Cyclades Greek Island Hopper with Athens

Mykonos, Santorini & Crete plus Classical Greece optional extension

Includes airfare, fuel surcharges, airline taxes and fees, hotels, transfers, many meals, touring & more. *

Overview

Itinerary at a Glance Cyclades Greek Island Hopper
Day	Destination
1	Depart USA
2	Athens
3	Athens & Mykonos
4	Mykonos
5	Mykonos
6	Mykonos & Santorini
7	Santorini
8	Santorini
9	Santorini & Heraklion, Crete
10	Heraklion
11	Heraklion
12	Heraklion & Athens
13	Athens/USA
Classical Greece Extension
13	Athens, Mycenae & Olympia
14	Olympia, Nafpaktos & Delphi
15	Delphi & Kalambaka
16	Meteora & Athens
17	Athens
18	Athens/USA

Departures	August – September 2013
Departs	New York Kennedy (JFK); other gateways on request
Highlights	Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion. Optional touring includes Delos ruins & Knossos ruins. Accommodations in Deluxe and Superior First Class Hotels. This is an independent tour. Optional Classical Greece Extension.
Included Features	Round trip flights from New York via scheduled carriers, including fuel surcharges and taxes and fees, with other gateways available on request 11 nights superior and deluxe hotel accommodations Buffet breakfast daily All transfers Ferries between Athens, Mykonos, Santorini & Crete Flight from Crete to Athens
Travel Style	This leisurely-paced, independent tour requires minimal walking and is suitable for most levels of physical fitness.

Come with us to experience the magic of the Mediterranean on this amazing Greek Isles tour. Explore three of the best Greek Islands on this unique new vacation package. Unlike our ever-popular Greek cruises, this "island hopper" tour gives you several days to explore each island—a chance to really get to know and love them. Spend the days exploring the ancient secrets of the islands, or just bask on the sun-splashed Mediterranean beaches. Spend the evenings dining, dancing and enjoying the famous nightlife.

Visit beautiful Mykonos, with its white-washed houses and blue shutters studding the island, sparkling beaches and clear blue sea. Then sail to Santorini, with spectacular views of the sunken caldera and still-active volcano, black sand beaches, fabulous shopping alongside unspoiled villages. Next, you're off to Crete, the largest Greek island, where the ancient Minoan civilization flourished, and you can glimpse the remains of King Minos' Palace of Knossos. Top it off with two nights in ancient Athens, the city where past meets present, known as the birthplace of western civilization.

Our package, designed for the independent traveler, includes flights, deluxe hotel accommodations in Athens for two nights, and three nights on each of the islands of Mykonos, Santorini and Crete, buffet breakfast daily, ferries, flight and transfers. Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the Greek Isles, all at an incredible price.

Other packages you might like:

• Aegean Greek Island Hopper with Athens: 13 days from $2999*
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• Athens & 4 Day Greek Isles Cruise: 9 days from $2199*
• Athens, Mykonos & Greek Isles Cruise: 12 days from $2299*
• Greek Island Hopper: 10 days from $2599*
• Highlights of Greece & Turkey Cruise: 12 days from $2799*

Dates, Prices & Options

All prices, fees and deposits are per person, subject to change at any time, and not guaranteed until we receive your final payment.

Want to stay longer? We may be able to arrange for you to extend your stay later than the scheduled dates, subject to availability. Contact us about dates, prices and restrictions.

Coming from somewhere else? Before you book, ask us about availability and prices for flights from other cities.

To make a reservation, we only require a per-person deposit payment, which you can pay with your credit card. This non-refundable deposit will be applied towards the cost of your package. You can pay the balance due later by credit card, check or money order. Your final payment is due 75 days prior to departure, or within 72 hours of booking, whichever is later.

Ticketing: Flights must be ticketed within 24 hours of booking. Additional charges for flights from cities other than JFK will be charged within 24 hours of your booking. Once issued, the tickets and these charges are unchangeable, non-refundable and non-transferrable.

We must receive photocopies of the signature and picture pages of your passport(s) in our offices within 24 hours of your reservation being completed. If we have not received this information, your reservation will be subject to a higher airfare and/or cancellation.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA. Your exciting journey to Greece begins this evening as you check in for your overnight flight.

Day 2: Athens. Arrive today in Athens, the birthplace of western civilization. You'll be met by our representative and then escorted to your hotel, centrally located near the famous Plaka (Old Town). Accommodations: Divani Palace Acropolis.

Day 3: Athens & Mykonos. This morning, you'll be transferred to the port of Piraeus for your ferry to the gorgeous island of Mykonos. You'll be met and transferred to your hotel. Chic crowds flock to the island's beautiful beaches by day and to the trendy restaurants and discos each night. Accommodations: Porto Mykonos Hotel on Apr 13, 2013 departure, Mykonian Ambassador on all others. Breakfast provided.

Day 4–5: Mykonos. You'll have two days to independently enjoy the island of Mykonos. Stroll through Mykonos town with its labyrinth of winding alleyways and whitewashed buildings, upscale shops and cafes. Grab a seaside table and unwind, sipping ouzo and watching the sunset while listening to traditional Greek music.

While on Mykonos, you may want to visit the small island of Delos, once the religious center of the Aegean and Cyclades. According to myth, on this island Latonna gave birth to Apollo, the Greek sun god, and Artemis, the huntress and goddess of marriage and fertility. Breakfast provided.

Day 6: Mykonos & Santorini. This morning, you'll be transferred to the port of Mykonos for your ferry to the Island of Santorini. Upon arrival at the port of Thira, you will be met and transferred to your hotel on the cliff-side of Santorini, facing the famous Caldera. This striking island is a volcanic crater immersed in the sea. The island is famous for its breathtaking and rugged landscapes, whitewashed houses, open-air cafes and glittering boutiques which cling to steep cliffs, accessible by foot, cable car or mule. Your hotel is built into the cliff, with steps to reach rooms, public areas and swimming pool. Accommodations: Belvedere Hotel. Breakfast provided.

Day 7–8: Santorini. You will have two days to independently enjoy the island of Santorini. Visit the bustling town of Fira, or even the smaller villages of Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia. While you're in Santorini, you may decide to take an optional boat cruise to Nea Kameni and visit the still active volcano. Enjoy the spectacular views as the sun sets behind the Caldera. Breakfast provided.

Day 9: Santorini & Heraklion, Crete. Today, transfer to the port of Thira and board your ferry to Heraklion, Crete. Arrive in Heraklion, where you'll be met and transferred to your hotel. Crete is home to the ruins of Knossos, the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization, just five kilometers from Heraklion city center.

The palace at Knossos was an intricate collection of over 1000 interlocking rooms, used as a religious and administrative center, as well as for workshops for artisans and food processing. The ruins have been extensively excavated and much of them colorfully painted and restored. Accommodations: The Galaxy Hotel on Apr 13 & May 18, 2013 departures, Aquila Atlantis Hotel on all others. Breakfast provided.

Day 10–11: Heraklion. In Heraklion, the open air market is a must-see, where a boisterous crowd of local residents buys and sells everything from goats and sheep to huge cauldrons of fresh yogurt. Other points of interest here include the Archaeological Museum, one of the finest in Greece, housing exquisite findings from Knossos and other Minoan ruins, numerous Venetian fortresses, fountains and loggias scattered throughout the city and the Historical Museum of Crete, with its Byzantine and folklore collections. Breakfast provided.

Day 12: Heraklion & Athens. Today, bid farewell to the Greek Islands, and transfer to the airport for your short flight to Athens. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy your last leisure day in Greece. We suggest an evening at the Plaka, where you'll find typical Greek tavernas complete with music and celebratory throwing of plates. It's an experience not to be missed! Accommodations: Divani Palace Acropolis. Breakfast provided.

Day 13: Athens/USA. Today you'll be escorted to the airport as you bid farewell to Athens to board your return flight. Your journey comes to an end as you arrive in the USA later today. Breakfast provided.

 

Classical Greece Optional Extension

Why not take advantage of your already-included international airfare and visit the classical cities of Corinth, Mycenae, Olympia, and Delphi? Your extension includes superior hotels, most meals and guided touring of the most fascinating sites, including entrance fees to places visited.

Day 13: Athens, Mycenae & Olympia. After breakfast this morning, board your touring coach and begin a tour of the classical cities of Greece. Drive across the Corinth Canal, which connects the Ionian Sea with the Aegean, to the Peloponnesian Peninsula, where 4,000 years of history are more fully and comprehensively illustrated than anywhere else in Europe.

Here we'll visit the famous theater of Epidaurus, the best preserved in Greece, which reached the height of its fame in the 5th & 4th centuries B.C. The acoustics are so perfect that even from the last of the 55 tiers, every word can be heard. Continue to ancient Mycenae, which, according to the poets, was founded by Perseus and built with the aid of the mythological Cyclops. Drive on to Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic games, for dinner and overnight. Accommodations: Hotel Amalia Olympia or similar. Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 14: Olympia, Nafpaktos & Delphi. This morning we'll tour the archaeological site and museum at Olympia, where the Olympic games were conceived as a tribute to Hercules, son of Zeus. These games were the most important international event in the Hellenic world from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. and continue today, with the lighting of the Olympic flame that is carried by runners throughout the world. Visit the Sanctuary of the Olympian Zeus and the Museum.

This afternoon we drive via Patras to Rion, Antirion and picturesque Nafpaktos where, according to mythology, Hercules slew the Erymanthine boar and where we'll view the lovely circular Venetian harbor. Continue our drive to Delphi for dinner and overnight. Accommodations: Hotel Amalia Delphi or similar. Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 15: Delphi & Kalambaka. After breakfast we'll explore the ancient site of Delphi, located on the slopes of the breathtaking Mount Parnassus, in a landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty. Here lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo and the museum, which contains masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture including the famous bronze Charioteer. The site had been sacred since at least the Bronze Age. According to legend, the shrine was originally guarded by the she-dragon Pytho. She was killed by Apollo who then took over the oracle. In antiquity, Delphi was regarded as the center of the world.

Later, we'll depart for the small town of Kalambaka, built at the foot of the majestic gray rocks, at the point where the river Pinios leaves the Pindos Mountain. Accommodations: Hotel Amalia Kalambaka or similar. =Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 16: Meteora & Athens. This morning we will visit the spectacular Meteora monasteries, perched upon the summits of some precipitous and isolated rocky pinnacles, which rise above the almost flat valley of the Pinios river, 9 km beyond Kalambaka. The monastic history of Meteora goes back to the 11th century AD, when the monks constructed inaccessible eagle's nests in the crannies of these rocks and today, four are still occupied. Later this afternoon we'll drive back to Athens, via Thermopylae, famous battleground from the Persian wars. Arrive in Athens and check in at our hotel. Accommodations: Divani Palace Acropolis or similar. Breakfast provided.

Day 17: Athens. Enjoy a full day to explore Athens on your own. Breakfast provided.

Day 18: Depart Greece/Arrive USA. Today you'll be escorted to the airport and bid farewell to Athens as you board your flight back home. Your exciting journey comes to an end as you arrive in the USA later today. Breakfast provided.

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