The Best of Italy & Greece with Iconic Aegean Islands Cruise
Overview
Enjoy must-see sights, including Piazza Signoria, in the middle of Florence; see the Roman arena in Verona, and Pisa’s famous Leaning Tower…Visit Rome with a local guide who brings ancient Imperial Rome back to life. Step back in time on your visit to Athens’ Acropolis and the Parthenon, dating back to the 5th century BC, and the most accurate indication of the influence and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak. You’ll also visit Mycenae, dating back to 1350 BC, where you’ll marvel at the arches, fountains, ramparts, and amazing masonry still standing, and Delphi, known in antiquity as the “navel of the earth”. All these elements come together perfectly to create a value-minded Italy and Greece tour like no other!
Spend the last few days of your affordable tour of Italy and Greece in sheer relaxation aboard your cruise ship for a 3-night cruise to some of the world’s most beautiful islands. You’ll see Mykonos, with its seafront village, sandy beaches, and whitewashed houses; Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands featuring towns nestled picturesquely between two mountain ranges; Santorini (weather permitting), with one of the world's most breathtaking panoramas; Patmos, where St. John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelation; and Kusadasi in Turkey. All these elements come together perfectly to create a value-minded Italy and Greece tour with a cruise like no other!
Itinerary
Welcome to Italy! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Italy's romantic city using your CosmosGO app. This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions at the welcome dinner at the hotel.
Venice is a place of unmatched beauty and a feast of fantastic sights. View the delightful crisscrossing canals, the gondolas, arched bridges, palaces, and piazzas. Your included orientation features a boat ride to St. Mark's Square and a visit to a Venetian glassblowing workshop.
You'll have time to explore at leisure on your own, perhaps sipping a cappuccino or the typical Venetian drink called “spritz” at one of the many bars or cafés. An optional excursion to the island of Burano will give you the opportunity to see more of the Venetian Lagoon before enjoying a delicious meal.
Travel to Verona, setting for Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Marvel at the ancient Roman Arena, built for gladiator fights but now still used as a popular venue for festivals and concerts; shop in Via Mazzini, or just wander the cobblestone streets of the city center. Tonight, experience the harmony of rural life in Tuscany with an optional farmhouse dinner in the Tuscan countryside. On the menu? Good food, better wine, and the best company! Overnight in the Tuscan spa town of Montecatini. Today's Distance: 242 mi/ 390 km
Today, enjoy a full day discovering the wonders of Florence, starting with a guided walking tour, featuring some of the city's greatest attractions. See Piazza Santa Croce; world-famous Signoria Square; 13th-century Palazzo Vecchio with its collection of artistic masterpieces; Loggia dei Lanzi; the unique Duomo with Giotto's Gothic Bell Tower and the Baptistry's ornate bronze door known as the “Gate of Paradise.” Return to Montecatini. Today's Distance: 81 mi /130 km
Vistas of rolling hills, cypress trees, vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Stop in Pisa and enjoy a mini-train ride to the Square of Miracles and the amazing Leaning Tower, then on to Rome. Today's Distance: 255 mi/ 410 km
The “Eternal City” is steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting, and absolutely unique! Start the included introduction to Rome's landmarks from St. Peter's Square with a Local Guide. Enjoy a drive along the iconic landmarks of the city: the Tiber River, the Caius Cestius Pyramid, the Aurelian Walls, and the Caracalla Baths. Complete the experience with a walk back in time from the Circus Maximus to the Arch of Constantine and to the fascinating Colosseum, symbol of the Roman Empire.*
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Transfer to the airport for your included flight to Athens. From the capital of Italy to the capital of Greece, absorb the Mediterranean flair and discover the influence of ancient Roman and Greek civilizations on modern life and arts.
Join the included sightseeing tour of Athens, featuring the highlights of the city and a visit to the Acropolis. Travel to the Corinth Canal, built between 1881 and 1893 and stop here for a picture. Continue to visit the Mycenae archaeological site with a Local Guide to learn about the ancient city of Homer's epics. Enjoy views of the rugged Peloponnese scenery on the way to Nauplia. This evening, enjoy an included dinner at a local restaurant. Today's Distance: 90 mi / 145 km
Drive south through the Peloponnese to Olympia. Take advantage of some time at leisure or score the perfect 10 with a guided optional tour of ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games, featuring the ruins of the Temple of Zeus. Today's Distance: 118 mi / 190 km
Cross the Rion-Antirion bridge and skirt the Gulf of Corinth to continue inland to Delphi. Built at the foot of Mt. Parnassus, Delphi was considered by ancient Greeks to be the center of the world where the oracles of Apollo predicted the fate of many a man. Today's distance: 150 mi/ 240 km
Enjoy free time in Athens to explore with the help of the CosmosGO app, visit the museums or take the tram to the coast. In the evening, enjoy the lively atmosphere of the tavernas in the old Plaka district with its narrow streets and sound of bouzouki music.
Board your Celestyal cruise ship. Cruise the Aegean Sea to Mykonos, with its white houses, chapels, and windmills. Enjoy free time to explore the island. Late-evening departure for Kusadasi, Turkey.
Two ports of call today. First, Kusadasi on the Turkish coast. An optional shore excursion is available to the fascinating Greek, Roman, and Byzantine excavations of Ephesus. Next, discover the tiny Greek island of Patmos, where St. John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelation. The 11th-century monastery with its valuable manuscript collection is well worth a visit.
The first port of call today is Heraklion on Crete. Why not join an optional excursion to Knossos, the hub of the 3000-BC Minoan civilization? Afternoon call (weather permitting) at Santorini, the “Black Pearl of the Aegean.” If blue is your color, join an optional shore excursion to visit the cliff-top village of Oia, home to the most photographed, blue-domed buildings in Santorini—not to mention the magnificent blue views of the Mediterranean.
Early morning arrival. Drive to Athens and relax, visit a museum, or go shopping.
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Trip Inclusions
- Boat ride in Venice and a glass-blowing workshop
- Stop in Verona, a city famed for its timeless romance
- Guided sightseeing in Florence, the heart of Renaissance art and culture
- Scenic small-train trip to Pisa's Piazza dei Miracoli, home to the legendary Leaning Tower
- Guided sightseeing in Rome, featuring the iconic St. Peter's Square
- Guided sightseeing in Athens, featuring the breathtaking Acropolis
- Guided inside visit of the renowned archaeological site of Mycenae
- Stop in Delphi, once revered by ancient Greeks as the center of the world
- 3-night Iconic Aegean Cruise on the Celestyal Discovery including visits to Mykonos, Patmos, Crete, and Santorini (weather permitting).
- Visit to Kusudasi
- Flight Rome - Athens
- The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, intra-vacation flights from Rome to Athens and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travel lovers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors, Cruise Hosts and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi, and Celestyal Discovery cruise ship.
- 15 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 6 Dinners
- Venice Area: Poppi (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Montecatini: Terme Pellegrini (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Rome: American Palace Eur (Moderate First-Class)
- Athens: Moxy Athens City (First-Class)
- Nauplia: Flisvos (First-Class)
- Olympia: Olympia Palace (First-Class)
- Delphi: Apollonia (Superior Tourist-Class)
- Athens: Acropolis Select (First-Class)
- Airport transfers at your arrival and departure destination are not included in the price of the tour.
- Itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and specified internal flights. International flights not included.
- For operational reasons, schedule changes for the Rome program cannot be excluded.
- This tour requires walking on uneven terrain, especially at archaeological sites, which may pose a challenge to guests with physical limitations or reliant on mobility devices such as wheelchairs.
- Please ask your Travel Consultant for cruise ship details. The ship scheduled to depart for the cruise portion of your vacation is the Celestyal Discovery, operated by Celestyal Cruises.
- The Greek Government has introduced a Sustainable Tourism Development Fee to all cruise tourists. This tax is applicable when a guest disembarks at a Greek island or mainland port. With your consent, Celestyal will facilitate the collection of these fees through your onboard account.
- Cruise Details: Prices are based on Inside cabin (category IB) - All air-conditioned cabins with private shower and toilet. Upgrades available. Rotation of ports of call may vary for congestion reasons at certain ports with or without prior notice. Full entertainment program on board. Included soft drinks with meals, and unlimited filter coffee, tea, water, and juice throughout the day. Cosmos Host service throughout the cruise.
Enjoy inside visits to Europe's the must-see sites with a great mix of included excursions, free time and affordable value. Read more
Cosmos build free time into every one of their holidays, so you can eat, shop, and explore the way you want. Read more
Cosmos' easy going, fun-filled and multilingual Tour Directors and Local Guides love exploring as much as you do. Read more
Cruise Line
Prices & Dates
There are currently no departures available on this trip. Either it's the end of the season and new departures will be released shortly, or this itinerary has been changed and is not operating this season. Feel free to contact us for information about when next seasons dates will be released or click here to view general release dates for all destinations.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Cosmos. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
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