10 DAYS ATHENS, GREECE AND TURKEY CRUISE

Tour Itinerary

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 Turkey Travel Bazaar.



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

Please click on the calendar icon to see our guaranteed departure dates (green).

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