Butrint ruins, Albania Corfu, Greece
DAY 10 • Corfu • Old Town & Achilleion • Philharmonic marching band
Discover Corfu’ s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its Venetian architecture, and then visit Achilleion Palace, the 19th-century villa of the Empress Sisi. In the afternoon, meet a member of one of Corfu’ s many philharmonic marching bands for an introduction to this unique cultural tradition, followed by a performance.
Meals: B, D | M / V Arethusa
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
On Day 13, join an Albanian family for a memorable afternoon of home-cooked cuisine and friendly conversation during a Home- Hosted Lunch in Berat.
DAY 11 • Saranda, Albania • Butrint From our dock in the seaside village of Saranda, we’ ll drive to Butrint to explore the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine ruins of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then return to Saranda for an included lunch.
Meals: B, L, D | M / V Arethusa
DAY 12 • Disembark ship • Gjirokaster • Berat Disembark the ship and transfer overland to Berat. Along the way, we explore the hillside town of Gjirokaster, whose collection of Ottoman-era mansions is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Colombo
DAY 13 • Berat • Home-Hosted Lunch Discover Berat— a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is regarded as one of Albania’ s most beautiful cities. Then, meet a local woman who crafts intricate lace products to learn more about this local tradition, followed by a Home-Hosted Lunch with a local family on their farm in a nearby village.
Meals: B, L, D | Hotel Colombo
DAY 14 • Tirana & Dajti Mountain • Bunk’ Art Museum
Explore Tirana’ s House of Leaves, a museum dedicated to the victims of the Gestapo, then later the victims of the secret service of Albania’ s communist dictatorship. Then ascend Mount Dajti by cable car for panoramic
views of Tirana. Later, visit the Bunk’ Art Museum, an underground bunker revealing the impacts of World War II and the Cold War on Albania’ s past and present.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Austria
DAY 15 • Conversation with cleric of the Bektashi Order • Tirana
Visit the headquarters of the Bektashi Order, where a priest will explain the tenets of this liberal Muslim sect and its relationship with the broader Islamic world. Then explore Tirana, including the renovated marketplace of the New Bazaar, bustling Skanderbeg Square, and the Byzantine-era Tirana Castle. Enjoy an included Farewell Dinner tonight.
Meals: B, D | Hotel Austria
DAY 16 • Return to U. S. Transfer to the airport for your flight home. Or, begin your post-trip extension to the New Republics of the Balkans: North Macedonia & Kosovo.
Meals: B
See the full deck plan for the M / V Arethusa on page 362.
Want to know more? Find the full itinerary and dates & pricing at www. oattravel. com / wgc
312 Athens & Ionian Sea Voyage from Greece to Albania