1st day Saturday: Athens
After your arrival in Athens our representative will meet you and assist with your transfer to your Hotel in Athens. Enjoy the rest of the day free to have a first impression of the City.
2nd day Sunday: Athens – Sightseeing
Athens Sightseeing – In the morning we begin our visit of Athens showing the highlights of the city with a panoramic tour in the center. We will see the Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Zeus and after to the Constitution square called “Syntagma” where the presidential guard, called “Evzonos”, is in front of the Greek parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Then we will go to the Panathinaikos stadium that was originally built in 329aC, where the first Olympics of the modern era in 1896 were held. After the drive through the center, we will visit the Acropolis and Parthenon, this magnificent monument built during the Golden age of Pericles at the time of 447BC dedicated to the Goddess Athena. Finally, we will visit the new Acropolis Museum, a building of a modern architecture, with the unique antiquities from the Acropolis.
After the tour, enjoy a free afternoon to explore the center of Athens which lies around Acropolis, passing through Plaka, Monastiraki and Thissio with a pleasant atmosphere of the ancient city.
3rd day Monday: Mykonos
In the morning check out from the Hotel and transfer to the port to board the cruise ship. First stop the wonderful island of Mykonos. The picturesque center of the island with its characteristic cobbled streets is called “Hora” and is the place where you can shop day and night, but also experience the famous nightlife of the island that lasts until sunrise. Late afternoon departure for Kusadasi.
4th day Tuesday: Samos or Kusadasi and Patmos
First destination of the day we will have the choice to go to the island of Samos or to Kusadasi (Turkey).
Samos apart from its natural beauty with fine sandy beaches and its lawns of green slopes, it is also rich in history and culture. Here was born Pythagoras, the father of mathematics. The island is also well known from antiquity for its luxury, its wines and the production of red ceramics.
Kusadasi is known for the historical sites of Ephesus and the house of the Virgin Mary, besides famous beaches and the view of the Aegean Sea.
The second destination is the island of Patmos, world famous for hosting the monastery of St. John and the cave where the Revelation was written, which occupies a central role in the Christian religion. Besides its religious importance, the island has beautiful beaches and unique features being a favorite destination.
5th day Wednesday: Rhodes
In the morning arrival on the island of Rhodes, the largest island of the Dodecanese archipelago, also known as the island of knights, due to be inhabited by the knights of St. John in the fourteenth century who built the Venetian castle and its walls that today are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the old city center, the market and the typical streets, all around the castle which is one of the best preserved in the Mediterranean region. Enjoy the notes and tastes of this wonderful island.
6th day Thursday: Crete and Santorini
The first destination of the day is Heraklio on the island of Crete, the largest island of Greece, where the Minoan civilization existed and the palace of Knossos which was the political and economic center of that time. Enjoy the morning to walk around the ancient city of Heraklio, with the old Venetian harbor, and enjoy the wide variety of restaurants and bars, where you can venture out and experience the typical Cretan cuisine which is the basis of Mediterranean cuisine. Or visit the Museum of Heraklio and see the famous Phestos disc that with its mysterious symbols stamped on it conceals its meaning until today.
In the afternoon the last stop Santorini, famous for its spectacular views of the Caldera, the typical white houses with stunning views of the Aegean Sea. Around 1600 BC the island was the site of the Minoan eruption, which left a large crater named Caldera and was possibly the cause of the extinction of the Minoan civilization of Crete with a giant tsunami caused by the eruption. Another theory says that this was the origin of the legend of Atlantis. In the afternoon don’t miss the famous sunset seen in the typical village of Oia (pronounced Ia), where the sun seems to sink into the blue of the Aegean sea.
7th day Friday: Return
In the morning arrival at Piraeus port, check out from the cruise ship and transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Included:
- 2 nights in Athens at your chosen Hotel category
- 4 nights in the cruise ship to the Greek Islands and Turkey
- Daily breakfast
- All Inclusive meals in the Cruise with drink package
- Arrival, intermediate and departure private transfers in Athens
- Orientation meeting with representative on arrival in Athens for a local guidance and assistance in the transfer.
- City tour in Athens, Acropolis and the museum with official English speaking guide, including entrances.
- Selected shore excursions in the cruise
Excluded:
- Hotel taxes from € 0,5 up to € 4,0 per room per night, payable directly at the Hotel.
- Port taxes and cruise service charges
- Porter fees
- Optional tours
- Everything that is not specifically stated on the itinerary and inclusions