Cruise Description

10 Night Cruise sailing from Istanbul to Venice aboard Explora I.

Highlights of this cruise:

Istanbul
Istanbul is Europe's most populous city (the world's 4th largest city proper and 20th largest urban area) and Turkey's cultural and financial center. The city covers 27 districts of the Istanbul province. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait, and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country.

Part of Istanbul’s great attraction is its unique position on two continents, divided by the Bosphorus. Most of the population live on the European side; the Asian sector is reached via the high-level Bosphorus Bridge, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge or by ferry. With 13 million inhabitants Istanbul offers all the excitement of a cosmopolitan city. Its numerous monuments, mosques and museums, plus the famous Grand Bazaar, make it one of the world’s great destinations.

Volos
Volos is the 5th largest city in Greece, situated at the center of its mainland, about 326 km north from Athens and 215 km south from Thessaloniki. Volos is the capital city of the region of Magnesia and was built at the foot of the mountain of Pelion.

The city has an attractive waterfront which is lined with many pastry shops, cafes-bars, restaurants and mezedopolia.The streets are very commercial with many shops. The municipality has made a lot of efforts to transform Volos into a pleasant city, with many paved streets that cross the city. The port of Volos is also very active with daily schedules to the islands of the Sporades: Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos.

The town of Volos is also interesting from a cultural point of view. There is the Volos Archaeological Museum which contains finds from the surrounding areas that ere dated from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period. The Municipal Gallery also is of interest. It is housed in the Town Hall and exhibits a collection of paintings and sculptures by Modern Greek artists.

Venice
The city of Venice sits at the top of the Adriatic Sea in the north east corner of Italy. It is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city sits on 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon – a salt marsh. In the 12th century Venice became a city state and its location at the top of the Adriatic made it a key naval and commercial centre as well as a flourishing art centre.

Modern Venice is stunning and retains the wonderful history of this unique city. It is a city of museums, galleries, piazzas, palaces, churches and more. One visit isn’t enough to see all that Venice has to offer but visitors should try and see the Basilica San Marco and San Marco Square, the Doges Palace and the Gallerie dell'Accademia which houses some of Italy’s finest art treasures.