Leaving Agios Nikolaos, capital city of Eastern Crete, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere your bus will drive you to Elounda, located in a gorgeous natural bay. Elounda is famous not only on the island of Crete but also in the entire Aegean Sea, much acclaimed for its outstanding hotels and tourist establishment in a magnificent natural environment. The combination of the landscape and the sea it is something you will never forget!

Your tour continues to a local Olive Oil Farm. In a marvellously designed space of 2,000 m², the facility has endeavoured to embrace traditional Cretan everyday life in its entirety. The production of olive oil, wine & raki takes place using the most traditional of methods and giving you the opportunity to experience Cretan life in the early 20^th century. On arrival you will be welcomed with a Raki, the traditional drink of Crete and “meze”. Here you will have the chance also to enjoy Cretan traditional music and dance with local performers.

After visiting the Farm, you will continue your journey to Agios Nikolaos.The landmark of the city is a small lake, known as "Voulismeni" that is located in the centre of the city, at the foot of the cliffs.According to the mythology, the goddess Athena used to take her bath in this lake. It is an especially picturesque site with many open-air cafes and restaurants along the bank. Return to the ship.

A panoramic drive of approx. 1 hour and half will bring you to Jerusalem, giving you the chance of catching a glimpse of Israel, old and new. Upon your arrival in town, your motor coach will drive through West Jerusalem, passing by the Knesset - Israel Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Museum of Israel with the Shrine of the Book. You will be amazed by the heartbreaking panorama from the Mount of Olives, where you will have a photo stop.

The second visit will be the Gethsemane Garden and the Church of All Nation. Gethsemane garden is at the foot of the Mount of Olives, famous as the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before Jesus' crucifixion. According to Orthodox tradition, Gethsemane is the garden where the Apostles buried the Virgin Mary. The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church or Basilica of the Agony, is a Roman Catholic Church which enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest. Afterwards you will have a guided tour in the old city of Jerusalem starting with a stroll through the famous quarters of the old city. Until the 1860s this area constituted the entire city of Jerusalem. The Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. Traditionally, the Old City has been divided into four quarters, although the current designations were introduced only in the 19^th century. Today, the Old City is roughly divided into the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. The Jewish Quarter of the Old City was largely destroyed by Jordan following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1980, Jordan proposed the Old City to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. It was added to the List in 1981.

The Wailing Wall, sometimes referred to as the Kotel and as al-Buraaq Wall by Muslims, is one of the most important Jewish religious sites. Just over half the wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 B.C. by Herod the Great, while the remaining layers were added from the 7^th century onwards. The tour will continue to Bethlehem, where you will have lunch in an oriental restaurant, followed by free time to stroll around and get some souvenirs from the Holy Land. The main site you will visit in will be the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Christ, and it is considered sacred by followers of both Christianity and Islam.

REMARKS

Includes visit to religious sites, knees and shoulders must be covered.

Nazareth Galilee (ASH – 03) Full day with lunch

A pleasant drive will bring you from the port to the picturesque hills of Nazareth by highway.

Upon your arrival to Nazareth, you will Visit St. Gabriel Church and Mary’s Spring. The church, also known as St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church or the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, is located over an underground spring that according to Eastern Orthodox belief is where the Virgin Mary was drawing water at the time of the Annunciation. Water from the spring still runs inside the apse of the church and also feeds the adjacent site of Mary's Well, located 140 m away. The spring was the village of Nazareth's only water supply at the time the church was constructed, and served as a local watering hole for some three thousand years. The spring inside the church is located at the end of a low vaulted cavern built by the Crusaders in the 12^th century. Ancient Armenian tile work decorates the walls of the cavern and there is a small recess with a shaft leading down to the spring where one can lower a metal cup to draw water. Free time for shopping and souvenirs. Your second stop will be Jardenit, place of baptizing of the first Christians, where you will have a guided visit. Lunch break in a typical restaurant. A panoramic drive through ancient Tiberias with its modern hotels and restaurants will bring you to Capernaum, a settlement on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The site is a ruin today, but was inhabited from 150 B.C. to about A.D. 750. Here where you will see the ancient synagogue and the House of St. Peter.  Following site will be Tabgha, with the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes. You will visit the interior of the church with the mosaic of the fish and loaves laid next to a large rock, which has caused some New Testament scholars to speculate that the builders of the original church believed that Jesus stood on this rock when he blessed the fish and loaves just before the feeding of the crowd who had come to hear him. The Mount of the Beatitudes will be your next stop with the Byzantine church which was erected near the current site in the 4^th century, and it was used until the 7^th century. Remains of a cistern and a monastery are still visible. The current Roman Catholic Franciscan chapel was built in 1938. Return back to the vessel.

REMARKS

Please note that the journey from Ashdod to Nazareth is approx. 2 hours while the way back from Galilee to Ashdod is approx. 3 hours. Includes visit to religious sites, knees and shoulders must be covered.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Highlights of Istanbul (IST – 03) Full day with lunch

Begin the excursion with a drive through the business centre of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque, dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent. Continue around the mighty city walls, which once protected Constantinople from the many invasions and attacks it suffered over the centuries. In the Old City, the first visit will be to the Byzantine Hippodrome, which was once one of the largest chariot race arenas in the Byzantine Empire. Visit the Sultanahmet Mosque, where large groups of pilgrims start their pilgrimage to Mecca. It is decorated with 21,000 blue Iznik tiles from where it gets its name, the “Blue Mosque”. Walk to the famous Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom, where you can admire the superb mosaics and the marble decorations. Walk through the large gardens to Konyali Restaurant and experience typical Turkish cuisine. After lunch, the tour continues with a visit to the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans. See the famous treasury and the “Spoonmaker’s Diamond”, the 7^th biggest diamond in the world.

During the tour you will also have the opportunity to get a cultural taste of Turkey by enjoying an exhibition of oriental carpets, jewellery or leather goods.

REMARKS

The restaurant venue can be substituted with another one of the same level. Shoulders and knees must be covered while visiting the Mosque and shoes must be removed.

Start the tour with a short drive through the modern city of Istanbul, crossing the Galata Bridge en route to the Golden Horn. The impressive Süleymaniye Mosque, built by Turkish architect Sinan and dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent, can be seen on the way. At the Golden Horn, take a short walk to the Cruise Boat Station where your private boat will be waiting for your exciting trip on the Bosphorus. You will sail past Dolmabahce and Ciragan Palaces built on the European shore, glide under the Bosphorus Bridge and past Beylerbeyi Palace, Anatolian Fortress and Kanlica on the Asian shore. You will have the chance to take amazing photographs sailing between these two continents.

Secret Treasures of Istanbul (IST – 05) Full day with lunch

This tour is designed to give you a glimpse of the best and the most famous monuments in Istanbul remaining from the Byzantine Empire era. Depart from the pier for an interesting tour of Istanbul with a city sightseeing drive through the business centre of the modern city, across the Galata Bridge, along the banks of the Golden Horn and under the Byzantine Aqueduct of Valens. On the way, you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque dedicated to Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent, built by the famous Turkish Architect, Sinan. Arrive at Chora Museum. This 11^th century church of St. Savior in Chora is the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul after St. Sophia museum. There is a collection of fourteenth century frescoes, gold-inlaid mosaics and some of the World’s finest Byzantine paintings. Continue with a drive along the ancient Byzantine city walls to the Byzantine Hippodrome where the chariot races and celebrations in honour of the emperors, once took place during the Byzantine era. Visit the ancient church of St. Sergius and Bachus which belonged to the monastery of Hormisdas and was built as the result of a vow made by Justinian when he was on the point of being executed for conspiring against his predecessor. The tour continues with a visit to an Underground Cistern, consisting of a network of waterways built as far back as the third century B.C., to protect the city against long sieges. Continue to Balat area, another historical part of Istanbul, for lunch at the restaurant. After lunch, visit The Patriarchate which is located just 50 m away from the restaurant or just relax strolling along the Golden Horn. Drive to Rustem Pasha Mosque, located at Eminonu close to the Spice Market. This Mosque was built by Sinan in 1550 for Rustem Pasha, a grand vizier who married one of the daughters of Süleyman The Magnificent. Inside and on the façade you can see some beautiful Iznik faience. The Mihrab, completely covered with faience tiles and the Mimbar are particularly striking.

REMARKS

Mykonos Walking Tour (MYK – 01) Half day

Mykonos is world famous. It is the most cosmopolitan of the Greek Islands and attracts many visitors from all over the globe, including large numbers of artists and intellectuals. Your coach will take you to “Hora” the island’s capital where you will enjoy a walking tour in the narrow cobbled streets of the town, passing by chic boutiques, elegant nightclubs and white–washed houses until reaching Alefkandra. Alefkandra is a charming corner of Hora, known also as the “Venice” of Mykonos. The houses are built on the sea, with wooden balconies that evoke Venice. These were built from the mid. 18th century onward and were homes of wealthy merchants and captains. At Louis Theoxenia Hotel, you will enjoy the atmosphere while drinking your refreshment accompanied by Greek ‘meze’. You will return then to Mykonos Town (Hora) from where you will take the ship’s shuttle service back to the port to meet your ship.

Delos, once a Sacred Island, is the legendary birthplace of the Sun God Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. For 500 years, tiny Delos was the religious & commercial hub of the entire Aegean. Today, the only remaining inhabitants are the keepers of its treasured ruins. Depart from the port of Mykonos by boat, and sail along the western coast of the island, through Diles & Rhenia Islands, to the ancient harbour of Delos where you begin the guided walking tour. First you see Agora and beyond it, the Sacred Way, which leads to the Temple of Apollo. Next, you see the remains of a Hellenistic Quarter with its harbour, water house and luxurious villas, such as the House of Cleopatra, the House of the Dolphins, the House of the Masks, the House of Dionysos, and many other interesting buildings. Note the architecture and the mosaic floors, which have survived over 2,500 years. Continue and admire the spectacular Avenue of the Lions, where five Naxian marble lions from the 7^th century B.C. crouch, vigilantly guarding the now dry sacred lake. Re-board the boat for the return journey to Mykonos town. Here you will have the chance to walk along the cobblestone streets of this famous island with its numerous shops, cafés and restaurants before you return to the port to re-join the ship.

REMARKS

Please note that the cruise from Mykonos to Delos is approx. 45 minutes. Tour not suitable for passengers with walking difficulties and it is subject to sea conditions.

PIRAEUS, GREECE

Athens City Tour and Acropolis (PIR – 01) Half day

This tour is an introduction to the splendour of the Golden Age of Athens and the modern 21^st century city. The port of Piraeus itself is one of the finest examples of city planning in antiquity. On arrival in Athens you visit the Acropolis on which stands the Parthenon, the symbol of classical architecture. The entrance to the top of the hill is through the Propylea, the ‘gates’ through which the Panathinea processions used to enter. Built totally of white marble covers an area of 50 m across the whole western face of the Acropolis. Next to them is the temple of Athena Niki also known as the ‘Wingless Victory’.  The Parthenon is the main temple, built in honour of Goddess Athena. Her statue decorated the centre of the temple and it was made of ivory and gold. Next to the Parthenon is the smaller Temple of Erechthion with lovely sculptured young maidens supporting the roof of the porch. From the top of the Acropolis you can admire the ancient theatre of Herodes Atticus with its remarkable acoustics. Performances are still held here each summer being the highlight of cultural events in the Eastern Mediterranean. Leaving the Acropolis the tour takes you by the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the “evzones” dressed in their traditional costume, the Parliament and the Panathinaikon Stadium where the first Olympics of modern times were held in 1896.The entire stadium is built of pure white marble. Your drive continues by the Library – the Academy – the University, three buildings representing 19^th century architecture blended with the classical influence. The tour then passes by Omonia Square, the commercial centre of the city and Syntagma Square, which is the business, and cultural centre. There will be time during the tour for you to browse and do a little shopping at the stores located at the base of the Acropolis.

REMARKS

Handicapped passengers may join the tour but will have to remain at the base of the Acropolis as the visit to the Acropolis involves approximately 80 steep steps. Passengers may not be allowed to enter the site with big bags/rucksacks.

Athens & the Picturesque Plaka (PIR – 03) Half day

Leaving the port of Piraeus, one of the finest examples of city planning in antiquity, the coach takes the coastal road leading to the city that hosted the 2004 Olympic Games. On arriving in Athens, you start the city sightseeing driving past the Temple of Zeus, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the “evzones” dressed in their traditional costume, the Parliament and the Panathinaikon Stadium where the first Olympics of modern times were held in 1896. The whole stadium is built of pure white marble. The drive continues by the Library – the Academy – the University, three buildings representing 19^th century architecture blended with the classical influence. The tour then passes by Omonia Square, the commercial centre of the city and Syntagma Square, which is the business and cultural centre. Your Athens’ city sightseeing ends at a leading café at the foot of the Acropolis, from where you can view all the majestic monuments of the amazing Acropolis while enjoying your refreshment. The tour continues to the old part of the city called Plaka where you can explore its mainly pedestrian streets with picturesque houses, shops and numerous cafés. After the free time in Plaka you will board your coach for the return journey to Piraeus port.

REMARKS

The Acropolis will only be viewed from a distance. The Plaka area will be explored on foot. A refreshment or a coffee will be offered at a café located at the base of the Acropolis.

You will leave the port of Piraeus and after approx. 1 hour and half drive you will reach Corinth where you will have a photo stop at a vantage point to enjoy a great view of the Corinth Canal. Constructed between 1881 and 1893, the four mile long waterway cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth and follows much the same line as a canal planned in Roman times. The waterway is 21 m wide, 8 m deep and 51 m high. From a point high above the canal, you have excellent photo opportunities. Your tour will continue to Ancient Corinth. During the 6^th century B.C., Corinth was one of Greece’s richest cities. Located in the northeast corner of the Peloponnese and at the head of the Gulf of Corinth, the city controlled the narrow isthmus and the two seas on each side. Excavations, begun in 1896 and still ongoing, revealed the Temple of Apollo and Roman ruins. You will then continue to Mycenae to visit the site of this ancient city, which gave its name to an entire civilization. The modern world was introduced to Mycenae thanks to archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who started excavations in the 19^th century. History reveals Mycenae as a great power in the 12^th century B.C., when King Agamemnon commanded the Greek forces in the Trojan War. Part of Schliemann’s excavations uncovered a large grave circle, which yielded such spectacular finds as gold masks, cups, jewellery, bronze and ivory weapons. All are now on display in the Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Tour involves a considerable amount of walking at sites visited, much of it uphill and on uneven paths. Shade is limited; sun protection is recommended.