We are delighted to invite you on a remarkable voyage inspired by Homer’s timeless Odyssey in the company of AIA lecturer and host Laetitia La Follette. This cruise through the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas combines archaeology, legend, history, and breathtaking landscapes into an unforgettable journey. Naturally, since Homer’s epic poem originated in approximately the 8th or 7th century B.C. and was part of a long oral tradition, it is famous for having blended historical places with mythical ones, and is full of fanciful details. Thus, scholars have put forth myriad ideas about where Odysseus’ adventures took place, and our voyage is inspired by what may have been stops on his arduous, ten-year trip home, peppered with named locations.
After a day in bustling Istanbul, we embark the 59-cabin, all-suite Hebridean Sky and cruise to Troy, from where Odysseus began his tortuous journey homeward. We cruise onward to visit the UNESCO World Heritage island of Delos, mythical birthplace
of Apollo and Artemis, with its ancient temples and sun-bleached marble; and walk among the evocative ruins of Delphi, with its Temple of Apollo standing guard over the sweeping views across the valley below. Visit the well-preserved site of the Mycenaean Palace of Nestor at Pylos, to where the Odyssey tells us King Nestor safely returned after the Trojan War and Odysseus’ son consulted him for news about his father. Although it is not our final stop, no Odyssey-based itinerary could be complete without calling at Ithaca, Odysseus’ home island and the place that this hero fought so hard to see once again. Continue to Sicily, steeped in myth as a land with sites linked to the legendary Laestrygonians and/or Cyclopes. In Malta, which may have been where Calypso held Odysseus captive for seven years, you have a choice of three full-day excursions, from prehistoric temples to medieval fortresses, before our journey concludes in Naples. Throughout this program, you will be accompanied by a team of expert study leaders who will offer a series of illustrated lectures and informal discussions aboard ship. The team includes AIA lecturer/host Laetitia La Follette, an archaeologist and Past President of the AIA; U. Penn Professor Emily Wilson, best known as the first woman to translate the Odyssey into English; Princeton Professor Yair Mintzker, who specializes in European cultural history and has published on the relationship between history and storytelling; and others. This voyage is co-sponsored by several organizations so, with only 59 cabins available, I encourage you to reserve your preferred cabin today by contacting AIA Tours at aia@studytours.org or (800) 748-6262.

Highlights include:
• Explore Istanbul, with a choice between visiting the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, the largest palace in Türkiye, or Hagia Sophia mosque, the world’s largest place of worship for hundreds of years.
• Cruise to the UNESCO World Heritage-designated island of Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.
• Explore Trapani, on Sicily’s stunning west coast, where the cannibal Laestrygonians attacked Odysseus and his companions.
• Walk among the incredible archaeological ruins of Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the site of Odysseus’s embarkation at the end of the fabled Trojan War.
• Call at the picturesque village of Pylos to visit the Mycenaean Palace of Nestor. King Nestor was described as the wise king of Pylos in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad.
• Choose from one of three full-day excursions on the island nation of Malta, one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.