In Transit: Depart US/Canada on international overnight flight.

Morning: Arrival in Athens International Airport (ATH). Meet group outside of customs. Transfer to hotel.

Afternoon: Settle in at the hotel. We gather in the hotel lobby at 6:00 PM for a welcome orientation to the program.

Dinner: Dinner in the hotel dining room.

Lodging: Metropolitan Hotel

Meals Included: Dinner

Note: The excursion to the Acropolis includes heavy walking for one or more hours over uneven terrain, with multiple uphill segments.

Breakfast: Breakfast in the hotel dining room.

Morning: Explore the recently opened Acropolis Museum.

Lunch: Lunch at a restaurant in Plaka.

Afternoon: A guided excursion through the ancient citadel of Athens, the Acropolis. Built during the "Golden Age" of Athens between 447-438BC under the orders of the great statesman Pericles, the Acropolis represents the magnificent achievements of Athenian culture during this remarkable era. We transfer to Piraeus where we will embark the MV Aegean Odyssey at 4:00 PM. Early evening Road Scholar orientation to the ship in the "Observation Lounge."

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: Enjoy an excursion to Cape Sounion famous for its 5th-century B.C. temple dedicated to Poseidon, the god of the sea. The temple stands at a rocky promontory guarding the maritime route from Athens to the Aegean Islands. The spot is superb! It offers magnificent views of the blue Aegean Sea and the hundreds of islands that emerge from its waters. When British poet Lord Byron visited Sounion, he immortalized his visit by inscribing his name on one of the ancient pillars of the temple.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Free time for independent exploration in Athens.

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: Night-time sailing to Nauplia. Attend a shipboard guest lecture.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: There is moderate to heavy walking over uneven surfaces in Mycenae and Epidaurus, and moderate walking in Nauplia unless you choose to climb the fortress.

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: A full and very exciting day ahead. The morning will be dedicated to exploring the great Mycenaean culture that flourished in this area, known as the Argolid Plain, between 1600-1300BC. At its heart is the ancient city of Mycenae, reputedly the capital of Agamemnon and the “well-built citadel” of Homer’s Iliad.

Lunch: Road Scholar lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: In the afternoon we continue to Epidaurus via the charming and elegant town of Nauplia and its excellent Archaeological Museum, housed in the impressive former Venetian arsenal. Epidaurus was sacred to Asclepios, the god of medicine, and is the site of the best preserved of all ancient Greek theaters.

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture. Midnight departure for Monemvasía.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: The excursion to Monemvasía involves a 90-minute walk that ranges from moderate to strenuous. Guests may of course choose not to walk up to Agia Sofia.

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: A massive rock rising from the sea and joined to the mainland by a causeway built in the 6th century, it is easy to see how Monemvasía got its nickname "the Gibraltar of Greece." After breakfast, the morning will be spent on a walking excursion of the beautiful lower town, which includes the 13th-century Christos Elkomenos cathedral with its Venetian belfry. For those who feel energetic there is a path leading to the upper town to see the Byzantine Agía Sofia church.

Lunch: Lunch on board.

Afternoon: Early afternoon departure for Katakolon and a relaxing afternoon at sea. Attend a talk by your Road Scholar Group Leader.

Dinner: Dinner on board. Attend a shipboard guest lecture.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: The excursion to Olympia includes heavy walking for one or more hours over uneven terrain, wtih multiple uphill segments.

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: The small fishing village of Katakolon is approximately an hour from the mystical site of Ancient Olympia, sacred ground to the people of the Peloponnese Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Olympia is most familiar as the site where the first Olympic Games were held in 776BC in honor of Olympian Zeus. The origin of the word Olympic comes from the ancient Greek Olympiad – meaning every four years. The setting could not be more idyllic: prominently located in the middle of a fertile valley with the rivers of Alfeios and Kladhios flowing past. The site was a religious sanctuary even before the Stadium was built and the games took place in the sacred area called Altis. The most imposing monument in the area was the outstanding Temple of Zeus housing the gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Temple of Hera, the Prytaneion, and the Philippeion were also monuments standing in the sacred grove. The famous Stadium, the largest of its day with a capacity of 45,000 spectators, was entered through a long, tunnel-like passage, constructed in Roman times. The stadium was restored in 2004 for the historic return of the modern Olympics to Athens. After your exploration of the famous grounds, visit the archaeological museum which is a short 5-minute walk from the site. Among the great finds of the area that are displayed are the Head of Hera and ornaments from the Temple of Zeus, the famous statue of Hermes created by Praxiteles and the helmet of Miltiades, the Athenian general during Athens' 'Golden Age'. You will make a brief stop in the modern village of Olympia before returning to the ship.

Lunch: Lunch on board.

Afternoon: Cruise the Ionian Islands en route to Ithaca. Attend a shipboard guest lecture.

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: An evening arrival in Ithaca offers the perfect opportunity to explore the attractive port of Vathy. Late night departure for Corfu.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: The excursions to Corfu and Butrint include medium to heavy walking on cobblestone or slippery surfaces and some stair climbing.

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: You can thank Venice for the thickly wooded headland of Corfu. During the Republic's four centuries of rule on this Ionian island (from 1386 to 1797), it was decreed that an olive tree be planted at each birth and a cypress at each death. Early admirers included the Greek poet, Homer, who sang the island's praises. Octavian brought his fleet to the island's harbor before the battle at Actium. Today's sightseeing starts with a drive to Corfu Town and a visit to the Old Fortress rising majestically from a large cliff and surrounded by a fairytale moat that has its sinister side as the last resort of the lovelorn. Built on the remains of a Byzantine castle, the fort was completed over four centuries, first by the Venetians who gave it the moat and then by the British who erected the fort's church of St George. The fort proved a formidable bulwark against the Turks. From the fort, enjoy a stroll along the Venetian-built Esplanade past the colonnade of the Liston Cafe, built during French rule. The cafe takes is name from a time when the promenade was limited to Venetian nobility that appeared on a list in the Libro d'Oro (Golden Book). Today this path provides an excellent view of the town's cricket pitch, a legacy from British rule, and the start of our walking excursion. Discover Old Town's narrow stepped streets, Georgian mansions and red-domed Agios Spyridon church, built in 1589, containing the remains of Corfu's patron saint.

Lunch: Lunch on board.

Afternoon: Surrounded by a picturesque lagoon, Butrint is one of the Ionian's most remarkable archaeological sites and one of Albania's most beautiful national parks. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint, in antiquity Buthrotum, was successively the site of a 6th-century Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. The city prospered under Byzantine administration, was occupied in the 14th century by the Venetians, then by the French, and then the Ottomans. The Ottomans built a fortress for private entertaining and one of their regular visitors was Lord Byron who wrote a poem dedicated to Butrint. Butrint began to be abandoned in the late Middle Ages due to marshes forming in the area. Wars, earthquakes and new cities hastened the city's decline. Today the site is a rich repository of the past and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the pier, a 45-minute drive takes us to Butrint, where the visit begins. The word Butrint is related to Aeneas, the Trojan hero who sailed to this area and sacrificed an ox to gain safe entrance to the region. The ox swam to shore, the site of Butrint, thus giving the area its name, "wounded ox." The idyllic wooded setting has inspired writers from Virgil to Racine. An Italian archaeological team headed by Luigi Ugolini supervised three excavations here from 1928 to 1939. Following the war, Albania continued the excavations. Since 1994, archaeologists of the University of East Anglia have made further excavations. Today, the approximately 50 square mile site (86 sq. kilometers) is an Albanian National Park and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Walk along the winding paths to discover layers of civilization: Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian. Complete the excursion with a view from Butrint's acropolis and a short visit to the museum.

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture. Evening departure for Dubrovnik.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: Continue sailing to Dubrovnik. Attend a shipboard guest lecture.

Lunch: Lunch on board.

Afternoon: In the early afternoon, the ship cruises the stunning fjord of Kotor Bay in Montenegro. With arrival in Dubrovnik in the early evening you will be able to have a drink or dine out in this most charming of ports.

Dinner: Dinner on board or on your own at a local restaurant.

Evening: Overnight in Dubrovnik. Attend a shipboard guest lecture.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: Lord Byron called this majestic walled city “the pearl of the Adriatic,” and it is easy to see why. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is held to be the best-preserved walled city in the Mediterranean with a seafront setting and dramatic mountain backdrop. The city skyline is a medley of bell towers, copper domes and massive 10th-century walls. Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century AD and was a powerful independent republic from 1358 to 1808, when Napoleon conquered the city. Today the city is an inspiration in self-resurrection. Despite a destructive earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik has managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. This morning’s walking excursion of the Old Town takes you along the city’s main street, the Stradun or Placa, once a sea channel connecting two ancient settlements. Visit the Dominican Monastery, home to a beautiful 15th-century Gothic cloister and the city’s finest collection of Renaissance paintings. Next, the Franciscan Monastery is home to Europe’s oldest pharmacy, founded in 1318 and still in existence. Your walk continues past such landmarks as the Sponza Palace with its elaborate stone exterior, the Baroque Church of St Blaise and Onofriou’s Fountain. Admire the Cathedral of Our Lady, originally built in the 12th century, destroyed in the 1667 earthquake and triumphantly rebuilt. View Titian’s Assumption over the main altar and, in the Treasury, one of Europe’s finest collections of gold and silver, including the bejeweled skull of St Blaise. Following the excursion there will be free time to explore the nooks and crannies of the Old Town.

Lunch: Lunch on board or on your own at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: In the afternoon, you are free to continue exploring the many sites of Dubrovnik.

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: Overnight sail to Split. Attend a shipboard guest lecture.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: When Emperor Diocletian shook up the Roman Empire by abdicating in 305AD, he had his retirement residence ready: a lavish palace he had just built in Salona, now Split, in his native Dalmatia. Admire this amazing palace complex that, when completed, held three temples, a massive mausoleum, and could accommodate 9,000 people. For an intimate perspective on how life was organized, this excursion includes a walk through the palace cellars. The city of Split grew inside and around this palace, with the population retreating behind its walls when under attack, and then spilling out beyond them in times of peace. Today the Palace of Diocletian is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but don’t expect a deserted ruin. Discover instead a vibrant warren of museums, galleries, shops and restaurants mingled with medieval fortifications, pre-Romanesque churches and Gothic chapels. Renaissance palaces testify to a time when Split was a key port of the Venetian Republic. The excursion visits Diocletian’s massive octagonal mausoleum, converted into a cathedral in the 7th century and named after a Christian martyred during that emperor’s persecutions. You’ll also excursion the city museum where 15th-century furnishings recapture aristocratic life in that period. Other sights include the palace’s monumental Golden and Silver Gates and the columned Peristyle Square. Following the excursion, there will be free time to visit the colorful local market or explore Split on your own.

Lunch: Lunch on board or on your own at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Free time. This afternoon you may choose to continue to explore Split on your own, or visit the delightful Island of Trogir (additional cost, bookable on board).

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture. Late night departure for Zadar.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: In 1409, King Ladislaus of Hungary sold his Dalmatian islands and cities, Zadar among them, to Venice for 100,000 ducats. This town has changed hands frequently since the first Neolithic settlement: the 9th-century BC Liburni were followed in the 4th century BC by Greeks and in the 1st century BC by the Romans, who called the area Zadara. As a result of so many rulers, Zadar has a wealth of monuments contained within the walls of its magnificent Old Town. We will visit the 1st century Roman Forum, now the site of several of Zadar's most beautiful churches. Admire the Cathedral of St Anastasia, the largest church in Croatia and a superb example of Romanesque architecture with two rose windows. This basilica was constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries, but its origins as a shrine go back centuries earlier. Inside, a stone sarcophagus contains the remains of St Anastasia of Syrmia, martyred during Diocletian’s persecution. The walk takes you past the 9th-century Church of St Donatus, a Byzantine masterpiece with three naves that incorporate fragments of the town's original Roman Forum. Admire the Church of St Mary, where architectural elements range from a 12th-century bell tower built by the Hungarian-Croatian King Koloman to a beautiful 16th-century Renaissance façade. The convent next door is home to the Museum of Sacred Art, recently opened to the public, a showcase of Zadar's sacred treasures, including sculptures, paintings and such relics as the arm of St Isidore encased in a 12th-century casket.

Lunch: Lunch on board.

Afternoon: The ship departs in early afternoon and winds it way through the breathtaking beauty of the Kornati Islands and past Losinj on its way to Venice. Enjoy a late afternoon Road Scholar cocktail party.

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: Attend a shipboard guest lecture.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: Enjoy a morning walking excursion with your fellow Road Scholar participants of the magnificent sites of Venice. We will see the Piazza San Marco and the Bridge of Sighs, and visit the Doge's Palace.

Lunch: Road Scholar lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Free time to explore Venice on your own.

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Evening: In the evening, there is an exclusive visit to St. Mark's. If there is one memory to take home with you, it is the sight of St Mark’s Basilica, the cathedral of Venice, and this is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity the see this remarkable building at its very best. This evening, St Mark’s will be reserved for Voyages to Antiquity guests who will be treated to a private excursion and the breathtaking sight of the famous mosaics illuminated in a spectacular light show. The church was built in 828 as a tomb for Saint Mark, whose body was spirited out of Alexandria hidden in a casket of pork, a bit of intrigue you can see memorialized in the mosaics above the church door. After a 976 fire, the church was rebuilt and served as the Doge’s private chapel. As such, it was a place of immense wealth and power that it became known as the Golden Church, or Chiesa d’Oro. For example, the Four Horses of St Mark in front are replicas of the Roman sculptures inside, brought back by the Venetians after the sacking of Constantinople. These horses originally had giant rubies in their eye sockets. The interior reinforces the jewel-encrusted Byzantine effect with its galleries high above the naves, massive chandeliers and over 40,000 square feet of mosaics. Works by Tintoretto, Bellini and Mantegna – to mention a few – adorn the walls. The Treasury brims with wealth from centuries of conquest. A visit here is an unforgettable glimpse into the heights reached by La Serenissima, as The Most Serene Republic of Venice was called.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: Enjoy some free time to take a gondola ride through ancient canals or explore the legendary Peggy Guggenheim collection. (Optional excursion to Murano, Burano & Torcello at an additional cost, bookable on board).

Lunch: Lunch on board or explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: In the afternoon, you are free to explore Venice on your own - walk to the Accademia or simply indulge in a Bellini in Harry's Bar. (Optional exursion to Frari Church & Scuola di San Rocco or Rialto & Ghetto Nuovo at an additional cost, bookable on board).

Dinner: Dinner on board.

Lodging: MV Aegean Odyssey

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.

Morning: Disembark and transfer to the Venice Marco-Polo Airport (VCE) for the flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast