Welcome to Greece! Upon arrival at the airport in Athens at 1:05 AM, you will be greeted by a local representative, holding a sign with your name on it. For a smooth and comfortable start to your adventure, you will be driven directly to your hotel, where you will be able to check-in immediately reunite with your mother and rest after your long journey. (This service is on a private basis.)

Enjoy the remainder of the day to simply rest and relax!

*Please note: Twin Room is on request (based on availability at check-in).

Athens

The capital of Greece has recently undergone a major face lift thanks to the 2004 Olympics and has become more visitor-friendly than ever. Not only does it offer several of the world's most significant archaeological sites, structures and museums, it now has a wide selection of restaurants, ranging from basic indigenous food to fine gourmet dining, and a similarly wide selection of shops and goods. Whether visiting the incomparable Acropolis or the new subway system, you will find that Athens rewards your time before setting off for the islands of Greece.

Today at 10:40 AM, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to Santorini. Upon your arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for your overnight. The remainder of the day is free at your leisure. (This service is on a private basis.)

Santorini Island

One of the premier luxury destinations in the world, Santorini is arguably the most popular Greek island vacation spot for a romantic vacation. The Santorini Caldera, a site of fascinating beauty that developed after a volcanic explosion in the 2nd millennium BC, will certainly enchant you with its white-washed houses literally hanging from the multi-colored cliffs. The villages of Oia, Fira, Imerovigli and Pirgos provide the ideal setting for an unforgettable Greek islands vacation or Santorini honeymoon.

Free Day

Due to changeable weather and the possibility of rain in November, sailing is not possible, but you'll have today to explore Santorini to your heart's content!

Pick up time: 9:00 AM. Due to its unique morphology and distinctive history, Santorini is regarded by some as the lost island of “Atlantis”. Visit the spectacularly preserved archaeological site of Akrotiri with your guide and marvel at the exquisite frescoes depicting scenes from nature and everyday life that were found amongst the remains of this 3rd - 2nd millennium B.C. settlement.

Follow your guide to the Faros Lighthouse located on the Southernmost tip of Santorini – make sure you have your camera with you because the views are spectacular. By the end of the tour you will leave with a sense that you have really discovered the lost island of “Atlantis.”

At 10:05 AM, you will be met and transferred to the airport for your return flight to Athens. Upon your arrival, you will be met and taken to your hotel where the remainder of the day is free at your leisure. (This service is on a private basis.)

Athens

The capital of Greece has recently undergone a major face lift thanks to the 2004 Olympics and has become more visitor-friendly than ever. Not only does it offer several of the world's most significant archaeological sites, structures and museums, it now has a wide selection of restaurants, ranging from basic indigenous food to fine gourmet dining, and a similarly wide selection of shops and goods. Whether visiting the incomparable Acropolis or the new subway system, you will find that Athens rewards your time before setting off for the islands of Greece.

This morning at 4:30 AM you will be met at your hotel and transferred to the Athens airport for your international flight to Tel Aviv.

Welcome to Israel! Upon arrival at the airport in Tel Aviv, you will be greeted by a local representative and transferred directly to your hotel in Jerusalem, for a smooth and comfortable start to your adventure! Check into your room and enjoy a relaxing evening at your leisure. (This service is on a private basis.)

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is totally unique – there is no other place like it. A city of tradition, religion, and history, but also, increasingly, of modern culture and heritage, it is a city with so much to offer that you could spend years here and still not see everything. Long an object of veneration and conflict, the holy city of Jerusalem has been governed, both as a provincial town and a national capital, by an extended series of dynasties and states. In the early 20th century the city, along with all of historic Palestine, became the focus of the competing national aspirations of Zionists and Palestinian Arabs.

Bethlehem & Mount of Olives

After breakfast, you will depart with our guide on a tour of Bethlehem. This little town in the heart of the hills is home to the Cave of the Nativity where Jesus was born, as well as it being a city which dates back more than three thousand years with many architectural and historical treasures. A stroll through its old streets with its numerous churches and mosques and ancient relics allows you to experience the charm of the small town where you will encounter the typical Palestinian culture. After, you will visit Jerusalem. You will head to the Mount of Olives where you will come across a wonderful panoramic view of central Jerusalem. You can also visit the Sanctuary of the Ascension, the Franciscan Chapel of Dominus Flevit, the tomb of the Virgin, as well as the Basilica of all Nations "Gethsemane" and the Church of Pater Noster. (This service is on a private basis.)

Jerusalem Old City

After breakfast, your day will be spent visiting the holy city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem lies at the crossroads of different civilizations and you will come across the remains of ancient mosaics and treasures from the Roman and Byzantine period, the Crusaders and the Ottoman Empire to name but a few. In the Old City you will encounter oriental charm and be plunged into the souk’s colorful alleyways which take you to the meeting places of the three major monotheistic religions. Whether along the Via Dolorosa or the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall, you will be left imprinted by the city and its unique religious and architectural marks. (This service is on a private basis.)

Today you will be met by your driver and transferred to the to Allenby Bridge. Your vehicle will drop you off outside the Israeli terminal.  You enter the terminal and head to the exit tax kiosk to pay your exit tax (approx. 48 US$ pp).  Officially this is payable in local currency, but they will generally take US dollars or Euros.  Take your exit tax to the immigration counter and hand it over with your passport. After processing your passport, you will enter into a waiting area with seats. Here you can wait till called to board your shuttle bus.  Please be aware there are 3 different shuttles, one for tourists, one for Jerusalem residents, and one for West Bank Palestinians. Check with the driver you are on the correct bus. 

The shuttle bus will leave for the Jordanian terminal.  Along the way, the Jordanian police will collect your passports.  These will be held by the driver and given to the Jordanian immigration at the Jordanian Terminal.  On arrival at the Jordanian terminal, a ticket collector will board the bus and you will pay JOD 7 pp (approx. $10) plus JOD 1.50 (approx. $2) per piece of checked luggage.  You will then disembark the bus into the Jordanian Border Terminal.  The shuttle bus is irregular and you may have to wait a long time for it. You can avoid the shuttle by using the VIP Border Crossing service at the bridge. 
 
Inside the terminal, your name will be called and you will be handed your passport. Your driver will be waiting at the terminal to meet you and take you to Petra.  Please note this will be a different driver than the one you had in Israel. The whole border formalities from arrival at the Israeli Terminal to exiting the Jordanian Terminal takes between 1-2 hours.

Petra

Transfer you to enjoy a full day exploring the magnificently mysterious, rock-carved rose-red city of Petra. Various walks and climbs reveal literally hundreds of buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, colonnaded streets, and haunting rock drawings - as well as a 3000 seat open-air amphitheatre, a gigantic first century Monastery (800 steps on top of the mountain) and a modern archaeological museum, all of which can be explored at your leisure. Horseback riding is also included in this excursion.(This service is on a private basis.)

Leaving your hotel in Petra, your guide will drive you to the Dead Sea which is more than 400 meters below sea level and the lowest point on earth. After checking in to your hotel, you will have the remainder of the day free at your leisure. (This service is on a private basis.)

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea – bordering Israel, the West Bank and Jordan – is a salt lake whose banks are more than 400m below sea level, the lowest point on dry land. Its famously vibrant blue and hypersaline water makes floating easy, and its mineral-rich black mud is used for therapeutic and cosmetic treatments at area resorts. The extreme salinity of the water comes from the high evaporation rate. This salinity makes for an almost intolerable environment most living organisms.

Masada, Jericho & St George Monastery

After breakfast, you will be returned to the Allenby Bridge to cross back to the Holy Land. Once across, you will drive to Masada and ascend by cable car to marvel at King Herod’s desert fortress- the last stronghold of Jewish Zealots against Roman domination in 73 CE. After a look around, continue to visit Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Then, you will drive to the green oasis of Jericho near the Dead Sea. Jericho was made famous by the discovery of Tel es-Sultan, one of the oldest cities of the Levant dating from the eighth millennium BC. To the north of the oasis, the Umayyads built Qaser Hisham, which houses beautiful mosaic floors. Near here you will also find the Inn of the Good Samaritan where you will cross the canyon of Wadi Quelt to admire the beautiful St. George Monastery. The monastery was built against the ocher cliffs of the mountain and here you can see Mount Qurantine. (This service is on a private basis.)

After check out, at 6:30 AM, your driver will meet you at your hotel for your transfer to Tel Aviv in time for your onward flight to Istanbul.

Upon your arrival at the Istanbul airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in the heart of the old Byzantine and Ottoman capital. After a welcoming drink, you will enjoy some dinner. (This service is on a private basis.)

Istanbul

An international center as long as there has been trade, most of the world's cultures have passed through Istanbul at some point, and it shows in the diversity of its religious monuments, architectural styles, and city streets.

Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, and Roman Hippodrome & Hagia Sophia

The Sultanahmet area is the home of the most majestic remnants of historic Istanbul. Today you will start the day with a short visit to the Roman Hippodrome and go into the famous Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque). The Blue Mosque presents splendid examples of the Iznik (Nycea) tiles and Ottoman architecture from the early 17th century. The Hagia Sophia Church is also one of the must-see places in Istanbul as well as on earth. For most art-historians and architects, it is considered the 8th wonder of the ancient world. After the 532 AD Nika Revolt, which after a chariot race in the Hippodrome, the Hagia Sophia Chruch was burnt down to the ground. After the revolt was suppressed, The Emperor Justinianus ordered the construction of a new church. At the grand opening, he declared his victory saying, “Oh, Solomon I surpassed thy!” Hagia Sophia served as a church until it became a mosque under the Turkish rule in the 15th century and remained so until it became a museum in 1930.

In the afternoon, you can visit the Topkapi Palace which, once become the most significant administrative centers of the world. Here you can explore the capital of the Ottoman Empire and the home of Ottoman Dynasty before your day of touring comes to a close. (This service is on a private basis.)

Patriarchy, Chora Church, Grand Bazaar & Spice Market

Today, you will explore a few of the least visited areas of Byzantine Istanbul. Start the day with a visit to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy, which is one of the most significant buildings on the Golden Horn. A short stroll will lead you to the oldest existing Byzantine church (still used as a church), called Hagia Maria. This very unique church is built in a clover pattern. One remarkable visit of the day will be to see the exquisite glass mosaics of the Chora Church. A 4th-century church which was built on the outskirts of Constantinople has since been rebuilt on the 11th-century donor building called Theodore Metochites. The vivid, realistic and dynamic characteristics of the mosaics are considered a pioneer venture for the Renaissance art. The old district around Chora houses are also home to most unique restaurants attempting to refine Ottoman cuisine.

After lunch, you will visit the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, and take a very pleasant boat trip up the Bosphorus, which connects the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea. The Bosphorus is like a fairy tale, adorned by fascinating waterfront (yali) houses, mosques, castles, cafes, and restaurants. At the end of the trip, you will crown the day with a seafood dinner. (This service is on a private basis.)

Explore Cappadocia

Today, you will be transferred to the airport for your journey to Cappadocia.

After a short morning flight and drive, you will arrive in the city of Cappadocia. Cappadocia is a wonder filled with fairy-like geological formations, more than 1000 early Christian rock carved churches with frescoes, lots of local product and craftsmanship such as onyx carving, carpet making as well as winery. You will have three full days in this magical part of the world to explore. You will start your tour at Uchisar Castle, a natural rock formation that has served Cappadocians as a residence and a defensive point throughout its history. After a short walk, you will visit the Goreme open-air museum, which has the finest examples of Christian rock carved churches with frescoes. Then, you will visit a local carpet-weaving coop to have a lecture and a demonstration on this very proud art of Turks. Turks claim to have invented the knotted carpets on the Central Asian steppes so that they could have comfortable mattresses in their nomadic tents with the earliest sample of a knotted rug have been found in a glacier in Turkistan and are now kept in a Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. (This service is on a private basis.)

Cappadocia

Cappadocia has dozens of subterranean towns. These elaborate settlements are up to eight stories deep (only yet partially excavated) with a tangle of tunnels leading to churches, private living quarters, storage areas, deep water wells, carved chimneys for air shafts and even wine producing chambers. There is one tunnel nearly 6 miles long that connects the two underground cities. Up to 60,000 people lived here for months underground. The determination and motivation behind the creation of these subterranean fortresses is nearly inconceivable.

Derinkuyu & Kaymakli

Cappadocia has dozens of subterranean towns, but the most impressive are Kaymakli and Derinkuyu which you will visit with your guide today. These elaborate settlements are up to eight stories deep (only yet partially excavated) with a tangle of tunnels leading to churches, private living quarters, storage areas, deep water wells, carved chimneys for air shafts and even wine producing chambers. There is one tunnel nearly 6 miles long that connects the two underground cities. Up to 60,000 people lived here for months underground. The determination and motivation behind the creation of these subterranean fortresses is nearly inconceivable. Next, you will visit the world-famous master potters workshop of Chez Galip. Galip is a remarkable member of the local artists who maintain the ancient way of using the potter’s wheel, which, according to the scholar was invented in Anatolia in the early Bronze Age. (This service is on a private basis.)

At the appropriate time, your guide will transfer you to the Kayseri Airport for your flight to Istanbul. (This service is on a private basis.)

Upon arrival in Istanbul, you will bid farewell to your mother as she continues on to Egypt. You will be met at the airport by your local driver and transferred to your accommodations (approx. 35 minute drive). Your hotel is located right on the Bosphorus and 2 minutes to Ortaköy square home to many great restaurants and cafes. Your hotel also has a wellness and spa center, if you decide to just stay in and relax. (This service is on a private basis.)

This morning at 6:00 AM, you will be picked up at your hotel in Istanbul and transferred to the airport for your flight home. (This service is on a private basis.)