2014 - VOYAGE TO ANTIQUITY - ATHENS TO ISTANBUL

2014 VOYAGE TO ANTIQUITY - AEGEAN & BLACK SEA

So - the trip is getting closer, it starts on 22nd September 2014, aboard the MV Aegean Odyssey, owned by the company called Voyages to Antiquity.

Due to the war in the Ukraine, the stops there have been canceled, along with the stop in Sochi, Russia.

There is now a stop in Romania & some in Greece. I am disappointed we go to Greece again. It will be nice for those who booked just the Black Sea portion of the cruise but I will have just come from Greece. The whole idea of the Black Sea Portion was to see the Sea. And we are going by Istanbul without stopping so I still only get the one day there & the day I get off to fly home.

Not a lot of 'at sea' days, so a bit intense but mostly just half day tours. Should be fun & pleasantly warm most of the time.

Here's the revised itinerary ......

Covering 5082 km / 3158 miles

I fly overnight to Athens for two nights in a Hotel. I may have time on my own here to visit Cape Sounion but for the most part excursions are included in the cruise price, plus a couple of non-included options.

"22 Sep
Monday" "Departure
Depart North America "
"23 Sep
Tuesday" "Athens, Greece
Arrival & transfer to hotel "
"24 Sep
Wednesday" "Athens, Greece
Included tour of the ACROPOLIS & Acropolis Museum "
"25 Sep
Thursday" "Athens, Greece
Free morning to explore. Transfer to Aegean Odyssey in Piraeus "
"26 Sep
Friday" "Syros, Greece
Tour including the Cathedral of St Nicholas & Church of Assumption "
"27 Sep
Saturday" "Santorini, Greece
Full day tour: morning visit to AKROTIRI, afternoon at Fira town "
"28 Sep
Sunday" "Kos, Greece
Visit the famous archaeological site of ASCLEPEION "
"29 Sep
Monday" "Rhodes, Greece
Morning tour to Old Town of RHODES, including Citadel of the Knights of St John "
"30 Sep
Tuesday" "Rhodes, Greece
An included tour to the Acropolis in LINDOS "
"01 Oct
Wednesday" "Antalya, Turkey
Visit the Hellenistic city of PERGE and Roman town of ASPENDOS "
"02 Oct
Thursday" "Fethiye, Turkey
A choice of two tours visiting either the ruins of the ancient city of PATARA or an ancient centre of prophecy and divination at TELMESSOS  "
"03 Oct
Friday" "Bodrum, Turkey
Sightseeing: the Mausoleum of Halicarnassos, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world "
"04 Oct
Saturday" "Izmir, Turkey
Sightseeing tour: EPHESUS, the ancient Roman capital "
"05 Oct
Sunday" "Izmir, Turkey
PERGAMON, including the remains of the altar of Zeus "
"06 Oct
Monday" "Canakkale, Turkey
A visit to ancient TROY or Gallipoli "
"07 Oct
Tuesday" "Istanbul, Turkey
City sightseeing tour including BLUE MOSQUE, HAGIA SOPHIA, Topkapi Palace. "
"08 Oct
Wednesday" "At sea
Cruising the Southern Coast of the Black Sea "
"09 Oct
Thursday" "Trabzon, Turkey
Morning tour to the SUMELA MONASTERY, Afternoon at leisure "
"10 Oct
Friday" "Batumi, Georgia
Tour of the BATUMI Botanic Gardens with over 1000 varieties of roses or Gonio Fortress  "
"11 Oct
Saturday" "At sea
 "
"12 Oct
Sunday" "Constanta, Romania
City sightseeing, including Ovid's square, Archaeological Museum and the orthodox cathedral St Peter & Paul.  "
"13 Oct
Monday" "Burgas, Bulgaria
Drive to Nessebur and enjoy a walk through Nessebur's Old town: Church Christ Pantokrator, 5th-century Old Metropolitan church, Archaeological Museum  "
"14 Oct
Tuesday" "At sea
 "
"15 Oct
Wednesday" "Thessalonica, Greece
A choice of two city tours: The Byzantine heritage of Thessalonica, including 5th-century basilica Agios Dimítrios & the Rotónda, or a trip to the ruins of Pella, the ancient Macedonian city.  "
"16 Oct
Thursday" "Kavala, Greece
Morning cruising past Mount Athos. Tour to the famous site of Philippi in the afternoon "
"17 Oct
Friday" "Lemnos, Greece
Free time to explore the Myrina. Cruising the Dardanelles & Sea of Marmara in the afternoon  "
"18 Oct
Saturday" "Istanbul, Turkey
Disembark and transfer to Istanbul airport for flight home "