Mainland Greece and Islands

Day 1 Arrive in Athens, Greece Meet and Greet at Athens International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Athens city center. Rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight: Athens Meals: Not Available   Day 2 Athens After breakfast we will meet you at your hotel or close by, in order to start the morning Half Day Athens Sightseeing Tour. This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Our expert guides will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium, home to the first Olympic Games of the modern era, where we will make a short stop. As we continue our trip, we will pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace), guarded by the Evzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy of Athens, the University, the National Library and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). One cannot take a tour of Athens without visiting the Acropolis, one of the world’s most prominent sites and a symbol for democracy in the Western world! It is there that you will explore architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Pericles. From the Propylaea, to the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and of course the Parthenon, a place where ‘there is harmony between material and spirit’, a the monument that ‘restores order in the mind’, as ancient Greeks used to say. Your last stop will be the modern Acropolis Museum, with nearly 4,000 exhibits of Hellenism housed inside. Departure approximately at 08:45 – Return approximately at 13:30 Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast Day 3 Athens - Corinth - Olympia We will pick you up from select spots in Athens (departure at approx. 8:45) and take the coastal road to the Corinth Canal, where we will make a short stop. Back on the road and onto the Theatre of Epidaurus, a monument to the arts and a structure famous for its remarkable acoustics. We will then proceed to the town of Nafplion, the first capital of modern Greece, for another short stop and leave for Mycenae, where a visit to the archaeological site and Tomb of Agamemnon is in order. A culture-filled day will conclude once we reach Olympia, the cradle of the Olympic Games, via Central Peloponnesus and the towns of Tripolis and Megalopolis. Overnight: Olympia Meals: Breakfast – Dinner   Day 4Olympia - Delphi After breakfast we will meet you at your hotel or close by, in order to start the morning Half Day Athens Sightseeing Tour. This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Our expert guides will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium, home to the first Olympic Games of the modern era, where we will make a short stop. As we continue our trip, we will pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace), guarded by the Evzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy of Athens, the University, the National Library and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). One cannot take a tour of Athens without visiting the Acropolis, one of the world’s most prominent sites and a symbol for democracy in the Western world! It is there that you will explore architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Pericles. From the Propylaea, to the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and of course the Parthenon, a place where ‘there is harmony between material and spirit’, a the monument that ‘restores order in the mind’, as ancient Greeks used to say. Your last stop will be the modern Acropolis Museum, with nearly 4,000 exhibits of Hellenism housed inside. Departure approximately at 08:45 – Return approximately at 13:30 Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast   In the morning visit the Archaeological Site with the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Stadium and the Archaeological Museum. Then drive on through the plains of Ilia and Achaia until the magnificent bridge which is crossing the Corinthian Bay from Rion to Antirion. Pass by the picturesque Towns of Nafpactos (Lepanto) and Itea, arrive in Delphi. Overnight: Delphi Meals: Breakfast and dinner Day 5 Delphi - Kalambaka In the morning visit the Archaeological Site and the Museum of Delphi. Depart for Kalambaka, a small town situated at the foot of the astonishing complex of the Meteora, those gigantic rocks that rise steep from the plain of Thessaly. Overnight: Kalambaka Meals: Breakfast and dinner   Day 6 Kalambaka - Meteora -Athens Visit the Meteora: perched on top of huge rocks, which seem to be suspended in mid-air, stand ageless Monasteries, where you can see exquisite specimens of Byzantine art. Meteora, meaning “suspended in air”, is home to otherworldly limestone landscapes that soar as high as 600 meters (1,968 feet) into the perfect blue sky. Perched atop several of these rocky cliffs were once 22 skillfully constructed Byzantine monasteries. After a series of natural disasters many monasteries were abandoned and eventually destroyed. Only 6 remain and now function as Greek Orthodox monasteries. We will visit 3 which are open on the day of visit. Return to Athensfor overnight. Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast  Day 7 Athens - Mykonos After breakfast freetime until your transfer to Lavrion Port. We leave at 01:00 pm the historic and classical capital of Greece and set sail for our first destination, the beautiful island of Mykonos, also known as the Island of the Winds. Take an evening stroll through the atmospheric Old Town with its immaculate whitewashed houses, winding alleys, lovely little churches and delightful restaurants at the water’s edge. You will undoubtedly recognize the picture postcard white windmills sitting side by side, overlooking the sea. Overnight: Celestyal Oceanic Cruise Meals: Full board on board Day 8 Mykonos - Kuşadasi - Patmos We arrive in the colorful Turkish beach town of Kusadasi in the morning. This is the coastal gateway to the Hellenistic ruins of Ephesus, famed for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. A complimentary excursion is included to this iconic site, one of the undoubted highlights of our journey. Patmos, one of northernmost islands in the Dodecanese and one of all the smallest has a charm all its own. It is famous for being the supposed location of the vision to John the Baptist in the Book of Revelations and where it was written. Most scholars say this was probably someone else, but why spoil such a good story? Overnight: Celestyal Oceanic Cruise Meals: Full board on board Day 9 Heraklion (Crete) Santorini