Operated by ?
Total meals included:
Welcome to Athens! At 6 pm, meet your traveling companions for a welcome drink with your Tour Director.
Cross the spectacular Corinth Canal. Your highlight today is MYCENAE, where 19th-century excavations reveal impressions of the splendors so vividly described by Homer. Admire the Beehive Tombs, known as the Treasury of Atreus; Lion Gate, Europe’s oldest known monument; the remains of Agamemnon’s Royal Palace; and the impressive fortifications of the Citadel. Also visit the museum. Later, arrive in Olympia. Tonight, enjoy LF a COOKING DEMONSTRATION and learn how to make the traditional Greek tzatziki appetizer.
Today’s Distance: 174 mi / 280 km
Meals included:
Sightseeing with a Local Guide will give you insights into the town where the athletes of antiquity competed in honor of the King of Deities. Learn about the history of those original Olympic Games as you walk among the impressive remains of the Gymnasium and the Temples of Hera and Zeus. Also visit the MUSEUM that displays Praxiteles’ magnificent statue of Hermes. In the afternoon a pleasant drive will take you to mystic Delphi. A highlight this evening is LF a DANCE LESSON, where you’ll learn how to dance the sirtaki, made famous in the movie Zorba the Greek, accompanied by a glass of the traditional Ouzo.
Today’s Distance: 137 mi / 220 km
Meals included:
The morning is devoted to a fascinating tour of the ancient sanctuary of the god Apollo in its dramatic setting on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Hear about the Oracle and tour the EXCAVATIONS. Visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM to admire the Charioteer, an extraordinary 5th-century-BC bronze statue. Leave fascinating Delphi behind you and head back to Athens. Tonight, enjoy an optional dinner at a local restaurant.
Today’s Distance: 118 mi / 190 km
Meals included:
Today head to the port city of Pireaus, where your cruise ship awaits to whisk you into the crystal-blue waters of the Aegean Sea.
Meals included:
This afternoon, arrive in Istanbul founded as Byzantium more than 2,500 years ago.
Meals included:
Another full day to experience this mesmerising gateway between the Orient and the Occident. A private tender boat will take you on your included CRUISE on the Bosphorus strait that divides Europe and Asia. Then back to dry land to stroll around the GRAND BAZAAR. Join a shore excursion to complete your visit in Istanbul. Your ship departs in the early evening.
Meals included:
Enter the Dardanelles Strait and dock at Canakkale in northwestern Turkey. Choose from exciting optional excursions to learn about this strategic area which boasts Troy and Gallipoli, where wars have been waged throughout the centuries.
Meals included:
Back in Greece, explore lively Volos, the enchanting area where mythology’s centaur Chiron taught heroes such as Jason, leader of the Argonauts. You might enjoy visiting the archaeological museum, home to superb collections from the Neolithic, Hellenistic, and Byzantine eras.
Meals included:
Today, discover Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. With an expert guide, visit KNOSSOS, center of the 3000-BC Minoan civilization. Stroll through the frescoed palace ruins with its ties to mythology’s King Minos and the terrifying half-man/half-bull Minotaur imprisoned in the labyrinth.
Meals included:
Visit two ports today. First, weather permitting, is SANTORINI, the “Black Pearl of the Aegean.” Don’t miss the included excursion to clifftop Oia, dramatically perched on the sheer side of the island’s caldera. With its brilliant whitewashed buildings, striking blue-domed roofs, and breathtaking views, this is Greece at its iconic best. Later, dock at Mykonos, where you’re greeted by the charming collection of windmills. Time to wander the narrow, shop-lined streets or to relax at a shaded taverna before returning to your ship.
Meals included:
After breakfast on board, disembark for a final day in Athens. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features a visit to the world-famous ACROPOLIS, perched high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. Here, see the Parthenon, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Enjoy a panoramic view that includes glimpses of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and the Agora where Socrates taught. Later, a city orientation tour features the Old Parliament House and a photo stop at the Panathenaic Stadium. Built in the 2nd century AD, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble, and was host to the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896. The rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight is your chance to join an optional dinner outing to try the local fare.
Meals included:
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Meals included:
It may occasionally be necessary to use alternative hotels of a similar standard to those shown.
Attractive 7-story Hotel situated near museums, 1 km from Larisis train station & 35 km from El. Venizelos Airport.
Hotels Europa is built on the top of Drouvas Hill in Ancient Olympia (UNESCO World Heritage Site), at the foot of which is sited the Sacred Alti with brilliant monuments and the stadium of the Ancient Olympic Games.
At the foot of Mount Parnassus overlooking olive groves and the Ionian Sea, and just minutes away from the archaeological site and museum, the temple of Apollo, and Castalia spring. The modern guest rooms are air-conditioned and have Wi-Fi and minifridges. Other amenities include an outdoor pool and an inviting lounge bar with a fireplace, where guests can relax and take in the breath taking Delphian scenery.