Greece

Flight from Montreal to Athens.

Welcome to Athens, capital of Greece! Upon arrival at the airport, meet your English-speaking guide and transfer to your hotel.

Rest of the day at leisure.

Night in Athens.

Breakfast at the hotel.

We continue to Athens for a city tour.
Discover the monuments of historic Athens, including the Acropolis and the new Acropolis Museum.

Athens is a city of memorable contrasts. The past and present of Athens unfold before your eyes as we tour the city’s landmarks and monuments such as the Temple of Zeus, the ancient stadium, Syntagma Square, the Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the Library, and the National Gardens. On the natural fortress of the Acropolis, reinforced by the hand of man, stand the Propylaea, the Temple of the Winged Victory, the Erechtheion with the Porch of the Caryatids and, dominating the whole, the majestic Parthenon. A winding path leads to the treasure of antiquity. A few meters from the entrance to the Acropolis and the ancient theater of Dionysus, the Acropolis Museum, built on the pedestrian walkway of Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, seems to be suspended between the past and present of Athens.

Overnight in Athens.

Breakfast included.

Breakfast at the hotel.

First stop: Corinth Canal. Since 1893, it separates central Greece from the Peloponnese, so you will have to cross it to reach the Peloponnese peninsula. Another particularity of the Corinth Canal is its 2 submersible bridges. Located at each end of the Canal, they have to be put back in the water each time a boat passes. Head to Epidaurus, an irreplaceable sight of unique beauty with an immense cultural heritage. Its monuments are true masterpieces of ancient Greek art. The great theater of Epidaurus is often cited as the best preserved and the most beautiful of the whole country. The theater is located near the sanctuary of Asclepius, one of the most sacred temples of ancient Greece, dedicated to the god of healing that belonged to the city-state of Epidaurus.

We continue our journey to Nafplio, a charming seaside town.

Continue to Mycenae, one of the most prosperous cities of ancient Greece. It was the most important city of the Mycenaean civilization between 1600 and 1100 B.C. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is best known as the ancient home of King Agamemnon. Discover the Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon, a wonderful structure from the 14th century BC. Then go through the Lioness Gate, which time has not been able to destroy.

Continue to the cradle of the Olympic Games Olympia.

Dinner at your hotel and overnight in Olympia.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Breakfast at the hotel, departure for a full day tour.

Located in the western Peloponnese, ancient Olympia was one of the most sacred and glorious sanctuaries of the ancient world. And although only the foundations of many of its structures remain, it is still one of the most evocative archaeological sites in Greece. Capturing all the spirit of the Olympic Games, it is also the place where the Olympic flame is lit in commemoration of the Games that originated and were held here every four years for 1,000 years. The most important building in Altis was the huge Doric temple of the fifth century BC dedicated to the king of the gods. It housed the statue of Zeus by Phidias for over 800 years. A column of the temple has been restored, which allows us to appreciate its size. Passing under a stone archway, you enter the remains of the ancient stadium, which once housed over 45,000 spectators. It is mind-blowing to be able to line up on the track (measuring 192.27 m), just as the country’s best athletes did thousands of years ago. Nearby are the judges’ seats. Leaving Olympia behind, we head for Rion. Passing through Patras, Greece’s gateway to the west, we will catch our breath when we reach the award-winning “state-of-the-art” suspension bridge connecting Rion to Antirion. Spanning a 3 km wide straight line across the Gulf of Corinth, the bridge is believed to have the longest continuous, fully suspended deck in the world. We drive to the omphalos or “navel of the earth”, according to the ancient Greeks, Delphi.

Dinner at your hotel and overnight in Delphi.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Breakfast at the hotel and exploration of Delphi.

Delphi is the famous oracle where the priestess of Apollo, Pitia, influenced, with her prophecies, the history of the cities and states of antiquity.

Visit the archaeological site and the museum.

The museum houses an impressive collection associated with ancient Delphi, including the oldest known notation of a melody, the famous chariot driver, golden treasures found under the Sacred Way and fragments of reliefs from the Treasury of Siphnia. Near the exit is the inscription that mentions the Roman proconsul Gallion. The reference to the proconsul Gallion in the inscription provides an important point of reference for developing a chronology of the life of the apostle Paul by linking it to the trial of Paul in Achaia mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (18, 12-17).

We continue to the city of Kalambaka.

Dinner at the hotel and overnight in Kalambaka.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Breakfast at the hotel.

The monasteries are of great cultural and natural importance, honorably included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Separated from the earthquakes, weathered by wind and water for millions of years, these huge rocks are an authentic masterpiece of mother nature. The Holy Monastery of the Great Meteor is the largest and oldest. Its name refers to the formation of the gigantic rock on top of which the monastery was built. The Holy Monastery of Varlaam, the second largest monastery, was established by the ascetic monk Hosios Varlaam, who lived in a cave as a hermit and built a chapel on top of a rock in the middle of the 14th century.

As we leave behind the magnificent Meteora, let us not forget the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., which has long been the subject of cultural motivation, as it is perhaps the most famous final military battle of all time. The monument of the Great Leonidas, King of Sparta, at Thermopylae, will adorn our way back to Athens in the late afternoon.

Overnight in Athens.

Breakfast included.

Embark on a wonderful 4-night cruise to the Greek islands and Turkey. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily on board.

Mykonos, the whitewashed gem of the Cyclades, is your first stop. This charming mountainous island is known for the hundreds of small chapels, whitewashed buildings and beautiful windmills that dot its landscape.

Stroll through the town of Mykonos, where mazes of narrow streets connect the whitewashed buildings and traditional life continues amidst the bustling activity.

Enjoy free time to explore this little paradise in the middle of the Aegean Sea.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board included.

Arrive at the Turkish port of Kusadasi, where you will visit Ephesus, one of the most complete ancient cities ever excavated. Excavations have revealed great monuments of the Roman imperial period, including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theater. Little remains of the famous temple of Artemis, one of the “seven wonders of the world”, which attracted pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean.

Continue your cruise to the beautiful and spiritual island of Patmos where, in 95 AD, St. John the Theologian – one of the twelve disciples of Jesus – was sent into exile. St. John stayed on the island for eighteen months during which time he lived in a cave under the perched temple of Diana. In this cave there is a small hole in the rock wall, from which flowed a series of oracular messages that Prochoros, a disciple of St. John, transcribed as the biblical chapter of the Apocalypse. During his stay in the sacred cave, now known as the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse, St. John also composed the fourth gospel. We will visit the Monastery of St. John the Theologian, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we will see the Holy Cave as well as icons and manuscripts.

Afterwards, return to the port of Scala and enjoy free time in this picturesque port.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board included.

Early morning arrival in the beautiful Rose Island, Rhodes Island located in the southeastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The island of Rhodes is visited by hundreds of tourists every year as it offers a combination of great historical sites, wonderful beaches, lively nightlife and beautiful shopping areas.

You will visit the Acropolis of Lindos and the Citadel of the Knights – the old center of Rhodes city.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board included.

In the morning, the ship will dock at the port of Heraklion on the island of Crete. In Heraklion, Paul met the owner and captain of the ship, who advised him to continue his journey to Rome. You can take a tour to the Palace of Knossos, the center of Minoan civilization.

After dinner, the ship will sail to the most beautiful island in the Aegean known as the “Black Pearl of the Aegean”, the volcanic Santorini where we will enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view. The latest excavations have suggested that Santorini could be the lost sight of Atlantis.

(2 optional excursions / $140)

Knossos Palace – half day excursion
Price per person 80 euros, English speaking guide / entrance fee to Knossos Palace

The ancient city of Knossos, near the capital of Crete, Heraklion, was the place that “gave birth” to the very first civilization in Europe, the Minoans. We can therefore say with certainty that it is the oldest city in Europe. Our tour will open the world of the Minoans by visiting one of the most important archaeological treasures of the continent. The first excavations were undertaken in the 1870s by Minos Kalokairinos, himself a Cretan. A few decades later, in the early 1900s, further work by Sir Arthur Evans of Great Britain brought the world’s attention to the impressive scale of the Palace of Knossos, according to legend the residence of the wise King Minos. We will explore the great central courtyard, the magnificent throne room, the imposing grand staircase and see the fresco of the “Prince of Lilies”. Walking through the palace apartments and looking at the archaeological findings, we think you will be a little impressed by the rich cultural heritage of the Minoan civilization. You will undoubtedly hear the Cretan legend of the Minotaur, half man, half bull who lived in the Labyrinth and was killed by Theseus.

Visit of the village of Santorini in Oia – half day excursion
English speaking guide

If you are visiting Santorini for the first time, it will take your breath away. And even if you are a regular visitor, with its breathtaking scenery and whitewashed houses, it will still do it every time. It is regularly described as one of the most beautiful places on the planet. There are many magical moments on our tour. One of the greatest sights is the village of Oia perched on the edge of the Caldera, a remnant of a volcanic eruption. Santorini is a ring of rock around the sea. Think of it as the edge of an ancient volcano. We will first head to Megalochori, one of the most authentic and preserved villages on the island, which has retained its distinctive architecture, character and charm.Our journey continues eastward through a number of traditional communities such as Firostefani and Imerovigli until we arrive in Oia. During our journey we will have had the lacy caldera to the west, the small islands of Thirasia, Palea and Nea Kameni and an incredible and unsurpassable panoramic view. There is plenty of time in Oia to explore, stroll the marble paved streets, visit the lovely stores and capture the moments in front of the camera.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board included.

Arrival at the port of Lavrio early in the morning.

We continue to Athens International Airport for the flight back home.