You will be visiting 6 major cities on your program (Rome, Marseille, Naples, Athens, Crete, Istanbul). We’ve added some information on each of them below:

Rome – Also known as the City of Seven Hills or the Eternal City, Rome is famous not just for its historic and religious ties, but also for its current beauty and fun lifestyle. The history spans over two and a half thousand years as Rome was the center of the Roman Empire and continues to be the home of the Pope. It is also the home to some of the most well-known ancient buildings and art museums in the world. Rome is the capital of Italy as well and is the third most visited tourist destination in the European Union, attracting 26 million tourists every year. Read more from Lonely Planet here.

Marseille – The biggest French city on the Mediterranean has been a commercial center and port for hundreds of years. Once one of the most important cities in all of France, the city boasts history and culture at every turn. Today it is the capital of the Provence- Alpes-Cote d’Azur region and is a very popular tourist destination. Read more from Lonely Planet here.

Naples – Italy’s third largest city and one of the most important culturally is Naples. While often overlooked when thinking about the other cities of Italy, Naples has a lot to offer. The city’s historic center is an UNESCO world heritage site and nearby are many archaeological sites including Pompeii! And the food! This is one of Italy’s best food cities. Read more from Lonely Planet here. 

Athens – One of the oldest cities in the world, Athens is Greece’s capital and largest city. Its history is unparalleled and there are a never ending amount of ancient buildings and monuments to look at. Not just history though, Athens is today’s financial, industrial, political, and cultural capital of Greece with new art, music, and food at every turn. Read more from Lonely Planet here. 

Crete & Heraklion – The largest and most populated of the Greek Islands, Crete is known for its beautiful beaches, cuisine, culture, and history. Heraklion is the largest city on Crete and is located near the ancient ruins of Knossos, which is considered Europe’s oldest city. Read more from Lonely Planet here. 

Istanbul – Often thought of as the meeting point of East and West, Istanbul is a city dripping with culture and history. There is architecture from the Ottoman Empire and ancient mosques from Islam. There is also modern art, cuisine, and shopping as this is Turkey’s largest city with a bustling, somewhat chaotic population. Read more from Lonely Planet here.