The Romance of the Greek Isles
and The Glory of the Ottoman Istanbul

Including a stay in Santorini - A Grand 14 days of Greece and Turkey

DAY 1 - Saturday - Weekly : March through Novenmber - ARRIVAL IN ATHENS
Our Athens representative will meet you at the airport, assist you through customs and immigration, and escort you to your hotel in the bustling city center. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you wish. Stroll, browse for curios and treasures, and perhaps dine at a cafe in the old Plaka district and take in a folklore show.

DAY 2 - Sunday - ATHENS (B) This morning you'll tour Athens and get to know the high points of the city, especially the towering Acropolis and the adjacent museum. You'll visit Syntagma Square, at the very heart of the city, and see the Parliament, and guards in colorful traditional outfits. Your afternoon is free for further exploring or shopping, or you could well be drawn back by the charm of the Plaka. Or take advantage of one of our optional tours, such as an afternoon visit to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, with spectacular sunset view.

DAY 3 -Monday - CRUISE TO MYKONOS (BLD) A 30 - minute drive (transfer included)will take you to Piraeus, the port of Athens, to embark on your four-day cruise. You'll sail into the Aegean, and by sunset, reach the jet-set isle of Mykonos. Stroll at your own pace along lanes lined with whitewashed houses, up to the Church of Paraportiani, or along the shore to the island's signature windmills. Enjoy an ouzo or a glass of retsina at a waterside cafe.

DAY 4 - Tuesday - RHODES (BLD)
Our cruise ship arrives early at the harbor, allowing a full day on the Island of Roses. The compact, cobbled medieval city is perfect for exploring on your own. You'll want to visit the Palace of the Knights of St. John, take a look at the wares in the boutiques, and spend some time in a seaside cafe. We also offer an optional excursion to the Acropolis of Lindos and the Valley of the Butterflies.

DAY 5 - Wednesday - KUSADASI (Turkey) and PATMOS (BLD)
We anchor at 7 a.m. in Kusadasi, on the Turkish mainland, gateway to ancient Ephesus. Stroll the streets and stop in at shops filled with leather goods and bargains in gold. Our optional tour takes you to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in the world. You'll re-board in time for an afternoon sailing. In the late afternoon, your ship will call at the island of Patmos. Here you can visit the Monastery of St. John where the Book of Revelations was written.

DAY 6 - Thursday - HERAKLION (CRETE), SANTORINI (B)
We drop anchor in the port of Heraklion at 7 a.m. You can explore on your own, or take an optional excursion to the 5000-year-old Minoan Palace at Knossos and the archaeological museum. We sail at noon for Santorini, where the lost civilization of Atlantis flourished. You'll disembark for three nights or more in a villa. Sample hotels in Santorini: Dana Villas, in Firostefani with view of the volcano.

DAY 7 - Friday -SANTORINI (B)
You'll take a leisurely breakfast on your private terrace. An optional tour to the archaeological site of Akrotiri is offered. Or, you can spend the day relaxing, and take in breathtaking views of the volcano and caldera.

DAY 8 - Saturday - SANTORINI (B)
The day is yours for relaxing or exploring on your own--or both! You might take a boat across to the dormant volcano, and ascend through a crater-pocked moonscape to the crater. Or savor a soak in hot sulphur springs

DAY 9 - Sunday - SANTORINI (B) Enjoy the views from your villa, discover a black-sand beach, savor the sea breezes from the terrace of a cafe, or try your hand at fishing. Or arrange a winery visit or another excursion. The choice is yours.

DAY 10 - Monday - SANTORINI, ATHENS, Istanbul (B)
Our personnel will assure a seamless transfer to Santorini's Airport. You'll catch a flight to Athens, where you'll board your connecting flight to Istanbul .
You're met at the airport by our representative, who sees you to your hotel, and answers any questions you may have about getting to know the city. As you ride into the great metropolis from the airport, two thousand years of history are revealed: towering Roman walls, ancient Byzantine churches, slender minarets framing the bulbous domes of graceful mosques. These ancient monuments float on the skyline of a bustling modern metropolis of ten million people. Welcome fruit basket in your room awaits you with our compliments.

DAY 11 - Tuesday - ISTANBUL (BL)
The center of ancient Constantinople and Istanbul was on Seraglio Point, framed by the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. We visit the Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet III to challenge the architectural primacy of neighboring Sancta Sophia. We then walk next door to compare achievements in Justinian's great Sancta Sophia. Right behind Sancta Sophia is our next stop, sumptuous Topkapi Palace, the sultans seraglio for centuries, filled with breathtaking exhibits of priceless jewels, golden thrones, delicate colored tiles, and lavish court costumes. We finish up in the bustling Grand Bazaar, where you can find jewelry, carpets, goat-hair rugs, hand-painted ceramics, copper and brass in labyrinthine streets holding nearly 4000 shops.

DAY 12 - Wednesday - BOSPHORUS (B)
Istanbul's history was formed by the Bosphorus, the winding strait that separates Europe and Asia, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Now, as in ancient times, it is a maritime vital link between the countries bordering the Black Sea and those in the rest of the world. Today we take a leisurely cruise northward along this historic waterway. Along its shores are ranged palaces great and small-Topkapi, Dolmabahçe, Beylerbeyi, Küçüksu, Hünkar Iskelesi. Four great fortresses rise on the hills, reminding us that to control the Bosphorus was to control the destinies of nations. Our afternoon cruise of two continents, crossing from Europe to Asia and back, includes visits to the Military Museum, the Bosphorus Bridge, Çamlica Hill lookout, and stupendous Dolmabahçe Palace. Complimentary plate of Turkish Lokoom pastries (Hotel room)

Day 13 - Thursday - ISTANBUL
"Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque" (late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:" Home Hosted Dinner -(BLD)

Morning walking tour : We start with our guide in Karaköy where the foreign bankers and shipping companies had their headquarters, then take the Tünel up to istiklal Caddesi; stop in the whirling dervish tekke, and walk past the various old embassy buildings (now consulates), and point out the architecture. Stop for tea (included) at the famous Pera Palace Hotel.
Walk at least as far as Galatasaray Square, and have lunch in the Çicek Pasaji (Flower Passage); then walk up to Taksim Square and be picked up for the afternoon tour.
In the afternoon the tour visit Yildiz Palace Park and the Ihlamur Kasri, a mini-palace south of Yildiz, and finish up with a visit to the Military History Museum in Harbiye in time to hear the "Mehter," or Ottoman military band (mid-afternoon).Dinner is included at a local home to meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town).

DAY 14 - Friday - ISTANBUL(B)
There are many more things to see and do in this fascinating city, but they will have to wait for your next visit. After breakfast, our representative escorts you to the airport -until next time!r.

Rates per person in US$, Double Occupancy, Greek cruise cabin will be with 2 lower beds

• One-way Santorini/Athens airfare economy class , tax included .
  
• Lonley Planet Travel guide books
  
• One-way Athens/Istanbul airfare, economy class , tax included .
  
• Greek cruise to Greek Isles and Turkey .
  
• Hotel accommodation as per itinerary .
  
• All meals during the Greek cruise .
  
• Hotel accommodation in Santorini, sample villas that are used:
  For Deluxe Class , 4 stars accommodation:
  "Astra Apartments" in Imerovigli, or in a 1 or 2-bedroom apartment villas.
  For , first class accommodation in the: "Grotto Villas" in Firostefani in a 1 or 2 bed-room apartment.
  
• Transfers in Greece, Turkey and Paris.
  
• Hotel service charges and taxes .
  
• Port taxes

Not included:

• International airfare from/to your home country
• Gratuities Personal expenses, beverages, and meals not specifically listed .
• Greek cruise Shore Excursions
• Trip cancellation insurance, travel insurance

Sample hotels in Athens :
Deluxe: Divani Palace Acropolis. First Class : Titania

Sample Villas in Santorini:
Dana Villas, in Firostefani with view of the volcano.
Chromata Apartments, in Imerovigli with a view of the volcano.
For Katikies Villas and Pantheon , please add $ 350 per person supplement to the deluxe rate

The Ancient Agora of Athens | The Acropolis of Athens |Crete
Philippi | Mycenae | Delphi | Ancient Corinth | Divani Palace Hotel Athens

Compare with Greece, Palestine and Israel Tour