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Moroccan Discovery
15 days - Casablanca to Marrakech - Morocco
This tour offers travellers the chance to get off the beaten track and visit some of the areas in the amazing and beautiful Atlas Mountains that you'd not normally have the chance to see. Equipped with a local mountain guide who grew up in the Atlas Mountains, you will be shown the areas of sheer beauty from waterfalls to and local villages, to the capped peak of Mt Toubkal. The walking is easily manageable and you will spend your time looking at your surroundings through the view finder of your camera! Staying in local guesthouses gives a great insight into the lives of the locals living in remote areas. The food is delicious in Morocco - think tajines with a variety of fresh vegetables and spices such as cumin, tumeric and cinnamon. As well as the Atlas Mountains, during the second week you'll see the magical city of Casablanca with the Hassan II Mosque looming over the city. You'll also visit the Djeema El Fna square central to Marrakech, which comes alive at night with snake charmers, performers, couples walking, delicious food stalls, and fresh juice sellers. Enjoy souvenir shopping and honing your haggling skills in the medinas of Marrakech, Fes, Rabat and Meknes, where you can also watch the local craftsmen weaving, sculpting, and creating other goods.
Siwa and Nile
18 Days - Cairo to Cairo - Egypt
This is one of our more popular tours in the Middle East as it is a careful balance of the main highlights of Egypt and off-the-beaten-track areas in the north west. Siwa is an Oasis set in the Middle of the desert, surrounded by Palm trees and greenery you would not expect to see in such a harsh dry climate. This is an area that feels like time has stood still with a lot of old traditional values, local foods and customs to the area still in place. Alexandria, home to one of the ancient wonders of the world is rich in history and attractions to see and not to be missed. The buzzing city of Cairo where the old meets the new - it is not considered a strange site here, to see the ancient pyramids with a background of skyscrapers. The city offers up many treasures such as the Great Pyramids and Sphinx, Cairo museum, and also if you are daring enough to venture outside of the city then the step pyramid of Saqqara and the red pyramid are worthy of a look! After a train ride and a chance to mix with the locals learning some Arabic we arrive in Aswan, a quiet city steeped in natural beauty and a medina to practice your bargaining skills. Aswan is also our base for exploring the ancient site of the Abu Simbel, a dedication to love amongst the King’s and Queens. We also spend two nights sailing on feluccas on the nile, a relaxing time which introduces you to how the local farmers live on the banks of the River Nile. We arrive into Luxor, home to the majority of Egypt’s treasures.
Turkey and Syria Caravan
19 days - Istanbul to Damascus - Turkey & Syria
This is a great long tour spanning over two countries and allows you to really absorb the flavour of each country. Staff and Tucan travellers alike love this tour because most tours with other companies only seem to cover the western areas whereas this tour travels out to the east and explore Mt Nemrut and cities such as Cappadocia and Gaziantep. Starting in the busy city of Istanbul, home to the beautiful Blue Mosque, we visit many sights including the cotton castle of Pamukkale, the tree houses of Olimpos, the sea turtles of Dalyan, the vast Roman ruins of Selcuk, along the way along to the strange rock formations in Cappadocia. These are a true wonder and must be seen to be believed. Eastern Turkey is a far more harsh, rough and wild climate, after Western Turkey this in itself feels like another country. The vast desolate plains sweeping out over the countryside and all the way down till we reach our last Turkish city before entering Syria. Syria is lucky enough to house some of the most beautiful mosques and sights in the Middle East, from the enchanting old city in Damsascus, the desert of Palmyra, to the medina of Aleppo Syria. This is a great longer trip to do but you will leave with a greater understanding and knowledge then when you arrived.
Middle East Highlights
18 Days - Damascaus to Cairo - Syria, Jordan & Egypt
This tour is a great highlights tour with our staff and is a great way to introduce yourself to three countries in one sterling trip, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. We take you to the main highlights and famous wonders of each country using a mixture of public and private transport in order to give you the greatest understanding and appreciation to each country as possible.
From the deserts to the Dead Sea, to climbing Mt Sinai summit, to diving in the Red Sea, to shopping in the medina this tour has it all and think you will enjoy this style of tour.
Egypt Encompassed
15 days - Cairo to Cairo - Egypt
One of the favourites amongst the staff at Tucan, this tour mixes the ancients of Egypt’s history, with the sheer natural beauty of the Red Sea and relaxed atmosphere of Dahab, and the physical climb to se the sunrise on the summit of Mt Sinai, Egypt’s holiest mountain. With your local Tour Leader who also doubles as an Egyptologist, you will be guided around the sites and winding streets given expert advice and a rare glimpse into such an extensive and incredible history. Starting in Cairo where the old meets the new, this city is a buzzing cosmopolitan hub where millions of taxis crawl the streets and the pyramids loom from the desert, the great sphinx watching carefully over and the bazaar of Khan el Khalili we travel onto Aswan and Luxor where there is more than enough to fill your time and your camera memory cards. From riding donkeys to the Valley of the King’s, a guided tour of Karnak temple, to the early morning visit to Abu Simbel, a dedication to love from a King to his Queen Egypt has it all. No tour is complete without two nights sailing on the River Nile, a peaceful and realistic introduction to how the local farmers live of the land and the animals that patrol this area. From here we go from the Red Sea, a divers and snorkelers paradise to the summit of Mt Sinai for sunrise, Egypt’s holiest mountain before heading back to Cairo via the Suez Canal which sees a great deal of traffic daily. This is a great tour for all wanting to explore Egypt.
