![The Parthenon, Athens](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/eip/viking-cruises/mediterranean/parthenon-athens-mediterranean-cruise.jpg?imwidth=680)
Iconic adventures in the Mediterranean
Viking’s Journey to Antiquities voyage brings the ancient world to life on a cruise that encompasses rich culture and deep heritage
![The Parthenon, Athens](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/eip/viking-cruises/mediterranean/parthenon-athens-mediterranean-cruise.jpg?imwidth=680)
The wealth of culture gracing Athens enriches any holiday. Now imagine weaving explorations of Turkey, Crete, Sicily and Naples into the same glorious adventure. Easing towards the Acropolis on an e-bike excursion.
I didn’t need to imagine. I was savouring Viking’s Journey to Antiquities voyage, which sweeps through some of the Mediterranean’s most captivating cultural highlights.
There must be something about the Mediterranean, as I’ve spent decades exploring its sun-dappled shores and beguiling isles. Viking offered a treasure trove of destinations sprinkled across our eight-day journey – plus a sea day allowing time to digest the cultural feast. And to relax.
![Traditional houses and bougainvillea in Greece](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/eip/viking-cruises/mediterranean/traditional-houses-mediterranean.jpg?imwidth=350)
You can see why Viking won Best Boutique Ocean Cruise Line at last year’s Telegraph Travel Awards. Think a floating contemporary Scandi-chic boutique hotel, with beautiful lines of sight everywhere. I sailed away from ports in an outdoor pool, fine-dined in informal style and savoured sophisticated bars.
It’s not a cruise – this is a voyage, an adventure. All the staterooms on Viking’s ocean ships have verandas. On-board lecturers enrich port visits and excursions are included. The inclusive nature soothes – there is no room service charge and no cost in dining at its speciality restaurants.
Athens is an immediate highlight, the e-bikes effortlessly covering the ground. We explored the Plaka district, stopping to photograph the Parthenon atop the Acropolis, then took in Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Zeus and the ‘new’ Olympic Stadium, for the Olympic Games of 1896.
![Sun deck seating on a Mediterranean Viking Cruise](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/eip/viking-cruises/mediterranean/sun-deck-seating-sea.jpg?imwidth=350)
The next glorious morning brought the romance of the Ottoman sultans – and another continent. The bustling Turkish resort town of Kusadası was enough for some guests, but I headed to Ephesus, and walked streets once smoothed by Roman legionnaires, as our expert guide provided cultural nuggets and salacious Roman gossip.
Turning west we sailed over the horizon to a Crete bathed in sunshine. On my first visit I was instantly charmed by Chania. The centuries peeled back. I caught sight of a Venetian lion; fishermen tending their nets too, in a city that is very much still alive. After strolling back and forth through time I swam in aquarium-clear waters. Glorious.
Then we entered the narrow Messina Strait, separating the boot of Italy from Sicily. I learned more in an hour on the Viking tour than I did reading an entire tome on Messina. Then I got gloriously lost and found a marvellous church. Its name escapes me but it shines in my memory.
![Aerial view of the Bay of Naples](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/eip/viking-cruises/mediterranean/bay-of-naples-skyline-and-sea.jpg?imwidth=350)
Byron and Keats swooned, but the Bay of Naples tugged a tinge of melancholy. Our last port of call. The pain eased with a deep dive into Pompeii with a Pompeii and Pizza excursion that coaxed me to knead my own in the city of its birth. I feasted on a tricolour of tomato, cheese and basil. It was another slice of history infused with that famed Viking hospitality.
Journey to Antiquities is an eight-day journey from Rome to Athens (or the reverse).
Discover destination-focused journeys on all seven continents at viking.com or call 0800 319 6090