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Destination > Europe > Greece

Classical Odyssey

Day 1: Home

Depart by wide bodied jet for Athens, Greece.

Day 2: Athens (D)

Arrive in Athens. After clearing customs, be transferred to your hotel. En route, enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of this ancient city. The remainder of the day is free for you to acclimatize to the time change and to perhaps wander outside for your first taste of this noisy, lively and expansive city. Athens is a curious blend of antiquity and modern urban sprawl. The old quarter, the Plaka, is huddled at the foot of the Acropolis in a hodge podge of narrow winding alleys, flower filled courtyards, old balconied houses and lively cafes.

Day 3: Athens (B)

This morning meet your guide for your morning tour of ancient and modern Athens. Highlights include the Royal Palace, the Olympic Stadium, the Temple of Jupiter, Hadrian’s Arch, Constitution Square, and a visit to the Acropolis to see the most perfect of buildings, the Parthenon. The afternoon is free for you to shop the colourful Plaka district or to sightsee on your own.

Day 4: Athens - Delphi (B)

Depart Athens this morning on your private coach and ascend the Sacred Way for Delphi, a city that clings to the side of Mount Parnassus at 2000 feet. This is the site of the splendid Parian marble treasury and the Temple of Apollo, where for 14 centuries the Greeks traveled to consult the Oracle. Also visit the museum with its 2400 year old bronze charioteer and other treasures. Spend some time shopping in the small town of Delphi and then carry on to Patras for your overnight.

Day 5: Patras - Olympia - Tolon (B, D)

After breakfast this morning, depart by coach for your guided visit to Olympia, birthplace of the original Olympic Games in 776 B.C. Visit the original stadium, the treasures, and gymnasiums of the athletes. Later in the afternoon continue to the coastal resort town of Tolon for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Tolon - Nauplion - Athens (B)

Today board your coach for Nauplion. Nauplion is a gem among all of the towns in the Peloponese. Before the Venetians built it in the 15th century, Nauplion consisted of a hilltop fortress. It was passed back and forth between the Venetians and the Turks. Today, it is a beach resort with a picturesque and crumbling old town and an amazing fortress boasting 999 gruelling steps to the site. At the top, you can walk around the intricate and well preserved walls which provide spectacular views of the town and the gulf. Later, return to Athens for overnight.

Day 7: Athens (B, D)

Today is a free day in Athens for you to explore on your own.

Day 8: Athens - Istanbul (B)

Transfer to airport for flight to Istanbul. Istanbul is the only city in the world that sits on 2 continents and offers an abundance of fascinating attractions.

Day 9: Istanbul (B)

Begin your day with an early breakfast and prepare yourself for a full day guided tour of this city which is home to an incomparable array of world famous churches, mosques, palaces, and museums. Istanbul is rich in historical sites. See some of the most popular sites such as the Bosphorus Strait, Haghia Sophia or the Church of the Holy Wisdom built by Emperor Justinian between 532 and 537 A.D. and the Blue Mosque built by Sultan Ahmet I, in an attempt to put Justinian’s Church to shame. Also see the Hippidrome - where Byzantine emperors once presided over chariot races and circuses, Topkspi Palace, the Kariye Museum and the Grand Bazarre.

Day 10: Istanbul - Troy - Bergama (B, D)

Today start your day with breakfast and then it is off on a full day guided visit to Troy, founded in 3000 B.C and famous for its wooden horse and the site of the Trojan War. The remaining Bronze Age fortifications, given their age, are remarkably well preserved. Then on to Bergama, the modern city adjacent to the ruins of Pergamon, for overnight. Enjoy the remainder of the day and evening in Bergama.

Day 11: Bergama (B, D)

Today visit the ruins of Pergamon and Ephesus, which were once the commercial centers of the ancient world. The ruins are located on two principal sites: the Acropolis, looming majestic above the town, and the Asclepion (medical center) lying in the valley below. The most notable attraction is the mammoth amphitheatre capable of seating 10,000 spectators. Her enormous temple was once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Day 12: Izmir - Home (B)

Today depart from overnight in Izmir for home.

Tour includes:

Flight Home - Athens / Athens - Istanbul / Istanbul - Home
Airport transfers
10 nights accommodation
Breakfast daily
5 dinners
Guided tour Athens as indicated on itinerary
3 day guided motorcoach tour throughout Peloponnese region
Admission to Acropolis
Admission to Delphi
Admission to Olympia
Coach and guide throughout Turkey
All sightseeing tours as indicated
All admissions in Turkey as indicated on itinerary

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