10 nights. Croatia, Greece, Turcaí

Day 1

venice, italy

Departure: 18:00

Perhaps no city is as fabulous as Venice, a metropolis built upon stilts, a maze perched over a lagoon. Venice has been dubbed the parlour of Europe, and indeed for centuries the city was a haven for ideas and idealists, a crossroads of the Byzantine and Roman worlds. Today Venice is a different kind of parlour. Wealthy visitors scramble into gondolas to gawk at the Byzantine palaces while being serenaded by accordionists and art lovers strain for a glimpse of Renaissance masterpieces. No monument is as memorable as the city itself, so use the major sights only as an excuse for wandering. Venice revolves around Piazza San Marco. The best feature of the mosaic-covered Basilica di San Marco is the Pala D’Oro, a glittering gold Byzantine bas-relief. The Torre dell’Orologio, to the left of San Marco, is a beautifully adorned clock tower. For culture enthusiasts, check the Accademia for the best of Venetian paintings. Some say that the tourist Venice is indeed Venice, but there are other Venices as well. To find them, wander away from the major sights and into the quieter outlying residential areas, you won’t be disappointed, this labyrinth of stone and colour radiates enchantment from every brick.

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Day 2

split croatia

Arrival: 11:00 - Departure: 20:00

Split is the second-largest city in Croatia and the largest city in the region of Dalmatia, with about 250,000 people living in its urban area. It's located on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and is spread over a central peninsula and its surroundings. A key transport hub within the region and a popular tourist destination, the city is connected to the Adriatic islands and the Apennine peninsula.

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Day 3

korcula - croatia

Arrival: 07:00 - Departure: 16:00

Smokvica is a village on the island of Korčula and a municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. It is known as the birthplace of one of the best-known Croatian wines - Pošip. The large Neo-Romanesque church of the Purification of Our Lady was designed by Oton Iveković and built in 1920 on the site of an older church which was built in 1666. Beside it is a "loggia", a baroque building surrounded by columns on all sides. In the village there are several old patrician summer houses, and nearby there are several small early-medieval churches.

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Day 4

corfu, greece

Arrival: 09:00 - Departure: 18:00

With its Venetian fortress, British palaces, and a French esplanade modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, Corfu might not strike you as Greek at all. The most populated and cosmopolitan of the Ionian Islands, it is teeming with foreigners and foreign architecture. In legend, Corfu was the island where the shipwrecked Odyssey met the lovely Princess Nausicaa. Some locals claim it was also the magical isle conjured up by Shakespeare in The Tempest. Corfu Town, a small and pleasant city, is the largest and most important town on the island. This is where the airport is located and where most ships cruise and long distance ferries dock. The Old Fortress is definitely one of Corfu’s landmarks. Built by the Venetians in 1546 on the site of a Byzantine castle, the fortress is separated from the rest of the town by a moat. The Old Town is a maze of narrow streets dominated by the 16th century fortress. Around every corner you can find a chapel, old mansion or secret garden square. Between the Old Fortress and the Old Town, we find The Esplanade, with its arches and cafes, is considered the most beautiful esplanade in Greece. The Achillion Palace is ideally located in the picturesque village of Gastouri, 10 km south of the city centre. It was the summer residence of Empress Sissi from 1890 until her death in 1898. This beautiful building and its picturesque gardens overlooks the sea and Corfu town. On the north western tip of the island is the lively resort of Sidari. It's actually two small coastal villages connected by a long sweeping sandy beach. The Kanoni peninsula, with the 17th century monastery for women, is one of Corfu's best known landmarks and can be found on numerous postcards from the island. From the islet of Kanoni, it's possible to go by boat to another islet, the Mouse Island or Pontikonisi. Corfu's architecture is very diverse, influenced by the civilizations that once occupied the island. Mass tourism has turned parts of the island into eyesores but a surprising amount of the island still consists of olive groves, mountains or woodland. Corfu Town is a charming and elegant town, built between two fortresses. Corfu is considered one of Greece's most beautiful cities, and it is easy to understand why when you're strolling down the narrow streets and through the alleys, walking over spacious squares, visiting Byzantine churches and Venetian monuments. And of course, Corfu also has its natural beauty; the green-turquoise water that surrounds the town.

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Day 5

katakolon, greece

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 16:00

Olympia is a town in Peloponnese. This was the location of the original Olympic Games. The games, held every four years in honour of the Greek god Zeus, lasted throughout the entire Classical Age. The central sanctuary or Altis included temples, altars, shrines, and public buildings for both religious and secular purposes. The flame for each modern Olympic Games is still lit in the town, by a reflection of sunlight in a parabolic mirror, and carried by torch to the place where the games are to be held.

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Day 6

milos, greece

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 20:00

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Day 7

athens (piraeus), greece

Arrival: 05:30 - Departure: 19:00

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Day 8

ephesus (kusadasi), turkey

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 16:00

Kusadasi is a coastal resort town in the Aydin Province of Aegean Turkey. It's a popular tourist destination, known for its many beaches and for being Turkey's busiest cruise port, with many cruise ship passengers heading to the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the major and best preserved Greco-Roman sites in Turkey. There are some good beaches both south and north of Kusadasi. All beaches are commercialised with hotels surrounding them. South of Kusadasi is the ladies beach, lost paradise beach and the long beach. Kusadasi is the gateway to Ephesus, a fascinating ancient city with baths, gyms, acoustic theatre and temples, arches and much more. The Roman Ruins at Ephesus are spectacular. In town visit the City Walls, Kaleiçi Camii, the Öküz Mehmet Pasha Caravanserai and Guvercin Adası peninsula. Kusadasi is one of Turkey's more cosmopolitan and lively resorts.

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Day 9-10

istanbul, turkey

Arrival: 14:00 - Departure: 00:00

Istanbul owes its historical significance and its incredible cultural and architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe and Asia Minor. Throughout most of its 2,500-year-long history, the city (first known as Byzantium, then as Constantinople and since 1930 as Istanbul) was a cultural melting pot. Today, its population of over 13 million is almost exclusively Turkish, and many of its people are recent migrants from provincial Turkey, drawn by the promise of jobs and careers in this vibrant, rapidly growing city. Istanbul is no longer the nation's capital, but is Turkey's economic and cultural powerhouse - a status emphasised by its role as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the award of UNESCO World Heritage listing to many of its most important landmarks, which range from stunning Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs to the columns of Hellenistic temples and the remains of massive medieval city walls. But there's more to Istanbul than Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A rapidly growing economy has contributed to a thriving arts and music scene, with a wealth of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.

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Day 11

istanbul, turkey

Arrival: 00:00

Istanbul owes its historical significance and its incredible cultural and architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe and Asia Minor. Throughout most of its 2,500-year-long history, the city (first known as Byzantium, then as Constantinople and since 1930 as Istanbul) was a cultural melting pot. Today, its population of over 13 million is almost exclusively Turkish, and many of its people are recent migrants from provincial Turkey, drawn by the promise of jobs and careers in this vibrant, rapidly growing city. Istanbul is no longer the nation's capital, but is Turkey's economic and cultural powerhouse - a status emphasised by its role as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the award of UNESCO World Heritage listing to many of its most important landmarks, which range from stunning Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs to the columns of Hellenistic temples and the remains of massive medieval city walls. But there's more to Istanbul than Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A rapidly growing economy has contributed to a thriving arts and music scene, with a wealth of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.

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10 nights. Croatia, Greece, Turcaí

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