Courtyards & Colonnades - Barcelona to Athens Cruise

Day 1 - Tarragona

Arrive: Wed 11 September 2024 / Depart: Wed 11 September 2024 at 18:00

Day 2 - St. Tropez, France

Arrive: Thu 12 September 2024 at 10:00 / Depart: Thu 12 September 2024 at 19:00

Beyond the port, enjoy the exquisite hilly Provençal countryside and its charming villages with their narrow stepped streets, lovely churches and stunning scenic views. Visit a local winery or take a drive along the rugged coast and revel in the wonderful views of the beaches, the landscape, the islands and the magnificent forested ridges of the Massif des Maures.

Day 3 - Florence/Pisa

Arrive: Fri 13 September 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 13 September 2024 at 20:00

Spend a glorious day amidst the fabled architecture of this Renaissance city. See the Duomo with Brunelleschi's dome, the famous baptistry, Michelangelo's magnificent David, the bridge over the Arno and the astonishing Uffizi Gallery. Visit Pisa's superb Campo dei Miracoli and its beautiful cathedral and famed campanile. Or enjoy the Tuscan countryside, Siena and San Gimignano, renowned for its medieval towers. Shopping: Find leather goods, lingerie, gold jewelry, Florentine mosaic, lace, marbled paper items, antiques and fine art. Dining: Savor the prosciutto, pecorino cheese and infinite variety of breads, cakes and salamis.

Day 4 - Rome

Arrive: Sat 14 September 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 14 September 2024 at 20:00

Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter. Rome has been a magnet luring the world's greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.

Day 5 - Naples, Italy

Arrive: Sun 15 September 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 15 September 2024 at 19:00

Spend a day exploring the fabulous ruins of ancient Pompeii or Herculaneum with their stunning temples, frescoes and mosaics. Explore fascinating Naples and its famed museums, visit charming Sorrento or take a boat trip to the beautiful Isle of Capri.

Day 6 - Sicily

Arrive: Mon 16 September 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 16 September 2024 at 17:00

Visit beautiful Taormina and marvel at its famous Greek theater and the stunning view of Mount Etna. Explore lovely medieval Messina with its historic churches and the cathedral where it is rumored Richard the Lionheart worshipped in 1190. Or discover ancient Tyndaris, founded in 396 B.C., with its fine mosaics, Roman baths and impressive theater overlooking the sea.

Day 7 - Argostoli

Arrive: Tue 17 September 2024 at 10:00 / Depart: Tue 17 September 2024 at 18:00

This capital of the island of Cephalonia resides in a sheltered bay along Koutavos Lagoon, where you might catch a glimpse of a loggerhead turtle. The stone obelisk of the Drapano Bridge and the Lighthouse of Saint Theodore are two of the island's distinctive landmarks. Discover relics from the Mycenaean, Hellenistic and Roman periods in the city's archaeological museum.

Day 8 - Cruising the Ionian Sea

Day 9 - Heraklion

Arrive: Thu 19 September 2024 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 19 September 2024 at 19:00

Visit the great Minoan ruins of the Palace of Knossos, famous as the home of the labyrinth where the Minotaur roamed, and the archaeological museum that houses many superb artifacts from the complex. Explore the stunning, mountain-fringed Lassithi plateau with its orchards, 7,000 windmills and ancient villages.

Day 10 - Mykonos

Arrive: Fri 20 September 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 20 September 2024 at 18:00

Enjoy wandering through the narrow, winding streets of this delightful seaside village with its whitewashed houses, flowers and brightly painted shutters and doors. Stand beneath the windmills on the hill. Visit the archaeological museum and an old bakery still using a 15th century wood-burning stove.

Day 11 - Athens

Arrive: Sat 21 September 2024 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 21 September 2024

Climb up the magnificent Acropolis and stand in awe of the Parthenon, the beautiful temples and the view over Athens stretched out before you. See city highlights including the new and old Olympic stadiums. Journey to Cape Sounion and the temple of Poseidon overlooking the sea, or visit ancient Corinth and the narrow Corinth Canal cut through miles of solid rock.