Explore Greek Culture and Food

Depart the US

Arrive Athens Airport, meet our tour escort and transfer to our hotel to check in. The rest of the day is at free. Overnight in Athens.

Breakfast at our hotel. Meet with our guide and depart for a full day Athens city tour. Enjoy a panoramic drive of Athens, before visiting the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum, which was recently built to house the archaeological remains of the ancient Acropolis site. From here we go to lunch in one of the traditional restaurants of Athens. Return to our hotel early in the afternoon. The rest of our day is at leisure. In the evening, meet with our tour escort and transfer to a local restaurant in Plaka area, full of narrow streets near the Acropolis, to enjoy our welcome dinner. Overnight in Athens (B, L, D)

Breakfast at our hotel. Meet with our escort and transfer to Athens airport, for our flight to Heraklion/Crete. Upon arrival in Heraklion, the largest city on Crete, meet with our guide and start with a tour of Knossos Palace, once the capital of Minoan Crete. This complex or over 6 acres began in the 7^th century and was destroyed in 1375 BC. Next, we stop in Archanes for lunch before we visit the village. Built on the slope of a small hill, and once inhabited back in 6,000 BC, it has lovely architecture that has been restored with its Byzantine influences, and even a Venetian aqueduct.  Like the rest of Crete, it was once under Turkish rule. We stroll around the historical center and a visit to the Archaeological Museum. Transfer to Chania and check in to our hotel. The rest of day is at leisure. Overnight in Chania, the second largest city of Crete. (B, L)

Breakfast at our hotel. We depart for a walking tour of Chania, and a visit to the food market to taste local products. Visit the Agia Triada Monastery on the Akrotiri peninsula. This flourishing  Greek Orthodox monastery produces olive oil and wine. The Agia Triada or “Holy Trinity,” was built in the Byzantine style by two Venetian brothers in the 17^th century, on the site of a pre-existing church. Return to our hotel in Chiana for the night. (B)

Breakfast at our hotel. Drive to Omalos plateau, the largest plateau of Western Crete. It was an important halfway point for shepherds when they moved their sheep to the higher pastures for spring and fall from the lower winter pastures. This is the starting point of the known Samaria Gorge, a National Park, and a World Biosphere Reserve. Here we visit shepherds and learn about the traditional cheese making. After a traditional rustic lunch, we will visit a botanical park, to learn about the island’s indigenous flora, before the return to the hotel. Overnight in Chania (B, L)

Breakfast at our hotel. We visit an ecological prototype farm that promotes the traditional way or organic olive oil production. The olive oil is stone milled and cold pressed, but the old methods have been redesigned to work in a modern, more closely managed and more sustainable way. We are guided around the premises and have an olive-oil tasting, accompanied by the owners. Our next stop will be at a family run winery of the area, to learn about the local varieties and enjoy a tasting and lunch. The rest of our day is at leisure. Overnight in Chania (B, L)

Breakfast at our hotel. We have a relaxed morning today. Around noon we transfer to Chania airport for flight to Athens. Upon arrival, we meet our guide and depart for Cape Sounion. Visit the famous archaeological site with the Temple of Poseidon, sitting high upon the cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea, and enjoy a magnificent sunset. On the way to our Athens hotel, enjoy our farewell dinner in a seaside restaurant. Arrive in Athens at our hotel, check in for the night(B, D)

Breakfast at our hotel. Transfer to the Athens airport for flight back home (B)

• 3 nights at a 4-star hotel in Athens, with daily breakfast
• 4 nights at 4-star hotel in Chania, with daily breakfast
• Transportation in Athens and Crete, as per the attached itinerary, by deluxe A/C motor coaches
• English speaking escorts during transfers and English speaking guides during visits to archaeological sites, in both Athens and Crete
• One welcome dinner in Athens in a local restaurant
• One lunch in a local restaurant in Athens during Athens city tour
• Meals as listed in the itinerary
• Entrance fees to Acropolis site, New Acropolis Museum, Sounion, Knossos Palace, Heraklion Archaeological Museum
• Hotel Porterage
• Water in bus (2 small bottles of water per person/per day)
• Tips to drivers and guides – All hotel taxes and service

• Meals not specified above
• Drinks/beverages during trip
• Personal expenses
• Anything not mentioned in the above “included” section or in the program