Beginning in Istanbul, the ancient city once known as Constantinople that was the center of both the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires, make your way along the northern shores of the Aegean Sea to Kavala, Thessaloniki, and Volos, before crossing the sea to Turkey and the Greek Islands of Chios, Rhodes, and Crete. Then, leaving the Aegean behind, sail to Cyprus, the great island which has been a crossroad of civilizations and cultures since deep antiquity, where the cruise will end. There, spend two days exploring several of the island’s ancient sites.

Ancient sites and monuments—Vergina, Ephesus, Knossos: all UNESCO World Heritage Sites—share the landscape with the whitewashed homes of present-day farmers and fishermen. Great medieval churches and castles, including the UNESCO sites at Meteora, Nea Moni, and Rhodes, exist in the same space as the painted townhouses of quaint island ports. This is truly an experience not to be missed!

Accompanying you throughout the voyage will be Robert Gurval, Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Classics, UCLA and Douglas Brookes, Lecturer in Ottoman Turkish in the Department of Middle Eastern Cultures and Languages, UC Berkeley. During the voyage, Robert and Douglas will draw on their research and teaching experience to talk about various aspects of the civilizations, ancient and modern, that you encounter along the way.

Lowest cabin categories from $8,890 per person, plus airfare. Singles waitlist.

Click here to contact the Travel department for more information on this tour.