Fly from the U.S. to Athens, Greece.

Arrive in Athens and transfer to the Athens Plaza Hotel. Cocktail reception this evening at the hotel.

Birthplace of Western culture, Athens boasts a trove of splendid historic monuments. Tour the Acropolis, including the Erechtheion and the majestic Parthenon, one of the world’s most celebrated monuments. After lunch at a taverna, continue to the National Archaeological Museum, with its display of superb works of art spanning the history of Greece. Alternatively, spot treasures in the Plaka area and Monastiraki Flea Market, whose tiny shops offer everything from Byzantine Icons to antique postcards; or travel northeast of Athens to visit Brauron’s graceful Sanctuary of Artemis. Transfer to the port to embark on Corinthian II, and navigate the scenic Corinth Canal separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece.

From Katakolon, in northwest Peloponnese, travel to Olympia, an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Zeus and site of the Olympic games. Discover the ancient ruins, situated in a beautiful spot north of the Alfeios River and Mount Kronos, including the temples of Hera and Zeus, the Council House, and the Treasuries. Also visit the Museum, displaying sculptures and other exquisite artifacts excavated at the site.

Crete, Zeus’s legendary birthplace, was home to the Minoan civilization, Europe’s first. A morning tour visits the excavations at Knossos, where the brilliance and refinement of the Minoans are revealed inexcavations. Crete’s largest palace of the period,  Knossos is a labyrinth of corridors, stairways and chambers bedecked with frescoes illustrating life as it was 4,000 years ago. Scour the island’s art and antiques emporia for wood carvings, jewelry reprising Minoan and Byzantine motifs and hand-wrought items of copper, bronze and terracotta. Alternatively, be dazzled by the Heraklion Museum’s cache of artifacts from Knossos and other Cretan sites. Shops selling leather goods of high quality can also be found as well as shops proposing copper, bronze, terracotta and wooden items. Local embroideries and hand wooden articles can also be found in various shops and particularly in the villages of Zaro.

Cruise into the flooded volcanic crater that forms the great circular bay of Santorini.In the second millennium b.c., volcanic eruptions shrouded the island in a blanket of pumice and ash, preserving many buildings in the town of Akrotiri. Along the cobblestoned alleys lined with boutiques and art galleries, seek out local art and craftwork as well as the pumice and gold jewelry for which Santorini is justly famed. Alternatively, visit the Nomikos Exhibition, where excellent reproductions of the frescoes at Akrotiri are on display, and the Prehistoric Museum of Thira. Continue on to the quaint town of Oia.

The historic island of Rhodes was known in antiquity for its schools of philosophy, rhetoric and sculpture. Explore Old Town, one of the largest medieval towns in Europe, whose labyrinthine streets and splendid open plazas owe much of their 14th-century charm to the Crusader Knights of St. John. Stroll along the Street of the Knights, overflowing with mosaics, finely carved portals, balconies and coats of arms. Then go antiquing in Rhodes market, whose cluster of shops carry furnishings, icons and embroideries that attest to Greece’s 3,000 year history of artisanal skill. Alternatively, visit the Archaeological Museum, housed in what was once the Knights’ Great Hospital. After lunch, head out to the picturesque village of Lindos. Browse the market for decorative stone craft and pottery, and ascend to the Acropolis and Athena’s Temple on donkeyback.

Land at Turkey’s Didyma to admire its celebratedTemple of Apollo. An oracular site dating back to deep antiquity, Didyma is dominated by Apollo’s temple, whose majestic columns rise against the sky. Continue to Priene, founded by Greek colonists in 350 b.c. on a promontory of Mt. Mycale. Priene gives the opportunity to explore a well-preserved town of the late classical period, with its theater, Temple of Athena and other monuments. Alternatively, enjoy a spree at the Grand Bazaar in Kusadasi, where carpets and ceramics are among the many temptations for admirers of Turkish handicraft. After lunch aboard ship, enjoy a jaunt to Ephesus. Settled in the middle of the 2nd millennium b.c., the ancient city of Ephesus was renowned for its great mother goddess Cybele, later identified as Artemis, or Diana of the Ephesians. Tour the site’s remarkable ruins, including the imposing ancient theater and Library of Celsus.

Land at Turkey’s Didyma to admire its celebratedTemple of Apollo. An oracular site dating back to deep antiquity, Didyma is dominated by Apollo’s temple, whose majestic columns rise against the sky. Continue to Priene, founded by Greek colonists in 350 b.c. on a promontory of Mt. Mycale. Priene gives the opportunity to explore a well-preserved town of the late classical period, with its theater, Temple of Athena and other monuments. Alternatively, enjoy a spree at the Grand Bazaar in Kusadasi, where carpets and ceramics are among the many temptations for admirers of Turkish handicraft. After lunch aboard ship, enjoy a jaunt to Ephesus. Settled in the middle of the 2nd millennium b.c., the ancient city of Ephesus was renowned for its great mother goddess Cybele, later identified as Artemis, or Diana of the Ephesians. Tour the site’s remarkable ruins, including the imposing ancient theater and Library of Celsus.

Corinthian II calls at the pristine island of Delos, which legend identifies as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. A walkingtour leads to the excavation of the main shrines of Apollo and Artemis, as well as to the Terrace of the Lions, guardians of the Sacred Lake. For centuries, Delos was considered so sacred that giving birth and dying were prohibited on the island. Later, it became the base of the confederacy of Aegean and Ionian states known as the Delian League. In the afternoon the ship calls at the postcard-perfect island of Syros, whose main town is built against two hills and where graceful neo-classical buildings line the waterfront. Needlework and painted woodwork are found in the narrow shops in the port of Ermoupolis.

Disembark and transfer to the Athens airport for return flights to the U.S.