Description
Nine days in the heart of a region blessed with unparalleled cultural richness: this is the programme that PONANT is offering during this brand-new cruise. Aboard Le Jacques-Cartier, you will sail the seas of the Near East, and discover some of the finest jewels of the great civilisations.
You will board your ship in Antalya. With its Roman port, picturesque narrow streets and beautiful Ottoman homes this town, lying on the southern coast of Turkey, has maintained its many charms.
From Beirut, the Lebanese capital, do not miss the visit to Byblos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inhabited since the Neolithic era, this is one of the oldest cities in the world. One can observe the many vestiges of an extremely rich past, marked by the dissemination of the Phoenician alphabet.
You will then sail to Egypt for three days that will undoubtedly form the highlight of your cruise.
After sailing through the legendary Suez Canal, you will call at Ain Sokhna, the ideal starting point for a visit to the Egypt of the Pharaohs, and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Le Jacques-Cartier will make a brief incursion into the warm waters of the Red Sea before sailing to the other side of the Sinai Peninsula and reaching Eilat in Israel. You will be able to discover the majestic fortress of Massada looming over the Dead Sea.
From the city of Aqaba, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the ancient caravan city of Petra, one of the must-see jewels of this fascinating country at the crossroads of history.