10 DAYS ATHENS, GREECE AND TURKEY CRUISE ITINERARY:
Day 1 - Wednesday - Athens - Arrival Day
Upon arrive in Athens, you will meet with our local representative at the
airport and be transfered to your hotel. Once you settle in, you are free to
stroll in the old Plaka district. Overnight in Athens.
Day 2 - Thursday - Athens - Half Day Athens Sightseeing Tour
(Breakfast included)
After breakfast, we will pick you up from the hotel and depart for Panathinaikos
Stadium which is the cradle of the first Olympic Games took place in 1896, after
a short stop, we will pass by the Prime Minister's residence, Ex Royal Palace
which is guarded by colourful Evzones and Zappion, the Conference and Exhibition
Hall.
Proceed by passing the Roman Temple of Olympian Zeus. And then we continue
passing by National Garden, Hadrian's Arc, St. Paul's Church, Parliament, Tomb
of the Unknown soldier, Schlieman's House which is the Nomismatic Museum,
Catholic Cathedral, Academy, University, National Library, Old Parliament,
Constitution Square ,Russian Orthodox Church and finally Acropolis, we will
visit Propylae, Temple of Athena Nike, Parthenon, Erechtheion with its Porch of
Maidens.
Continue with a pleasant short walk passing by Herodion and Dionysos Theatre in
order to visit the New Acropolis Museum. Main attractions such as votives,
artefacts of daily life, statues from archaic period, Caryatids and of course
the Parthenon hall with the metopes, the pediments and the frieze will impress
you. Overnight in Athens.
Day 3 - Friday - Athens - Cruise Ship Departure 18:00pm
(Breakfast and Dinner included)
Today is yours until we transfer from your hotel to Piraeus port for embarkation
to the cruise ship which is departs at 18:00 for Istanbul. Piraeus is a city in
the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a municipality within Athens urban area,
located 10 km southwest of its centre. Piraeus has a long history, which dates
back to ancient Greece. The effect of its natural space and geographical place
has been critical factors for the configuration of the historical fate of
Piraeus. The city was largely developed in the early 5th century BC, when it was
selected to serve as the port city of classical Athens and was transformed into
a prototype harbour, concentrating all the import and transit trade of Athens.
Consequently, it became the chief harbour of ancient Greece but declined
gradually after the 4th century AD, and began to grow again in the 19th century,
especially after the declaration of Athens as the capital of Greece. In modern
era, Piraeus is a big city bustling with life and an integral part of Athens,
having the biggest harbour in the country and all the typical characteristics of
a huge marine and commercial-industrial centre. Overnight onboard the cruise
ship.
Day 4 - Saturday - Istanbul, Turkey - Cruise Ship Arrival 16:00pm
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
At 16:00 the ship will arrive in Istanbul which the most exotic city in Europe
and the crossroad between two continents - Europe and Asia, a magical place of
palaces, churches, mosques and minarets. You can do little walk in this exotic
city by yourself. Tonight the cruise ship will stay in Istanbul. Overnight
onboard the cruise ship.
Day 5 - Sunday - Istanbul, Turkey - Cruise Ship Departure 19:00pm
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Today you can take an optional excursion to some of the most wonderful sites in
Istanbul. The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace or the magnificent Saint Sofia or you
can explore the city on your own. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and
fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.8 million.
Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of
Turkey. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural
harbour known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. It extends
both on the European (Thrace) and on the Asian (Anatolia) sides of the Bosphorus,
and is thereby the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two
continents. In its long history, Istanbul has served as the capital city of the
Roman Empire (330-395), the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire (395-1204 and
1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922).
The city was chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010. The historic
areas of Istanbul were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.
At 19.00 the ship will leave Istanbul and departs for Mykonos. Overnight onboard
the cruise ship.
Day 6 - Monday - Mykonos - Cruise Ship Arrival 5:00pm Departure 12:00am
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Mykonos is the most vibrant island of Aegean with its windmills and little
Venice. You can have the free time to explore this little city until 00:00.
Mykonos (transportation with tender boats) is a Greek island and a top tourist
destination, renowned for its cosmopolitan character and its intense nightlife.
The island is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos.
It is believed that the island was named after a local hero, who is considered
an offspring of the god Apollo and was worshipped locally in antiquity.
Archaeological finds indicate that the Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early
part of the 11th century BC. More recent discoveries have uncovered remnants in
Ftelia beach from the Neolithic Kares tribe dating back to as far as 3000 BC. In
Greek mythology Mykonos was the location of the battle between Zeus and the
Titan, and the island was named in honor of Apollo's grandson Mykons. Mykonos is
known for its sandy beaches.
At midnight we begin our journey again to Patmos. Overnight onboard the cruise
ship.
Day 7 - Tuesday - Patmos - Cruise Ship Arrival 7:00am Departure 10:30am
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Patmos (transportation with tender boats) is a small Greek island in the Aegean
Sea, one of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex. The churches and
communities on Patmos are of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. In 1999, the
island's historic center Chora, along with the Monastery of Saint John the
Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse, were declared World Heritage Sites by
UNESCO. The monastery was founded by Saint Christodulos. Patmos is also home to
the Patmian School, a notable Greek seminary. Patmos is mentioned in the
Christian scriptural Book of Revelation. The book's introduction states that its
author, John, was on Patmos when he was given (and recorded) a vision from
Jesus. Earliest Christian tradition identifies this writer as John the Apostle.
As such, Patmos is a destination for Christian pilgrimage. Visitors can see the
cave where John is said to have received his Revelation (the Cave of the
Apocalypse), and several monasteries on the island are dedicated to Saint John.
Kusadasi - Cruise Ship Arrival 2:30pm Departure 8:30pm
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Kusadasi is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast and the center of the seaside
district of the same name in Aydin Province. The city stands on a bay in the
Aegean with the peninsula of Guvercin Ada sticking out into the sea at one end,
and the mountain of Kaz Dagi behind. The area has been a centre of art and
culture since the earliest times and has been settled by many civilizations
since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Later settlers include the
Aeolians in the 11th century BC and Ionians in the 9th century. Originally
seamen and traders the Ionians built a number of settlements on this coast
including Neopolis. Kusadasi caters to tourists, arriving by land, and as the
port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus.
Overnight onboard the cruise ship.
Day 8 - Rhodes (Wednesday) - Cruise Ship Arrival 7:00am Departure 6:00pm
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Enjoy your day in Rhodes where you can visit Lindos, the famous for its
Acropolis and the old town of Rhodes, the Grand Master s Palace and the Street
of the Knights. You can take the optional excursions for guided tour or explore
Rhodes by yourself. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of
both land area and population. Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the
Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The medieval Old Town
of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site. The city of
Rhodes is located at the northern tip of the island, as well as the site of the
ancient and modern commercial harbours. In terms of flora and fauna, Rhodes is
closer to Asia Minor than to the rest of Greece. The interior of the island is
mountainous, sparsely inhabited and covered with forests of pine (Pinus brutia)
and cypress (Cupressus sempervirens). The island is home to the Rhodian deer. In
Petaludes Valley (Greek for "Valley of the Butterflies"), large numbers of tiger
moths gather during the summer months.
Overnight onboard the cruise ship.
Day 9 - Crete (Thursday) - Cruise Ship Arrival 7:00am Departure 11:00am
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
We arrive in Agios Nicholas Port of Crete. Here you You can take the optional
excursions for guided tour to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos. Crete is the
largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean
Sea. Crete was the centre of the Minoan civilization (circa 2600-1454 BC), the
oldest Greek civilization. The island is the location of significant ancient
history, which provides popular modern day tourist destinations. They include
the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaistos, the classical site of Gortys, the
Venetian old city and port of Chania, the Venetian castle at Rethymno and the
Samaria Gorge. For centuries Crete has held intact its own distinctive rich and
proud culture. Cretan Greek has been maintained as the spoken dialect, and
Cretan wine is a traditional drink. The island is known for its music, and it
has many indigenous dances, the most noted of which is probably the Pentozali.
Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. After we will
sail to Santorini.
Santorini - Cruise Ship Arrival 5:00pm Departure 9:00pm
Santorini (transportation with tender boats) is a small, circular archipelago of
volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea. At 17:00 we will arrive
just in time to see one of the worlds most magnificence sunset. The largest
island is known as Thera, forming the southernmost member of the Cyclades group
of islands. Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic
explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single
island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera.
Excavations starting in 1967 at the site called Akrotiri under the late
Professor Spyridon Marinatos have made Thera the best-known "Minoan" site
outside of Crete, the homeland of the culture. The island remains the home of a
small, but flourishing, wine industry, based on the indigenous grape variety,
Assyrtiko, with auxiliary cultivations of two other Aegean varietals, Athiri and
Aidani. At last, we will depart for Athens at 21.00. Overnight onboard the
cruise ship.
Day 10 - Athens - End of Tour (Friday)
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
In the early morning around 06.00, we will arrive Piraeus port and
disembarkation after breakfast. Transfer from the port to Athens International
airport for your flight back home. We hope your cruise was a memorable one and
we would like to see you in future in one of our tours again. Have a nice trip
back home and thanks for choosing TravelShop Turkey.
10 DAYS ATHENS, GREECE AND TURKEY CRUISE INCLUDES:
- Airport transfer from Athens airport to hotel in private car
- Accommodation in a double room with breakfast in Athens
- Guided Half day Athens Sightseeing
- 8 days and 7 nights onboard MV Cristal cruise including cruise ticket with full board while on cruise
- (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snacks)
- Different entertainment programme each day
- Professional English speaking guide
- All entrance fees to Acropolis site and museum
- Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking coach
- Return airport transfer from Piraeus port to Athens airport
10 DAYS ATHENS, GREECE AND TURKEY CRUISE PRICES IN EURO:
Per Person |
Shared Double |
Single |
Standard inside cabin (category IA) |
€ 1,323.00 |
Not available |
Superior inside cabin (category IC) |
€ 1,491.00 |
Not available |
Standard outside cabin (category XA) |
€ 1,635.00 |
Not available |
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