Cruise itinerary - Gems of the Aegean

Cities, sights and sensational scenery...

What's included...

* Gratuities - no need to tip!
* Top class onboard activities/entertainment
* 24 hour dining
* Port taxes

Day 1 Monday, Marmaris - TURKEY

* Turkey's biggest beach resort, Marmaris has a definite 'Riviera' feel to it. An elegant, palm-lined promenade weaves its way around the shoreline, while the marina plays host to a flotilla of gleaming white yachts.

* Stretch out on the long ribbon of gleaming sand, then scratch the surface to find traditional Turkey. Explore the rabbit's warren of streets which hide a treasure trove of authentic delights, including a colourful bazaar.

* Smother yourself in therapeutic mud in celebrity haunt Dalyan. You'll feel film star fabulous in no time.

* Set sail for Cleopatra Island. Draped in olive groves and ringed by white sandy beaches, it's a real Turkish delight. So much so, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony couldn't get enough of the place.

Day 2 Tuesday

At Sea

Day 3 Wednesday, Kalamata - GREECE 08:00 - 17:00

* This quiet, quaint pocket of Greece is the place to escape modern life. Hugging the coast along Messinia and the Main peninsula, it’s a collection of great beaches and small towns. Central squares are lined with flowers and tavernas. And locals congregate to play backgammon, sip ouzo and tuck into bowls of the famous Kalamata olives. Best of all, it’s a place where tour parties come in sprinkles not spades.

* Walk around the jumble of ruins that makes up Nestor’s Palace. This place dates back to the 12th-century BC and it even got a name-check in Homer’s The Odyssey. Weaving through the columns and storage rooms will give you a real feel for ancient Greece.

* Standing guard on a rocky outcrop, the Ottoman fortress is Methoni’s big draw. Get to it by crossing a weather-beaten stone bridge and you’ll find twisting parapets, ruined churches and the octagonal ‘bourtzi’ tower cast out in the water.

* Beach-lovers will find plenty of places to unravel their towels. The beaches in Kalamata and nearby Yialova are all buttermilk sands and turquoise seas.

* Burrowed in the Mani peninsula are the Diros Caves. These underground sea chambers were once places of worship for Stone Age tribes. Taking a punt across the lakes is like being in another world.

Day 4 Thursday, Piraeus (for Athens) - GREECE 08:00 - 15:00

* Trip over reminders of the past in ancient Athens, where cultural treasures twinkle back at you at every turn. It’s a real gold medal winner of a city.

* Scale the heights of the sun-bleached Acropolis for awesome views, then take a look at the Parthenon, perched atop Athens’ most famous hill.
* Be in Syntagma – or Constitution - Square in time to see the skirted soldiers perform the changing-of-the-guard.

* Explore Plaka, the Medieval quarter at the foot of the Acropolis. The 19th-century lanes are crammed with tavernas, and twist and turn to meet the equally atmospheric Monastiraki street markets.

* From old to new – take a wander round the up-market Kolonaki district, which is packed with chic boutiques and ritzy restaurants.

* Check out the Corinth Canal, which connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf. This waterway was considered one of the greatest technological achievements of its time.

Day 5 Friday, Kusadasi - TURKEY 08:00 - 17:00

* Laze away the day on the silky sands of Kusadasi or head for the ruins of Ephesus for more sights than you can point a camera at. It’s your holiday, your call.

* Make tracks for St John’s Church. St John is said to have lived here with the Virgin Mary after being cast out of Jerusalem. Legend has it he’s also buried here. Close by, the pretty hillside village of Sirince is also worth a visit – it’s famous for its homemade wines, and plenty of places offer tasting sessions.

* Take a trip to Ephesus, the Mediterranean’s best-preserved classical city. The marble pillars of the Library of Celsus support intricate friezes and sculptures, while the enormous theatre offers up superb views over the city.

* Saddle up and discover Kusadasi on horseback, or swim with the horses at Pamucak Beach.

* Try your hand at quad biking to see another side of the city. You’ll speed along the coast, soaking up incredible sea views as you go.

Day 6 Saturday,  Didim* - TURKEY 08:00 - 18:00

* Set on Turkey’s Aegean coast, Didim teams pristine sandy beaches with crumbling ancient sites. In fact, this place is known as the “Gateway to the Land of Oracles” thanks to the number of must-sees it opens up.

* Visit the unfinished Temple of Apollo in Didyma, the ancient city from which the town gets its name. Three huge columns now stand from what was originally a cluster of 120. Step inside, meanwhile, and you can still make out the altar where sacrifices to Apollo were once made.

* Tread the age-old streets of Bodrum. The town is home to an ancient amphitheatre, 18th century windmills and the Castle of St Peter, one of the best-preserved monuments of the Medieval world.

* Laze the day away on one of Altinkum’s Blue Flag beaches. They notch up more than a kilometre of golden sand between them, so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to lay your towel.

Day 7 Sunday, Aghios Nikolaos - CRETE 08:00 - 17:00

* Affectionately known as ‘Ag Nik’, this lively holiday hub has come a long way since the early 20th century when just 95 inhabitants were listed on its electoral role. Built around a so-called ‘bottomless’ lake, it’s grown into one of the island’s most popular spots. The area immediately around the lake is the most happening part, with vibrant cafés, restaurants and bars, bustling with chat and bouzouki music.

* Pop into the town’s little namesake church, with its beautiful 9th-century frescoes. Then check out some of the museums. In the Folk Museum exhibits include icons, embroidery and stamps. In the Archaeological Museum, meanwhile, you’ll find artefacts from all over eastern Crete.

* Don’t miss a trip to the Palace of Knossos, where the fearsome Minotaur’s said to have lurked. To give you an idea of its importance, it’s the most famous archaeological site in Crete and the second most visited place in all of Greece after the Acropolis.

* If you want to kick back and relax, pad down to one of the small, pebbly coves, or make the trip to nearby Kala Chorio, where the sand is cashmere soft.

Day 8 Monday, Marmaris - TURKEY

* Turkey's biggest beach resort, Marmaris has a definite 'Riviera' feel to it. An elegant, palm-lined promenade weaves its way around the shoreline, while the marina plays host to a flotilla of gleaming white yachts.

* Stretch out on the long ribbon of gleaming sand, then scratch the surface to find traditional Turkey. Explore the rabbit's warren of streets which hide a treasure trove of authentic delights, including a colourful bazaar.

* Smother yourself in therapeutic mud in celebrity haunt Dalyan. You'll feel film star fabulous in no time.

* Set sail for Cleopatra Island. Draped in olive groves and ringed by white sandy beaches, it's a real Turkish delight. So much so, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony couldn't get enough of the place.