Greek Isles Private Expedition

TRAVELER FAVORITE

9 DAYS FROM $5,495

based on a private group of 6 people traveling together

• Explore the Athens Acropolis and Cape Soúnio’s Temple of Poseidon with a private guide. • Take a private tour of the Palace of Knossos and the ruins of Heraklion in Crete. • Stay in stunning cave dwellings in Santorini and enjoy a sunset sail in the caldera.

Private Expedition Light

DAY 1 I ATHENS, GREECE Arrive in Athens and transfer to your downtown hotel. On a private tour, see the Temple of Zeus, set behind the crumbling Hadrian’s Arch, and visit the marble Panathenaic Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic games in 1896. Climb to the Acropolis complex and discover its mystical temples, including the legendary Parthenon. Spend the rest of the day uncovering the treasures on display at the sleek New Acropolis Museum, home to nearly 4,000 ancient works. Electra Metropolis

DAY 2 I ATHENS/CAPE SOÚNIO Explore Athens at your leisure this morning. Browse the lively markets and café-lined lanes of Monastiraki before strolling the ancient Agora, home to some of the city’s most well-preserved ruins. Or wander the historic Plaka neighborhood. This afternoon, take a private scenic drive along the Saronic Gulf coast to Cape Soúnio. Here, perched on a craggy cliff overlooking the glittering Aegean, tour the aptly placed Temple of Poseidon with your private guide. Electra Metropolis | Meals: 1B

DAY 3 I KNOSSOS, CRETE/HERAKLION/ ÁGIOS NIKÓLAOS Fly to Crete and discover the incredible ruins of the Minoan Palace of Knossos with a private guide. Next, go on a private walking tour through the coastal capital of Heraklion, stopping at the Archaeological Museum to admire the world’s most impressive collection of Minoan art. This evening, travel to your seaside resort, located just outside of Ágios Nikólaos. St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas Meals: 1B DAY 4 I ÁGIOS NIKÓLAOS Soak in the serenity of the Greek Isles during a day at leisure in the charming harbor town of Ágios Nikólaos. You might sit at an inviting waterfront café and watch fishing boats pass through the harbor. Or take an optional excursion to a nearby village and participate in a private cooking class, available at an additional cost. Prepare Cretan specialties as you nibble on local cheeses and sip on wines from nearby vineyards. St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas Meals: 1B

Wildflowers bloom amid the rocky landscape surrounding the Parthenon.

DAY 5 I ÁGIOS NIKÓLAOS Travel to the town of Plaka this morning, and ride a traditional wooden fishing vessel to the small isle of Spinalonga. A fortified stronghold of the Venetians and later of the Ottomans, the island was converted to a leper colony during the early 20th century. Take a tour of this fascinating place with a private guide, learning about the day-to-day lives of its people who lived in near isolation through 1957. Back in Plaka, explore the town on your own. St. Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas Meals: 1B, 1L

DAY 6 I HERAKLION/SANTORINI Return to Heraklion and board a ferry to Santorini, a crescent-shaped, cliff-edged island created by the collapse of a volcanic cone. Settle into a beautifully restored cave hotel overlooking the caldera and enjoy an afternoon at leisure to wander through the village of Imerovígli or relax at your stunning cave hotel, taking in views of the blue Aegean. Kapari Natural Resort | Meals: 1B

DAY 7 I SANTORINI Trace the cliffs of Santorini on a guided tour from the southern to the northern tip of the island. Visit Akrotiri to see one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece, and wander through narrow alleys up to a Venetian castle in the charming town of Pyrgos. Peek into some of the town’s 33 churches and see a stunning collection of religious art and ethnographic artifacts at the Monastery of the Prophet Elijah. Cap off your tour in Oia, a picturesque village of blue-domed churches and whitewashed terraces. Stroll the streets of this Cycladic gem and then savor lunch and a view on a charming veranda. Kapari Natural Resort | Meals: 1B, 1L

DAY 8 I SANTORINI Explore Santorini on your own today. Choose to go for a hike or relax with a book by the pool. Walk the path that connects Thira and Oia, finding enchanting scenes around nearly every bend. Late this afternoon, join a sailing excursion on the Aegean, stopping to snorkel and swim. Dine on deck as you watch one of the island’s famous sunsets. Kapari Natural Resort | Meals: 1B, 1D

DAY 9 I SANTORINI/ATHENS After breakfast, fly from Santorini to Athens to catch your flight home. Meals: 1B

YOUR EXPEDITION TEAM

Knowledgeable local guides will accompany you on your trip, and you will meet other local experts as described in the itinerary.

INFORMATION

Dates: This expedition is offered from April through October. You may request any dates during those months that are convenient for you. Prices are per person; based on double occupancy, group size, and selected dates; and subject to availability. Single supplement applies; please see our website. Airfare is not included in the price. Internal flights are an additional $425 per person. All prices and fares are quoted in U.S. dollars and subject to change. This itinerary is for informational purposes only and is subject to change at any time without notice.

Brilliant blue domes cap the whitewashed churches of Oia on Santorini.

Visit website for complete details and dates.