Alluring Aegean | 9 Days

Morning tour of Athens. Pass by the Prime Minister’s residence, Constitution Square, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Parliament. Stop at the Panathenaic Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic Games. Visit the spectacular Acropolis with its Parthenon and then, visit the Acropolis Museum. Overnight in Athens.

Meals Included:

Breakfast

Morning transfer to Lavrion Port to board your Celestyal Cruise vessel. Depart at 13:00pm and cruise the Aegean to Mykonos. Arrive into Mykonos at 18:00pm and
depart at 23:00pm.

Meals Included:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit the town of Kusadasi. Excursion to ancient Ephesus through the ages (Shore Excursion). Afternoon departure to Patmos, arriving at 16:30pm. Depart Patmos at 21:30pm.

Meals Included:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arrive into Rhodes at 07:00am and join Half Day Medieval tour; Acropolis of Lindos and the Citadel of the Knights (Shore Excursion). Depart Rhodes at 18:00pm.

Meals Included:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Morning arrival into Heraklion. Depart at 12:00pm to Santorini with afternoon arrival into Santorini. Disembark and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Santorini.

Meals Included:

Breakfast, Lunch

Day at leisure to discover the beauty of the island. Overnight in Santorini.

Meals Included:

Breakfast

Day at leisure. Suggest a boat trip to the volcano and thermal springs. Overnight in Santorini.

Meals Included:

Breakfast

After breakfast, transfer to Santorini airport or port. End of services.

Meals Included:

Breakfast

Multilingual licensed guide

Tours as per itinerary

Shore excursions include on Celestyal Cruise:

• Ancient Ephesus through the ages, Kusadasi
  • Duration: Half Day
  • This is a wonderful journey through some of the most important and formative periods of history and we hope you will be enthralled by the stories of the Hellenes, Romans and of Christianity in our fascinating exploration of Ephesus. This marvellous city, sitting on the hills outside Kusadasi is a fabulous open air archaeological wonder founded by the Greeks around 2000 BC. It was one of the most important cities of the region and was dedicated to the goddess Artemis. The Temple built in her honour was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It had more than 100 marble pillars each standing 56 feet tall and it earned the city the name ‘Servant of the Goddess.’ A single pillar remains standing on the site, found during an excavation in the 1870s. We will be able to see the Agora, Odeon, the Library of Celsus, the marvel-paved Main Street of Curetes, the Baths of Scholastica, Trajan’s Fountain, the Temple of Hadrian and the Houses of Koressus, where the wealthy families of Ancient Ephesus lived. Only 13 per cent of Ephesus has so far been uncovered. The finds from the excavations made so far are housed in the Archaeological Museum of Ephesus in the city of Selcuk. We have time for shopping for carpets, jewellery, leather and other souvenirs at the end of our tour.
• Acropolis of Lindos and the Citadel of the Knights, Rhodes
  • Duration: Half Day
  • Let’s begin in unusual fashion, with what you won’t see in Rhodes. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World once proudly stood here. He was the Colossus of Rhodes and is of course long departed, probably destroyed by an earthquake. Nevertheless as you arrive on this wonderful, historic island, you may just be able to imagine this statue of the Greek sun-god Helios in 280BC, standing 100 feet tall in celebration of Rhodes’ victory over Cyprus. The largest of the Dodecanese islands, Rhodes has a compelling back story and there are still remnants of its occupation by the Knights of St John during the Crusades. So while the Colossus may not be there, you will be wowed by the many historical sites. We travel first to Lindos, about 55km from Rhodes Town and high above the village sits the impressive Acropolis of Lindos with the Doric Temple of Athena, built in 300 BC. Captains’ mansions constructed between the 16^th and 18th centuries are dotted here and there and in the heart of Lindos is the Church of the Virgin Mary with lovely frescoes from the 15th Century. Back in Rhodes is where we are really immersed in the history of the island in the Knights’ Quarter We stroll through Gate d’Amboise to walk along the Street of the Knights and see where they lived, separated according to Order, their crests still visible today. We will also see (outside) the imposing Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, a medieval castle also known as the Kastello. It’s one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece. The Byzantine citadel was built in the 7th Century, the palace itself in the fourteenth. Where the palace sits today could well have been the spot where once stood the Colossus according to recent studies. Either way, this tour takes us into the heart of the fascinating history of Rhodes.

The journey from Rhodes to Lindos is approximately 50 min. Tour not suitable for passengers with walking difficulties.

8 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 3 Dinners

Transfer from Athens airport or port to hotel

Transfer from Athens hotel to port

Transfer from Santorini port to hotel

Transfer from Santorini hotel to airport or port

Transportation by air conditioned vehicle during sightseeing tours

Optional Shore Excursions:

• Mykonos:
  • Mykonian Dinner – $133 per person
  • Mykonian Countryside tour with Chora and Little Venice – $114 per person
• Kusadasi:
  • House of Virgin Mary & Ancient Ephesus – $126 per person
  • Ancient Ephesus and the Terrace Houses – $126 per person
• Patmos:
  • Religious visit to St John’s Monastery – Grotto of Apocalypse – $114 per person
  • Countryside Tour with Chora and the Grotto of Apocalypse – $114 per person
  • Transfer to Agriolivadi Beach – Sold On Board Only
  • Traditional Feast in Patmos – $99 per person
• Heraklion:
  • Minoan Palace of Knossos – 1st European Civilisation – $126 per person
  • Experience the Cretan Countryside and Lifestyle – $126 per person
  • Venetian Heraklion and the Unique Archaeological Museum – $114 per person
• Santorini:
  • Spectacular Oia Village perched on the Caldera Rim – $126 per person
  • Cruise to Santorini’s Islands and Volcanoes – $117 per person
  • Akrotiri Village excavations – $126 per person
• Athens:
  • Athens Monuments and the Acropolis – $133 per person
  • Athens Tour and the New Acropolis Museum – $133 per person

Entrance fees to sites listed in the itinerary

All inclusive drinks package on Celestyal Cruise: includes unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for adults and unlimited non- alcoholic drinks for children under 18 years.

Port taxes & services charges on Celestyal Cruise

Passport or visa fees

Gratuities

Drinks with meals

Any other items of personal nature

Tours do not include any tourist taxes that apply. These will need to be paid locally.