DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Athens.

DAY    2            ARRIVE ATHENS (2 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our tour manager/guide, and travel just outside of Athens, where we will visit Ancient Eleusis, which was a center for religious devotion that culminated in the Annual Eleusian Mysteries. Existing from the Mycenaean period, thousands of people from around the world would come to be initiated. Our visit to the ancient sight will be highlighted by: the remains of the Greater Propylaia, built by the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius; the Ploutonion, the sanctuary of Hades; the Lesser Propylaia; the Telesterion, a 5th century temple; and the Anaktoron, the holiest portion of the sight. Our visit will also include a visit to the small Museum with artifacts from the ancient sight. We continue to our hotel in central Athens. Time permitting; we will take a Walking Tour through the Monastiraki, the old area which takes its name from a sunken monastery. This section of Athens is highlighted by: the Fethiye Mosque, Tsistaraki Mosque, the Roman Agora, the remains of Hadrian's Library and the unique Tower of the Winds.

DAY    3            ATHENS (BIRTHPLACE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION)
Our morning commences with a visit to the Acropolis, which has dominated the skyline of Athens for over 2,000 years. A citadel was built on the rock in Mycenaean times, and was the first of a series of temples that honored Athena, the city's divine patroness. In 480 BC the Persians captured the Acropolis, and the Athenian leader Pericles rebuilt the site according to his plan of unsurpassed beauty and grandeur. During our tour of the Acropolis, we will view: the Propylaia, the monumental entrance to the complex; the Temple of Athena Nike; the Parthenon, the temple to Athena which crowns the Acropolis; the Erectheion, dedicated to Poseidon and Athena; and the Theater of Herodes Atticus, originally built in AD 161. Our time on the Acropolis concludes with a visit to the Acropolis Museum, featuring a superb collection of treasures excavated from the area. Our day continues as we view Hadrian's Arch, an enormous triumphal arch built by the Roman Emperor, which is still a symbolic entrance to Athens. The Temple of Olympian Zeus is the largest temple in Athens, and we will get a sense of its enormous size on our visit when we view the 15 columns that remain of the original 104. This evening we will explore and dine in the lively Plaka Area, the historic heart of Athens.

DAY    4            ATHENS & CAPE SOUNION - FLIGHT TO CRETE (2 NIGHTS)
Our morning commences with a visit to the National Archaeological Museum, one of the world's most important museums, which houses treasures collected from many small museums in and around Athens. (Subject to Museum re-opening) Our day continues with a visit to the Ancient Agora, or marketplace, which formed the political heart of Athens from 600 BC. Socrates was indicted and executed here in 399 BC. The theater, schools and stoas filled with shops also made this the center of social and commercial life. We will explore the vast remains of the ancient complex, which have been excavated since the 1930s, including Hephaisteion, the best-preserved Temple, and the Stoa of Attalos, a reconstructed, colonnaded building, which houses a small museum with the finds from the Agora. This afternoon we will take a short excursion to Cape Sounion, on the coast of the Aegean Sea. Here we will visit the Temple of Poseidon, ideally positioned for worship of the powerful god of the sea, as it was built on a beautiful site set back from the sheer cliffs tumbling into the Aegean Sea. The present temple, built in 444 BC, stands on the site of older ruins. It features an Ionic Frieze made from Parian marble and 15 of the 34 original Doric columns survive. This afternoon we will transfer to the airport for a short flight to the Island of Crete, which holds the glories of the Minoan culture.

DAY    5            IRAKLION (TREASURES OF THE MINOANS)
This morning we will explore the treasures of Iraklion, beginning with a visit to the Palace of Knossos, one of the great archaeological sites of the world. Using every possible clue and remnant, large parts of the palace have been rebuilt, including walls, floors, stairs, windows, and columns. During out tour, we will get a good sense of the structure's labyrinthine nature, as we will be viewing the remains of two major palaces plus several restorations that were made from about 2000 B.C. to 1250 B.C. This afternoon we will visit the Archaeological Museum, one of the world's premier collections of art and artifacts from the Minoan civilization. Many of its most spectacular objects are from the excavations at Knossos, and feature a variety of objects, styles, techniques, and materials.

DAY    6            CRETE - HYDROFOIL TO SANTORINI (3 NIGHTS) - ANCIENT
                          AKROTIRI
This morning we will take a Hydrofoil Speed Ferry from Iraklion to the spectacular Island of Santorini. Upon our arrival on Santorini, we will transfer to Ancient Akrotiri, where excavations have been in progress since 1967. This site has provided the world with a fascinating look at urban life in the Minoan period, and is sometimes nicknamed the "Minoan Pompeii." The elaborate architecture and vivid frescoes demonstrate the high level of culture, which was frozen in time around 1450 B.C. by a cataclysmic eruption of the island's volcano. We continue with a Donkey Ride to Fira, one of the most scenic towns in the world, with a spectacular location on the edge of the caldera. Fira offers unmatched views down and out to sea, and to the off shore islands. After checking into our hotel, we will take advantage of the emptying of Santorini's capital and explore the beautiful buildings, churches and windmills. After dinner we will take a Volta (stroll) Along M. Nomikou Street, one of the most exquisite in the Cyclades, which follows the edge of the caldera.

DAY    7            TOUR OF THE CALDERA ISLANDS
Today we will explore the tantalizing Islands in the Caldera, part of the glory of Santorini's seascape, and reminders of the larger island that existed before the volcano left the crescent in the sea. We will take a Full-Day Boat Excursion, departing from the port of Fira. Our first stop will be Thirassia, a small, inhabited island west across the caldera from Santorini, where we will have a bit of time to explore the cliff top village of the same name, a quiet retreat from Santorini's summer crowds. Our tour will also include stops at the two smoldering dark islands in the middle of the caldera. Palea Kameni ("Old Burnt") is the smaller and more distant, and Nea Kameni ("New Burnt"), which began its appearance sometime in the early 18th century. We will return to Santorini for the afternoon, where we will enjoy a bit of free to time to explore or shop at our leisure.

DAY    8            THE BEACHES OF SANTORINI
Today we will enjoy a relaxing day on the beaches of Santorini. We will begin the morning with some beach time at Kamari on the east coast of Santorini, which features the largest beach on the island. The natural setting, at the foot of cliffs rising sharply toward Ancient Thira, is excellent, and the beach itself features the island's unique black pebbles. Kamari's pebbles get very hot in the afternoon; therefore, we will transfer to the Red Beach, or Paralia Kokkini, at the end of the road to Ancient Akrotiri. This beach is unique because it is composed of small red volcanic pebbles. We return to Fira for the evening.

DAY    9            SANTORINI - ANCIENT THIRA - FLIGHT TO ATHENS
                          (1 NIGHT)
This morning we will visit the ruins of Ancient Thira, located on a high rocky headland called Mesa Vouna. This is an incredible site, with cliffs dropping abruptly to the sea on three sides, and dramatic views of Santorini and the neighboring islands. We will take a Tour of the Remains, of which most buildings date from the Hellenistic era, when Ptolemaic forces occupied the site. In addition, there are also extensive Roman and Byzantine remains. This afternoon we will take a short flight back to Athens for our final evening in Greece.

DAY    10            DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS
Our enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as our guide accompanies us to the airport for the flight home.