Myths, Mountains & the Aegean

Day 1 | Arrive in Athens, Greece

Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring the Greek capital with the help of your CosmosGO app. Later, meet your Local Host.

Day 2 | Athens

A day to relax and discover Athens at leisure. In the evening, free time to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the tavernas and nightclubs in the old Plaka district with its narrow streets and sound of bouzouki music.

Meals: breakfast

Day 3 | Athens – Corinth – Nauplia

Join the included guided tour of Athens, featuring the highlights of this ancient capital and a visit to the Acropolis. Cross the Corinth canal, a project conceived in ancient Greece but only completed in 1893, then head for the coast to the picturesque seaside town of Nauplia.

Meals: breakfast

Day 4 | Nauplia – Epidaurus – Mycenae – Sparta

This morning, stop in Epidaurus, located in the hilly countryside dotted with pine trees and oleanders. In this magnificent setting, visit the ancient open-air theatre, which can still seat 14,000 spectators. Later, enjoy the included guided excursion to the archaeological site and museum of Mycenae, with the imposing ruins of the great city that dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. It played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture and is linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Travel into the Peloponnese to Sparta, where history hangs between reality and legend.

Meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 5 | Sparta – Mystra – Olympia

Enjoy the included sightseeing of the medieval Byzantine citadel of Mystra, at one time known as the “Florence of the East.” Before arriving in Olympia, stop to visit an olive oil museum.

Meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 6 | Olympia – Patras – Delphi

Explore Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed as a tribute to the king of deities, Zeus. Spend free time in this pretty town or score a perfect 10 with an optional guided tour of the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Later, drive north to Patras, the capital of the Peloponnese and the west coast’s largest port. Continue by crossing the spectacular Rion-Antirion bridge, through the picturesque fishing villages along the south coast of the mainland to legendary Delphi.

Meals: breakfast 

Day 7 | Delphi – Kalambaka

Enjoy free time in town or feel the good fortune of an optional morning sightseeing tour of the archaeological site of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke at the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world.’ Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious hub and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world. On to Kalambaka.

Meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 8 | Kalambaka – Meteora – Athens

Discover Meteora, a cluster of Christian-Orthodox monasteries perched in an unforgettable manner on a set of rising rock formations. They were originally built by hermit monks living in caves carved into the rocks. Your included visit is certainly the day’s highlight. Continue south to Athens.

Meals: breakfast 

Day 9 | Athens

Spend a full day at leisure exploring the unseen parts of the city or visiting a museum. Tonight, it’s all Greek with an optional dinner of local specialties, served with the rhythmic dance steps of the Sirtaki keeping time with the sounds of the bouzouki lute.

Meals: breakfast 

Day 10 | Athens

Your guided tour ends with breakfast this morning. Make your way to your next hotel, ready to check in and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals: breakfast 

Day 11 – 12 | Athens

Enjoy 2 days at leisure. Athens blends ancient history with a vibrant modern spirit. Wander through iconic landmarks like the Acropolis and Parthenon, explore world‑class museums, and stroll the charming streets of Plaka and Monastiraki. Enjoy lively cafés, rooftop restaurants with sweeping city views, bustling markets.

Day 13 | Athens - Piraeus – Embark Ship

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and make your way to the cruise terminal ready to embark Sun Princess.

Departs 7.00pm

Day 14 | At Sea

Unwind by the pools or in The Dome with ocean views, treat yourself to a massage at the Lotus Spa, or get active with fitness classes and the Park19 adventure zone. Enjoy long lunches across relaxed eateries, browse the onboard shops, or join tastings, games, and enrichment talks throughout the day. As evening falls, dress up for dinner, catch world‑class entertainment, live music, or cocktails under the stars.

Day 15 | Bar 

Bar, Montenegro, is an unsung resort town on the country's south coast. Nestled between breathtaking mountains and the glistening Adriatic Sea, Bar offers plenty of culture and history to discover, nature right on its doorstep, and a string of pebble beaches to relax on. While Bar may not be as well-known as, say, Kotor or Budva, two of Montenegro's most well-known destinations, travellers will find an authentic atmosphere here, and plenty to see and do during a short visit. There's sizzling weather, too, with 270 days of sunshine every year. Culture and history are present, too. If you enjoy delving into a destination's past, Stari Bar, the picture-perfect old town, is a must-visit, while lazy beach days are encouraged on the coast.

Arrive 7.30am – Depart 6.00pm

Day 16 | Corfu

The lush and verdant island of Corfu lies in the Ionian Sea, midway between Greece and Italy. The island has a long and colourful history. First colonized by the city-state of Corinth, Corfu has been ruled by the Romans, the Venetians, the French and the English. Corfu Town boasts fortresses bearing the insignia of the Venetian Republic, an esplanade lavishly planted by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, and an English cricket pitch. The island also offers some of the finest coastal scenery in the entire Mediterranean. Corfu's old town is a mixture of the medieval and the modern. The Esplanade, planted with palms and eucalyptus by the French, leads to the English cricket pitch.

Arrive 8.00am – Depart 5.00pm

Day 17 | Sicily (Messina)

Messina has played a major role in European history since its founding as a Greek colony in the 8th century B.C. During the Roman Empire, the city was a major port and commercial centre, during the Middle Ages, Messina was the major port of departure for Crusaders. History has also left its scars: a massive earthquake levelled much of the city in 1908 and the World War II campaign for Sicily devastated Messina. Yet Messina emerged from that devastation with some of its historic treasures intact, including the 12th-century Annunziata dei Catalani Church. Messina is also your gateway to the rugged beauty of southeast Sicily, from the seaside resort of Taormina to Mt. Etna. Between the fall of Rome and the 1861 unification of Italy, the Arabs, the Normans, the Germans, the Spanish and the French ruled Sicily.

Arrive 9.00am – Depart 7.00pm

Day 18 | At Sea

Unwind by the pools or in The Dome with ocean views, treat yourself to a massage at the Lotus Spa, or get active with fitness classes and the Park19 adventure zone. Enjoy long lunches across relaxed eateries, browse the onboard shops, or join tastings, games, and enrichment talks throughout the day. As evening falls, dress up for dinner, catch world‑class entertainment, live music, or cocktails under the stars.

Day 19 | Santorini

Did the catastrophic volcanic eruption that ravaged Santorini circa 1600 B.C. destroy Crete's ancient Minoan civilization - and give birth to the myth of Atlantis? In 1967, archaeologists on Santorini unearthed the remains of a Bronze Age city that may have been home to as many as 30,000 people. Whether the Lost Continent of Atlantis is rooted in myth or reality, an undisputed fact remains. The eruption created a caldera - and one of the most dramatic land and seascapes in the entire Mediterranean. On Santorini, whitewashed buildings cling to vertiginous cliffs that plunge to a turquoise sea. Part of the Cyclades Archipelago, the three-island group of Santorini, Thirasia and uninhabited Aspronisi present the traveller with unforgettable vistas. The island has had a number of names throughout history - from Strongyle or "Round" to Thera in honour of an ancient hero. Santorini is more recent and stems from the island church dedicated to St. Irene - Santa Rini to foreign sailors. Note: Santorini is an anchorage port: passengers transfer to shore via shore tender.

Arrive 7.00am – Depart 9.00pm

Day 20 | Mykonos

Thanks to its proximity to the mainland, Mykonos was one of the first Greek islands to become an international travel destination. During the late '60s and early '70s, Mykonos was famed as a haunt for the rich. The island's nightlife - then and now - was a glittering whirl of coloured lights, music, and parties. But there's another side to Mykonos - the neighbouring island of Delos. In classical mythology, Delos was the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. Travelers to Delos can stroll among the island's vast ruins, which include three temples consecrated to the Sun God and the famed Lions Walk. Mykonos town features hip boutiques, restaurants, jewellery stores, souvenirs, taverns and cafés. The island's famed windmills are found just south of the waterfront.

Arrive 8.00am – Depart 9.00pm

Day 21 | Kusadasi

From the port of Kusadasi on Turkey's Anatolian Coast, one travels into the past. Nearby stand the ruins of ancient Ephesus, a major site of archaeological excavation. The city was once a Roman provincial capital and trading centre. Ephesus is also home to several of Christendom's holiest sites. St. Paul preached at the Great Theatre and the ruins of Ephesus' Basilica cover the tomb of Christ's most beloved disciple, St. John the Apostle. In Kusadasi, whitewashed stone houses rise in tiers behind the market district. The palm-lined esplanade is the centre of town life, with thousands of merchants offering wares to rival the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Arrive 7.00am – Depart 4.00pm

Day 22 | Istanbul (overnight)

Istanbul rises from the Bosphorus, a vision of minarets and domes sparkling in the light. The capital of vanished empires, Istanbul is a true crossroad, the only city on Earth to span two continents. This meeting place of Europe and Asia, of Christian and Muslim, is one of the great adventures a traveller encounters. Browse the stalls of the world's largest bazaar, explore ancient mosques and churches, and gaze at the stunning jewels in the Topkapi Palace. Istanbul has dominated the Straits of Bosphorus for 25 centuries. As Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, it was a metropolis of stunning splendour when the great cities of Europe were mere villages.

Arrive 1.00pm

Day 23 | Istanbul

After breakfast, disembark Sun Princess and make your onward journey.

Arrive 5.00am

*Itinerary is subject to change.