Brilliance of Greece

DAY 1: ATHENS GREECE
Welcome to Athens! After you clear customs, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Balance of day at leisure.
DAY 2: ATHENS
Free day to explore Athens. Athens is a city where antiquity meets edginess. Museums and galleries abound, and new ones are in the works. The New Acropolis Museum, designed by the New York-based architect Bernard Tschumi, is now open at the foot of the ancient citadel. A major makeover prior to the 2004 Olympics added squares and pedestrian walkways, and new subway stations that double as museums. Today this ancient city is a vibrant megalopolis with nonstop nightlife, creative cuisine, and sites both ancient and modern. In the thousands of sidewalk cafés, courting teenagers, young professionals, and old men shuffling their worry beads all bask in Athens’s modern-day renaissance.
DAY 3: ATHENS / MYKONOS
Morning transfer to the port to board the ferry to Mykonos. Upon your arrival on the island, transfer to your hotel.
DAYS 4 & 5: MYKONOS
Days at leisure in Mykonos to enjoy this unique island. Mykonos island is a wonderful kaleidoscope of cosmopolitan shops, rocking bars, quaint windmills, great beaches, homey taverns and hidden churches all set against a brilliant blue backdrop. And it’s not just the water that sparkles in the sun on Mykonos, but also the marble streets and beautiful white cubist buildings that characterize the island’s architecture.
DAY 6: MYKONOS / SANTORINI
At the indicated time you will be transferred to the port for your ferry to Santorini. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
DAYS 7 & 8: SANTORINI
Days at leisure to enjoy the sun, the unforgettable view and the most romantic sunset in the world. Santorini is the essence of a Greek island, where sea meets weather-beaten rock and colors are bold and elemental. Blue-domed chapels stand on hilltops; houses are simple white cubes, sunsets flamboyant orange. The half-moon island, with its rearing cliffs and dramatic outlooks, is all that remains of a huge volcanic explosion. Inland, fertile soils provide a softer landscape of silvery olive trees, fields of tomatoes and neatly pegged vineyards that produce sweet amber-colored wine.
DAY 9: SANTORINI / CRETE
At the indicated time, you will be transferred to the port for your ferry to Heraklion Crete. Upon your arrival on the island, transfer to your hotel.
DAYS 10 & 11: CRETE
Days at leisure on Crete island. Crete is not just Greece’s largest island, but arguably its’ most fascinating and diverse. Its remarkable history is evident across the island, from the ruins of the Minoan palace of Knossos to the Venetian fortresses of Rethymo; from old mosques and Byzantine monasteries to the cave that is the legendary birthplace of Zeus. The Venetian port of Chania in Western Crete is one of Greece’s most evocative cities and the capital, Heraklion, is a dynamic city, the fifth largest in Greece.
Crete is renowned for its natural beauty and diverse landscape. Spectacular mountain ranges dotted with caves are sliced by dramatic gorges that spill out to sea. The rugged interior is interspersed with vast plateaus and fertile plains. The east boasts Europe’s only palm-tree forest beach and the south coast has some of the most stunning beaches and isolated coves.
Cretans are proud and hospitable people who maintain their culture and customs, particularly their strong musical tradition. Throughout the island you will come across traditional mountain villages and agricultural settlements unaffected by tourism, shepherds tending their flocks and come across men in traditional dress. Optional tours available
DAY 12: CRETE / RHODES
At the indicated time, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Rhodes. Upon arrival on the island, transfer to your hotel.
DAYS 13 & 14: RHODES
Days at leisure in Rhodes, the beautiful island of Roses. Situated in the southeast part of the Mediterranean Sea, Rhodes is a highly tourist oriented place, offering its visitors a combination of great history, marvelous beaches and a variety of long lasting night life and fascinating duty free shopping. Above all you should not miss the opportunity to visit the Old Medieval town and the Castle of the Knights.
DAY 15: RHODES / ATHENS
At the indicated time, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Athens.