Myths & Heroes - Barcelona to Athens Cruise

Day 1 - Barcelona

Arrive: Wed 24 September 2025 / Depart: Wed 24 September 2025 at 18:00

One of Europe’s most visually stunning cities, Barcelona balances the medieval intimacy of its Gothic Quarter with the grace and distinction of the wide boulevards in the Moderniste Eixample. It was the home of architect Antoni Gaudí, whose Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Park Güell and Casa Milà are the most profound statements of Modernisme. View the splendid works at the Picasso Museum and the Miro Foundation, or discover Barcelona’s passionate ambiance at a flamenco show.

Day 2 - Toulon

Arrive: Thu 25 September 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Thu 25 September 2025 at 18:00

Explore bustling Toulon, with its fleets of naval ships, yachts and colorful fishing boats. Take the cable car to the top of Mount Faron and enjoy the amazing birds eye view of Toulon and the turquoise harbor. Learn about the town’s maritime history at the Museé de la Marine and about the Allied landing in Toulon at the Museé Memorial du Debarquement. Discover the maze of open-air markets and fountains in Old Town with its ancient cathedral, fragrant scents of herbs and olive oil, its restaurants, cafés and intimate boutiques. Take home designer fashions, fine jewelry, French perfumes and other Provencal mementos. Herbs de Provence, lavender, fine olive oil, and ceramics are popular.

Day 3 - Saint Tropez

Arrive: Fri 26 September 2025 at 06:00 / Depart: Fri 26 September 2025 at 21:00

Enjoy the exquisite hilly Provençal countryside beyond this resort, where charming villages with narrow stepped streets, lovely churches and stunning scenic views beckon. Visit a local winery or take a drive along the rugged coast and revel in the wonderful views of the landscape, the beaches, the islands and the magnificent Massif des Maures. Browse in the resorts elegant boutiques for French perfume, fine jewelry, high fashion clothing and leather goods. Try some delicious local lobster with a chilled white wine or savor some refreshingly unusual lavender ice cream.

Day 4 - Florence/Pisa

Arrive: Sat 27 September 2025 at 10:30 / Depart: Sat 27 September 2025 at 18:00

Head out of town and discover the five stunning, colorful towns clinging to the cliffs along the coast. Hike along the trail connecting them or take a boat tour and see them from the water as ancient seafarers did. Go ashore and explore a picturesque town and its castle. Or visit intriguing Porto Venere, another colorful town rising above one end of La Spezia's harbor with breathtaking views and the lovely Church of San Pietro. It was once a playground and inspiration for poets from Dante to Byron and Shelly.

Day 5 - Rome

Arrive: Sun 28 September 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 28 September 2025 at 16:00

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 6 - Napels

Arrive: Mon 29 September 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 29 September 2025 at 16:00

Naples, a city in southern Italy, sits on the Bay of Naples. Nearby is Mount Vesuvius, the still-active volcano that destroyed nearby Roman town Pompeii. Dating to the 2nd millennium B.C., Naples has centuries of important art and architecture. The city's cathedral, the Duomo di San Gennaro, is filled with frescoes. Other major landmarks include the lavish Royal Palace and Castel Nuovo, a 13th-century castle.

Day 7 - Sicily

Arrive: Tue 30 September 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 30 September 2025 at 17:00

Messina, the third largest city in Sicily, was the most important port of departure for European knights on their way to the Crusades in the Middle Ages. Today, this extensively rebuilt port city still boasts many historically and architecturally significant landmarks, particularly the renowned cathedral with its unusual astronomical clock, the 12th century Catania Church and the ornate Teatro Vittorio Emanuele. Messina is also the starting point for a day trip to the peak of breath-taking Mt. Etna-Crateri Silvestri.

Day 8 - Cruising the Aegean Sea

Day 9 - Corfu

Arrive: Thu 02 October 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Thu 02 October 2025 at 18:00

Legendary Corfu is a lush and romantic island, written about by Homer in his famous Odyssey. The island’s history is full of battles, indicative of Corfu’s turbulent position that lasted until modern times with unification with modern Greece in 1864. Corfu offers a combination of cosmopolitan and time-honored Greece. As well as a flower-strewn countryside and Adriatic-style villages, Corfu has splendid coastal scenery and some excellent secluded beaches.

Day 10 - Dubrovnik

Arrive: Fri 03 October 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 03 October 2025 at 17:00

Known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century by a group of refugees from Epidaurum (today’s Cavtat). It is known worldwide for its unique marble-paved squares, tall houses, steep-cobbled streets and fountains. The city walls, once used to as protection against its enemies, now keep motorists at bay in this picturesque town. UNESCO named the Old City a World Heritage Site, and Dubrovnik’s beautiful historic sites have been restored to their former glory.

Day 11 - Kotor

Arrive: Sat 04 October 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Sat 04 October 2025 at 18:00

Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro, located in a most secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The old port, surrounded by an impressive city wall built by the House of Nemanjicc, is very well preserved and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Numerous other attractions include the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in the old town (built in 1166), and ancient walls which stretch directly above the city. Nightlife also attracts tourists to Kotor with pubs, taverns, cafes, and nightclubs.

Day 12 - Mediterranean sea cruising

Day 13 - Athens

Arrive: Mon 06 October 2025 at 06:00 / Depart: Mon 06 October 2025

Piraeus is the gateway to the ancient city of Athens, known as the “Cradle of Western Civilization” because of its immense impact on cultural and political achievements throughout the world. Due mainly to tourism and the 2004 Olympics, Greece has redeveloped many sites in Athens. A historian’s delight, Athens is home to such magnificent wonders as: the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the atmospheric winding streets of the Plaka, Temple of Olympian Zeus and Temple of Athena Nike, and the Archaeological Museum with the world’s finest collection of ancient artifacts.