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DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight
to Athens.
DAY
2 ARRIVE
ATHENS - ELEUSIS - NAFPLIO (2 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our tour manager/guide who
will accompany us to the Greek Peloponnese. En route, we
will stop for a visit to 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 Nafplio, our base for the next three evenings.
Nafplio is one of the loveliest towns in all of Greece; the
old city features neoclassic houses, picturesque streets,
Turkish fountains, fascinating mosques and magnificent
outdoor cafes.
DAY
3 MYCENAE & CORINTH
WWe
will make an early start as we travel to Mycenae, a
fortified Palace Complex uncovered by archaeologist
Heinrich Schielmann in 1874. The complex is one of the
earliest examples of sophisticated citadel architecture, and
only the ruling class would have inhabited the hilltop
palace. Highlights of our visit will include: the 13th
century BC Lion Gate; Grave Circle A,
with six royal family shaft graves; the Royal Palace
situated at the acropolis summit; and the Secret
Stairway, a flight of 99 steps dropping to a cistern
deep beneath the citadel. We continue outside the palace
complex, where will visit the Treasury of Atreus, the
most outstanding of the tholos tombs. Dating from
the 14th century BC, it is one of only two double-chambered
tombs in Greece. We continue to Corinth, one of the largest
and most prosperous cities in ancient Greece and the site of
an important Roman colony. The ruins of the ancient city
are spread out for miles, but we will focus on the site
known as the Acrocorinth, beyond the main city. In
addition to the fascinating remains of the Acrocorinth, we
will also be afforded one of the most sweeping views in all
of Greece. We return to Nafplio for the evening
- Your First Concert Performance will be today
DAY
4 NAFPLIO - PIRAEUS - ISLAND CRUISE (4
NIGHTS) - MYKONOS
This morning we make an early departure and travel to the
port city of Piraeus, where we will board our cruise ship
and begin our four-night Aegean Cruise. Our first
port of call will
be the Island of Mykonos, where we will be free to
explore the labyrinthine alleys of Hora. Hora is the
quintessential Cycladic town. It features: the remains of a
small Venetian Kastro (fortress); the Panagia Paraportiani,
island's most famous church; the Alefkandra Quarter, better
known as Little Venice for its cluster of homes built
overhanging the sea; and the famous Windmills of Kato
Myli, featuring stunning views back towards Little
Venice. We return to
the ship late this afternoon and set sail for the western
coast of Turkey. We will sleep in cabins and have the
opportunity to eat all of our meals on board the cruise ship.
DAY
5 ISLAND CRUISE - KUSADASI (TURKEY) &
PATMOS
This morning we arrive in Kusadasi, Turkey, where we
will take an excursion to the ancient city of Ephesus,
one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Our
visit will include: the Amphitheater, where St. Paul
preached to the Ephesians; the Library of Celsus, and
a stroll along the ancient Roman streets with original
mosaics still intact. We return to the ship and sail to
Patmos, where our afternoon will include an excursion to
the foreboding St. John’s Monastery. Later this
afternoon we will return to the ship and set sail for Rhodes.
DAY
6 ISLAND CRUISE - RHODES
This morning we arrive in Rhodes, one of the seven ancient
wonders of the world. We will enjoy a relaxing day on this
magnificent island, including options to visit either
Rhodes Town, home to the Knights of St. John, or
Lindos to visit the Acropolis and Citadel.
Late this afternoon, we re-board the ship and set sail for
Crete.
- Your Second Concert Performance will be today
DAY
7 ISLAND CRUISE - CRETE (IRAKLION) &
SANTORINI (FIRA)
This morning we continue our island-hopping as we visit the
island of Crete, which holds the glories of the Minoan
culture. Crete has layers of at least 4,000 years of
continuous inhabitation, including the vibrant heritage of
centuries of Orthodox Christianity, and the distinctive
imprint left by almost 700 years of Venetian and Turkish
rule. Today we will take an excursion to Iraklion,
and we begin with a visit to the Palace of Knossos,
one of the great archaeological sites of the world. The
complex was a combination of a royal palace, the Minoans'
chief ceremonial center, their administrative headquarters
and royal workshops. Using every possible clue and remnant,
large parts of the palace have been rebuilt, including
walls, floors, stairs, windows, and columns. During our
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. We return to the ship for
a short sail to Santorini, one of the most beautiful and
unique islands in the world. Upon our arrival, we will take
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 offshore islands. We will have the afternoon to
explore Santorini’s capital, featuring beautiful buildings,
churches and windmills. Be sure to take a Volta (stroll)
Along M. Nomikou Street, one of the most exquisite in
the Cyclades, which follows the edge of the caldera. We
return to the ship late this afternoon and set sail for
mainland Greece.
DAY
8 ARRIVE PIRAEUS - ATHENS (1 NIGHT) (BIRTHPLACE OF
WESTERN CIVILIZATION)
We will arrive at the port city of Piraeus very early this
morning and transfer to Athens, the ancient and historic
capital of Greece. 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.
- Your Third Concert Performance will be today
DAY
9 DEPARTURE FROM ATHENS
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to
an end as your tour manager/guide accompanies you to the airport
for the return flight home.
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