Visit the site of the first Olympic Games and learn about its glorious history. Then head to the beach and spend the rest of the day basking in the sun and swimming in the warm, sparkling waters of the Ionian Sea. Even though the temples and monuments have disappeared and only the ruins are left, you can’t help but to envision the grandeur of the Temple of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The site was a sanctuary even before the stadium was built and the games took place.

The famous stadium, the largest of its day, is entered through a long, tunnel-like passage constructed in Roman times. Today, you can stand at the starting line and imagine the roar of the spectators seated on the marble benches, as the athletes took their marks. Reboard your coach and head to the beach to bask in the sun and swim in the sparkling Ionian Sea. Enjoy use of a sun bed and umbrella at the main beach, as well as a complimentary refreshment. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

Meander through a fragrant herb garden in a 19th-century farm and then savor a delightful lunch of traditional Slovenian dishes. As an introduction to the country’s limestone karst region, you will pause to take in the sweeping views from a castle that overlooks the Gulf of Trieste. The culinary experience unfolds at a charming local family homestead, where a husband and wife grow and prepare herbs and dishes themselves. You'll discover the herbs they cultivate for culinary and medicinal purposes, such as sage, fennel, and balm mint. The karst terrain also nurtures the growth of fragrant lavender, adding to the region's aromatic allure. As you will discover during the lunch that follows, many of the herbs have been used in the dishes. To complement the meal, you will be served Teran wine, a dark-ruby wine sometimes called King of the Karst.

Explore a wetland nature reserve on reclaimed land that now supports an abundance of indigenous flora and fauna. Salt pans covered much of this area for centuries, and it wasn’t until about 50 years ago that the brackish wetlands became an important habitat for flora and fauna. As you walk through this wonderfully unique ecosystem, a naturalist will describe the transformation of the reserve and how environmentalists prevented it from becoming an industrial zone. Nearly 250 types of birds—more than half the species in the entire country of Slovenia—have been spotted there, including Eurasian reed warblers, black-winged stilts and squacco herons. You can also expect to see a huge variety of colorful butterflies flitting about. Halophytes are among the more intriguing plants found in the wetlands, as they thrive in salty ground. From a distance, these succulents appear to have ice on their leaves, but it is actually dried salt that the plants exude from their glands.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Gain insight into how former salt pans were transformed into a thriving wetland.
• Walk through a now-protected nature reserve with a naturalist guide.
• Observe abundant wildlife that includes more than half the bird species in Slovenia.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Santorini, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie tutor will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Selfie sticks are available and complemented by a convenient photo frame, enabling you to capture, share, and post the best pictures in the future.

As you walk and ride through Santorini, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:
• Aroma Avlis restaurant
• Oia’s Blue-Domed churches
• Metropolitan Church of Ypapanti Thira

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies at the most photogenic attractions in Santorini.
• Follow tips from your selfie tutor to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Sample a local glass of wine at Aroma Avlis, a hilltop restaurant with panoramic views.
• Pose in front of the blue-domed churches in Oia and explore the coastal town.
• Stand above the Metropolitan Church of Ypapanti Thira and capture the ultimate shot of the city Fira.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.

Discover the best of Corfu on this tour. You’ll tour the island, visit a stunning palace and enjoy a traditional lunch with live entertainment at a local taverna. Drive through Corfu and arrive at Mon Repos Palace built by order of Empress Elizabeth of Austria and completed in 1891. The empress had fallen in love with the natural beauty of the island during her 1861 visit and also developed a great appreciation for Greek history and mythology.

After a guided visit of the grounds and palace, you’ll continue to the traditional village of Kinopiastes. Enjoy a rich and traditional lunch at the famous Tripas Tavern accompanied by live Greek music and dancers. Board your coach for the drive back to the Old Town of Corfu where you’ll have the opportunity to either be dropped off, to walk through the narrow lanes and browse on your own, or return with the coach directly to your ship.

OVERVIEW

Hop aboard the vintage White Pass & Yukon Route Railway for an immensely picturesque train ride high into the mountains, following a path blasted out of the rocks in 1898, during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. As soon as the narrow-gauge train begins its ascent, you will understand why the beloved WP&YR is known as “The Scenic Railway of the World.” The train will climb almost 3,000 feet in just 20 miles and present one breathtaking view after another, from thundering Bridal Veil Falls to the rugged peaks at Inspiration Point. You will also pass over the soaring bridge that spans precipitous Dead Horse Gulch, named for pack animals loaded with prospecting gear that fell to the bottom of the gorge. It will be an exhilarating ride on a railway so ingeniously constructed that it is recognized as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride a narrow-gauge train on a route used during the Klondike Gold Rush.
• Climb high into the mountains and behold Alaska’s majestic scenery.
• Admire the ingenious engineering behind the railway’s construction.
• Receive a collectible magazine that details the railway’s history.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy a combination of Slovenia’s best known sites the capital city of Ljubljana and Lake Bled. Both are a wonderful gateway to Slovenian heritage. After a guided tour, you’ll have free time to explore on your own. Following your approximate two hour drive to the Alpine town of Lake Bled, you’ll have different options to enjoy from a walk around the picturesque lake to visiting a medieval castle visit, all during your free time and at your own expense. After World War II, this was one of the most appealing state residences and drew many people who were attracted by the beauty of this town. Today new pilgrims have been discovering this tranquil and lovely place.

After a guided walk through Ljubljana, a medium sized European city, you’ll have time to explore your own pace. It offers all the friendliness of a small town and at the same time has everything that a capital should. This city of culture boasts one of the oldest philharmonic halls in the world. Every year it hosts more than 10,000 cultural events ranging from prestigious concerts, theater performances and fine art exhibitions.

Admire some of the most hallowed sites in the ancient world, including a residence believed to be the Virgin Mary’s, the ruins of Ephesus and St. John’s Basilica.

After departing from the pier, you will drive through the countryside to the House of the Virgin. Believed to be the last residence of the Virgin Mary, the small stone building contains a bedroom, kitchen and an altar adorned with images of Mary. A sacred spring known as the Fountain of Our Lady runs under the house, and you will be welcome to drink from it.

Then, it’s on to revered Ephesus, a World Heritage site that may well be the best-preserved ancient city in the region. After passing the Magnesia Gate, you will behold one excavated building after another. There is the Great Theater where St. Paul preached the Gospel, the Fountain of Trajan with its regal statue of the emperor and the Library of Celsus, a monument constructed as a mausoleum with a separate library for scrolls and codexes.

Continuing on, you will stop at the ruins of St. John’s Basilica. Built in the 6th century, the church stood over the spot where St. John is supposedly buried. Although a Mongol army destroyed the building and pillaged much of it, part of the basilica has been restored to show its scope.

A buffet lunch at a hotel in Kusadasi follows, after which you may return to the pier or stay in town for an enlightening carpet lecture or shopping.

The exquisitely preserved medieval town of Bruges is a veritable jewel. Step back in time as you begin your guided walk through Bruges, often called 'Die Scone' or 'the beautiful'. The charm of this lovely medieval city will capture you immediately. As you walk through the narrow streets, passing by picturesque scenes of ancient buildings, tree-lined canals and gabled facades, from the exterior you’ll see the bustling marketplace, The Belfry Tower, the Town Hall and the Chapel of the Holy Blood.

The highlight of this walking tour will undoubtedly be a 30-minute canal tour. While sitting back in a small boat, you’ll enjoy the serene waterways of this romantic historical city. Since Bruges is full of lace and chocolate shops, you’ll certainly find the perfect souvenir as you explore the area on your own. To end this perfect tour, your guide will lead you by the romantic 'Lake of Love' on the return drive to your ship.

Immerse yourself in the rich history of intriguing Portimão with an enlightening visit to a museum and a guided walk through its quaint Old Town, where you’ll discover intriguing landmarks that survived the ravages of the 1755 earthquake that leveled Lisbon. Meander through narrow streets and find the stalwart Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, which still retains its original 15th-century Gothic doorway, buttresses and gargoyles. Note the equally magnificent later additions, including signature 17th-century azulejo tiles and a regal statue of Saint Peter the Apostle that is lavishly adorned with ivory and wood crucifixes.

You’ll explore the Convento do Colégio dos Jesuítas and the mausoleum of Diogo Gonçalves, a nobleman who funded the church’s construction a century before the quake, and revel in some free time to shop or further examine the city’s churches. Delve into a wealth of exhibits at the Museu de Portimão, housed in a former fish-canning factory on the picturesque Arade River, and learn how early settlements in the area were altered by Roman and Islamic occupations. You’ll long remember the treasures to be found in Portimão’s endlessly captivating Old Town.

Visit several of Old Town’s most iconic sites, which gained even greater fame after serving as locations for the fictional capital King’s Landing in “Game of Thrones.”

After departing from the pier, you will soon arrive in the oldest section of Dubrovnik, a revered UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fans of the TV series “Game of Thrones,” which is based on George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy novels, will recognize this part of Dubrovnik as King’s Landing, the fictional capital of the Seven Kingdoms.

Your first stop will be imposing Lovrijenac Fortress, located just outside the medieval walls that encircle Old Town. Known as Dubrovnik’s Gibraltar, the 11th-century fortress perches atop a craggy rock overlooking the sea, which represented Blackwater Bay in the books.

Continuing on, you will enter Old Town and make your way to the defensive walls to the south. After climbing the steps, you will walk along the stone battlements, which afford extraordinary views of the sea and the inner city. These walls appeared in numerous scenes in “Game of Thrones”; they were particularly prominent in the Battle of Blackwater Bay.

Later, you will enjoy free time within Old Town, where you may explore other sites that you may recognize from the series. For instance, the Jesuit Staircase was where Cersei Lannister began her Walk of Shame in Season Five, and many of the show’s market scenes were filmed along St. Dominic Street. Following free time, you will return to the pier.

Delight in the medieval character of Taormina while strolling its atmospheric streets and admiring landmarks such the Greek theater from the 2nd century. After departing from the pier, you will have a short panoramic tour of Messina. Continuing along the coast to the south, you will approach Taormina, an ancient city that rises almost perpendicularly from the sea. It’s a beautiful setting with an alluring medieval character, as you will discover while navigating its narrow, cobbled streets. As French author Guy de Maupassant wrote of his stay in 1883, “Were a man to pass a single day in Sicily and ask, ‘What must one see?’ I would answer him without hesitation, Taormina.” Among the highlights are the Arabian-influenced Palazzo Corvaja and the ruins of a 2nd-century Greek theater. It sits on a seaside hilltop with a view of Mount Etna that is so inspiring that it can detract from the entertainers that still perform there in the summer. After visiting, you will enjoy free time to wander about the areas that interest you the most. You might take in the views from the fragrant public garden or shop along boutique-lined Corso Umberto. The most popular merchandise includes designer fashions, jewelry and colorful ceramic pine cones, a Sicilian symbol of hospitality.