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Middle East & Fertile Crescent 20 Day Tour
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Tour :
| Middle East & Fertile Crescent 20 Day Tour |
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| Tour Cost :
| AUD$6,285.00 per person twin share. This price includes airport taxes & levies of $115.00. |
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| Tour Departs:
| 14 October 2010 |
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| What's Included: |
This great price covers all of the following:
Return Air fares from Sydney and Melbourne into Amman (Jordan) and out of Istanbul (Turkey) with Etihad Airways, an airline that regularly wins awards for being one of the world's most outstanding airlines.A one way flight from Urfa to Istanbul.A 17 day tour of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, eastern Turkey and Istanbul.A one day stop-over in Abu Dhabi.First class accommodation, mainly 4 to 5 star.Most meals.All entrance fees including spectacular Petra.Services of local tour guides, and if there are 12 or more participants there will be an Australian tour leader.
If you do not have a travel partner but wish to travel at twin share rates we will do our best to match you up with another person, but this is not guaranteed. For a single room there will be an extra charge of $825. |
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| Notes: |
| Note: There is an optional post-tour extension of Western Turkey for $1375 per person twin share and an additional $355 for a single room. Please see the itinerary below for further details. |
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| Tour Itinerary: |
Note: Included meals are indicated as B = Breakfast, L =Lunch, D = Dinner.
14.10.10
Depart Sydney at 9.50pm on EY 455, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 5.40am the next morning.
Depart Melbourne at 11.15pm on EY 461, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 6.35am the next morning.
15.10.10 (D) Abu Dhabi - Amman (Jordan)
All passengers depart Abu Dhabi at 8.35am on EY 513, arriving in Amman at 9.45am.
After passport control, you will be transferred to your hotel where there will be time to relax and rest.
16.10.10 (B/D) Amman - Petra
In the morning you will drive to Petra. On the way you will visit Madaba to see a Byzantine archaeological park and visit Mount Nebo, which features a beautiful view of the Jordan valley. You will also visit Kerak to see the ruins of a fortress built by the Crusaders. Arrive in Petra and dinner will be at the hotel.
17.10.10 (B/D) Petra
Today you will take a full day tour of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the seven new wonders of the world. This city was carved into sandstone, Rock Mountains and was a stop along ancient trade routes. You will also see Al Khazneh (meaning 'The Treasury'), which is a detailed ruin built into a cliff. Late in the afternoon you will return to your hotel. Dinner will be at the hotel.
18.10.10 (B/L/D) Wadi Rum - Amman
After breakfast you will drive to Wadi Rum. After a jeep safari and lunch at Bedouin tent, you then drive to Amman, where you will take a city tour. Dinner will be at the hotel.
19.10.10 (B/D) Amman - Damascus (Syria)
After breakfast you will drive to Jerash, which is a vast Greco-Roman city ruin that we will explore. Here you will visit the Artemis Temple, the Oval Palace, the Temple of Zeus and much more. If time permits you will also drive to Bosra. In the afternoon, you drive to the border that divides Syria and Jordan. Entering Syria you will drive to Damascus to check into the hotel. Dinner will be at the hotel.
20.10.10 (B/D) Damascus
On this day you will spend a full day touring Damascus, one of the oldest cities in the world. Among the many things you will visit the Damascus Museum, the Azem Palace, Omayyad Mosque, the Tomb of Salhdine, Hananya Chapel, St Paul's Church and old town Damascus. If time permits, you will visit the beautiful Hijaz Railway Station, which was built by Ottomans. You will then enjoy a panoramic view of Damascus from the Qassioun Mountains. Dinner in Damascus.
21.10.10 (B/D) Damascus - Ballbeck (Lebanon)
Leave early in the morning where you take a day trip to Lebanon. After crossing the border, you will visit Ballbeck to see ancient Greek and Roman ruins. Some of the places you will visit are the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Baccus and the Temple of Venus. You also visit the Great Court and tour an underground tunnel, which houses many artifacts. Late in the afternoon you will drive back to Damascus. Arrive early in the evening at the hotel. Dinner will be at the hotel.
22.10.10 (B/D) Damascus - Palmyra
On the way to Palmyra, you will stop at Seydnaya to visit the Convent of Our Lady, which has a portrait of the Virgin Mary believed to have been painted by Saint Luke. You will also stop in Maaloula where you will see the St Thecla Convent and the St Sergius Convent, which is one of the oldest Greek churches in the world. The residents of this small village speak Aramaic, the language of Christ. Arrive in Palmyra, you will check into the hotel. Dinner will be at the hotel.
23.10.10
(B/D) Palmyra
You will spend a full day exploring Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see among other things the Palmyra Museum, the Palmyra Theatre, the Bel Temple, the Temple of Baal Shamin, the Tetraplyon and the Valley of Tombs. In the evening you will have dinner in a Bedouin tent with a Bedouin traditional folk dance and music show.
24.10.10 (B/D) Palmyra - Aleppo
Today you will depart Palmyra to visit the well preserved Castle of the Knights (Le Crac Des Chevaliers), a fortress built by the French Crusaders, which was overtaken by Sultan Baybars in 1271. From the top of its towers, there is a beautiful panoramic view of the Mediterranean. You will spend the night in Aleppo. Dinner will be at the hotel.
25.10.10 (B) Aleppo
After breakfast you will have a full day city tour in Aleppo, visit the Aleppo Archaeological Museum, the Aleppo Citadel, the Omayyad Mosque, the Great Mosque and ancient bazaars. You will visit the St Simeon Monastery and Qalb Lozeh (Heart of Almond in Arabic) where you will see its beautiful church before returning to Aleppo. Dinner will be at the Sisi House Restaurant, a well known restaurant located in a 300 year old building in the Christian district of Aleppo.
26.10.10 B/D) Aleppo - Gaziantep
Early in the morning you will drive to the Syrian - Turkish border and drive into Turkey to Gaziantep, an old merchant city. In Gaziantep, you will visit the many bazaars and handicraft alley where many of Turkey's famous crafts are made. Dinner will be at the hotel.
27.10.10 (B/D) Gaziantep - Urfa
In the morning you will visit the Mosaic Museum where we will see the famous gypsy girl mosaic among others found in Zeugma. Afterwards, you will drive to Urfa on the way will take a boat tour to the sunken city of Halfeti and seeing the endangered bird of Anatolia (Ibis).
28.10.10 (B/D) Urfa (Gobekli Tepe)
Today you will explore the Urfa, the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. You will visit nearby Harran and see the incredible beehive houses. Harran, according to the Bible, was the site where the prophet Abraham lived with his family for several years before moving to Israel, the Promised Land. You will also visit the holy sites at Ainzelha, a lake with domesticated fish. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area. You will also visit Gobekli Tepe. Gobekli Tepe is lately a discovered archaeological site. It is a 14,000 years old temple complex and studies in this site have changed the known history of humankind.
29.10.10 30.10.10
(B) Urfa - Istanbul
Early in the morning you will fly to Istanbul.
Istanbul, once called Byzantium in the 7th century B.C., was renamed Constantinople in 326 A.D. by Constantine the Great when he moved the capital of the Roman Empire to what is now Istanbul. Istanbul received its current name from Mehmet II in 1453 and is the only city in the world that spans two continents. Here you will visit several of Turkey's most famous museums and mosques.
Topkapi Palace was first built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453 and was the home of the Sultan until the 19th century. St Sophia was built by the Roman Emperor Justinian and was completed in 537 A.D. It was the largest Christian church in the world for more than 1000 years. The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet in 1603 and was constructed with the deliberate intention of rivaling the St Sophia. You will also visit the spice market, the Rustem Pasha Mosque with its exceptional titles and the impressive mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent.
31.10.10 (B) Istanbul
Morning free in Istanbul. Transfer to Istanbul International Airport, departing at 1.45pm on EY 096, arriving in Abu Dhabi at 7.55pm. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your Abu Dhabi Hotel.
01.11.10 (B) Abu Dhabi
A free day in Abu Dhabi. Transfer to Abu Dhabi Airport.
Sydney passengers depart at 10.25pm on EY 454, arriving in Sydney at 7.30pm (02.11.10).
Melbourne passengers depart at 10.35pm on EY 460, arriving in Melbourne at 7.15pm. |
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Contact Information:
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Contact Person: Reservations
Contact Phone: 1800 170 100 (Australia Free Call) or +61 2 9505 8555 (International)
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