Leaving Agios Nikolaos, capital city of Eastern Crete, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere your bus will drive you to Elounda, located in a gorgeous natural bay. Elounda is famous not only on the island of Crete but also in the entire Aegean Sea, much acclaimed for its outstanding hotels and tourist establishment in a magnificent natural environment. The combination of the landscape and the sea it is something you will never forget!

Driving to Kritsa, you will enjoy a wonderful view of both Mirabelo and Elounda Bay. Free time will be given at Kritsa to browse in the streets with the splendid displays of blooming flowers, fruit trees and plants in the yards, terraces and balconies of the houses. Kritsa is a delightful mixture of sights, sounds, and smells.

Your tour continue to a local Olive Oil Farm. In a marvellously designed space of 2,000 m², the facility has endeavoured to embrace traditional Cretan everyday life in its entirety. The production of olive oil, wine & raki takes place using the most traditional of methods and giving you the opportunity to experience Cretan life is the early 20th century. On arrival you will be welcomed with a Raki the traditional drink of Crete and “meze”. Here you will have the chance also to enjoy Cretan traditional music and dance with local performers.

After visiting the Farm you continue your journey to Agios Nikolaos. The landmark of the city is a small lake, known as "Voulismeni" that is located in the centre of the city, at the foot of the cliffs. According to the mythology, the goddess Athena used to take her bath in this lake. It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the bank. Here you will be given free time to browse in this beautiful town before returning to your ship.

A panoramic drive of approx. 1 hour and half will bring you to Jerusalem, giving you the chance of catching a glimpse of Israel, old and new. Upon your arrival in town, your motor coach will drive through West Jerusalem, passing by the Knesset - Israel Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Museum of Israel with the Shrine of the Book. You will be amazed by the heartbreaking panorama from the Mount of Olives, where you will have a photo stop.

The second visit will be the Gethsemane Garden and the Church of all Nation. Gethsemane garden is at the foot of the Mount of Olives, famous as the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before Jesus' crucifixion. According to Orthodox tradition, Gethsemane is the garden where the Apostles buried the Virgin Mary. The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony is a Roman Catholic church which enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest.

Afterwards you will have a guided tour in the old city of Jerusalem starting with a stroll through the famous quarters of the old city. Until the 1860s this area constituted the entire city of Jerusalem. The Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. Traditionally, the Old City has been divided into four quarters, although the current designations were introduced only in the 19th century. Today, the Old City is roughly divided into the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. The Jewish Quarter of the Old City was largely destroyed by Jordan following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980, Jordan proposed the Old City to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. It was added to the List in 1981.

The Wailing Wall, sometimes referred to as the Kotel and as al-Buraaq Wall by Muslims, is one of the most important Jewish religious sites. Just over half the wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 B.C. by Herod the Great, while the remaining layers were added from the 7th century onwards. The tour will continue to Bethlehem, where you will have lunch in an oriental restaurant, followed by free time to stroll around and get some souvenirs from the Holy Land. The main site you will visit in will be the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and it is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam.

Begin the excursion with a sightseeing drive through the business centre of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque, dedicated to Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Continue around the mighty citywalls, which once protected Constantinople from the many invasions and attacks it suffered over the centuries.

In the Old City, the first visit will be to the Byzantine Hippodrome, which was once one of the largest chariot race arenas in the Byzantine Empire. Visit the Sultanahmet Mosque, where large groups of pilgrims start their pilgrimage to Mecca. It is decorated with 21.000 blue Iznik tiles from where it gets its name, the “Blue Mosque”. Walk to the world famous monument of Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom, where you can see the superb mosaics and the marble decorations.

Return to the ship for lunch on board. After lunch continue the tour with a visit to the Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans. See the famous treasury and the "Spoonmaker's Diamond", the 7th biggest diamond in the world. During the tour you will also have the opportunity to get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition of oriental carpets, jewellery or leather goods.

Delos, once a Sacred Island, is the legendary birthplace of the Sun God Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. For 500 years, tiny Delos was the religious & commercial hub of the entire Aegean. Today, the only remaining inhabitants are the keepers of its treasured ruins. Depart from the port of Mykonos by boat, and sail along the western coast of the island, through Diles & Rhenia Islands, to the ancient harbour of Delos where you begin the guided walking tour. First you see Agora and beyond it, the Sacred Way, which leads to the Temple of Apollo.

Next, you see the remains of a Hellenistic Quarter with its harbour, water house and luxurious villas, such as the House of Cleopatra, the House of the Dolphins, the House of the Masks, the House of Dionysos, and many other interesting buildings. Note the architecture and the mosaic floors, which have survived over 2.500 years. Continue and admire the spectacular Avenue of the Lions, where five Naxian marble Lions from the 7th century B.C. crouch, vigilantly guarding the now dry sacred lake. Re-board the boat for the return journey to Mykonos Town. Here you will have the chance to walk along the cobblestone streets of this famous island with its numerous shops, cafes and restaurants before you return to the port to re-join the ship.

Depart from the city of Port Said in luxury a/c motor coaches en route to Africa’s largest city, the teeming metropolis of Cairo. Your first stop will be at Tahrir (Liberty) Square, the heart of down town Cairo. Visit the National Archaeological Museum and acquaint yourself with Egypt’s ancient history, spanning a period of over 50 centuries.

The Museum is the repository of the world’s largest and richest collection of Egyptian Antiquities amongst them the priceless collection of King Tutankhamen. At the banks of the River Nile downtown a luxurious cruise boat awaits to sail you on the same timeless waterway traversed by Pharaohs, Queens and Nobles thousands of years ago. Sit back, relax and enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch in elaborate interiors as you glide past Cairo's waterfront landmarks.

For your entertainment, a folkloric presentation and belly dancing will take place during lunch. After lunch drive to the Giza Plateau, where the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza still stand. Visit the Pyramids and enjoy panoramic views from the Western Plateau. Your coach will park at the base of Chephren’s pyramid and time will be allocated to explore the site on your own.

Continue down the valley where the guardian of this mortuary complex, the mighty Sphinx lies watching the passage of time and men in eons of silence its expression an enigma yet to be unravelled. Visit a Papyrus Institute where the art of paper making from reeds discovered by the Ancient Egyptians will be demonstrated for you. Limited time for souvenir shopping will also be allocated before you commence the return drive to Alexandria.

Special Notices

At the museum passengers go through 2 security checks before they enter. No cameras and videos allowed in the museum. The museum is not a/c but natural ventilation produces cooling breezes.

Only the hall of the Tutankhamen collection and the Royal Mummies are a/c. Entering the hall of Mummies requires an extra fee of 100 L.E. and it is not part of the guided tour. Ticket purchasable within the museum at the entrance to the mummies. No video, camera or guiding allowed inside. The mummies are viewed as you walk past them and it does not take longer than 10 minutes.

There is an elevator in the museum but at times is not in operation. However, museum personnel help carry confined and assistance requiring visitors upstairs.

Visit inside a Pyramid is not included in the program neither recommended for persons suffering from claustrophobia, breathing, knee or back problems. Only 15 people each time are allowed inside the Pyramid of Cheops, maximum 150 for the day on a first come basis. The corridor is dark and low and at most of the time visitors have to stoop or bend their knees while they walk. The main chamber is totally empty. Very humid and dark inside. Cameras and videos not allowed inside.