Greek Island Hopper

Overview

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

• Check in for your overnight flight to Greece

Day 2: Athens

2 nights Royal Olympic Hotel or similar, Athens.

• Arrive in Athens, where you'll be met and escorted to your hotel
• Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: Arrive today in Athens. You'll be met by our representative and then escorted to your hotel, centrally located near Constitution Square and the famous Plaka (Old Town). Athens, the birthplace of western civilization, once hailed as the Paris of the Mediterranean, is now a bustling modern city, a colorful tapestry of eastern and western influences, full of outdoor cafes, pedestrian streets, parks and gardens, street bazaars, dilapidated mansions and ancient ruins.

Day 3: Athens

Breakfast.

• Full day at leisure to explore Athens, or select optional excursions

Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy a full day to explore Athens on your own. To make the most of your visit, our representative will offer you some exclusive optional excursions to see the city's highlights.

Optional Excursion: Athens, €72 (purchased locally). The striking contrast between breathtaking monuments of a glorious past and modern elegant structures is what you will enjoy during your tour of Athens. Visit the Acropolis, the crowning beauty and glory of Ancient Athens, with its many monuments atop its rocky base, including the awesome Parthenon, the Propylea, the temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, with its Porch of Maidens.

Drive to the Roman Temple of Olympic Zeus, the Panathinaikon Stadium (site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896), and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament House on Constitution Square. See views of government buildings and elegant structures of the 19th century. Drive along Panepistimiou Avenue and view the Catholic Cathedral, the Academy, the University, and the National Library. Conclude your tour with a visit to the new Acropolis Museum, a marvel of architecture with a full exhibition of the glory of Ancient Athens.

Optional Excursion: Cape Sounion, €49 (purchased locally). Drive along the coastal road past countless coves and the beautiful beaches of Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, and Varkiza to Cape Sounion. Dominated by the spectacular Temple of Poseidon, the sanctuary at Sounion is one of the most important archeological sites in Attica. Although evidence suggests that the site dates back to the prehistoric period, the sanctuary is first mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, as the place where Menelaos stopped during his return from Troy to bury his helmsman, Phrontes Onetorides. Learn about the rich history of this area as you take in stunning views of the Aegean on this fascinating optional excursion.

Day 4: Athens & Mykonos

3 nights Royal Mykonian Resort & Thalasso Spa Center, Mykonian Ambassador Hotel & Thalasso Spa Center or similar, Mykonos. Breakfast.

• Transfer via high speed ferry to Mykonos
• Remainder of the day at leisure to explore Mykonos

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, you'll be transferred to the port of Piraeus to board your ferry to the gorgeous island of Mykonos, where chic crowds flock to the beautiful beaches by day and to the trendy restaurants and discos each night. You'll be met and transferred to your hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Day 5: Mykonos

Breakfast.

• Full day at leisure to enjoy Mykonos

Full Day Itinerary: You'll have two days to independently enjoy the island of Mykonos. Stroll through the 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 nearby 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.

Day 6: Mykonos

Breakfast.

• Another full day to explore Mykonos at your own pace

Day 7: Mykonos & Santorini

3 nights El Greco, or similar, Santorini. Breakfast.

• Transfer via high speed ferry to Santorini
• Balance of the day to explore Santorini at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: 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. The balance of the day is at leisure. 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 and public areas.

Day 8: Santorini

Breakfast.

• Full day at leisure to enjoy Santorini

Full Day Itinerary: You will have two days to enjoy the island of Santorini on your own. Visit the bustling town of Fira, or even the smaller villages of Firostefani, Imerovigli and Oia. Or take an optional boat cruise to Nea Kameni and visit the still active volcano. Wherever you go, enjoy the spectacular views as the sun sets behind the caldera.

Day 9: Santorini

Breakfast.

• Another full day to explore Santorini at your own pace

Day 10: Santorini & Athens

1 night Sofitel Athens Airport or similar. Breakfast.

• Fly from Santorini back to Athens
• Transfer to your airport hotel outside Athens

Full Day Itinerary: Today, transfer to the airport on Santorini to board your flight back to Athens. Upon arrival, collect your luggage and check into your airport hotel conveniently located just a short walk from the arrival & departure terminals.

Day 11: Athens/USA

Breakfast.

• This morning, bid farewell to Greece as you board your flight home
• Arrive in the USA later today

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 10: Santorini & Athens

1 night Royal Olympic Hotel or similar, Athens. Breakfast.

• Fly from Santorini back to Athens
• Upon arrival, you'll be escorted to your centrally located hotel

Day 11: Athens, Mycenae & Olympia

1 night Hotel Amalia Olympia or similar. Breakfast & dinner.

• Drive across the Corinth Canal to Olympia
• Visit the famous theatre of Epidaurus
• Evening at leisure in Olympia

Full Day Itinerary: 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 comprehensibly illustrated than anywhere else in Europe.

Here you'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.

Day 12: Olympia, Nafpaktos & Delphi

1 night Hotel Amalia Delphi or similar. Breakfast & dinner.

• Morning tour of the archeological site and museum at Olympia
• Afternoon drive via Patras to Rion, Antirion and picturesque Nafpaktos
• Evening at leisure in Delphi

Full Day Itinerary: This morning you'll tour the archeological 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, you'll drive via Patras to Rion, Antirion and picturesque Nafpaktos, where according to mythology, Hercules slew the Erymanthine boar, and where you'll view the lovely circular Venetian harbor. Continue our drive to Delphi for dinner and overnight.

Day 13: Delphi & Kalambaka

1 night Hotel Amalia Kalambaka or similar. Breakfast & dinner.

• Morning tour of Delphi
• Evening at leisure in Kalambaka

Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast you'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, you'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.

Day 14: Meteora & Athens

1 night Royal Olympic Hotel or similar, Athens. Breakfast.

• Morning tour of Meteora monasteries
• Afternoon drive back to Athens via Thermopylae
• Evening at leisure in Athens

Full Day Itinerary: This morning you'll 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 A.D., when the monks constructed inaccessible eagle's nests in the crannies of these rocks and today, four are still occupied.

Later this afternoon you'll drive back to Athens, via Thermopylae, famous battleground from the Persian wars. Arrive in Athens and check into your hotel.

Day 15: Athens/USA

Breakfast.

• Bid farewell to Greece as you're escorted to the airport to board your flight home
• Arrive in the USA later today

Reviews & Photos

Trip Details

• What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
• Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Please review the visa & entry requirements.
• Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
• Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
• Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
• What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
• What should I know about Greece? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.