Our next trip will be to Athens and the islands of Greece. If you are interested please contact the sponsors and complete the requirements for all new applicants.

Day 1 Start Tour
Day 2 Yassou Athens Meet your Tour Director & check into hotel
Athens city walk
You’re never more than a few steps away from the past in Athens. Accompany your Tour Director to the Plaka, the historic district that borders the Acropolis. In its twisting narrow streets you’ll catch glimpses of an older city, from wrought-iron balconies bursting with geraniums to traditional Greek dancing in basement tavernas. Continue on to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun in the 6th century B.C. and finished in A.D. 132 by the emperor Hadrian. Its enormous columns provide a sense of the scale of the original temple. Nearby, the elaborate Hadrian’s Arch separated the ancient and imperial sections of the city.
, Plaka district, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch

Day 3 Athens Landmarks Athens guided sightseeing tour
Not just another crowded dusty city, Athens has developed from the birthplace of democracy to a bustling modern metropolis. With a local licensed guide, start your time travel at the ancient hot spots of the first Olympic site and the sprawling Acropolis, classical Athens’ religious and civic center. The awe-inspiring Parthenon -- a temple dedicated to Athens’ patron saint Athena -- is the obvious centerpiece, but take time to examine the building next door, where sculpted women hold up the roof with their heads, and the amazing view of modern Athens below. Jump back to the present in Syntagma Square, the center of the modern city, to see the Parliament building and the British-style changing of the guards ceremony. (There’s a rather un-British flair to it, however -- the Greek guards wear white skirts, head scarves, and shoes and knee bands adorned with pom-poms.) Continue to Omonia Square, Athens' other main meeting point, to relax by the splashing central fountain ringed with palm trees.
, Parthenon, Acropolis visit, Temple of Athena Nike, Omonia Square, Syntagma Square, Olympic site

Day 4 Delphi Landmarks Delphi guided excursion
Prophet from the past. Explore the impressive ruins at Delphi, which the Greeks considered the center of the world. Within the depths of the Temple of Apollo, a priestess would inhale intoxicating vapors that used to rise from the earth and, thus inspired, deliver the prophecies of Apollo. Modern visitors might find more inspiration in the view from Mount Parnassus, over 8000 feet high.
, Delphi site visit, Temple of Apollo

Greek evening
It’ll all be Greek to you. Head to a taverna in the Plaka to hear Greek music, weave through the steps of traditional Greek dancing, and sample such Greek favorites as souvlaki (a lamb sandwich), spanakopita (flaky phyllo dough filled with spinach and cheese), moussaka (Greek lasagna), and baklava (a phyllo, honey, and nut dessert). Opa!

Day 5 Aegean Cruise (Aegean Cruise departs on Mondays only) Depart Athens on 4-day Aegean Cruise
Island hop, Aegean style! This four-day cruise will take you to six of the most beautiful islands in the world, all with a unique look and feel. There are more than 160 inhabited Greek islands, and they comprise one-fifth of Greece, and should not be omitted from any visit to this beautiful country. Your first port of call is Mykonos, with museums, white, cubistic buildings, Crayola-colored boats, gourmet restaurants, and lots of beach. Next stop is Kusadasi, an ancient Turkish hill-sloping town that is now one of the most popular Mediterranean tourist destinations. From there it’s on to seahorse-shaped Patmos, where you’ll see gold-leafed Byzantine frescos at the Monastery of St. John, the capital city of Hora, and the busy port of Skala. Rhodes offers tiled-roofed gazebos, huge trees, open-air plazas, old towns with whitewashed streets and buildings, and of course, beaches. Visit Heraklion, the capital of Crete, a former Minoan seaport with Venetian architecture and the largest collection of Minoan archaeology. And finally, you’ll visit Santorini, where whole villages seem to cling to the side of the volcano, and mysterious black sand beaches stretch into the sea. Cruise excursions are provided by the liner and can be purchased during the voyage.

Mykonos visit
Now one of the most popular of the Aegean islands, Mykonos is rugged and beautiful at the same time, and is one of the smallest islands of the Cyclades – it’s only 10 miles long and 7 miles wide. Mykonos is absolutely picturesque - thatched windmills, whitewashed streets, and a medieval quarter boasting cubic houses with picturesque balconies, and churches with red or blue doors. You can walk along the main shopping street, Matoyanni, and search for jewelry and clothing, or just take a break in one of the cafes that line the street. You’ll also visit the capital, Hora, with its colorful harbor in which little fishing boats nest happily side by side with luxury yachts.

Cruise overnight to Kusadasi

Day 6 Kusadasi--Rhodes Kusadasi visit
On Turkey’s west coast, Kusadasi (“Bird Island”) was named for the many pigeons that made their homes in and around the island’s 14th-century fort. Now tourists from around the world flock to this top Turkish resort for its miles of sandy beaches, beautiful rugged scenery, and proximity to important archaeological ruins. Wander through the market, where intricate carpets and glittering jewelry vie for buyers’ attention.

Cruise on and visit Patmos
Patmos is a barren island, and is the home of the famous Monastery of St. John the Theologian. There are only 2,500 lucky inhabitants of this rocky but beautiful island, and they are mostly concentrated in three towns – Skala, Chora and Kambos. Many people come here to pay religious homage, while wealthy Athenians and Europeans use this island as a vacation destination. You’ll see gold-leafed Byzantine frescos at the Monastery of St. John, the picturesque village of Chora, and Skala, the busy port town with many beautiful beaches, shops, and much else to keep you busy – all found on this beautiful and picturesque island.

Cruise overnight to Rhodes

Day 7 Rhodes--Crete Rhodes visit
Once a political and religious center of the ancient world (and home of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world), Rhodes now lures visitors with sunny beaches, well-preserved medieval fortifications, and a castle on a hill. A league of Christian knights built the beautiful palace in the 1300s on the highest point of the island. Though partially destroyed by an explosion in 1856, the palace was rebuilt by the Italians to serve as one of Mussolini’s summer homes.

Cruise overnight to Crete

Day 8 Crete--Athens Crete visit
The largest city on Crete and the fourth-largest city in Greece, Heraklion holds many treasures from the past within its modern buzz. The central Archaeological Museum proudly displays the remains of Heraklion’s Minoan heritage. Walk around and explore the many churches and ancient ruins, or just shop the markets and sample wonderful Greek fare.

Cruise on and visit Santorini
Rising steeply from the Aegean, crescent-shaped Santorini marks the rim of a volcanic crater that exploded in 1625 B.C., destroying and fragmenting a much larger island. The sea flooded into the crater, and now white towns gleam from the tops of the rocky cliffs, streaked black, brown, pink, and pale green. Rumors claim that this island may actually be the not-so-lost Atlantis.

Cruise overnight to Athens

Day 9 Cape Sounion Arrive in Athens

Cape Sounion guided excursion
Contemplate the sea god Poseidon from his temple perched high atop the hill of Cape Sounion, the southern-most tip of Central Greece. Stand among the tall, marble pillars rising up from the slippery slabs of rock and look out over the calm blue Aegean Sea. The Temple of Poseidon, built around the same time as the Parthenon (between 450-440 BC), is a refreshing point of calm after the chaos of modern Athens.
, Temple of Poseidon

Day 10 End Tour