GREECE AND THE AEGEAN

Tour Code - 6660

15 days Athens to Athens 
Athens, Nauplia, Sparta, Olympia, Delphi, Kalambaka, Mykonos, Kusasdasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete

Price starting at: $1899

See the best of Greece’s ancient and modern mainland, the beautiful islands of the Aegean Sea, and Kusadasi, Turkey. Spend two nights in Athens where you will visit the Acropolis and its museum. Cross the Corinth Canal and marvel at the perfect acoustics of the Epidauros Theatre and at the city fortress of Mycenae. Visit Sparta and see the monument to its King, Leonidas; travel to Olympia, the legendary home of the Olympic Games; and spend time in mythical Delphi. Embark on a 4-night Aegean Sea cruise, stopping on the windmill-dotted island of Mykonos; Kusadasi, Turkey, a bazaar town and seaside resort; and the tiny Greek island of Patmos. Stroll through the charming old walled city and souvenir stalls in Rhodes; see Heraklion in Crete; and marvel at awe-inspiring volcanic Santorini.

Meals
Breakfast - 14
Lunch - 4
Dinner - 7

Standard Features
Headsets on land tour
Sightseeing: Visits to Epidaurus, Sparta, Mystra, Olympia, Delphi, Kalambaka, Meteora, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion
Scenic Highlights: Peloponnese, Mount Parnassus, Arcadian Mountains, Corinth Canal, Rion-Antirion Bridge

Guides: Local Guide for city sightseeing in Athens, Mycenae; services of a professional Tour Director

Transportation: Touring by private first-class air-conditioned motorcoach.

Hotels: Rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and service charges

Cruise in fully air-conditioned inside cabins with private shower and toilet. All port taxes are included.

Meals: Buffet breakfasts (B); 4 lunches (L); 7 dinners (D)

01

ATHENS, GREECE. 
Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring the Greek capital. Later, meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers.

02

ATHENS. 
A day to do just as you please. You could also join an optional day cruise to the islands of Aegina, Hydra, and Poros. In the evening, free time to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the tavernas and nightclubs in the old Plaka district with its narrow streets and sound of bouzouki music. (B)

03

ATHENS-EPIDAURUS-NAUPLIA.
Join the included sightseeing tour of Athens featuring the highlights of this ancient capital and a visit to the Acropolis. Next, westward to the Corinth Canal. Journey into the Argolis to make a stop in Epidaurus. Visit the open-air theatre, which can still seat 14,000 spectators, then head for the coast and overnight in Nauplia. (B)

04

NAUPLIA-MYCENAE-SPARTA.
This morning, enjoy the included excursion with a Local Guide to Mycenae, a city fortress cursed by the gods but rich in gold and warrior kings. Motor south in the afternoon deep into the Peloponnese to Sparta for an overnight. (B,D)

05

SPARTA-MYSTRA-OLYMPIA
Your morning highlight will be the included sightseeing of the medieval Byzantine citadel of Mystra, at one time known as the "Florence of the East." In the afternoon, drive to Olympia. (B,D)

06

OLYMPIA-PATRAS-DELPHI
Focus on Olympia, where the athletes of antiquity performed in honour of the King of Deities. Learn more about the history of the Olympic Games on the optional sightseeing tour. In the afternoon, drive north towards Patras, the capital of the Peloponnese and the west coast's largest port. Then, proceed through the picturesque fishing villages along the south coast of the mainland to mythical Delphi, crossing the spectacular Rion-Antirion Bridge. (B)

07

DELPHI-KALAMBAKA
Optional morning sightseeing of the archaeological site of Delphi. In the afternoon, drive north by way of Lamia and on to Trikala in Thessaly for an overnight in Kalambaka. (B,D)

08

KALAMBAKA-METEORA-ATHENS
A short drive to Meteora, which is a cluster of monastic buildings perched in an unforgettable manner on a set of rising rock formations. Your included visit is certainly the day's highlight. Later, drive south via Lamia to Athens for an overnight. (B)

09

ATHENS
A full day at leisure to explore the unseen parts of the city, or maybe even join one of the many optionals available. (B)

10

ATHENS-PIRAEUS-(EMBARKATION )-MYKONOS
Early morning embarkation and an afternoon spent cruising in the Aegean. Evening arrival in Mykonos, a granite island and the most typical of the Cyclades. Its cubic houses, windmills, and chapels seem to make the island's light even more translucent. Spend some time visiting a taverna or just wandering around the town enjoying its timeless beauty. (B,L,D)

11

KUSADASI, TURKEY & PATMOS,
Two ports of call today. First, Kusadasi on the Turkish coast. An optional morning excursion takes you to the fascinating Greek, Roman, and Byzantine excavations of Ephesus. Next, discover the tiny Greek island of Patmos, where St. John the Divine wrote the Revelation. The 11th-century monastery with its valuable manuscript collection is well worth a visit. (B,L,D)

12

RHODES
Dock in Rhodes, largest of the Dodecanese Islands and site of the Colossus of Rhodes, a 32 metres (105-foot) statue destroyed by an earthquake in 224 BC. All day is dedicated to the island of Rhodes. Explore the sights in the historic Old City with its ramparts and palaces built by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades. Another possibility: join an optional excursion to Lindos and the fabulous Temple of Athena. And if sightseeing is not your thing, Rhodes' sun-drenched beaches and colourful shopping districts are within easy walking distance of the port. Sail from Rhodes around dinner time. (B,L,D)

13

CRETE & SANTORINI
Morning at Heraklion on the island of Crete. A few kilometres away is Knossos, the centre of the 3000 BC Minoan civilization, and an optional excursion can be booked. Next port of call (weather permitting) is Santorini, the "Black Pearl of the Aegean." The optional shore excursion here takes you up to the cliff-top village of Oia for one of the world's most breathtaking panoramas. (B,L,D)

14

PIRAEUS (DISEMBARKATION )-ATHENS
Early morning arrival in Piraeus; drive to Athens. More time to explore the unseen parts of the city or do some last-minute shopping. (B)

15

ATHENS. 
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Dates and Prices. Rates are per head in US$:

 Optional Gratuity :  US$97

WHERE TO GET YOUR U.K & SCHENGEN VISA