Sultan Ahmed Blue Mosque Istanbul turkey
Sultan Ahmed Blue Mosque, Istanbul

The Black SeaFeaturing Istanbul and ports in Georgia, Ukraine and Bulgaria

Jul 15 - 29, 2013
Explore historic sites along the shores of the Black Sea on our value cruise aboard the Aegean Odyssey
Starting at $4,995
Call 855-330-1542
|
 
 
Special Value
  • Price includes shore excursions, educational program, cruise staff gratuities, most meals, wine or beer with dinners, port, service charges, and more. Special round-trip airfare of just $595 from over 60 North American gateways is additional.
    • Overview
  • Between Europe and Asia Minor lies the legendary Black Sea, along whose shores the fortunes of ancient empires waxed and waned. Cruise from Turkey’s ancient capital to sites in Georgia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria and explore the region’s Byzantine and Ottoman past. Following a two-night hotel stay in historic Istanbul, embark Aegean Odyssey and sail the Bosphorus to Trabzon, one of antiquity’s great cities and continue to Georgia’s Batumi, known for Jason and the Argonauts. Cruise across the Black Sea to the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine and explore the Genoese fortress at Sudak; the Russian imperial palaces of Yalta and Sevastopol; and Odessa’s great sites, the Potemkin Steps, the Archaeological Museum and the Odessa Fine Arts Museum. Enjoy an opera performance at Odessa’s grandiose Opera and Ballet Theatre. Conclude with an afternoon in the ancient town of Nessebur, Bulgaria, before disembarking in Istanbul.

    This popular cruise features fascinating excursions to historic sites with a small group of Smithsonian travelers. Your tour also provides the flexibility to determine your own schedule: after your included excursions you can choose to explore sites or ports further on your own, join an optional excursion, or simply relax. And cruising aboard Aegean Odyssey (a mid-size ship accommodating 350 guests), you'll enjoy the many amenities of a larger ship as well as the ambiance and gracious service of a more intimate vessel.
    • Special Highlights
  • Discover the great monuments of Byzantine Istanbul, among them Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.
  • Marvel at the Genoese Fortress at Sudak, built in the 14th and 15th centuries and perched high on a clifftop.
  • Visit the elegant town of Yalta, summer residence of the Russian royal family including the Chekhov House-Museum and Tsar Nicholas’s Livadia Palace, site of the 1945 conference between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin.
  • Tour the Panorama Museum in Sevastopol where the circular painting tells the story of the 349-day siege of the city during the Crimean War.
  • Visit Balaklava’s “Valley of Death”, site of the Charge of the Light Brigade.
  • Visit the great sites of the city of Odessa, culminating with an opera performance at the grandiose Opera and Ballet Theater, a 19th-century structure designed in the 1880’s by the same architects responsible for the Vienna State Opera.
  • Enjoy our flexible schedule, including optional tours or free time to explore on your own!
    • World Heritage sites
  • This tour features the following World Heritage sites:
    • Historic Areas of Istanbul
    • Ancient city of Nessebur, Bulgaria
    See a complete list of all Smithsonian tours featuring World Heritage sites.


    •