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Treasures of the Aegean
Tour Description:
Step back in time to ancient Greece and sail to fabulous destinations steeped in legend, lore and sunshine and enjoy lovely sunsets over the Aegean Sea as our cruise blends ancient with modern in a kaleidoscope of discoveries both mythic and epic...
Spend two nights at a fabulous hotel in the heart of Athens, seeing antiquities that reflect its glory at the height of its power... Explore Greek Islands including Mykonos, playground of the rich and famous... Delos, holiest of all Greek sanctuaries... Santorini, eye-candy perfect with its blue-domed buildings and amazing views... Patmos, whose cultural treasures have attracted pilgrims for centuries... and Monemvasia, "the Gibraltar of the East"... plus Ephesus in Turkey, the famous remains of an ancient Greco-Roman city.
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Dates & Pricing
| Sunday 13 Jun 27 — Tuesday 22 Jun 27 | Starting at $11,590 | Get a Quote | |
| Sunday 20 Jun 27 — Tuesday 29 Jun 27 | Starting at $11,590 | Get a Quote | |
| Sunday 27 Jun 27 — Tuesday 06 Jul 27 | Starting at $11,290 | Get a Quote | |
| Sunday 11 Jul 27 — Tuesday 20 Jul 27 | Starting at $10,590 | Get a Quote | |
| Sunday 18 Jul 27 — Tuesday 27 Jul 27 | Starting at $10,590 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 10 Aug 27 — Thursday 19 Aug 27 | Starting at $10,590 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 24 Aug 27 — Thursday 02 Sep 27 | Starting at $11,290 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 31 Aug 27 — Thursday 09 Sep 27 | Starting at $11,890 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 07 Sep 27 — Thursday 16 Sep 27 | Starting at $11,890 | Get a Quote |
Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & Sightseeing
Step back in time to ancient Greece and sail to fabulous destinations steeped in legend, lore and sunshine and enjoy lovely sunsets over the Aegean Sea as our cruise blends ancient with modern in a kaleidoscope of discoveries both mythic and epic...
Spend two nights at a fabulous hotel in the heart of Athens, seeing antiquities that reflect its glory at the height of its power... Explore Greek Islands including Mykonos, playground of the rich and famous... Delos, holiest of all Greek sanctuaries... Santorini, eye-candy perfect with its blue-domed buildings and amazing views... Patmos, whose cultural treasures have attracted pilgrims for centuries... and Monemvasia, "the Gibraltar of the East"... plus Ephesus in Turkey, the famous remains of an ancient Greco-Roman city.
Highlights
Sail aboard Windstar's Wind Surf, featuring redesigned staterooms, suites and public spaces, including the lounge, pool deck and bar
Special Tauck Experience: dine under a canopy of stars during an al fresco dinner in ancient Ephesus, with live music by the Aegean Chamber Orchestra
All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff, local guides and drivers
Traveling with Tauck's private group and the same Tauck Director on land and at sea aboard the ship
Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $5,041
Spend two luxurious nights at the Grande Bretagne in Athens, with guided visits to the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum
Highlights
Sail aboard Windstar's Wind Surf, featuring redesigned staterooms, suites and public spaces, including the lounge, pool deck and bar
Special Tauck Experience: dine under a canopy of stars during an al fresco dinner in ancient Ephesus, with live music by the Aegean Chamber Orchestra
All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff, local guides and drivers
Traveling with Tauck's private group and the same Tauck Director on land and at sea aboard the ship
Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $5,041
Spend two luxurious nights at the Grande Bretagne in Athens, with guided visits to the Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum
ITINERARY
ITINERARYArrive in Athens
Tour begins: 6:00 p.m., Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, Greece. A transfer is included from Athens International Airport to Hotel Grande Bretagne. Meet fellow travelers at tonight's welcome cocktail reception and dinner.
Athens' Acropolis & the Acropolis Museum
In the quiet early morning, before the crowds, visit the Acropolis of Athens – the rock above the city on which four of the greatest masterpieces of classical Greek art and architecture sit – the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Today's sightseeing also includes a guided tour of the Acropolis Museum, a towering modern work of concrete and glass with a direct view of the Parthenon. Spend the rest of the day as you wish in Athens, perhaps on the Grand Promenade, a pedestrian paradise built for the 2004 Olympics. Not far from your hotel, the walkway is lined on one side with classical antiquities and on the other with modern cafés, mansions, and art galleries.
Archaeological Museum & embark your Windstar ship
Begin your day with a guided tour through the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, considered one of the top ten museums in the world, before embarking your Windstar ship in Piraeus. Enjoy a cocktail hour, an evening briefing and dinner onboard at your leisure as the ship sails for Mykonos.
The islands of Mykonos & Delos
Arrive at the island of Mykonos, where you can take your pick of activities: a guided tour of this lively island, including a visit to the 16th-century church in the village of Ano Mera; or a boat ride to the archaeological site of Delos, where you'll find remnants of its reign as the holiest of all Greek sanctuaries. Ancient laws forbade anyone to be born or die on this island; even today, no one is allowed to stay the night! Return to the ship for lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure on Mykonos, exploring the labyrinthine town on your own. Dine onboard tonight as the ship continues on to the port of Kusadasi in Turkey.
To Kusadasi & Ephesus
Arrive this morning in the port of Kusadasi, Turkey for a guided excursion to Ephesus, one of the world's best-preserved classical cities revealing important vestiges of an ancient Roman civilization; in its heyday, marble lined the streets, fountains flowed, and an eternal flame burned upon a sacred altar. Take a walking tour of the ancient city, seeing the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, Trajan's Fountain, the Arcadian Way and the two-tiered Library of Celsus. Have lunch at a local restaurant and a carpet demonstration before returning to the ship for cocktails. Enjoy a special dinner ashore this evening, complete with music by the Aegean Chamber Orchestra, at ancient Ephesus. Chart a course for the island of Patmos tonight.
Cultural treasures on the Isle of Patmos
Today you'll discover the many charms of the picturesque island of Patmos, an important Christian pilgrimage site for its role in the writing of the Book of Revelations in the Christian Bible by St. John the Theologian. You'll have three choices of activities today. The first is an excursion through the historic heart of Chora, Patmos' capital city; with your local guide, make your way through the old village's maze of winding cobblestoned streets and arched alleyways to view ancient whitewashed buildings and bell towers, rugged cliffs and hills, and blue Aegean seascapes. Alternatively, enjoy a day filled with rest and relaxation by the Aegean Sea on Agriolivadi Beach. And a third choice includes a tour of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian plus a visit to the Grotto of St. John – also known as the Cave of the Apocalypse – where tradition has it that John of Patmos received visions from Jesus that he recorded as the Book of Revelations; the grotto and the monastery have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following lunch, you'll have free time to explore the port of Skala on Patmos prior to departing for the island of Santorini.
The pleasures of Santorini
Rise early to observe your arrival into Santorini, one of the Cyclades islands; formed from an ancient volcanic caldera, it is thought by some to be the lost city of Atlantis – the views of the island's multicolored cliffs and the deep blue sea are breathtaking. Travel ashore by motor launch to the archaeological site of Akrotiri; a major Bronze Age archaeological site known as the "Pompeii of the Aegean," the site features well-preserved ruins of a Minoan city buried by a volcanic eruption around 1600 BC. Have lunch in the small village of Oia with free time to explore the sights this afternoon as you wish.
Aegean cruising & Monemvasia
After a leisurely morning spent cruising the Aegean Sea, Wind Star arrives midday at the town of Monemvasia, located on a small, rock-like island off the Peloponnese's east coast that was separated from the mainland by an earthquake around 375 AD. Nicknamed "the Gibraltar of the East" or simply "the Rock," Monemvasia has over the past thousand years or so been ruled by the Byzantine Empire, the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire before becoming part of an independent Greece in the 19th century. Traces of its many occupiers over the centuries can be found throughout the island, some of which are revealed on a walking tour through the cobbled pathways of this fascinating town. You'll also have some time to explore as you wish before Wind Star departs the island and continues her cruise to Nafplion.
Nafplion, Mycenae & Epidaurus
Nafplion (also known as Nauplion), on the Peloponnese Peninsula, is considered one of the most beautiful and romantic towns in Greece. Nestled by the sea with two mountains and a fortress overlooking the town, the unique architecture of Nafplion includes ancient walls, medieval castles, Ottoman fountains, Venetian and Neoclassical buildings. This historic city is the starting point for your choices of exploration today. One choice includes visits to three important sites around the Bay of Argolis – the architectural remnants of the tomb of Agamemnon; Palmidi Castle, set high above the town of Nafplion; and, after lunch, a guided walking tour of Nafplion, followed by some time to explore on your own. Or, visit Agamemnon's tomb at Mycenae and the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. This 4th-century amphitheatre is still used for performances today and is known for remarkable acoustics that allow the voice of a speaker on stage to reach some 15,000 spectators. Epidaurus was also home to one of the most renowned healing centers in the classical world. This choice also includes a winery lunch and some free time to check out Nafplion as you please. Return to the ship for farewell cocktails followed by dinner, as you set sail to return to Piraeus (Athens).
Journey home
Tour ends: 9:00 AM, Eleftherios Venizelos, Athens' International Airport. Disembark your Windstar ship for an 8:15 AM transfer. Flights should depart after 11:45 AM due to disembarkation schedules which cannot be guaranteed.
