Greece Highlights with 4 Night Greek Island Cruise

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:  FRIDAY U.S. DEPARTURE/SATURDAY ARRIVAL (EXTRA PRE-TOUR NIGHT)

Due to the length of this journey, we recommend arriving in Athens 1 day before the tour starts, with a Friday Departure from the US to arrive in Athens on Saturday. This will allow you to rest and adjust to the time difference so you will be refreshed for the beginning of the tour. We have negotiated an amazing package that includes meet and assist at the Athens Airport, transfer from the Airport to your hotel , extra night at the Athens hotel including breakfast Sunday.

• Extra Saturday night stay in tour program hotel including VIP Airport Assist, hotel transfer and breakfast on Sunday – $xxx per person in double room ($xxxper single room)

U.S. DEPARTURE

• Our journey begins today as we depart on our flight to Athens!

• Meals: On Board flight
• Accommodation:  On Board Flight

• Upon arrival in Athens, the cradle of Western civilization, you will be transferred to the hotel.
• Enjoy a free evening around the area, maybe visit a popular restaurant and interact with the locals.

• At 8:30 in the morning we will transfer to the port of Lavrion to embark on a cruise. We will start a 4-night trip to the Greek Islands and Turkey, departing to the island of Mykonos at 11:30 AM. We will arrive at 6:00 PM.
•  The island of Mykonos offers beautiful sandy beaches and a cosmopolitan lifestyle combined with rich history. We recommend for you to explore on your own sites such as Little Venice or you may climb the sculpture at the Church of Paraportiani. Mykonos is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. You will love the culture, architecture and history this island has to offer.
• Embark on your cruise at 11:00pm and we will sail to Kusadasi in Turkey.

**There are no guided shore excursions included in Mykonos.

• • Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 
  • Accommodation:  On Board – Celestyal Cruises

• We will arrive in Kusadasi, Turkey at 7:30am and will start our guided tour of the ancient city of Ephesus provided by Celestyal Cruise line – please note that it is not a private AIT tour.
• The history of Ephesus can be seen in the excavations of the Roman Imperial period, including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theater, founded in the 10th century BC.
• Tour the marble streets and visits the Baths of Scholastica, the Temple of Hadrian and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Diana of the Ephesians.
• Ephesus is also where the Apostle Paul preached to the Ephesians. After living in Corinth for a year and a half, he decided to travel to Ephesus where he lived for 3 years as part of his second evangelical journey. This is also where the church he most likely started received an epistle from him.
• After Ephesus, we return to Kusadasi for a short souvenir shopping stop before embarking on the cruises and sailing to Patmos, Greece at 1:00pm.
• We will arrive at the island of Patmos, Greece at 4:00pm. The enchanting island of Patmos hasn’t changed much since 2,000 year ago when the Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:12-21). The cave believed to be the place where John received his visions of Christ is where the Monastery of St. John the Evangelist is located. Enjoy the beautiful views from the monastery and visit the Grotto of the Revelation – this is a guided tour offered by Celestyal Cruises – not an AIT private tour. After some free time to discover the sites in the area, we will return to the ship and sail to Rhodes, Greece at 9:30pm.

• Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 
• Accommodation:  On Board – Celestyal Cruises

• We will enjoy a delightful breakfast on board the cruise and get ready to arrive at the island of Rhodes at 7:00am. This stronghold was built by a Crusading Order, which originated from Palestine, and in older days, it boasted of another achievements of the then known world – The Colossus of Rhodes!
• Enjoy a half-day excursion to the Temple of Athena on the majestic rocky Acropolis of Lindos, with the blue Aegean Sea beneath it and the sophisticated, whitewashed artists’ colony at its foot. Local tradition has it that on his way to Rome; Paul’s vessels spent some time here in the small harbor (Acts 21:1). Continue to the old town of Rhodes and go through D’Amboise Gate to walk on the Street of the Knights! Lunch on board.
•  We will head to the cruise for a delightful lunch on board and then spend the afternoon strolling through the walled city during our free time. Interact with locals, enjoy the diverse atmosphere, and relish on the astonishing views Rhodes has to offer.
• We will sail to Heraklion, Crete at 6:00pm and enjoy a dinner on board.

• • Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 
  • Accommodation:  On Board – Celestyal Cruises

• We will arrive at Heraklion, Crete. (Acts 27:7-13).
• Enjoy your free time in the largest Greek island or join an optional tour of the Minoan Palace of Knossos, known for the Greek mythological creature with the head of a bull and the body of man, the Minotaur. This optional shore excursion is offered by Celestyal Cruises,
• We will sail to the Island of Santorini at 11:00am, where will arrive at 4:30pm.
•  Take a cable car (recommended) – cost of cable car is 8 Euro per person, per way) – to the town of Thera, a city built over the rim of a volcano and where an eruption in 1,600 BC of the volcano is believed to have originated the Atlantis myth. You will find excavations in Akrotiri of the buried town which disappeared after the eruption preserving the Bronze Age of the island of Santorini.
• We will then sail to Piraeus at 9:30pm.

• • Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 
  • Accommodation:  On Board – Celestyal Cruises
  • Optional:

Optional tour of the Minoan Palace of Knossos ($80)

Optional tour of the Village of Oia ($87)

• Disembarkations will be at the port of Lavrion-60KM from Terminal in Athens. Ship should arrive between 6:00-7:00 AM
• After a delicious breakfast onboard, we will disembark the cruise and drive to Ancient Corinth (Acts 18:1-18) for a half-day tour. It is here where the Apostle Paul visited at least three times, he founded Christian assemblies, and also wrote at least four letters to Christians in Corinth.
• Visit the ruins of the 5th century basilica at the ancient port Cenchrea (viewed from the bus) before we head to Athens and arrive at the hotel for an overnight stay.
• Enjoy a free evening around the area, maybe visit a popular restaurant and interact with the locals.

• Meals:  Breakfast and Dinner
• Accommodation:  Athens, Royal Olympic Hotel *
• ***Celestyal Cruises reserves the right to make any changes to included optional shore excursions.

• After we enjoy our breakfast, we will tour the city of Athens, learning more about the local culture and the ancient architecture as well as it’s modern sites.
• Visit one of the most famous sites in Athens, the magnificent temple of the Acropolis of Athens, known as the Parthenon. Built between 447 and 432BCE, this is the picture-perfect spot in Athens.
• Visit the Erechtheion on the north side of the Acropolis, dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon.
• In modern Athens we will visit the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Parliament House, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium, Presidential Palace, the Academy, the University and the National Library.
• We will head to the Acropolis Museum before returning to the hotel and enjoying some free time in the afternoon.
• Enjoy a free evening around the area, maybe visit a popular restaurant and interact with the locals.

• Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
• Accommodation:  Athens, Royal Olympic Hotel *

• After breakfast and check out you will be transferred to Athens International Airport for your return flight home.

• Meals:  Buffet Breakfast
• Accommodation:  On Board flight
• Departure Transfer – Complimentary for Wednesday departures  
• *If weather conditions do not permit disembarkation in time to meet for scheduled half day tour- passengers will be able to visit Corinth on their own.   * In the rare event that a hotel is overbooked, the group will be provided with an equivalent level hotel or higher.