Arriving in Athens, September 25. We will tour the ancient city of Athens, including its Royal Palace, the Olympic Stadium and Temple of Zeus, the Theatre of Dionysius, Mars Hill, a preaching point of St. Paul, the famous Parthenon. The late day we will depart from the seaport of Piraeus and begin the seven-day cruise of the Aegean Sea.

Our first stop Istanbul, the ancient city of Constantinople to visit the city’s magnificent history of three faiths –Christianity, Eastern Orthodox and Islam. Tours include the famous Topkapi Palace, home of the ottoman Sultans and their jewel-encrusted thrones; we will have a chance to visit St. Sophia, originally a Basilica conceived by Constantine and eventually turned into a mosque in 1453. There’s also an opportunity to visit the Blue Mosque with six minarets and a middle dome of 109 feet, and the Grand Bazaar, a labyrinth of over 4,000 shops.               

Our visit to Mykonos will follow with its endless winding streets leading to scenic harbors and deserted sandy coves and whitewashed windmills. Our cruise will include stops in Patmos, and the Grotto of the Revelation of St. John and the panoramic view of its beautiful harbor, and Rhodes, legendary home of the sun god Apollo and the ancient Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once dominating the harbor entrance.

We will make a stop if Heraklion, Crete, the southernmost island of the Isles. Visit the Palace of Knossos, part of the kingdom of Minos; see the underground corridors of the Labyrinth. Finally, set sail for Santorini, one of the most fascinating islands in the Aegean Sea, with its rugged volcanic cliffs topped with gleaming white-washed houses. There is a breathless view from the town of Thera, looking down over the bay and the still-active volcano only several miles away.

Returning to Piraeus and Athens, we will have one more day to visit Athens and Corinth before our return home on Saturday, October 4th. Join us for this wonderful venture to ancient part of the world!