ITINERARY |
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Exploring the best of the eastern Mediterranean with Viking |
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Days 1-2 Istanbul, Turkey |
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Day 3 Troy, Turkey |
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Ephesus |
Rhodes |
Day 4 Ephesus, Turkey |
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images: getty; Viking; awl images |
This ancient port town was originally a Hittite site but gained prominence under the Greeks, and was then captured by the Romans in 133 B. C. E. At the entrance to the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the second-century Temple of Hadrian, as well as an odeon where the city’ s great and good would be entertained with music and song— both stellar examples of Roman architecture.
The Library of Celsus( the poster child of Ephesus) sits where the city once met the sea. It’ s a work of ingenuity, its facade stacked with statues and columns and facing east so those reading in the morning could have the best sunlight. With a collection of 12,000 scrolls, it was the thirdlargest library in the ancient world, after Alexandria and Pergamum.
It wasn’ t just the Romans who made Ephesus their home— it has an important place in the story of Christianity, too. A small, unassuming brick chapel deep in the forest of Bulbul Mountain is said to be the house of the Virgin Mary, where she retreated after the death of Jesus: a place where pilgrims come to pay their respects.
The ship calls in nearby Kusadasi twice on this itinerary. To relax, try its municipal hammam— an Ottoman bathhouse constructed in 1495, where locals and tourists alike are rubbed, scrubbed and massaged.
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Stepping off in Rhodes, art deco apartments sit beside walls built by the Crusaders, while within those crumbling bastions is Europe’ s largest operational medieval town. A quirky Ottoman clock tower presides over the market, where you can browse olive wood products, ceramics and Grecian fashion.
Perhaps the most impressive site on the island is the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, originally constructed in the 14th century by the Knights Hospitaller— it was later restored and used as a holiday home for Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in the 1930s. Hung on its crimson walls is an impressive collection of art and armory.
Rhodes is an easy place to explore independently. A drive along the eastern coast reveals jewel-like coves, including the paradisiacal Kallithea. Bougainvilleacovered archways embrace the steps to the rocky inlet, surrounded by a small cluster of neoclassical pavilions— the cafe is a wonderful spot for a flavorsome Mediterranean lunch. Eventually, the road leads to the Acropolis of Lindos, where Doric columns form a temple built in 300 B. C. E. overlooking a sparkling Aegean.
Another option is a 4WD self-guided safari around the villages of Mount Attavyros, where winding roads dotted with fragrant Aleppo pines and mastic shrubs make for stimulating driving.
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Day 5 Rhodes, Greece
Day 6 Crete, Greece
Days 7-9 Athens, Greece
Day 10 Ephesus, Turkey
Day 11 Crete, Greece
Day 12 At sea
Day 13 Sicily, Italy
Day 14 Naples, Italy
Day 15 Rome, Italy
Clockwise from top left: The
Library of Celsus, Ephesus; Lindos,
St. Paul’ s Bay, Rhodes; Manfredi’ s
Italian restaurant on board Viking
ships; Anthony Quinn Bay, Rhodes
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fall 2025 • 65 |