ULTIMATE GREECE VACATION!

September 29th – October 10th

 

 

 

DEPARTURE:

From LAX – other gateways available

9/29: Depart LAX at 6:30 a.m.. on Air Canada stopping off in Toronto, landing in Athens on the 30th of September at 10:45 a.m.

 

9/30, 2:00 p.m.:  Afternoon tour of Athens.

 

6:00 p.m. We will walk over to the Plaka, which is a wonderful place to stroll and offers lots of restaurants.  See: http://www.athensguide.com/plaka.html 

 

10/1: 9 a.m. Meet in the lobby with your bags for our transfer to the port of Piraeus. We will be taking the cruise ship over to Mykonos this morning.  We will pull in to Mykonos at 4:30 p.m. and transfer to our hotel, Porto Mykonos. 

7:00 p.m.  Meet in lobby to discuss tours of Mykonos and dinner plans.

 

10/2: 11 a.m.  Meet in the lobby to break off into smaller groups. Mykonos is best seen when you have time to stroll.  You might want to rent a scooter today to see the island, or take a tour.  Try to get to Paradise Beach, which is a popular beach.  Warning: Nudity is allowed. 

7 p.m. Meet in the lobby for a meeting and to group together for dinner.

 

10/3: 10:30 a.m.  For those who will sign up for the optional tour of Delos, meet in the lobby where we will walk to the dock.  See following tour info. 

7:00 p.m.:  Meet in the lobby for a meeting and to head out for dinner. 

 

10/4:  Day at leisure.  If you didn’t get a chance to rent a scooter, today might be the time to do it. Or, stroll the beautiful streets and shops of Mykonos one last time.   Enjoy a leisurely lunch and SHOP!!  

6:00 P.M.  We will leave our hotel to transfer to the cruise ship.

 

Day

Port

Arrival

Departure

Mon

Mykonos, Greece

 

23:00

Tue

Kusadasi (Ephessos), Turkey

07:00

12:00

Tue

Patmos, Greece

16:00

21:00

Wed

Rhodes, Greece

07:00

18:00

Thu

Heraklion (Crete), Greece

07:00

11:30

Thu

Santorini, Greece

16:00

 

 

10/5: Stops at Kusadasi for the tour of Ephessos.  Stop at Patmos

10/6: Stop at Rhodes.

10/7: Stop at Crete, then Santorini where we will be staying for the next 3 nights at the Santorini Palace Hotel.  Meet Ed at the end of the gangway where he will direct you to our bus. Our hotel is called Hotel Santorini Palace: 011-286-22771.

 

10/8: 9:30 a.m.  Meet in the lobby for the optional tour of Santorini and neighboring islands.  See tour info.  Below.

7:00 p.m.  Meet in the lobby or hotel bar for a meeting and to group together for dinner.

 

10/9: A free day!  Take your camera and walk, taxi or motor-scooter. See Santorini!

10/10: 6:00 a.m.  Be ready to leave our hotel for the airport and our 7:30 a.m. flight to Athens. 

12:15 p.m. We are on Air Canda. Change of planes in Toronto, arriving in LA at 8 p.m.

 

TOURS!!!

These are the tours offered by the cruise ship on the different islands that we will be visiting. Please note that these prices are not current but are from our 2005 trip. We will update this list as we get closer to our departure date.

 

Kusadasi – Ephesus

A tour to nearby Ephessos should not be missed, for here history truly comes to life. Walking towards the ancient harbor, down a marble road rutted by the wheels of countless chariots, you will pass architectural masterpieces like the Library of Celsus before arriving at the Great Amphitheater where St. Paul was arrested and cast out of the city.
           - Ephesus - $80 pp

Patmos:

This island is known as the site of the apocalyptic Revelations of St. John the Apostle, written here during his exile from the Roman Empire. The cave where he lived is near the site of the Monastery of the Apocalypse. The Monastery of St. John which is built on one of the island’s highest points and houses priceless icons and manuscripts in its treasury. It is possible to do this tour on your own by taxi or motor scooter.

      - St John's Monastery & Grotto of Revelations -  $63 pp

Rhodes and Lindos:

The beautiful “island of Roses” has a rich and varied history. On a hill above the charming town of Lindos rises an ancient acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena. Below lies the bay of St. Paul where the apostle landed during his voyages. The crusading knights of St. John left the medieval city of Rhodes behind when they were defeated by Sultan Suleyman. 
     - Rhodes & Acropolis of Lindos -$67 pp

Crete (Heraklion):

Heraklion, the capital of Crete and its principal commercial port is just three miles away from the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 by Sir Arthur Evans and partially reconstructed the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. The Archaeological Museum in Heraklion displays many of the treasures found during the excavations.
     -  The Palace of Knossos - $80 pp

 

Out of the tours listed above, I would not skip either the Kusadasi or the Rhodes excursion.  For the Patmos tour a couple of us rented scooters last year and took them to the Monastery as well as drove around the island, which was fun. That’s just another alternative. On Crete (Heraklion) I took a taxi straight to the museum and avoided a large crowd of people, but we had already been to Knossos palace, which is worth seeing. 

 

If you are looking to save money on the tours, the 2 that we recommend the most are Ephesus and Rhodes. 

Here are 2 other tours we have set up that were huge hits last year, so we strongly recommended them both…

TOUR FROM MYKONOS

ONE DAY CRUISE TO DELOS ISLAND

It is strongly believed by many, that this Ancient Archeological Island possesses and releases a heightened sense of light and energy, the very reason for ancient Greece's belief that Apollo, God of Light and Music, had to have been born there?
Imagine: The entire island of Delos, also known as the biggest open air museum in Europe, is an Archeological monument to what was the holiest place in the Aegean Sea. Currently, the only inhabitants on this historical island are the archaeologists who continue to conduct excavations, as well as the guards who are in place to protect it. Come with us and allow our guides to explain the spiritual, historical and cultural importance of Delos. With no traces of modern civilization you will be encompassed by the natural environment andwill experience a serene, peaceful, luminous, and pure atmosphere. Witness how the ancient civilians lived their way of life. Visit their houses, walk into their living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. Also witness Europe's first Synagogue, first Egyptian Temple, first Indian Temple and other Temples from many foreign Religions. And lets not forget, The Lions Terrace, Cleopatras House and The Temple of Apollo. So come and experience a glimpse of what it may have been like to live on Delos three thousand years ago.  Cost: $35  Duration:- Departure 11 am Return 12.20 noon OR 1.40 PM

 

SEE SANTORINI IN A DAY

Bus  and Boat Tour with lunch!

Visit: Akrotiri – Volcano – Hot Springs – Thirassia – Oia

This tour will include a land tour by bus, then a sailing tour with a fantastic lunch complete with wine!

Program: First we visit the important archaeological site of Akrotiri. Akrotiri Excavations brought to light a Minoan town preserved under the pumice for 3000 years. Our expert guide will lead an interesting and informative tour in the ancient town.

Then we go by bus to Athinios Port. There you will board the beautiful traditional boat that will sail on to reach the lava islet Nea Kameni where we leave the boat and walk an ascending soil path to approach the crater of the still active Volcano. Then back to the boat and we sail to the second lava islet called Palea Kameni. There we find Hot Springs and we can have a swim in the green sulphur waters or even take a bath in the warm therapeutic mud. After a half hour the boat will sail to the nice traditional island Thirassia. There we can explore the island or swim at the beach next to the port.

Back on board again for sailing to Oia that is our last destination. We arrive in Armeni, the small traditional port of Oia. There we will leave our beautiful boat as we approach Oia village by the stairs, either walking or riding a donkey. Oia is built along the rim of the caldera wall. You can walk in the village and enjoy the magnificent panoramic view. We did this last year and it was one of the best days of the entire trip.  You’ve got to do this!  Cost: $105

 

Useful web sites:

Comprehensive and down to earth Greece guide that’s fun to read with lots of links:  http://www.greecetravel.com/

Greece National Tourism Organization: Useful phone #’s to have in case of emergency:  http://www.gnto.gr/1/01/ea0100000.html

U.S. Department of State, current travel advisory report on Greece: http://travel.state.gov/greece.html

Report on Paradise Beach in Mykonos:

http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/1794/cyclades/mykonos.html

Here’s a very good website with lots of useful information and maps of the islands of Mykonos and Santorini.  Scroll down to the middle of the page where you’ll see “popular Greece Destinations” and click on Mykonos and Santorini.

http://www.greece101.com/home.display-lid1-slid10.html

Good article on Mykonos: http://www.greece101.com/destFullArticle.display-lid1-slid20-did10-cid61.html  Also, check out the other links on nightlife and restaurants.

 

Lots of great photos and useful information: http://www.greekislands.com/santorini/

 

Rhodes