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Greek Island Special: 4 Day Cruise & Athens

A 4 day cruise to Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Crete and more, ending with a half day tour of Athens; independent travel with flights & hotel included

Overview

This package is currently unavailable.
Style Independent PackageThese un-escorted packages have no set schedule or guides, so you have the freedom and flexibility to explore on your own from your centrally-located hotel. More of these packages
Freedom to explore at your own pace; unescorted
Departures
What to Expect This moderately-paced, locally hosted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. This tour does not include a tour guide or escort. Travel safely and confidently with our new health & safety protocols.
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From the meandering indigo sea to the stony cliffs adorned with whitewashed buildings to the ruins of ancient civilizations, the Greek Isles and Athens are sure to take your breath away. Start your adventure in Athens, a city where history and modernity coalesce into a symphony of world-class sites, delicious dining and friendly people. Then sail into the mythical world of the Greek isles and enjoy three days of blissful Mediterranean sunshine and beaches, culturally rich and picture-perfect towns, and some of the best food and wine in the world.

Savvy travelers know that the best time to travel to Greece is on either side of the summer high season - the "shoulder season" in Sep-Oct and Mar-Apr when the weather is still warm, the days are still long and the sunsets spectacular, the food is still seasonal, but the crowds are gone. That's why we worked to negotiate these spectacular rates for shoulder season sailings with our partner Celestyal Cruises and our airline, Emirates. You'll save hundreds of dollars over comparable cruise packages.

Our package includes round-trip flights, superior hotel accommodations in Athens for one night, a half day city tour of Athens, a Greek Island cruise for four nights with three shore excursions, buffet breakfast daily, all meals aboard the cruise, and transfers. Plus enjoy time to discover the wonders of Greece on your own.  For those comparing this 4 Day cruise tour to our other 3 Day package, you visit most of the same locations, plus the Greek island of Rhodes. But as always, all the flexibility and fun is yours, at an unbeatable price!

 

Package includes

  • Flights
  • Cruise
  • Transfers
  • Hotel
  • Meals
  • Round trip flights from Newark (EWR) via Emirates Airlines including fuel surcharges and taxes and fees
  • 1 night Deluxe hotel accommodation at the Royal Olympic Hotel in Athens
  • 4 nights’ standard inside cabins (cat. IB) aboard the Celestyal Olympia or Celestyal Crystal
  • Port charges included: 2017 sailings $157 per person, 2018 sailings $176 per person
  • Cruise Tips of $10 per person per day included
  • 13 Meals: buffet breakfast in Athens and all meals aboard the cruise
  • On-board All-inclusive Alcoholic Drink Package
  • 3 Shore Excursions: Ancient Ephesus, Medieval Tour of Lindos, and Santorini Oia Village Tour
  • Half day tour of Athens, including the Acropolis
  • All group transfers

Optional add-ons

  • Optional touring of Knossos ruins

Why you'll love it

  • Enjoy an evening at leisure on the island of Mykonos
  • Discover ancient Ephesus
  • Spend the afternoon on the island of Patmos
  • Tour the medieval village of Lindos
  • Morning at leisure in Crete
  • Tour Oia Village in Santorini
  • Visit Athens’ highlights on a half day tour

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

  • Check in for your overnight flight to Greece

Day 2: Athens

1 night 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

Plaka, AthensFull 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, Piraeus & Mykonos

4 nights Celestyal Olympia on Sep 2, Sep 16, Sep 30, Oct 17, & Apr 28 departures; Celestyal Crystal on all others. Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

  • Embark on your cruise ship and set sail to the Greek Isles
  • Evening at leisure on the island of Mykonos

Little Venice, MykonosFull Day Itinerary:  Transfer to Piraeus this morning to board your cruise ship, Celestyal Majesty. Spend the afternoon enjoying the sun, sea breezes, pool, and shipboard facilities.

This evening, arrive at the gorgeous island of Mykonos and transfer from the port via complimentary shuttle. Enjoy an independent stroll through Mykonos town with its labyrinth of winding alleyways and whitewashed buildings, basket-laden donkeys, cascading geraniums and upscale shops and cafes. 

Day 4: Kusadasi, Turkey & Patmos, Greece

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

  • Half day sightseeing tour of ancient Ephesus
  • Afternoon on the Greek island of Patmos

Library of CelsusFull Day Itinerary: Arrive in Kusadasi, Turkey this morning. Just ten kilometers from the port is the ancient city of Ephesus, where you’ll find an archaeological site that ranks among the wonders of the world. At the archaeological site, you will be given a guided tour among the Agora, the Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the marble-paved main Street of Kouretes, the Baths of Scholastica, Trajan’s Fountain, the Public Latrines, the Residences of the Patricians, the Prytaneum, and the Temple of Hadrian.

The Great Theatre, built in the 4th century B.C. could accommodate 24,000 spectators and is famous even today for its acoustics. The finds from the excavations, which have yet brought to light only 13% of ancient Ephesus, reside in the Archaeological Museum of Ephesus, in the city of Seljuk. During the excursion you will have the opportunity to ramble, bargain for jewelry, cosmetics or leather products at small shops.

Patmos, GreeceLater this afternoon, return to your ship for lunch aboard as you sail toward Patmos, Greece. Disembark at Skala harbor, a lively place with whitewashed houses, flowered courtyards, tavernas and shops. The Island of Patmos is famous in history as the place where St. John wrote the Book of Revelation. An optional tour takes you to the cave where St. John lived and the nearby Monastery, built on one of the island’s highest points, housing priceless icons and manuscripts in its Treasury. Return to the ship for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Rhodes

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

  • Half day medieval tour of Lindos
  • Remainder of the day at leisure to explore the Greek island of Rhodes

Full Day Itinerary: Today you’ll visit Rhodes, the beautiful “Island of Roses”. In the heart of the city of Rhodes is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe, a fascinating web of Byzantine, Turkish and Latin ruins. Its might fortifications provide the finest surviving examples of defensive architecture of the time.

Lindos, RhodesLindos, with its whitewashed houses clustered beneath a soaring castle-capped acropolis, is Rhodes’ most picturesque village and most important Doric settlement because of its natural harbor and vantage point built 125 meters above sea level. Drive along the picturesque south-eastern coastline, dotted with whitewashed villages, to Lindos one of the most important of the three great cities of ancient times. See how this entire city is guarded by medieval walls which were constructed by the knights of St. John in the 13th century. Within them stands the ancient Acropolis of Lindos, on the brink of a precipice 400 feet above the sea. From the Acropolis, marvel at the breathtaking views covering the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St Paul’s Bay, where the apostle cast anchor during his historic voyage to Ephesus. Proceed on foot uphill, to the great staircase leading from the Hellenistic Portico to the Acropolis and Temple of Athena. Should you wish to make your way up by mule, a fee must be paid to the local muleteer. After the guided tour of the Acropolis, visit the Captains’ mansions of Lindos. These lovely old residences were built between the 16th and 18th century by wealthy merchant seafarers as evidence of their success. Set in large courtyards and sheltered behind high walls, these homes vary in size from simple, two-story houses to large, handsome Gothic mansions, with Byzantine and Moorish architectural features. 

Church of the Virgin Mary, RhodesContinue to the Church of the Virgin Mary, known as the Church Panagia of Lindos. Just a few minutes’ walk from the main square into the labyrinth of Lindos’ alleys, the church of Panagia is an enchanting sight. Surrounded by high walls and a small courtyard, this old church was originally built in 1300 but has since been submitted to numerous reconstructions. The most prominent external feature is a high-rise, stone built campanile tower, typical of the Rhodian churches. The main building has a cross-shaped plan superimposed by an octagonal dome, whitewashed walls and red byzantine tile roofs. Afterwards, go through D’Amboise Gate to walk along the Street of the Knights. Here you will find the residences of the Knights, separated according to Order, and to this day bear their corresponding crests.

Day 6: Heraklion & Santorini

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

  • Morning at leisure in Crete
  • Half day sightseeing tour of Oia Village on Santorini

Ruins of KnossosFull Day Itinerary: Arrive in Heraklion early this morning. An optional shore excursion will take you to see the ruins of Knossos, the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization on Crete, 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 largely been excavated and much of them colorfully painted and restored.

Back in Heraklion, the open air market is a must-see, where a boisterous crowd 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.

Oia, SantoriniReturn to the ship to continue sailing to Santorini. 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. Enjoy an included half day of sightseeing. Begin with a scenic drive, from which you can admire the panoramic views of the Aegean Sea and the neighboring islands. Built on the Caldera rim, Oia Village is an excellent example of Cycladic architecture. Explore the village, walking along the cobblestone streets and the whitewashed houses with blue shutters and domes are some of the most photogenic in all of Greece. Your coach will bring you back to the port of Athinios, where you’ll return to the ship via tender boat for a final evening at sea.

Day 7: Piraeus & Athens

Breakfast.

  • Disembark in Athens
  • Explore Athens on a half day tour
  • Bid farewell to Athens as you’re escorted to the airport to board your return flight
  • Arrive in the USA later today

Parthenon, AthensFull Day Itinerary: After breakfast, disembark from your ship at Piraeus. Then, explore Athens on your half day tour.

The striking contrast between breathtaking monuments of a glorious past and modern elegant structures is what you will enjoy today. 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.

After your guided exploration of Athens, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight.

Note: At the ports of Mykonos, Patmos & Santorini, disembarkation is by tender boats, weather permitting. Kusadasi & Patmos stops might be in inverted order. Passengers taking the optional shore excursions disembark fist. The itinerary listed, including ports of call, embarkation/disembarkation times, shore excursions and prices, were correct at time of publication. We and our partner, Celestyal Cruise Lines, will do our utmost to adhere to the itinerary as listed, but due to sea conditions and other factors, minor changes to the itinerary may be necessary, and some shore excursions shown may not be available. As necessary, Celestyal Cruise Lines may also substitute another ship from their fleet of similar size and amenities. We will do our very best to immediately inform travelers of any such changes.

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