13 nights, Piraeus (Athens) to Piraeus (Athens)
Explora's name for it: An Extended Journey from the Shores of Athens to the Island of Mykonos
Thirteen nights, twelve calls, and a round-trip out of Piraeus that never strays far from the Aegean. The shape is dense rather than slow: a string of Greek islands and Turkish coastal cities, most of them small ports where the ship tenders or ties up close enough that you walk straight into the old town. The hooks are concrete. In Volos, the ship ties up in the heart of the city, and lunch means a tsipouradiko where you order rounds and the kitchen sends a different small seafood meze with each one. Kusadasi is built around the short transfer inland to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the Mediterranean. Istanbul lands you at Galataport in the center, with the T1 tram doing the work out to Hagia Sophia. Patmos climbs from the harbor to the Cave of the Apocalypse and the fortified Monastery of Saint John.
This itinerary rewards travelers who like a full plate of ports and short walks ashore over long sea days. Several calls are tender ports, so budget time on and off the ship, and a few headline sights sit inland, Ephesus from Kusadasi and the Dalyan trip from Marmaris, which means picking your day before you dock. If you want unhurried, beach-led downtime or one place to settle into, look at a slower route. This one keeps moving.
Explora II is all-suite and all-oceanfront.
The itinerary, port by port
12 calls over 13 nights, round-trip from Piraeus (Athens). Open any port for my full day-ashore guide, what to see, when to go, and how the day actually runs.
Getting there: Flights to Piraeus (Athens) (ATH) are already bookable for these dates. I watch the fare for booked clients so you book at the right moment. When to book your flights →
- Embark
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- Disembark
Fares on this departure, decoded
Reading the fare fine print is the job. Here's what this sailing currently carries:
- Invitation to Discover More
- Explora's discovery fare, available across most of the calendar. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
- Founders Fare
- A founding-era fare on a selected set of sailings. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
The ship and your suite
This sailing is aboard EXPLORA II, all-suite, every suite with a private ocean-front terrace. Suites run from the entry Ocean Terrace to the Owner's Residence; the right tier depends on how you travel. Compare suites → · What's included →