Cruise Line |
Silversea Cruises |
Ship |
Silver Shadow |
Destination |
EU Mediterranean |
Nights |
12 |
Departure Date |
17 Jun 2021 |
Description |
12 Night Cruise sailing from Athens to Venice aboard Silver Shadow.
Give yourself a little taste of opulence and affluence on this voyage. Starting in Athens, travel the route of the past to Istanbul and a must-see trip to Topkapi. Tiny Bozcaada is a pre-requisite for all those who want to see authenticity at its source, while the Greek islands of Mykonos, Cephalonia and Corfu offer a heady mix of past and present. Northwards up the stunning Dalmatian coast and you’ll arrive in eternally gorgeous Venice.
Highlights of this cruise:
Athens
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—AthÃna in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity.
Istanbul
A chaotic, colossal collision of east and west – start your day in Europe and end it in Asia, all without breaking a sweat. Sprawling across two continents, the city has been toed, froed and yanked between countless civilisations over its history, leaving a multi-layered, majestic tapestry of culture to untangle. An army of narrow minarets puncture the skyline, while the soaring towers of palaces and labyrinths of bazaars - where bargains are the reward for brave hagglers - fill up this dynamic city of 15 million people. With a rich portfolio of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, Istanbul enjoys one of the world's most dynamic skylines and has an intense, infectious energy. The vast Aya Sofya is the starting point for exploring this huge city's deep wealth of cultural treasures. Built in the 6th century as a Greek Orthodox church, it was later transformed into an Ottoman imperial mosque – and latterly a museum. Cast your eyes up to take in the full scale of the colossal dome, one of the world's largest, which floats on a magnificent bed of light. See the Blue Mosque, with its glorious blue İznik tiles, or head to the Galata Tower which was once the tallest structure in Istanbul, and is ideal for a panoramic view of the city. Grab handfuls of dates and spices, shop for jewellery and patterned fabrics as you're swallowed whole by the Grand Bazaar - one of the world's biggest and busiest covered indoor markets. To understand Istanbul is to visit its kahvehans. Few rituals are taken as seriously as Turkish coffee - prepared to be incredibly strong. Sweeten the aftertaste with Turkish delight, or baklava – try the smooth pistachio version called kuru baklava.
Kotor
Backed by imposing mountains, tiny Kotor lies hidden from the open sea, tucked into the deepest channel of the Bokor Kotorska (Kotor Bay), which is Europe's most southerly fjord. To many, this town is more charming than its sister UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dubrovnik, retaining more authenticity, but with fewer tourists and spared the war damage and subsequent rebuilding which has given Dubrovnik something of a Disney feel.
Venice
Venice is a city unlike any other. No matter how often you've seen it in photos and films, the real thing is more dreamlike than you could imagine. With canals where streets should be, water shimmers everywhere. The fabulous palaces and churches reflect centuries of history in what was a wealthy trading center between Europe and the Orient. Getting lost in the narrow alleyways is a quintessential part of exploring Venice, but at some point you'll almost surely end up in Piazza San Marco, where tourists and locals congregate for a coffee or an aperitif. |
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Itinerary |
Cruise Itinerary
Day | Date | Activity | Arrive | Depart |
1 |
17/06 |
Athens (Piraeus) Greece |
|
07:00 PM |
2 |
18/06 |
Chios, Greece |
08:00 AM |
05:00 PM |
3 |
19/06 |
Istanbul, Turkey |
01:00 PM |
overnight |
4 |
20/06 |
Istanbul, Turkey |
|
07:00 PM |
5 |
21/06 |
Bozcaada (Tenedos), Turkey |
08:00 AM |
06:00 PM |
6 |
22/06 |
Mykonos, Greece |
08:00 AM |
10:00 PM |
7 |
23/06 |
Monemvasia, Greece |
08:00 AM |
05:00 PM |
8 |
24/06 |
Argostoli, Greece |
08:00 AM |
07:00 PM |
9 |
25/06 |
Corfu, Greece |
08:00 AM |
06:00 PM |
10 |
26/06 |
Kotor, Montenegro |
08:00 AM |
09:30 PM |
11 |
27/06 |
Hvar, Croatia |
08:00 AM |
04:30 PM |
12 |
28/06 |
Trieste, Italy |
08:00 AM |
09:00 PM |
13 |
29/06 |
Venice, Italy |
07:00 AM |
|
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All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.
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