show reverse itinerary
Day 1 London to Istanbul, Turkey
Fly by scheduled flight. Upon
arrival transfer to Variety Voyager
and embark. Moor overnight.
Day 2 Istanbul
Enjoy a morning
of exploration on a guided
excursion of this fascinating city.
See the Blue Mosque, visit the
Basilica Cistern, built during the
reign of the Emperor Justinian
in the 6th century and spend
some time in the Grand Bazaar.
Return to the vessel for lunch and
enjoy an afternoon at leisure or
alternatively join a tour to Chora
Church. Considered to be one
of the most beautiful examples
of a Byzantine church, it became
a museum in 1948 and the
interior of the building is covered
with fine stunning mosaics and
frescoes.
Day 3 Canakkale for Troy
Today we call at Canakkale, our
gateway for Troy, where ongoing
archaeological excavations have
revealed nine different layers of
cities superimposed in rings on
a massive mound rising above
the Plain of Ilium. It was to one
of these cities, as legend has it,
that the Greeks fought the Trojans
as told by Homer in the Iliad.
Our tour follows the excavations
made by Heinrich Schliemann, the
archaeologist who discovered Troy
and “Priam’s Treasure”, the jewels
that, Schliemann claimed, were
worn by Helen of Troy. We will walk
the walls that held Helen of Troy
and look down at the plain where
Achilles dragged the dead body
of Hector. Return to the vessel
for lunch and enjoy an afternoon
at leisure or join an excursion to
the Gallipoli Peninsula to see the
World War I memorials which
commemorate the famous battle
of Gallipoli.
Day 4 Dikili
From the port of Dikili
we will drive inland to Pergamon
with its splendid acropolis towering
above the valley of the Caicus
River. This city, built by Alexander’s
warring generals became one of
the cultural capitals of antiquity, its
library rivalling those of Athens and
Alexandria. Today Pergamon is one
of Turkey’s finest archaeological
sites. We will visit the Asclepion, a
healing centre from the 4th century
B.C., the Temple of Asclepios and
the amphitheatre. After lunch in
a local restaurant continue into
the town of Bergama and visit the
Archaeological Museum before
returning to the vessel.
Day 5 Kusadasi
From Kusadasi we
drive to the nearby ancient city of
Ephesus, a stunning and partially
excavated site where digging
has been taking place for over a
century. Broad streets are lined by
impressive buildings including the
library of Celsus and the temples
of Serapis and Hadrian. Once the
capital of Ionia, St Paul preached
here on his second missionary
journey and we will see the Church
of the Virgin Mary, the most
important Christian monument
in Ephesus. Enjoy a leisurely
afternoon relaxing onboard or
explore the town independently.
Day 6 Patmos, Greece
Patmos is
one of the smaller islands of the
Dodecanese however, what it lacks
in size it makes up for in beauty
and history. Of all the Greek islands
it is the most sacred to Christians
both Orthodox and Western; it
was here that St. John received
his revelation. After a short scenic
drive from the port town of Scala,
we reach the grotto of St. John.
This small cave, now converted into
a beautiful chapel, is where the
Saint lived, had his revelation and
wrote the Book of the Apocalypse.
Continue to the village of Chora,
with its simple houses and
Byzantine churches and here we
climb to the Monastery of St. John
the Theologian. Upon entering
into the courtyard, see the intricate
pebbled laid floor, decorated
arches and frescoes adorning
the entrance to the chapel of
Christodoulos.
Day 7 Didim
From the port of
Didim we will drive to Priene an
ancient Greek holy city and home
of an important temple of Athena.
Priene’s picturesque ruins include
several columns of the Temple
of Athena, much of the city wall,
a well-preserved theatre and a
council chamber. We will continue
to Miletus one of the most
important cities in the ancient
Greek world which foolishly led a
revolt of the Ionian Greek cities
against the powerful Persian
Empire who ruled untill the arrival
of Alexander in the 4th century
B.C. Here is a fine theatre, well
laid out chessboard street plans,
two agoras (market places), baths,
a council chamber, fortifications,
a stadium and harbour workings.
We will return to Didim to explore
the colossal temple and oracle
to Apollo before returning to
our ship.
Day 8 Kos
According to Myth, Kos
was the homeland of the Giants.
The island has given to the world
Hippocrates, father of medicine,
Pythagoras, and the 4th century
painter Apelles. We will drive the
short distance to the Asklepion, the
infirmary of Antiquity, which was
constructed in the 4th century BC.
Among the ruins are part of the
Doric Temple of Aesculapius, the
altar and the Stoa which housed
the famous Hippocrates Medical
School. We also visit the Roman
Odeon and the Casa Romana, a
large restored Roman style villa,
with wonderful mosaics. This
afternoon is free to further explore
this delightful island.
Day 9 Fethiye for Xanthos and Patara
From Fethiye we travel
to the south east to discover the
rich Lycian towns of the past.
Drive along Esme River to the
ancient city of Xanthos which
was Lycia’s prominent capital city
built on a great cliff overlooking
the river. Xanthos boasts several
significant ruins, including the
Nereid Monument, an exquisite
Ionic building whose figured friezes
are in the British Museum. See
the acropolis, the theatre and the
unusual pillar tombs. After lunch
in a local restaurant drive to Patara
once a great metropolis and
important sea port. Excavations of
the site are continuing and many
historical buildings are uncovered
every year. We will walk through the
sand dunes and see the remains
of grand buildings recovered
including The Grand Theatre and
the ruins of the temples.
Day 10 Rhodes
Arrive this morning
on the island of Rhodes. Our tour
this morning will take us to the
ancient Acropolis of Lindos. From
here the views of the Pelagus and
St Paul’s Bay (where the apostle
anchored during his voyage
to Ephesus) are stunning. The
Medieval walls which guard Lindos
were constructed by the Knights of
St John. This afternoon there will be
the opportunity to relax onboard or
explore Rhodes Town at leisure.
Day 11 Santorini
Once a single
volcanic cone Santorini is now an
island archipelago. On a morning
tour we will visit two of its famous
sites, Fira, its spectacular capital
perched atop a 900 foot cliff and
the buried city of Akrotiri. This
is a marvellously interesting site,
rivalling Herculaneum for the
magnitude of its discoveries. In
the afternoon explore the island at
leisure.
Day 12 Delos & Mykonos
This
morning visit Delos, which though
the smallest of the Cyclades, was
once the political and religious
centre for the whole Aegean.
Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis,
it boasted an oracle second only
to that of Delphi. Explore the
magnificent archaeological site
including the marble sanctuary of
Apollo. During lunch sail for nearby
Mykonos, with lively cafes and
shops, it is the perfect contrast for
an afternoon at leisure.
Day 13 Athens to London
Disembark in Piraeus after
breakfast and transfer to Athens
airport for your return scheduled
flight to London.
show main itinerary
Disembark in Piraeus after
breakfast and transfer to Athens
airport for your return scheduled
flight to London.
This
morning visit Delos, which though
the smallest of the Cyclades, was
once the political and religious
centre for the whole Aegean.
Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis,
it boasted an oracle second only
to that of Delphi. Explore the
magnificent archaeological site
including the marble sanctuary of
Apollo. During lunch sail for nearby
Mykonos, with lively cafes and
shops, it is the perfect contrast for
an afternoon at leisure.
Once a single
volcanic cone Santorini is now an
island archipelago. On a morning
tour we will visit two of its famous
sites, Fira, its spectacular capital
perched atop a 900 foot cliff and
the buried city of Akrotiri. This
is a marvellously interesting site,
rivalling Herculaneum for the
magnitude of its discoveries. In
the afternoon explore the island at
leisure.
Arrive this morning
on the island of Rhodes. Our tour
this morning will take us to the
ancient Acropolis of Lindos. From
here the views of the Pelagus and
St Paul’s Bay (where the apostle
anchored during his voyage
to Ephesus) are stunning. The
Medieval walls which guard Lindos
were constructed by the Knights of
St John. This afternoon there will be
the opportunity to relax onboard or
explore Rhodes Town at leisure.
From Fethiye we travel
to the south east to discover the
rich Lycian towns of the past.
Drive along Esme River to the
ancient city of Xanthos which
was Lycia’s prominent capital city
built on a great cliff overlooking
the river. Xanthos boasts several
significant ruins, including the
Nereid Monument, an exquisite
Ionic building whose figured friezes
are in the British Museum. See
the acropolis, the theatre and the
unusual pillar tombs. After lunch
in a local restaurant drive to Patara
once a great metropolis and
important sea port. Excavations of
the site are continuing and many
historical buildings are uncovered
every year. We will walk through the
sand dunes and see the remains
of grand buildings recovered
including The Grand Theatre and
the ruins of the temples.
According to Myth, Kos
was the homeland of the Giants.
The island has given to the world
Hippocrates, father of medicine,
Pythagoras, and the 4th century
painter Apelles. We will drive the
short distance to the Asklepion, the
infirmary of Antiquity, which was
constructed in the 4th century BC.
Among the ruins are part of the
Doric Temple of Aesculapius, the
altar and the Stoa which housed
the famous Hippocrates Medical
School. We also visit the Roman
Odeon and the Casa Romana, a
large restored Roman style villa,
with wonderful mosaics. This
afternoon is free to further explore
this delightful island.
From the port of
Didim we will drive to Priene an
ancient Greek holy city and home
of an important temple of Athena.
Priene’s picturesque ruins include
several columns of the Temple
of Athena, much of the city wall,
a well-preserved theatre and a
council chamber. We will continue
to Miletus one of the most
important cities in the ancient
Greek world which foolishly led a
revolt of the Ionian Greek cities
against the powerful Persian
Empire who ruled untill the arrival
of Alexander in the 4th century
B.C. Here is a fine theatre, well
laid out chessboard street plans,
two agoras (market places), baths,
a council chamber, fortifications,
a stadium and harbour workings.
We will return to Didim to explore
the colossal temple and oracle
to Apollo before returning to
our ship.
Patmos is
one of the smaller islands of the
Dodecanese however, what it lacks
in size it makes up for in beauty
and history. Of all the Greek islands
it is the most sacred to Christians
both Orthodox and Western; it
was here that St. John received
his revelation. After a short scenic
drive from the port town of Scala,
we reach the grotto of St. John.
This small cave, now converted into
a beautiful chapel, is where the
Saint lived, had his revelation and
wrote the Book of the Apocalypse.
Continue to the village of Chora,
with its simple houses and
Byzantine churches and here we
climb to the Monastery of St. John
the Theologian. Upon entering
into the courtyard, see the intricate
pebbled laid floor, decorated
arches and frescoes adorning
the entrance to the chapel of
Christodoulos.
From Kusadasi we
drive to the nearby ancient city of
Ephesus, a stunning and partially
excavated site where digging
has been taking place for over a
century. Broad streets are lined by
impressive buildings including the
library of Celsus and the temples
of Serapis and Hadrian. Once the
capital of Ionia, St Paul preached
here on his second missionary
journey and we will see the Church
of the Virgin Mary, the most
important Christian monument
in Ephesus. Enjoy a leisurely
afternoon relaxing onboard or
explore the town independently.
From the port of Dikili
we will drive inland to Pergamon
with its splendid acropolis towering
above the valley of the Caicus
River. This city, built by Alexander’s
warring generals became one of
the cultural capitals of antiquity, its
library rivalling those of Athens and
Alexandria. Today Pergamon is one
of Turkey’s finest archaeological
sites. We will visit the Asclepion, a
healing centre from the 4th century
B.C., the Temple of Asclepios and
the amphitheatre. After lunch in
a local restaurant continue into
the town of Bergama and visit the
Archaeological Museum before
returning to the vessel.
Today we call at Canakkale, our
gateway for Troy, where ongoing
archaeological excavations have
revealed nine different layers of
cities superimposed in rings on
a massive mound rising above
the Plain of Ilium. It was to one
of these cities, as legend has it,
that the Greeks fought the Trojans
as told by Homer in the Iliad.
Our tour follows the excavations
made by Heinrich Schliemann, the
archaeologist who discovered Troy
and “Priam’s Treasure”, the jewels
that, Schliemann claimed, were
worn by Helen of Troy. We will walk
the walls that held Helen of Troy
and look down at the plain where
Achilles dragged the dead body
of Hector. Return to the vessel
for lunch and enjoy an afternoon
at leisure or join an excursion to
the Gallipoli Peninsula to see the
World War I memorials which
commemorate the famous battle
of Gallipoli.
Enjoy a morning
of exploration on a guided
excursion of this fascinating city.
See the Blue Mosque, visit the
Basilica Cistern, built during the
reign of the Emperor Justinian
in the 6th century and spend
some time in the Grand Bazaar.
Return to the vessel for lunch and
enjoy an afternoon at leisure or
alternatively join a tour to Chora
Church. Considered to be one
of the most beautiful examples
of a Byzantine church, it became
a museum in 1948 and the
interior of the building is covered
with fine stunning mosaics and
frescoes.
Fly by scheduled flight. Upon
arrival transfer to Variety Voyager
and embark. Moor overnight.
* = Indicative
