Aegean Sea

Arrive in Athens and transfer to our hotel.

Venture outside the city to the archaeological site of Eleusis, an important religious area from Mycenean times, when the first temple to the goddess Demeter was built here. Its fame grew throughout the Classical and Hellenistic periods, as the Eleusian Mysteries were performed here annually during nine days of ceremonies initiating worshippers into the cult. After our visit, enjoy lunch at a local taverna and return to Athens for an afternoon at leisure. This evening, gather with fellow travelers for a welcome dinner.

This morning, explore the Agora, the civic and commercial center of ancient Athens. Discover the well-preserved 5th-century-BCE Temple of Hephaistos and visit the Agora Museum, housed in the magnificently reconstructed Stoa of Attalus. After lunch, tour the Acropolis, site of the incomparable Parthenon, representing, along with the other temples on site, the highest achievement of Classical architecture and art. Also visit the Acropolis Museum before transferring to Piraeus to embark Diana and set sail. Gather on deck after dinner to watch our passage through the Corinth Canal.

Begin today's excursion with a drive through spectacular scenery to Delphi. Famous in antiquity as the home of the oracle of Apollo, Delphi continues to cast a spell as we marvel at the impressiveness of the site even in ruins and imagine the awe ancient pilgrims must have felt when the temples and shrines were still standing. Explore the on-site museum, with superbly done exhibits explaining the history of this sacred place, and then travel to the lovely town of Galaxidi for lunch and time at leisure, before returning to the ship.

Depart this morning for the ancient town of Dodoni, the oldest oracular site in Greece, believed to date to 1000 BCE. Beautifully situated in a valley below Mt. Tomaros, the site includes a superb theater, built during the reign of King Pyrrhus (3rd century BCE). With walls 65 feet high and a seating capacity of 20,000, it was the second largest theater in Greece. From Dodoni, travel to Parga, which reached its greatest prosperity under Venetian rule and is still dominated by a Venetian castle. After lunch, continue to Nikopolis, founded by Emperor Augustus in 31 BCE to celebrate his victory in the Battle of Actium over Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Katakalon serves as our gateway to nearby Olympia, set in a beautiful river valley covered with evergreen poplars, oaks, and pines. Olympia is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece. A sacred precinct dedicated to Zeus, it was here that the Panhellenic games were held every four years from 776 BCE to CE 393, giving rise to the modern Olympics. Tour the site, including the Temples of Hera and Zeus, the Council House and the Treasuries, as well as the stadium where the games were held. Also visit the Archaeological Museum, which displays exquisite sculptures and other artifacts from the site. Return to the ship in Katakalon for a relaxing afternoon at sea.

Dock this morning in Rethymno for a scenic drive through the verdant countryside of central Crete, stopping briefly in Anogia, considered by many to be the most attractive and picturesque of the charming hillside villages we pass through on our way to Heraklion. Enjoy lunch at Peskesi Restaurant, dedicated to farm-to-table cuisine based on traditional Cretan foods, and then continue to the Palace of Knossos, Crete's largest Bronze Age site. Built around a central courtyard, the palace contains a maze of rooms, passages and stairways that probably inspired the concept of the labyrinth and led to the myth of the Minotaur. A visit to the Heraklion Museum will reinforce the impression gained at the palace of the brilliance and refinement of Minoan civilization.

During the Bronze Age, Santorini was a flourishing trading center inhabited by a prosperous and well-organized society. In the late 17th century BCE, a massive volcanic eruption collapsed half of the island, creating the caldera we sail through to reach our pier, and burying its main town, now called Akrotiri, in a thick layer of ash and pumice. We tour the archaeological site at Akrotiri, where fallout from the eruption has preserved its houses, streets and squares as they existed some 3,700 years ago. Returning to town, we explore the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, which displays artifacts from the site, including splendid examples of the wall paintings, pottery and other household furnishings discovered there. Lunch will be served at a restaurant with views over the caldera.

Call in Rhodes, among Europe’s largest medieval towns, and once the site of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In the Middle Ages, it was a stronghold of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights of Malta. Explore the Old Town’s winding streets and splendid plazas, which owe their 14th-century charm to the Knights. In the afternoon, travel to the village of Lindos, where, either by walking or taking a donkey ride, we will ascend to the top of the acropolis to visit its monuments, admire the incredible view, and walk the narrow alleyways of the village.

Arrive in the morning at the uninhabited islet of Despotiko. This will be the first visit by a cruise ship to this island where recent excavations reveal that, beginning in the early 7th century BCE, it was one of the most important sanctuaries of Apollo in the Aegean. Either in Despotiko, or in nearby Paros, we will meet with the archaeologist who is in charge of the excavations. Over lunch, we sail to nearby Paros, the source of some of the world’s finest marble, preferred by master sculptors from antiquity to more recent times. In Parikia, the island's capital, we visit the "one-hundred-gated" church of Ekatontapyliani, the most important early Christian church in the Greek islands, and a place of worship for over 1,700 years.

From Kusadasi, on Turkey’s Aegean coast, we drive to Priene, site of a well-preserved 4th-century-BCE city. Dominating the site is the imposing Temple of Athena, a superb example of Ionic architecture set against a backdrop of tree-covered hills. We continue to Ephesus, one of the world’s most celebrated archaeological sites. Renowned in antiquity as a center of worship of the mother-goddess Cybele, Ephesus was also one of the communities where St. Paul preached the gospel of Christianity. See the stunning façade of the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the Theater, and other large public monuments, as well as more modest buildings that give a glimpse into the daily lives of the ancient Ephesians.

Chios, known for its beautiful landscapes, historic sites and old villages, claims to be the birthplace of Homer. We honor that claim by visiting Deskaloptera ("the rock of the teacher"), which locals identify as the seat from which the great poet taught his students. Afterward, we drive to the Monastery of Nea Moni, built by Emperor Constantine IX in the 11th century in a wooded vale in the center of the island. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Nea Moni is decorated with exquisite mosaics and frescoes. Returning to the main town of Chios, we visit the Archaeological Museum before returning to the ship.

Located on the southern shore of the narrow channel of the Dardanelles, the port of Canakkale is our gateway to storied Troy, where excavations, begun in the second half of the 19th century, have revealed nine different layers of cities superimposed in rings on a massive mound rising above the “windswept Plain of Ilium." As Homer recounts in the Iliad, one of these cities is where the Greeks fought the Trojans over a period of ten years, before King Priam's city finally fell to Odysseus’s ruse of the Trojan Horse.

Disembark and transfer to the airport for flights homeward.