
In alliance with Smithsonian Journeys
Cruising the Aegean: Turkey and the Greek Isles – with Smithsonian Journeys
- ItineraryAthens to IstanbulDuration8 days
- Dates25 Jun 26 to 2 Jul 26Prices from
Come aboard Le Boréal for an unforgettable voyage.
In alliance with Smithsonian Journeys.
This cruise is part of a collection of PONANT voyages that are specially-tailored for English-speaking travelers who want to engage with the world. In addition to the usual elements of the PONANT experience, the listed price for these voyages includes transfers to and from the ship, talks and discussions aboard ship by world class experts, and a shore excursion or activity in each port of call that encourages guests to embrace the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the local environment and culture.
Departing from Athens, Europe's oldest capital and birthplace of democracy, your first stop is Nafplion where you will travel to Mycenae, the legendary home of Agamemnon and an important center of the extraordinary civilization that flourished here in the 2nd millennium BC. Sail next to the island of Paros. Nestled in the heart of the Cyclades archipelago, this island reputed for its sublime white marble offers a concentration of Greek beauty, from whitewashed houses to olive groves and ancient monuments.
The island of Delos was sacred to the ancient Greeks—the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, and home to countless shrines and temples—a veritable open-air museum. Mykonos, by contrast, is a sophisticated island resort with smart cafes and boutiques, where you will enjoy an afternoon and evening at leisure to soak in all that this dazzling town has to offer.
Kusadasi on Turkey's Aegean coast is your gateway to Ephesus, one of the world's greatest archaeological sites, spanning the period from the Hellenistic world through the early Christian era. The immense excavation here includes temples of several Roman emperors, the iconic Library of Celsus, and the terraced hill houses, with their splendid mosaics and frescoes, overlooking the city below.
Back in Greece, spend a day on Patmos and discover the monumental Byzantine monastery that guards the cave where St. John the Evangelist received his visions of the Apocalypse. You will also have time to explore the island's Chora (main town), home to an 11th-century monastery and to a labyrinth of picturesque, cobbled streets and arched alleyways.
From Canakkale, Turkey, you may travel south to explore ancient Troy, site of the war that is the subject of Homer's Iliad, or cross the Dardanelles to visit the World War I battlefield and cemeteries at Gallipoli.
Your journey concludes in Istanbul, capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires.
Your voyage
All-inclusive

Destination
Mediterranean
Athens to Istanbul
Duration
8 days, 7 nights on board
Smithsonian Journeys, Timeless

Smithsonian Journeys
Shore excursion in each port of call + transfers included
Offers
PONANT Bonus 25%
Ref: AI2945US - BO250626







Journey
Your daily itinerary
- A voyage specially-tailored for English-speaking travelers including discussions with experts, transfers before and after your cruise, and an included excursion or activity in each port of call.
- Engaging discussions onboard with two Smithsonian Journeys Experts.
- Experience several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
- Visit the site of the Trojan War.
- Marvel at the splendor of Ephesus.
- See the cave on Patmos where John the Evangelist had visions of the Apocalypse.
- Visit the village of Naoussa in Paros, widely considered one of the prettiest villages in the Cyclades, and explore its labyrinthine streets and whitewashed homes and churches.
- Marvel at the sheer number of temples and shrines on tiny Delos.
- Relax and refresh in the cafés and shops for which Mykonos is famous.
- Step into the Homeric age of heroes at Mycenae.
- Witness the architectural sophistication of the Classical Age at Epidaurus.

Customize your journey:

Date
23 Jun 26

Date
2 Jul 26
Staterooms and suites
Elegance and refinement

Superior Kabine
Guests
3
Size
21 m²

Deluxe Stateroom
Guests
2
Size
18 m²

Prestige Stateroom
Guests
2
Size
18 m²

Deluxe Suite
Guests
2
Size
27 m²

Prestige Suite
Guests
4
Size
37 m²

Owner's Suite
Guests
2
Size
45 m²
*Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability, and subject to change at any time. The category of stateroom to which this price applies may no longer be available.
Details
More information
What's Included
Important travel details
In your luggage
Cruising the Aegean: Turkey and the Greek Isles – with Smithsonian Journeys
Itinerary
Embarkation 25/06/26 from 16:00 to 17:00 Departure 25/06/26 at 18:00
25 Jun 26 - Athens

Arrival 26/06/26 early morning Departure 26/06/26 late afternoon
26 Jun 26 - Nafplion

Arrival 27/06/26 early morning Departure 27/06/26 evening
27 Jun 26 - Paros

Arrival 28/06/26 Departure 28/06/26 midday
28 Jun 26 - Delos

Arrival 28/06/26 early afternoon Departure 28/06/26 late evening
28 Jun 26 - Mykonos

Arrival 29/06/26 early morning Departure 29/06/26 late afternoon
29 Jun 26 - Kusadasi

Arrival 30/06/26 early morning Departure 30/06/26 midday
30 Jun 26 - Patmos

Arrival 01/07/26 early morning Departure 01/07/26 late afternoon
1 Jul 26 - Canakkale

Arrival 01/07/26 Departure 01/07/26
1 Jul 26 - Sailing in the Dardanelles

Arrival 02/07/26 early morning Disembarkation 02/07/26 at 8:00
2 Jul 26 - Istanbul

Cruising the Aegean: Turkey and the Greek Isles – with Smithsonian Journeys
Included package
Shore excursion in each port of call + transfers included
Cruising the Aegean: Turkey and the Greek Isles – with Smithsonian Journeys
Customize your journey
The heart of athens (2 nights)

Athens is the birthplace of democracy and philosophy and home to the most enduring symbol of classical civilization—the Parthenon. Join this specially designed program to explore the incomparably rich legacy of this amazing city.
Day 1 – Athens, Greece
Arrive at Athens International Airport, where you will be met and transferred to the Hotel Grande Bretagne. A local representative will be present at the hospitality desk in the afternoon to welcome you and to offer suggestions for dining and independent exploration. Join fellow travelers this evening for a welcome cocktail reception. Dinner is on your own.
Day 2 – Athens
After breakfast at the hotel, your first visit will be to the Acropolis including the Propylaea, which serves as the entrance to the complex, the Temple of Athena Nike, or Wingless Victory, and the Erechtheum with its classical Porch of Maidens. And of course, there is the Parthenon, the most perfect example of classical architecture in the world, designed as a shrine to Athena and at one time housing a massive gold and ivory statue of the warrior goddess. Continue to the New Acropolis Museum, opened to the public in 2009 and designed to house and showcase all of the artifacts found on the Acropolis since archaeological work at the site began. The result is the exhibition of some 4,000 objects dating from the Greek Bronze Age through the Roman and Byzantine periods. The balance of the day is at leisure, with independent lunch and dinner.
Day 3 - Athens | Embark
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by an excursion to two of Athen's most important sites. First, explore the National Archaeological Museum, an incomparable treasure trove of Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean, and Classical Greek art. A few of the museum's most important exhibits include the bronze statue of Poseidon, the head of Hygeia (Goddess of Health), the bronze statue of the 'Jockey-boy' of Artemision, the Golden mask of 'Agamemnon,' and the brilliant Minoan-style frescoes from Santorini.
Next, a short drive brings you to the Ancient Agora, which once served as the political, cultural and religious center of the city. Athenians would gather to buy and sell goods, but also to learn the news, to debate issues, or simply to gossip. This is where Socrates could be found daily posing his questions to fellow citizens.
Following the excursion, enjoy time at leisure to stroll the pedestrian walkways of the Plaka, the ancient neighborhood at the base of the Acropolis. Here you will find a variety of shops and cafés where you can browse and have an independent lunch before boarding your coach for the transfer to the pier to embark your ship.
Your hotel:
Located in historic Syntagma Square, the 5-star Hotel Grande Bretagne is the perfect venue for a visit to Athens. Within walking distance of exclusive shopping areas, museums, and the business district, the hotel boasts 320 rooms and suites, two restaurants, and a spa. Its views of the city center, from the Parliament building to the Parthenon, are unrivaled.
Your program includes:
· 2 nights at the Hotel Grande Bretagne (or similar)
· Transfer and luggage handling from the airport to the hotel on the scheduled program arrival day
· Transfer and luggage handling from the hotel to the ship on embarkation day
· Welcome cocktail reception on Day 1
· Breakfast on Days 2 and 3
· Sightseeing and programming as noted in the itinerary
· Local English-speaking guide
· Gratuities for the drivers and local guides
Your program does not include:
· Transfer from the airport to the hotel on any day other than the scheduled program arrival day
· Personal expenses and other services and meals not mentioned as included in the program
Please note:
· It is imperative that your flight arrival details are communicated at least 60 days prior to the beginning of your cruise in order to secure your transfer from the airport to the hotel.
· Early check-in and/or late check-out are available depending on availability and at a supplement. An additional night is possible, upon request and depending on hotel availability. Please, contact reservations or your travel agent for further details.
· The official currency is the Euro. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, shops, and restaurants.
· This pre-cruise program is offered as a package. There will be no refunds for unused accommodations, meals, or excursions.
· Program is offered on a space available basis.
· Program is subject to change without notice.
Hotel contact information:
Hotel Grande Bretagne
1 Vasileos Georgiou A' str.
Syntagma Square
Athens 105 64, Greece
Telephone: +30 210 333 0000
1,650 €/person*
Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability.Istanbul treasures (3 nights)

This program offers the opportunity to experience some of the very best that Istanbul has to offer. One of the world's great cities, the former capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires, Istanbul is home to iconic religious monuments like Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque as well as the massive headquarters of Ottoman sultans, Topkapi Palace. It is a shopping paradise—from the boutiques of the Balat district to the bustling Grand Bazaar. And it is a center of culinary creativity, blending European and Asian cuisines in interesting and delicious ways. Perhaps most compelling, however, is that you will discover all of this from a home base in one of the world's most celebrated hotels.
Day 1 – Disembarkation | Istanbul, Turkey
Disembark in Istanbul, meet your guide and driver and head to Topkapi Palace, the opulent residence of Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to the early 20th century, and the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. Your guided tour includes the rooms where the business of state was conducted, as well as the inner sanctum of the Harem, the residential core of the palace from where the Queen Mother wielded extensive power. Lunch at a local restaurant is followed by a visit to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. End the afternoon at the historic Pera Palace Hotel in the center of the city, your home for the next three nights. Dinner is independent.
Day 2 – Istanbul
Begin the day with a walking tour of Istanbul's Fener-Balat District, the old Greek and Jewish quarter that retains much of its original character and cosmopolitan charm. Its colorful streets, lined with churches, synagogues, and upscale design shops, are home to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and Stefi Stefan Church ("Bulgarian Iron Church") among many others. Your tour ends with a visit to the Rustem Pasha Mosque, built in 1560 for the Grand Vizier under Suleiman I, followed by a private boat ride on the Bosporus. The balance of the day is at leisure with independent lunch and dinner.
Day 3 – Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a morning full of discovery: the Blue Mosque and Byzantine Hippodrome; a visit to Hagia Sophia, built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, subsequently used as a mosque, and now a UNESCO Heritage Site; and a stop at the Basilica Cistern. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy time at leisure in the fascinating Grand Bazaar, a collection of vendors offering goods of every description. Dinner is independent.
Day 4 - Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport for return flights.
Your hotel:
Originally built as a hotel for passengers on the Orient Express, the Pera Palace, is proud of its tradition of luxury accommodations and bespoke service. Among its many evocations of this history are the Agatha Christie Room, where the novelist is said to have written Murder on the Orient Express, and the hotel's Room 101, which has been converted to a museum to Ataturk, who stayed here often in the early 20th century. The Palace contains five restaurants and bars, offering a variety of cuisines, and its state-of-the-art fitness center and spa are available for your enjoyment.
Your program includes:
· 3 nights at the Pera Palace Hotel
· Transfer and luggage handling from the ship to the hotel on disembarkation day
· Transfer and luggage handling from the hotel to the airport on the scheduled program departure day
· Breakfast on Days 2, 3, and 4
· Lunch on Days 1 and 3
· Sightseeing and programming as noted in the itinerary
· Local English-speaking guide
· Gratuities for the drivers and local guides
Your program does not include:
· Transfer from the hotel to the airport on any day other than the scheduled program departure day
· Personal expenses and other services and meals not mentioned as included in the program
Please note:
· It is imperative that your flight arrival details are communicated at least 60 days prior to the beginning of your cruise in order to secure your transfer from the hotel to the airport.
· Early check-in and/or late check-out are available depending on availability and at a supplement. An additional night is possible, upon request and depending on hotel availability. Please, contact reservations or your travel agent for further details.
· The official currency is the Turkish Lira. Euros and US dollars may be accepted in some places. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, shops, and restaurants.
· This post-cruise program is offered as a package. There will be no refunds for unused accommodations, meals, or excursions.
· Program is offered on a space available basis.
· Program is subject to change without notice.
Hotel contact information:
Pera Palace Hotel
Mesrutiyet Cad. No:52
Tepebasi 34430
Istanbul, Turkey
Telephone: + 90 (0212) 377 40 00
1,220 €/person*
Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability.