Treasures of the Aegean

•   All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff, local guides and drivers

Day 1: Arrive Istanbul
Transfers are included from Istanbul Ataturk International Airport to your hotel, the Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.
Overnight: Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul, Turkey
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Topkapi Palace / Süleymaniye Mosqu
Begin the day with a visit to exotic Topkapi Palace, residence of the sultans and the seat of power for the Ottoman Empire for 400 years, where you will see the legendary “Harem.” Süleymaniye Mosque, dominating the city’s skyline from its mountaintop perch,  is a highlight of today’s sightseeing. Enjoy an evening of Turkish delights when you dine at a 19th-century architectural landmark, where the menu and ambiance are as inspiring as the views of the Bosphorus River.
Overnight: Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul, Turkey
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3: Hagia Sophia / Covered Bazaar
Guided sightseeing today includes the vast underground Basilica Cistern and one of the world’s true architectural gems, beautiful Hagia Sophia. Completed in 537, this Byzantine masterpiece reigned as the world’s largest and most important religious monument for close to 1,000 years and astounds with multicolored tiles, mosaics and frescoes. Stroll through the 4,000 shops in the Covered Bazaar, a kaleidoscope of Turkish tradition, spread out over 65 streets. The rest of the day is free.
Overnight: Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul, Turkey
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4: Blue Mosque / Embark Ship
Tour the light-filled Blue Mosque this morning, studded with domes and minarets on the outside and glistening with some 20,000 colored tiles and 260 stained-glass windows inside. Enjoy lunch and a boat ride on the Bosphorus before boarding Le Levant for your 7-night small ship cruise to legendary ports of call on the shores of the Aegean Sea.
Overnight: Cruising the Aegean Sea
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Day at Sea - Cruising the Aegean Sea
Today is a day of inspiration. Spend a relaxing day at sea, where you are free to experience the many amenities and entertainment options aboard the ship. Perhaps you will challenge a shipmate to a board game on deck, take a refreshing swim in the outdoor pool or indulge in a pampering massage or fitness program. You are welcome to visit the open bridge to view firsthand the operations of your yacht-like ship!
Overnight: Cruising the Aegean Sea
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Kusadasi / Ancient Ephesus
Cast anchor in the port city of Kusadasi and join us for an excursion to Ephesus, one of the world’s best-preserved classical cities revealing important vestiges of an ancient Roman civilization; in its heyday, marble lined the streets, fountains flowed, and an eternal flame burned upon a sacred altar. Visit the Selçuk Museum and take a walking tour of the ancient city, seeing the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, Trajan’s Fountain, the Arcadian Way and the two-tiered Library of Celsus. Lunch in a local village is made more colorful by a carpet demonstration. Your ship heads to Rhodes tonight.
Overnight: Cruising the Aegean Sea
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: Discover the Island of Rhodes
Arrive at the Greek island of Rhodes after lunch today, basking in sunshine for more than 300 days a year. Join us for a guided walking tour of the medieval Old Town – there are about 200 lanes in this Hellenistic city that lead to columned ruins, temples and cobblestone streets dating to the second century. Visit the Palace of the Grand Masters; this extravagant palace was destroyed in the mid-1800s and reconstructed in the 1930s in a medieval style. Explore Rhodes on your own, before returning to the ship for dinner at sea.
Overnight: Cruising the Aegean Sea
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Turkish Coast Antiquities
Chart a course to Bodrum, where whitewashed stucco houses dressed in bougainvillea line the hillsides and twin harbors welcome seafaring travelers. Visit St. Peter’s Castle on an informative guided tour, including the reconstructed shipwrecks of its Museum of Underwater Archaeology. A walk around the grounds of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, reveals the ruins of a once-magnificent marble tomb completed in 350 BC. Spend the afternoon as you wish in town or, weather permitting, head back to your ship for a swim in the crystal-clear sea right off the ship’s platform – just one of the many advantages of small ship cruising! Chart a course back to the Greek islands tonight.
Overnight: Cruising the Aegean Sea
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: Cruise to Santorini Island
Rise early to observe the ship’s arrival into the ancient volcanic caldera of Santorini; its multi-colored cliffs are especially picturesque as a new day breaks over the sparkling blue sea. Travel ashore by motor launch for an island tour that takes you to Oia and up to cliff-top Fira, the island’s capital city. Iconic images of Fira’s blue-domed buildings combine with stunning views of the port to offer indelible memories of this beautiful Greek island; see them by cable car, donkey or on foot as you make your way back down to Athinios Port. The ship offers tender service until it sets sail, giving you the opportunity to explore Santorini at your leisure. Enjoy our daily cocktail hour!
Overnight: Cruising the Aegean Sea
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10: Explore Mykonos and Delos
Your small ship makes its first stop at Mykonos this morning, weather permitting. A choice of activities includes a tour of the island or a boat ride to Delos, a key archaeological site that boasts remnants of its reign as the holiest of all Greek sanctuaries. Ancient laws forbid anyone to be born or die on this island; today no one is allowed to stay the night! Leave Delos well before sundown for an afternoon at leisure in Mykonos.
Overnight: Cruising the Aegean Sea
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 11: Visit Epidaurus / Nafplion
Disembark in Piraeus and travel to the ancient ruins of Epidaurus to see its spectacular theater, still used for performances today. Spend the night in the charming harborside town of Nafplion, one of the most charming towns in the Peloponnese. Your hotel is conveniently located in the center of town.
Overnight: Amphitryon Hotel, Nafplion, Greece
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 12: Mycenae / Athens
Journey to Mycenae, first settled in 3,000 BC, to see the architectural remnants of Lion Gate and Agamemnon’s Tomb where myth and history intertwine. Continue on to Athens, resplendent with sights that reflect the “glory that was Greece.” Today’s sightseeing also includes a visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Considered one of the top ten museums in the world, its collection of Greek artifacts is unrivaled.  The evening is free for you to explore as you wish. Enjoy dinner on your own at leisure.
Overnight: Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, Greece
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 13: The Acropolis
An early morning visit up to the Acropolis avoids the crowds found later in the day; the ruins reign over the city in ancient splendor. The afternoon is free. Athens blends past with present along a unique promenade that is lined on one side by classic Greek antiquities and modern-day cafés, with mansions and art galleries on the other. Join us for a farewell dinner tonight.
Overnight: Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, Greece
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 14: Journey Home
Tour ends: Athens. A transfer from the Hotel Grande Bretagne to Eleftherios Venizelos, Athens’ International Airport, is included. Allow 3 hours for flight check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
No Departure Date Information was found for this Tour. This could be due to our website undergoing an update. Please call a tour specialist at 1-800-942-3301 for personalized assistance.
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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