TRAVEL PLAN

WEDNESDAY 22ND OCTOBER
Iraklion, Crete
Guests embark Hebridean Spirit in Iraklion.

THURSDAY 23RD OCTOBER
Iraklion, Crete
We take a morning tour of the ancient Minoan site of Knossos.The mythological court of King Minos, the Palace of Knossos was built between 2000 and 1350BC. Our tour will explore the labyrinthine Palace and its Royal Apartments, throne room and banquet halls. Guests can lunch ashore.

FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER
At sea
As Hebridean Spirit cruises towards Cyprus, guests can relax and listen to a talk by our Guest Speaker.

SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER
Limassol, Cyprus – See Privately Escorted Tour Highlights
We depart for a full day touring the Troodos mountains, Cyprus’s largest mountain range, dotted with UNESCO-listed Byzantine churches and monasteries.There is the opportunity to explore the many trails of this ancient landscape cloaked in black pine trees, where sub-alpine flora including rare orchids flourish. Lunch will be taken ashore.

SUNDAY 26TH OCTOBER
Port Said, Egypt
After a morning at sea, we arrive in Egypt and take a horse-drawn carriage through Port Said to the El Alamein War Cemetery.The cemetery contains the 7,240 Commonwealth graves of the men who died in the World War II Battle of Alamein in 1942.

MONDAY 27TH OCTOBER
At sea
In the morning, we sail through the Suez Canal.The shortcut between Europe and Asia, a waterway existed here in the 13th century BC, but it was not until 1859 that the 10-year construction of the present canal began.We spend the afternoon at sea.

TUESDAY 28TH OCTOBER
Aqaba, Jordan
After a morning at sea and an overland drive from Aqaba, we reach Petra in the evening and enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at our luxury hotel.

WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER
Aqaba, Jordan – See Privately Escorted Tour Highlights
In the morning, we take a tour of Petra.The capital of the Nabataeans, a third century BC Arab dynasty, this ancient city is hewn from a rock face, and the pink shades of its sandstone shift magically with the light. Our tour will take in the Treasury with its beautifully carved façade and the 8,000-seat amphitheatre. It is possible to pursue the many trails of this extensive site.After lunch at the hotel, we drive to Aqaba and rejoin the ship.

THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER
Safaga, Egypt
Our overland programme begins as we arrive in Safaga and drive through the desert to Luxor.After check-in and lunch at our luxury hotel, we tour the Luxor Temple on the east bank of the Nile. Dedicated to the sun god Amun-Re, his wife Mut and son Chons, the temple hosted the annual Opet fertility festival. Guests will see the 24- metre-high pylon, colossal statues of Ramses II and pink granite obelisk.We move on to the Karnak Temple for a sound and light performance, and return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER
Luxor, Egypt – See Privately Escorted Tour Highlights
Our day starts at the Karnak Temple.This enormous open-air museum was begun in the 16th century BC and added to over 1,500 years: the result is a dazzling collection of pylons, obelisks, columns and sanctuaries.We return to the hotel for lunch before departing for the Valley of the Kings on the west bank, the royal necropolis which housed the elaborately decorated tombs of pharaohs from the 11th to the 16th centuries BC.We return to Luxor Airport for a flight to Cairo and arrive at our luxury hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

SATURDAY 1ST NOVEMBER
Cairo, Egypt
In the morning, we drive to Giza to tour the Pyramids, the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the World.These giant tombs were built by successive generations of pharaohs.The largest, the Great Pyramid of Cheops, stood 146 metres high when it was constructed circa 2,300BC and comprises over two million limestone blocks.We continue to the Valley Temple to see the 50 metre long Sphinx, carved from a single stone.After lunch, guests visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, whose collection includes 27 royal mummies and artefacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun.We return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

SUNDAY 2ND NOVEMBER
Cairo, Egypt
Guests depart for Cairo International Airport.

2 Gala Dinners

ROUTE MAP

PRIVATELY ESCORTED TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER
TROODOS
The Troodos massif, a UNESCO World Heritage area, is one of the most researched sections of the Earth’s crust, dating back 90 million years. Its forests of Calabrian and black pine, and its valleys and rivers, are spectacularly beautiful.

WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER
PETRA
The ancient city of Petra was lost to the Western world for a millennium until it was rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER
TEMPLE OF KARNAK
Known as Ipet-isut, ‘the most select of places’, Karnak Temple was ancient Egypt’s most important place of worship. It was at its height during the reign of Ramses II, around 1300BC, when 80,000 people worked there.

PRICES

Pricing Plan Per Person for 22nd Oct 2008 - 2nd Nov 2008
Single Cabin	Tariff Price	Best Price from *	Cabin Details	Virtual Tour
Price Category E1	£7,400	£6,364
Price Category D1	£7,580	£6,519
Price Category C1	£8,228	£7,076
Double Cabin
Price Category E2	£5,812	£5,812
Price Category D2	£5,984	£5,984
Price Category C2	£6,492	£6,492
Price Category B2	£8,116	£8,116
Suite
Price Category A	£9,360	£9,360

Price includes private outbound and scheduled return flights, transfers, privately escorted tours, all meals, specially selected wines, spirits and champagne on board, gratuities, port and passenger taxes.

BOOKING INFORMATION

• Call 01756 704 704 to talk to our UK based specialist cruise advisors or click here to make on online enquiry.
• Alternatively click here to request a brochure.
• * The Best Price consists of the maximum savings available for occupancy rated deductions, full payment and past guest loyalty savings.
• Please note that these prices are per person. Prices include house wines and spirits, meals, gratuities and shore visits as detailed.
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