online | Egypt Tours Home Page A Magical Mystery Tour18-Day Deluxe Package Covering Turkey, Syria & Lebanon ONLY
$7869.00!! per
person
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Tour Highlights: |
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Round trip air from the U.S. | Day | Itinerary |
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| Day 01 | Depart USA on a scheduled flight to Damascus. All meals and beverages served on board flight. |
| Day 02 | Arrive Damascus International Airport where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel, the Cham Palace Hotel for an overnight.(D) |
| Day 03 | Breakfast, then start your tour of
Damascus visiting the National Museum which is divided into five
sections: the Prehistoric section, the Oriental section, the
Greco-Roman section, the Byzantine section, the Arab-Islamic section
and a modern art gallery. From there visit the old and colorful
Bazaar. Visit the famous Omayyad Mosque filled with mosaics inlaid
with gold, one of the largest mosques in the world and where the
head of St. John the Baptist is buried. From there visit Azem Palace
which was built in 1749 for Assad Al-Azem, Governor of Damascus
then. In the afternoon visit Via Recta mentioned in the historic
stories when Saint Paul was blinded by God's revelation on the road
to Damascus. Visit also Anania's House where Saint Paul met Ananias,
a Christian of Damascus, who put his hands on him so he might
receive his sight and be blessed with the Holy Ghost. Continue our
tour to visit Bab Sharqi (the Eastern Gate) and Saint Paul's
Window. It is an old Roman gate, preserved by the Byzantines
and the Arabs, and restored many times particulaly in the 12th
century, Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
(B,D)
Lebanon: Baalbek, World's best preserved Roman Acropolis |
| Day 04 | Breakfast, then drive for about an
hour and a half crossing the Syrian border into Lebanon. Visit
Anjar, Lebanon's only remaining walled city. The stones and carvings
were brought to this spot by decree of the Omayyad Khaliph-al-Walid
in the early 8th century AD, who built the Omayyad Mosque. See the
ruins of restored palaces, markets (souks), baths, colonnaded
streets and walls. Lunch at a traditional Lebanese restaurant to
experience the famous Lebanese cuisine. Continue our tour to visit
Baalbek, the largest and best preserved Acropolis of Roman
architecture left in the world. Its temples are dedicated to
Jupiter, Venus and Bacchus, and were built in the 2nd and 3rd
century AD. The ruins present a majestic ensemble: two temples, two
courtyards preceded by propylaea (ceremonial entrances) as well as
six immense columns still soar upwards. In the evening transfer back
to Damascus for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
Maaloula: Burial place of Saint Takla
Syria: Krak Des Chevaliers |
| Day 05 | Breakfast, then drive from Damascus
to Maaloula, about an hour and half drive, to see the village where
people still speak "Aramaic" the language of Christ. Visit the
convent of Saint Sergius (Sarkis) where there is a small Byzantine
chapel. This church is one of the oldest in the world dating back to
the year 300 AD. Behind the monastery there is another convent
dedicated to Saint Takla who converted into Christianity after being
deeply moved by Saint Paul's epistle. A few steps and terraces will
lead to a small church where Saint Takla is buried and water
dripping from the roof is said to possess miraculous powers.
Continue our tour with an hour drive to Krak Des Chevaliers and
visit the famous Crusader castle from the 11th century. It is the
most spectacular example of Crusader Military architecture in the
Middle Ages. Drive for about an hour and a half to reach Hama.
Dinner and overnight at the Cham Palace Hotel in Hama. (B,D)
Syria: Bas-relief on a tomb |
| Day 06 | Breakfast, then visit the town of Hama with its Norias giant water wheels located on the Orontes river. You will be allowed time to take pictures of these 400-year old water wheels. A break for some Middle Eastern coffee at a coffee house. In the afternoon take an hour and a half drive to Apamea, the town built by Seleucos Nicator, one of the commanders of Alexander the Great, see the antique 1000-column Hellenistic city dating back to the year 299 BC, as well as a theater with a facade 450 foot long and is one of the largest known. Continue your tour to Bara. This is one of the largest and most impressive sties of the dead cities, extending a mile and half. Drive to the beautiful city Aleppo for check-in at the luxurious and historic hotel, the Dar Zamaria Martini Hotel. In the evening you will be met and transferred to a traditional Aleppo club where you will enjoy local music and a floor show performance while being served delicious Syrian food. Later transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 07 | Breakfast, then start your tour
with a forty minute drive in the countryside, visiting the beautiful
cathedral of Saint Simeon dating to 420 AD, where Saint Simeon lived
over a column for 42 years preaching. The Byzantine cathedral was
the largest one in the Byzantine empire. A special lunch at a
villager home, then continue your tour of Aleppo visiting the Aleppo
museum with strong emphasis on the Iron-Age as well as the Byzantine
era. Visit the Grand Mosque dating from 1090 AD and founded in the
early Islamic period. Continue your tour to visit the 6-mile-long
colorful bazaar of Aleppo. In the afternoon visit the Citadel which
was constructed around 333-364 BC, and see some caravanserais and
the old Christian neighborhood. A short visit and a stop for coffee
at the historic and ancient Baron Hotel where Lawrence of Arabia
stayed and see his signature on a few items and also view other
historic items the hotel displays. Tour the hotel and later transfer
back to your hotel. In the evening you will be met and transferred
to a Syrian home in Aleppo for a traditional dinner and get
acquainted with the local people and their culture. Later transfer
back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D)
Aleppo: Lobby of the historic Dar Zamaria Hotel |
| Day 08 | Breakfast, then a four hour drive from Aleppo to Palmyra. Start your tour visiting the largest oasis in the desert which has the biggest Roman town in the Middle East. The ruins of Palmyra are very impressive both by their extent and by their remarkable state of preservation. Visit the great Temple of Bel and the sacrifice altar, the main colonnaded street and its associated buildings, the Diocletian's Camp, the Museum of Palmyra with religious and funerary art depicting the sculptural tradition of wealthy Palmyrian people and how they commemorated their dead, the Temple of Baal-Shamin, Temple of Nebo, Roman Baths, the Tetrapylon, the Theater, Statue of Queen Zenobia, the Funerary Temple, the Temple of Allat, the Damascus Gate and the tower Tomb of Kithoth built in 40 AD which stands 29 feet high. Lunch at Siahi restaurant facing the museum of Palmyra. Continue our tour to visit the Tower Tomb of Elahbel and his three brothers which was built to accommodate 300 burial spots. Transfer to your hotel, the Cham Palace hotel in Palmyra for check-in and overnight. (B,L) |
| Day 09 | Breakfast and morning at leisure. In the afternoon, a three hour drive to Damascus. Arrive Damascus and transfer to the Cham Palace Hotel. Later you will be met and transferred to a Syrian bath and Spa for a rejuvenating experience, a Turkish steam bath, where they are still being operated the very same ancient way. It enhances your health by managing stress. This ancient art will include a loofah scrub to give your skin a new life by opening pores, stimulating circulation and removing dead skin cells. Also included will be a short massage for relaxation. Transfer back to your hotel. Balance of day at leisure. Overnight. (B,L) |
| Day 10 | Breakfast, then you will be met by your tour guide and transferred to Damascus Airport for your flight to Istanbul. Arrive Istanbul where you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel, the luxurious Intercontinental Hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 11 | Breakfast, then start a full day city tour to explore the famous treasures of Istanbul, the bridge between the past and the present: Saint Sophia, the Blue Mosque, famous for its colorful tiles; The Hippodrome, a center for political events of the old city; Topkapi Palace, Imperial residence of Ottoman Sultans exhibiting imperial treasury, weapons, calligraphy and more. Also visit Soliman Mosque built in the 16th century as well as the Grand Bazaar claimed to be the largest in the world with nearly 4000 shops. Transfer back to your hotel. Later in the evening you will be met and transferred to the Sea Port Fish restaurant in an old Turkish house for dinner on the Bosphorus. Transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 12 | Breakfast, then you will be met by our representative and transferred to Istanbul airport for your flight to Ankara. Arrive Ankara and start your tour visiting the Museum of Anatolian Civilization which is located in a restored bazaar. The museum has the most unique and priceless collection dating back to the Prehistoric Era. Continue our tour to visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk. It is a magnificent structure serving as a tribute to the founder of modern Turkey. Drive to Cappadocia. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel, the Dedeman Hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 13 | Breakfast, then start your tour visiting the Citadel of Uchisar which will enable you to get a panoramic view of the region, then continue to the Goreme Valley which is the highlight of the day. This valley houses the Goreme open air museum with its churches hewn out of rock with colorful frescoes which decorates them. Our next stop is Zelve and the caves of this ancient village, the underground city of Kaymakli (Derinkuyu) which was carved by refugees from persecutors during the early Christian Era. Dinner will be served in a typical Turkish restaurant with a Turkish folkloric show. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B,D) |
| Day 14 | Breakfast, then drive to Ankara for your domestic flight to Izmir. Arrive Izmir where you will be met and transferred to the Hilton Hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 15 | Breakfast, then start your tour of Ephesus: This is the best preserved and most often visited of all sites in Turkey. It is dedicated to Artemis who is the virgin goddess of Chase. Continue our tour to visit the house of the Virgin Mary which is world famous. Drive to Izmir for dinner at a famous restaurant in Kordon, the most popular area of Izmir. Later transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 16 | Breakfast, then start your tour of Izmir visiting the castle of Agora the antique and modern city. Transfer with your tour guide to Izmir airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul. Arrive Istanbul where you will be met and transferred to your hotel, the luxurious Swissotel in Istanbul. Balance of day at leisure. In the evening you will be met and transferred to Pescatore, a famous seafood restaurant on the Bosphorus shore for dinner. Later transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 17 | Breakfast, then start your tour visiting the Spice Bazaar and Dolmabahce Palace: the last residence for Ottoman sultans, with 365 rooms and 22 reception areas. In the afternoon visit Akmerkez, the beautiful and most popular shopping center in Europe. Transfer back to your hotel. In the evening you will be met and transferred to Kervansaray Night Club for dinner and a Turkish folkloric music dance show including a floor show and Turkish belly dancing. Later transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D) |
| Day 18 | Breakfast, then you will be met and transferred to Istanbul airport for your flight back home. (B) |
Also Included: All transfers within Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. Personalized sightseeing as mentioned in itinerary, in a private car, with a tour guide and a driver including entrance fees to sights mentioned. Included as well is the service charge imposed by hotels, porterage, meeting and assistance at airports and hotels.
Not included: Items of a personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages, telephone calls, visa charge and tips.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: If single supplement is needed, please add $1165.
If airfare from the U.S.A. is not required, please deduct $920 from posted rate.
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