Aegean Odyssey: Athens to Istanbul Aboard Sea Cloud II
June 6 –14, 2012
Athens Greece
Sea Cloud II
Under full sail.
The Sultan Ahmet I's Blue Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey
Mosque, Istanbul
photo credit: Glen Allison
Sea Cloud II calls first at the lovely port town of Nafplion on the Greek Peloponnese to see the ruins of Epidaurus, with its perfectly preserved 2,500-year-old amphitheater. Under billowing white sails, travel through the Cyclades islands to Syros, to spend the day in the charming town of Ermoupolis, where a viewing of El Greco’s icon The Assumption of the Virgin Mary will be a highlight. On Patmos, where St. John the Evangelist is said to have written the Book of the Apocalypse, visit the grotto and hilltop monastery of St. John on this pristine island.
As we continue along the Turkish coast, discover the magnificent site of Ephesus, whose temples and houses still display their original mosaics, and the ancient Greco-Roman city of Pergamon. Step ashore on the lush Greek island of Mytilini (Lesbos) to enjoy its seaside cafes and perhaps visit the excellent Archaeological Museum. Sea Cloud II then navigates the Dardanelles and Sea of Marmara to arrive at the extraordinary city of Istanbul with its spectacular skyline of domes and minarets.
Study Leader Information
Traveling with us will be preservationist and architectural historian John Meffert, a popular study leader with a long association with the National Trust.
Tour Itinerary
June 6/7
New York, U.S.A./Athens; transfer to Piraeus where we will have lunch at a local seaside restaurant before embarking Sea Cloud II
June 8
Nafplion; enjoy a walking tour that includes the narrow streets of the Old Town, which are lined with elegant Venetian houses and gracious neoclassical mansions; visit the ruins of Mycenae; View the Lion Gate and other archaeological discoveries of Heinrich Schliemann; farewell dinner onboard
June 9
Syros; See the capital city of Ermoupoli which boasts striking Venetian and neoclassical architecture; At the Church of the Assumption, view El Greco’s icon The Assumption of the Virgin Mary
June 10
Patmos; Visit the Grotto of St. John, a small cave converted into a beautiful chapel; Continue to the Monastery of St. John to see its religious art and manuscripts
June 11
Kusadasi; Ephesus, Library of Celsus; special onboard performance by a quintet from the Izmir Philharmonic Orchestra
June 12
Dikili, Turkey/Mytilini, Greece; From the port of Dikili drive to the ancient Graeco-Roman city of Pergamon that was home to the great physician, Galen; Visit the site of the vast Altar of Zeus and continue to the extensively restored asklepion; after lunch visit the third largest of the Greek islands, Mytilini
June 13
spend the afternoon sailing aboard Sea Cloud II
June 14
Istanbul; Turkey/U.S.A.; Disembark Sea Cloud II this morning in Istanbul and transfer to Athens Airport for your flight home
To register by credit card, please call 888-484-8785; to register online, please fill out our reservation form. View our terms and conditions.
Please email National Trust Tours for questions about this program. Be sure to include your mailing address if you are requesting a paper copy of the brochure for this program.
