An Aegean Odyssey - Star Clipper
Holiday Highlights
- A fascinating voyage of discovery visiting Istanbul and Athens – combining some of the world’s most beautiful islands with little-known gems and the great classical sites of Pergamon.
- Guided tour of Istanbul, visiting the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace.
- Sail along the Turkish coast and discover the great ancient city of Pergamon, famed as a centre of learning and medicine, with the steepest amphitheatre in the world.
- Visit Chios, one of the most fertile and richest islands in Greece, known in ancient times for its superb wine.
- Explore Patmos, stunningly beautiful and beloved of the ‘jet-set’.
- Sail into the vast caldera of Santorini, the fabled site of Atlantis and one of the world's most breathtaking anchorages (2025 only).
- Call at the horseshoe shaped volcanic island of Milos and admire its mesmerising geological formations and sea stacks (in 2026).
- Visit the amazingly preserved walled town of Monemvasia, the ‘Gibraltar of the East’ and a medieval marvel.
- Guided tour of Athens with the Acropolis, the Athenian Agora and the acclaimed Acropolis Museum.
What's Included
- The price of this holiday is per person, based on two people sharing a twin room or cabin. The price includes:
- Flights to Istanbul, returning from Athens
- Two nights hotel in Istanbul and one night hotel in Athens with breakfast
- Full breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon tea and à la carte dinner daily whilst on Star Clipper (2025) and Star Flyer (2026) (lunch excluded on shore excursions)
- All visits and excursions as mentioned including sightseeing in Istanbul and Athens
- Full board on the Star Clipper (2025) and Star Flyer (2026)
- Attentive service from an English-speaking crew and knowledgeable local guides
- Services of a Riviera Travel tour manager
- All port charges (worth £195) airport taxes and overseas transfers
- All transfers between the airport and hotel* and hotel to port
- Porterage of one item of luggage per person
- ABTA, ATOL and IATA protection
- *Transfers are not included for guests booking their own flights.
- Please note: in the event of unsatisfactory weather conditions the captain reserves the right to alter or reschedule the itinerary. Availability of watersports is subject to weather conditions and local authority regulations.
- Please note: due to the size of the ship there is no lift between decks; therefore a reasonable degree of mobility is required to negotiate the stairs and overall design.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Istanbul Arrive at the airport for your flight to Istanbul from where you will be taken to your hotel.
Day 2
Istanbul Istanbul is a revelation: an exotic metropolis of huge contrasts and a centre of shifting civilisations for 2,500 years. Chosen by Emperor Constantine as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire, it then became the capital of the Ottoman Empire and probably nowhere in the world can you find such an array of diverse monuments and fascinating places to see. We visit the Blue Mosque, symbol of the city - you cannot fail to be impressed by its grace and harmony, but its real attraction is the interior lined with 20,000 blue Iznik tiles and Arabesque inscriptions. Its beauty is hardly surprising when you consider that many of the same craftsmen who built it also worked on the Taj Mahal! We continue our tour at the Topkapi Palace, the glittering imperial residence of the Sultans for a thousand years. Today, it is a spectacular museum, but in its heyday, it was a city within a city, home to over 4,000 elite guards, eunuchs, courtiers and, of course, the ladies of the Harem. There is a superb display of arms from throughout history: crossbows, firearms inlaid with ivory and beautifully crafted armour from as far afield as Japan. The Treasury is breathtaking too, with an amazing array of jewellery including the world’s fifth largest diamond, emeralds, jewel-encrusted thrones and the famous Topkapi dagger – all displaying outstanding craftsmanship. One of the world’s most visited attractions with 4,000 shops, the Grand Bazaar dating back to the 13th century, was home to merchants from all over the known world and as you browse the maze of stalls along its 61 streets, selling everything you could possibly imagine and more, from silk scarves and lamps, to hand-made carpets and leatherware, it’s like stepping back in time and an experience not to be missed! Included experiences: Guided tour of Istanbul including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace & the Grand Bazaar.
Barceló Istanbul
Wyndham Grand Athens
Combine this with the very best state of the art safety features and superb facilities of a modern cruise ship: 81 spacious, sumptuous cabins displaying traditional decor, leather and dark hardwoods; the finest cuisine in an elegant dining room; a highly skilled and caring crew - and you have the Star Clipper!
It is the smaller sister ship to the Royal Clipper and when its 16 magnificent sails unfurl you are immediately overwhelmed by a remarkable sensation of being completely in tune with Mother Nature – a rarity in the modern world. With just 162 passengers and 74 crew on board, the atmosphere is very intimate – more like a private yacht than a cruise ship. Life is wonderfully informal and low-key, whilst the small scale of the ship and the open restaurant seating promotes a relaxed and extremely sociable ambience.
Everyone loves the experience of being on deck – the ropes, stays, winches, the polished mahogany and gleaming brass of the ship’s bell are all a living testament to its maritime heritage. On the Star Clipper guests are encouraged (should you so wish!) to help raise the mainsail and just like the Royal Clipper, the bridge is always open for a visit. Being smaller and lighter, the Star Clipper is also more responsive to the wind and sea: you feel the surge of the breeze, breathing life into the canvas above and sense the deck gently tilt as the sleek gleaming hull slices through the waves under the ever-watchful eye of the skilful captain.
There are two small salt-water swimming pools, plenty of deck space with sun loungers, chairs and a shady spot to cool off. Enjoy a long refreshing drink or your favourite cocktail from the open-air Tropical Bar, the ship’s social hub. The library with its leather armchairs is the perfect place to immerse yourself in a good book or you can relax in the tasteful lounge and piano bar chatting with your fellow passengers. You can climb the mast (in a safety harness!), lie in the bow netting or participate in the free water sports available at each port of call (where possible and subject to weather conditions and local authorities. Certified scuba divers can also dive at each port, at extra charge). Evening entertainment is simple and ‘home-made’ by the crew and officers - there’s no formality here and you’ll feel completely relaxed and unwound.
To enjoy our Mediterranean cruises to the absolute full, we have included a wonderful range of onshore tours and visits along the way, visiting the most fascinating places of interest. But perhaps the memory that may stay with you the longest is the simplest – that of the balmy summer evening breeze on deck, with the masts soaring above into a velvet night sky of silent stars over a moonlit sea.
To learn more about sailing on our tall ships see our Life On Board page.