The Greek Islands: Mykonos, Santorini & Crete
14 days / 12 nights
ATHENS | MYKONOS | SANTORINI | HERAKLION
08-21/05/2018 and 05-18/06/2018
Explore the most famous tourist destinations of Greece in this 14day island hopping package: see the ancient sights of Athens, swim in the gorgeous beaches of Mykonos, get amazed by the impressive caldera views of Santorini and feel the special vibe of Crete.
OVERNIGHT STAYS
ITINERARY
DAY 1 – TRAVEL DAY
Board your overnight flight to Athens today.
DAY 2 – ATHENS
Arrival in Athens. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Welcome dinner and overnight.
DAY 3 – ATHENS – CITY TOUR
Breakfast. Departure from the Hotel in the morning for the tour giving you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Our expert guide will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896 (short stop). Continue and pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace) guarded by the Euzones in their colourful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library, the Constitution Square (Syntagma). On the Acropolis visit the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon. Afternoon free and overnight stay in Athens.
DAY 4 – ATHENS
Breakfast. Day free for personal activities. Overnight.
DAY 5 – ATHENS – MYKONOS
Breakfast. Transfer to Piraeus with destination, the island of Mykonos. Arrival in Mykonos. Pick up and island tour with walking tour. The tour starts by walking the small and narrow streets, the guests see the famous wind-mills, small churches and get information for the old town. At the end of the tour, transfer to the hotel. Dinner in a local tavern and overnight stay in Mykonos.
DAY 6 – MYKONOS
Breakfast. Enjoy a full free day in Mykonos soaking up the sun and unique island culture. Overnight
DAY 7 – MYKONOS
Breakfast. Enjoy another day exploring Mykonos at your leisure. Overnight.
DAY 8 – MYKONOS – SANTORINI
Breakfast. Transfer to port with destination, the island of Santorini. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel and enjoy free time to discover the island’s volcanic black-sand beaches, cliff-lined shores, and stunning whitewashed architecture. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 9 – SANTORINI
Breakfast. Departure from the hotel in the morning for a half day tour in Akrotiri – Mount Profitis Ilias – Pyrgos. The bus and a guide pick up the group and head to Akrotiri, where the clients will walk among the ruins of one of the most important archaeological sites in the world (1 ½ hour), with admirable findings of Santorini’s history.
The bus and an escort pick up the clients and head to the village of Pyrgos for a short walk. Following, the clients visit Profitis Ilias, the highest point of the island, ideal for photos.
DAY 10 – SANTORINI
Breakfast. Enjoy a full-free day in this magnificent island. Overnight
DAY 11 – SANTORINI – CRETE
Breakfast. Departure from the hotel the afternoon to the port of Santorini with destination the island of Crete, the largest of the Greek Islands. Dinner at a local tavern. Arrival at the hotel. Overnight.
DAY 12 – CRETE
Breakfast. Enjoy a full-day free in Crete. Overnight.
DAY 13 – CRETE – ATHENS
Breakfast. Departure from the hotel for a sightseeing tour of the region of Heraklion. Our tour starts with a visit to the beautiful city of Heraklion. Heraklion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete. It is one of the largest cities in Greece .The Venetians improved on the ditch of the city by building enormous fortifications, most of which are still in place, including a giant wall, in places up to 40 m thick, with 7 bastions, and a fortress of Koule Chandax was renamed Candia and became the seat of the Duke of Candia, and the Venetian administrative district of Crete became known as “regno di Candia”. Main sightseeing’s of the tour: the Lion’s square, the Venetian Loggia, and the Cathedral of St Minas or the Church of St. Titus and the 25th August street which links the Marina and the Castle of Koules with the heart of the city and a main open air market. After the Heraklion tour, continue towards Knossos Palace. Only few kilometers south of Heraklion, Knossos, the capital of King Minos and the center of the magnificent Minoan civilization is located. Our visit (maximum 4 hours) here will take us a step back in time and some 4000 years, 2000 BC.Knossos and her Palace, famous throughout the world through the myths of Europa, the Minotaur, the Labyrinth and Theseus, Daedalus and Ikarus, will open us a window to the most ancient civilization of Europe and its reality you can’t miss.
Knossos’ architectural feats include several storey buildings (first in the world) with light wells and bathrooms, impressive pillars and an ingenuous drainage system, aqueducts, irrigation systems, paved roads and magnificent frescoes. All these will impress you and show an advanced beautiful jewelry and a way of life you never thought possible in the dawn of history. In Heraklion you may wander around the city to see the Venetian buildings and castle, the impressive Cathedral, the fountains, the open street market or just to have a lunch. In 1204, the city was bought by the Republic of Venice. The Venetians improved on the ditch of the city by building enormous fortifications, most of which are still in place, including a giant wall, in places up to 40 m thick, with 7 bastions, and a fortress in the harbour. At the end of the tour, transfer to the Heraklion International Airport with destination the city of Athens. Pick up and transfer to hotel in Athens. Farewell dinner. Overnight
DAY 14 – ATHENS – DEPARTURE
Breakfast. At appropriate time transfer to the Airport for departure of the group.
GROUP DATES:
Group size: 18-35 travelers
2018 DATES
May. 8 – May. 21
$2,818 pp based on DBL – Domestic and Transatlantic flight to be added
Jun. 5 – Jun. 18
$2,818 pp based on DBL – Domestic and Transatlantic flight to be added
THE ABOVE PRICE INCLUDES: