Sailing the Golden Crescent - Heraklion to Alexandria Aboard Clipper Odyssey
October 6 - 18, 2012
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Cairo
Haifa, Israel
Credit - bigphoto.com
Israel
Credit - bigphoto.com
Old Jerusalem City, Israel
Photo by - K.Dagan and Dreamstime.com
Fly to Heraklion, Crete to see Knossos, political center of the Minoan civilization. Travel to Uzuncaburc, Turkey to explore the ancient settlement of Diocaesarea. In Cyprus, discover the Roman city of Kourion and continue to Syria’s legendary city of Aleppo and the imposing Crusader castle of Crac
des Chevaliers. Travel to Lebanon to see Byblos, built as the first city in Phoenicia, the temple complex
of Baalbek, and take a curatorial tour of Beirut’s National Museum. In Alexandria, Egypt, visits include
the stunning new Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Tour Itinerary
October 6
Depart U.S. for Athens
October 7
Connect with a flight to Heraklion, Crete / Transfer to the Hotel for an afternoon at leisure and a welcome dinner
October 8
Visit the palace complex of Knossos, political center of the Minoan civilization / Heraklion Archaeological Museum / Embark Clipper Odyssey
October 9
Arrive at Palaikastro and drive to the charming port of Siteia. Visit the Archaeological Museum to see the Palaikastro Kouros, a masterpiece of Minoan art in ivory and gold; private visit to the historic monastery of Toplou; Visit the excavation site of the Bronze Age town of Palaikastro
October 10
Spend a leisurely day at sea
October 11
Stroll through the colorful, winding streets of the village of Kaş; tour the ancient theater and well-preserved Lycian tomb. Continue to Kekova to visit the site of the ancient Lycian city of Simena; Observe a sunken city by glass-bottom boat
October 12
Drive from the port of Antalya to Perge, one of the most impressive Greco-Roman sites in Turkey. Continue to ancient Aspendos, with its well-preserved 15,000-seat Roman theater; lunch of local specialties in a pine forest setting; see a collection of Roman sculpture at the Antalya Museum
October 13
Arrive on Cyprus, From the port of Limassol, drive to Paphos, stopping to visit the Castle of Kolossi and the Roman site of Kourion; lunch is typical fish mezze by the harbor, visit the monumental 4th-century B.C.E. Tombs of the Kings; enjoy an onboard concert by a Cypriot string quartet
October 14
Arrive Cypriot and see the impressive collections at the Cyprus Archaeological Museum; Visit the checkpoint at Ledra Street by the Green Line and explore the cobbled streets of Laiki Geitonia
October 15
The port city of Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world; See the Crusader vaults and halls and the Turkish Bathhouse dating from 1781; in Haifa see the Baha’i World Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
October16
Travel to Jerusalem, where our visits begin with a view from the Mount of Olives overlooking the historic Old City and Temple Mount with the splendid Dome of the Rock: Walk along the Via Dolorosa; Alternatively, you may wish to visit Tel Aviv, where an architectural city tour introduces the impressive Bauhaus and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art
October 17
Enjoy a relaxed day at sea and attend onboard lectures; farewell dinner on board
October 18
Disembark in Alexandria just after midnight and transfer to Borg El Arab airport for your return flights
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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.
