Grand UK to Istanbul

This Grand Voyage begins by heading south to the Mediterranean Sea. First stop Leixoes is a springboard to Porto and Guimaraes at the heart of Portugal’s earliest history. One of the Pillars of Hercules, Gibraltar stands guard where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. Echoes of Hannibal can still be heard in Cartagena, the city the Romans called Cartho Nove. Vibrant Barcelona is the next port of call where an eclectic mix of architectural styles somehow blends harmoniously. Sète’s roots lie in ancient Greece. D H Lawrence succumbed to the charm of Rapallo, whilst Livorno and Civitavecchia promise countless works from the masters Bernini, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Sicily’s gem is Taormina and Brindisi was a fixture on the famed Silk Road. Croatian cities reborn after conflict in recent years nurture legacies bequeathed by Romans, Venetians and Hapsburgs. Immerse yourself in the art, architecture and culture of Venice ‘Queen of the Adriatic’. Tales of Homer’s hero Odysseus loom large in waters lapping around Ithaca before Istanbul.