This is the perfect vacation to explore Eastern Europe, from Vienna all the way to Istanbul. Travel from Vienna to Croatia, where you will stop in Kumrovec to visit the Ethnological Museum and have lunch with local specialties. Next is Zagreb, the capital, to see the Lower and medieval Upper Town. Stop at Plitvice Narional Park on your way to the Adriatic Coast and stay overnight in Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, visit Mostar and Sarajevo, where you will visit the Sarajevo Tunnel, built between 1992 and 1995 during the Bosnian War, and visit Kotor and Budva in Montenegro. Enter Albania and stay in its capital, Tirana. In Macedonia, visit the Old Town of Ohrid, where you will taste the traditional Boza, and in Skopje, the capital, admire the Alexander the Great statue on Macedonia Square before arriving in Bulgaria’s capital of Sophia. End in Istanbul, Turkey, founded by the Greeks more than 2,500 years ago as Byzantium. In 330 AD it changed to Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, before finally becoming Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century. Visit Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, the Roman Hippodrome, the Hagia Sophia, and enjoy a special dinner with wine at a local restaurant that features traditional belly dancers. Embark your ship and spend the next six nights cruising among the breathtaking Greek Isles. Visit Kusadasi, crescent-shaped Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos, and more. Disembark on the Greece mainland, where you’ll spend a final night in Athens and see the sights with a Local Guide.
Itinerary:
Day #1 Arrive in Vienna, Austria. Welcome to Vienna! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with Heurigen wine in the pretty wine village of Grinzing. (D)
Day #2 Vienna. Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel and a drive along the elegant Ringstrasse. Pass the impressive State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz, and visit Strauss House. Tonight you may join an optional evening out for dinner and a concert in one of Vienna’s many concert halls. (B)
Day #3 Vienna–Kumrovec, Croatia–Zagreb. [LF] Enter Croatia, and stop in the town of Kumrovec for a visit of the open-air Stare Selo ETHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM, and for an early dinner with regional specialties. Then, head for Zagreb, capital of Croatia. (B,D)
Day #4 Zagreb–Plitvice–Zadar. Meet your Local Guide and start your morning sightseeing, which features all important landmarks of the Lower and medieval Upper Town, such as the Parliament, Stone Gate, the Archbishop’s Palace, plus a visit to the majestic CATHEDRAL. Continue to Plitvice, and soak in the pure beauty of the NATIONAL PARK, famous for its lakes, waterfalls, and forests. Drive towards the Adriatic coast and stop in the pretty coastal city of Zadar. (B,D)
Day #5 Zadar–Split. During your orientation this morning, hear about the turbulent history of this city, fighting off the Venetians, crusaders, and Turks over the centuries. Continue to Split, the ancient Spalato, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During your guided walking tour, learn about the history of this captivating resort and visit the labyrinth of 4th-century DIOCLETIAN’S PALACE, a well-preserved fortress and a living part of the Old Town. This evening, enjoy a special dinner with wine at a local restaurant. (B,D)
Day #6 Split–Mostar, Bosnia-Herezegovina–Sarajevo. Enter Bosnia-Herzegovina and stop in the city of Mostar. Admire the OLD BRIDGE, the city’s symbol, ordered by Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman ruler in 1566, replacing the older wooden bridge. Continue to Sarajevo, where the Olympics took place in 1984, and which is the second city in the world (after California) that owned an electric tram network. (B,D)
Day #7 Sarajevo–Dubrovnik, Croatia. Hear about the assassination of the Archduke of Austria in 1914, the recent Bosnian war, and see the main sights with a Local Guide. [LF] An incomparable visit has been included: visit the SARAJEVO TUNNEL, built between 1992 and 1995 during the Bosnian war. Return to Croatia and arrive in Dubrovnik, beautifully situated on a promontory jutting into the Adriatic Sea. (B,D)
Day #8 Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik was once an independent maritime republic rivaling Venice. Enjoy a walking tour with a Local Guide and see the impressive ramparts, erected during the Crusades to protect the town against land attacks, and the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries. You will also visit the 15th-century RECTOR’S PALACE. Afternoon and evening at leisure; an optional boat cruise is available. (B)
Day #9 Dubrovnik–Kotor, Republic of Montenegro–Budva–Tirana, Albania. Enjoy a visit to the Republic of Montenegro: first, visit stunning Kotor on the northern part of the Montenegrin coastline. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is fringed by mountains and nestled into the Bay of Kotor, the deepest natural fjord in the Mediterranean Sea. Protected by an impressive wall since the early Middle Ages, the city has one of the best preserved medieval Old Towns in the Adriatic, and your Local Guide will take you on a walk along its winding, cobblestone streets to marvel at the picturesque squares and Romanesque churches. Later, continue to Budva, dating back to the 5th-century BC and considered one of the Adriatic’s oldest settlements. Next is Albania, a country that was closed to tourists for a long time. Continue to the capital, Tirana. (B,D)
Day #10 Tirana–Ohrid, Macedonia. During your morning sightseeing, your Local Guide will tell you about the turbulent history of this interesting city that was originally founded as an Ottoman town and became Albania’s capital in 1920. Occupied by Fascist forces during World War II, and under communist influence after the war, the city is an interesting mixture of architecture. Your next destination is Ohrid, with its beautiful lake, where a guided walking tour features the OLD TOWN with its picturesque houses and many churches. Apparently, Ohrid once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year. [LF] This evening is your chance to taste the traditional Boza. (B,D)
Day #11 Ohrid–Skopje–Sofia,Bulgaria. Stop in the capital of Macedonia, Skopje, and meet your Local Guide. Hear about Macedonia’s proud history and see its main sites, like the Millennium Cross, built to celebrate 2,000 years of Christianity; the Memorial House of Mother Theresa, who came from here; [LF] and the ALEXANDER THE GREAT STATUE on Macedonian Square. Later, cross the border and arrive in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. (B,D)
Day #12 Sofia. Meet your Local Guide and hear about the history of this fascinating city. Sofia was known as Serdica centuries before Christ, and was even ruled for a while by Alexander the Great’s father, Philip of Macedonia. Visit the ancient HOLY SOFIA CHURCH. (B)
Day #13 Sofia–Istanbul, Turkey. Leave Bulgaria and continue to Istanbul, founded by the Greeks as Byzantium more than 2,500 years ago, renamed Constantinople in 330 AD when the Roman emperor Constantine the Great selected it the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and finally called Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century. (B,D)
Day #14 Istanbul. The city on the Bosporus remains one of the most exciting places in the world. Its strategic location as gateway between Orient and Occident, the Islamic and the Christian worlds, and the Black Sea and the Mediterranean predestined it for a turbulent history. Guided sightseeing starts at TOPKAPI PALACE, the residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Then, visit Sultan Ahmet’s BLUE MOSQUE, followed by the ROMAN HIPPODROME. Tour the HAGIA SOPHIA and the SPICE BAZAAR with its tiny shops. [LF] Tonight, a special farewell dinner with wine and traditional BELLY DANCERS at a local restaurant has been prepared to celebrate the success of your tour with your traveling companions. (B,D)
Day #15 Istanbul (Embarkation). Morning at leisure before embarkation. (B,D)
Day #16 Cruising: Mykonos. Plenty of time this morning to relax on board while cruising towards Mykonos. This afternoon, discover the mountainous island of Mykonos with its characteristic windmills and dazzling white houses. Time to wander at whim through narrow paved streets lined with trendy boutiques and shady tavernas before returning on board. (B,L,D)
Day #17 Cruising. Plenty of time to enjoy the ship’s amenities. (B,L,D)
Day #18 Cruising: Patmos & Kusadasi, Turkey. Two ports of call today. First the tiny Greek island of Patmos where St. John the Divine wrote the Revelation. The 11th-century monastery with its valuable manuscript collections is well worth a visit. Next, is Kusadasi. An optional excursion is available to the fascinating Greek, Roman, and Byzantine excavations of Ephesus. (B,L,D)
Day #19 Cruising: Rhodes. All day is dedicated to the island of Rhodes Explore the Old Town with its ramparts and palaces built by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades. An optional excursion is available to Lindos to see Athena’s fabulous temple, or, if sightseeing isn’t your thing, Rhodes’ sun-drenched public beaches and colorful shopping districts are within easy walking distance of the port. (B,L,D)
Day #20 Cruising: Crete & Santorini. Early arrival in Heraklion on Crete. A few miles away is Knossos, the center of the 3000 BC Minoan civilization, and an optional excursion can be booked. This afternoon, call at Santorini (weather permitting), the “Black Pearl of the Aegean.” The optional shore excursion here takes you up to the cliff-top village of Thera for one of the world’s most breathtaking panoramas. (B,L,D)
Day #21 Lavrion (Disembarkation)–Athens. After breakfast on board, disembark at Lavrion and return to Athens. The remainder of the day is free to catch up on last-minute shopping. Enjoy an optional dinner in a romantic restaurant. (B)
Day #22 Athens. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)