Embark on the Crystal Esprit Yacht and join an 8-day cruise from Dubrovnik to Athens. Get to know the history of Kotor and Dubrovnik, the home to lavender, olive oil, and gorgeous beaches. Immerse in the beauty of Corfu, an immaculately preserved island blessed with serene beaches. See the colorful landscape of Parga with terracotta-roofed houses sitting along the sloping the hillside. Discover Hydra with its harbor putting on a veritable show of taste and fashion with each catamaran’s arrival from Piraeus. Sail through Corinth Canal, a four-mile-long canal that ignites wonder, with steep rock walls rising 300 feet above sea level. Explore the city of Navplion and finally, reach and explore the historical Athens as you disembark the ship.
Highlights
Explore the UNESCO-listed Kotor at Montenegro
Discover old churches and ancient ruins of Parga
Pass through the four-mile-long Corinth Canal
Visit beautiful Nafplion, located at the sunny east coast of Peloponnese
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Embark on the Crystal Esprit at the port of Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik is one of the most recognizable cities in Europe. Behind the walls, find sleek Venetian-style buildings and rich Slavic culture. Home to lavender, olive oil, and gorgeous beaches, Dubrovnik will leave a lasting impression on all your senses.
Few places in the world boast such clear architectural accounts of their full histories as does UNESCO-listed Kotor and its bay. Roam the city squares and enjoy sweeping ocean views as you follow footsteps through time, including fortifications dating from the 9th century, significant churches and cathedrals from the 12th-15th centuries, the 17th-century Prince’s Palace and the 19th-century Napoleon’s Theatre.
Immerse yourself in this immaculately preserved island covered in cypress and olive trees. Corfu is considered one of the Mediterranean’s best-kept secrets and its elegant downtown area, serene beaches, and warm breezes will keep leave you truly captivated.
The sight of Parga as you sail into its sapphire bay will make you feel as if you’ve stepped into a picture postcard or a travelogue from the 1960s. Colorful, terracotta-roofed houses sitting along the sloping hillside look frozen in time. But indeed, time moves on during your visit, and you surely will want to set aside an hour or so for a stroll through Parga’s tiny avenues that yield simple discoveries like family-run stores and cafes, old churches and ancient ruins. When it comes time for the sun to set, the locals welcome you to pull up a chair at the waterfront tavernas and kafenios, or coffeehouses, to toast your happy travels.
Reach the Corinth Canal on this day. Rulers of ancient times wanted to construct a canal connecting the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf, but lack of engineering expertise and fear of Poseidon’s wrath kept the project stalled. It wasn’t until 1893 that a deep cut through the narrow isthmus was finally completed. Today, the four-mile-long canal only ignites wonder, with steep rock walls rising 300 feet above sea level at a near-vertical angle and width of a mere 70 feet allowing ships of only a limited size to pass through.
Get the chance to explore Hydra on this day. If there is a holiday retreat where rustic meets chic, it is Hydra, one of Greece’s Saronic Islands. Put on the map in the 1950s and by artists, celebrities and musicians and a perennial favorite for locals, the island is a place to see and be seen, with the harbor putting on a veritable show of taste and fashion with each catamaran’s arrival from Piraeus. People-watching has become an unofficial pastime, along with sipping a cappuccino at the cafes centered on the crescent-shaped port. Energized by your brew and ready to explore, head out by foot and in fact, by foot is the only way to conduct your discovery. Other than a few city-operated vehicles, no cars, scooters or motorcycles are allowed on the island. Walking along the steep, stone streets, some of the best-preserved anywhere, you will surely appreciate a sense of stepping back in time and an intimate look at the 18th- and 19th-century mansions, or archontika. Be sure to yield to the primary mode of transportation, the donkey, and any temptation you may have to wander into a gallery or quiet back lane.
When in Greece, do as the Grecians do: Go to the Peloponnese. Connected by a narrow isthmus (it's less than four miles across at its narrowest) off the southern end of central Greece, the Peloponnese is a large peninsula with many things going for it. Not only are there fewer crowds than on the Aegean islands, but it also has just as many-if not more-ancient sites, including the temples at Nemea and Olympia. On the sunny east coast of the Peloponnese, tucked away in a deep bay, is the city of Navplion.
Day 8: Athens, Piraeus, Greece | Disembark
1 Breakfast
Venture through Greece’s largest port city, Piraeus, as you make your way to the cradle of Western culture. Athens has long since been the location of myth and muse, and its ancient heritage is still an incredible source of inspiration.
After breakfast aboard the ship, disembark at the port of Athens.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Notes
Solo Supplement: A select number of cabins are available for single use. The single supplement varies by cabin type, please contact us for details. Child Discount: Children age 11 or under receive 50% off when sharing a cabin with two full paying guests. Children, regardless of age pay full rate in a double occupancy cabin.
Initial deposit is 30%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 130 days prior to departure by Bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
For full cancellation policy details, please contact us for a quote.
Included
7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 7 Dinners
7 Nights Accommodations
Accommodations as listed
Ground transportation as listed
Activities as listed
Meals as listed
Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
Complimentary Wi-Fi Access
All-suite, butler-serviced accommodations
All gratuities, shipboard and shoreside
The Pantry: 24-hour self-service venue offering specialty coffees, teas, wines and nonalcoholic beverages
Complimentary airport transfers between the airport and the river ship on days of embarkation and disembarkation
Complimentary marina and water sports equipment including a wide variety of aquatic toys (water skis, wakeboards, kayaks, jet skis, snorkeling equipment) based on destination's local rules and regulations and the discretion of the Captain due to weather and sea conditions
Excluded
Gratuities
Travel Insurance
Personal Expenses
Flight costs (please request a quote)
Additional excursions during free time
Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
Crystal Esprit's submersible equipment
Massage, spa services or hair styling for which separate charges may be imposed.
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
1 day ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
3 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.