ITALY & GREECE WITH ICONIC AEGEAN ISLANDS CRUISE

Visit Turkey

1 ARRIVE IN VENICE AREA, ITALY

Welcome to Italy! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Italy's romantic city using your CosmosGO app. This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions at the welcome dinner at the hotel. (D)

2 VENICE

Venice is a place of unmatched beauty and a feast of fantastic sights. View the delightful crisscrossing canals, the gondolas, arched bridges, palaces, and piazzas. Your included orientation features a boat ride to St. Mark's Square and a visit to a Venetian glassblowing workshop. You'll have time to explore at leisure on your own, perhaps sipping a cappuccino or the typical Venetian drink called spritz at one of the many bars or cafes. Alternatively, join one of our optional excursions, like a ride on one of the most iconic boats in the world, the romantic gondola. (B)

3 VENICE AREA-VERONA-MONTECATINI

Travel to Verona, setting for Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Marvel at the ancient Roman Arena, built for gladiator fights but now still used as a popular venue for festivals and concerts; shop in Via Mazzini, or just wander the cobblestone streets of the city centre. Overnight in the Tuscan spa town of Montecatini. Today's Distance: 224 mi/ 360 km (B)

4 MONTECATINI-FLORENCE-MONTECATINI

Today, enjoy a full day discovering the wonders of Florence, starting with a guided walking tour, featuring some of the city's greatest attractions. See Piazza Santa Croce; world-famous Signoria Square; 13th-century Palazzo Vecchio with its collection of artistic masterpieces; Loggia dei Lanzi; the unique Duomo with Giotto's Gothic Bell Tower and the Baptistry's ornate bronze door known as the "Gate of Paradise." Return to Montecatini. Today's distance: 79 mi /127km (B)

5 MONTECATINI-PISA-ROME

Vistas of rolling hills, cypress trees, vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Stop in Pisa and enjoy a mini-train ride to see the Square of Miracles and the amazing Leaning Tower, then on to Rome. Today's Distance: 255 mi/ 410 km (B)

6 ROME

The "Eternal City" is steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting, and absolutely unique! Start the included introduction to Rome's landmarks from St. Peter's Square with a Local Guide. Enjoy a drive along the iconic landmarks of the city: the Tiber River, the Caius Cestius Pyramid, the Aurelian Walls, and the Caracalla Baths. Complete the experience with a walk back in time from the Circus Maximus to the Arch of Constantine and to the fascinating Colosseum, symbol of the Roman Empire. (B)* * For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.

7 ROME-ATHENS, GREECE

Transfer to the airport for your included flight to Athens. From the capital of Italy to the capital of Greece, absorb the Mediterranean flair and discover the influence of ancient Roman and Greek civilizations on modern life and arts. (B)

8 ATHENS-MYCENAE-NAUPLIA

Join the included sightseeing tour of Athens, featuring the highlights of the city and a visit to the Acropolis. Travel to the Corinth Canal, built between 1881 and 1893 and stop here for a picture. Continue to the Mycenae archaeological site for a visit with a Local Guide to learn about the ancient city of Homer's epics. Enjoy the rugged scenery of the Peloponnese on the way to Nauplia. This evening, enjoy an included dinner at a local restaurant. Today's Distance: 90 mi/ 145 km (B,D)

9 NAUPLIA-OLYMPIA

Drive south through the Peloponnese to Olympia. Take advantage of some time at leisure or make the most of the day by joining the optional tour of the ancient Olympia site, featuring the ruins of the Temple of Zeus. Today's Distance: 118 mi/ 190 km (B)

10 OLYMPIA-DELPHI

Cross the Rion-Antirion bridge and skirt the Gulf or Corinth to then turn inland to Delphi. The ancient Greeks considered Delphi the centre of the world, marked by the stone monument known as the Omphalos (navel) of Delphi. An optional site visit with a Local Guide will explain about the oracle and much more. Today's distance: 150 mi/ 240 km (B,D)

11 DELPHI-ATHENS

Enjoy free time in Athens to explore with the help of the CosmosGO app, visit the museums or take the tram to the coast. In the evening, enjoy the lively atmosphere of the tavernas in the old Plaka district with its narrow streets and sound of bouzouki music, or join an optional traditional Greek dinner. (B)

12 ATHENS-EMBARKATION PORT-MYKONOS

Board your Celestyal cruise ship. Cruise the Aegean Sea to Mykonos, with its white houses, chapels, and windmills. Late-evening departure for Kusadasi, Turkey. (B,L,D)

13 KUSADASI, TURKEY-PATMOS, GREECE

Two ports of call today. First, Kusadasi on the Turkish coast. An included excursion is available to the fascinating Greek, Roman, and Byzantine excavations of Ephesus. Next, discover the tiny Greek island of Patmos, where St. John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelation. The 11th-century monastery with its valuable manuscript collection is well worth a visit. (B,L,D)

14 HERAKLION-SANTORINI

The first port of call today is Heraklion on Crete. Join the included excursion to Knossos, the hub of the 3000-BC Minoan civilization. Afternoon call (weather permitting) at Santorini, the "Black Pearl of the Aegean." An optional shore excursion takes you up to the cliff-top village of Oia for one of the world's most breathtaking panoramas. (B,L,D)

15 DISEMBARKATION PORT-ATHENS

Early morning arrival. Drive to Athens and relax, visit a museum, or go shopping. (B)

16 ATHENS

Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

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