The Cosmopolitan Cyclades

Day 1: Arrival in Athens

Welcome in Athens! Transfer from the Athens International Airport to your booked hotel. Hotel accommodation for 2 nights in Athens. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2: City Tour Athens

Your city tour in Athens starts with a short stop in the Panathinaiko Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 and the finish of the Marathon was hosted in 2004. Continue with a panoramic drive to the magnificent archaeological site of Acropolis, an UNESCO’s world heritage monument and landmark of Athens. Visit the Propylae, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion with its porch of Maidens and of course the glorious Parthenon. On your way down the hill of Acropolis, you will pass by the Herodion and Dionysus Theater and your walk will end in the modern New Acropolis Museum with the spectacular view to Acropolis. Main attractions such as motives, artifacts of every day life, statues from archaic period, Caryatids and the Parthenon hall with the metopes, the pediments and the frieze are waiting for you and they will surely impress you.

al clear waters.

Day 3: Paros Island

Transfer to the port of Piraeus in the morning. At 07:25 a.m. you will take the Blue Star Ferry (http://www.bluestarferries.gr/) and at about 11:25 a.m. you will arrive at the island of Paros. In Parikia, the capital of the island, you can visit the church of Panagia Ekatontapyliani, also known as the Church of 100 Doors. The church complex contains a main chapel surrounded by two more chapels and a baptistery dating back to the early Christian times. The tour continues with a walk in the old part of the city. During your walk you will be able to visit also the Frankish Castle, which is located at the highest point of Parikia and guarantees an amazing view from its surrounding areas.

Hotel accommodation for 6 nights in Paros.

Day 4: Parian Marble

Drive to Marathi and visit the marble quarries, the source of the famous Parian marble in the old times. Ancient sculptors praised Parian marble (also known as “lichnitis” because of the lamps the workers used to find it) for its translucency and fine, soft texture, appropriate for sculptures and other constructions. Further drive to Lefkes, the capital of Paros in the medieval times and one of the most beautiful island villages. In Lefkes, you will take a short walk in the byzantine pathways (walking tour of medium difficulty; duration ca. 1 h and 20’). The tour will continue to the traditional fishermen’s village of Pisso Livadi, after driving through the villages of Prodromos, Marmara and Marpissa. There you will have free time for lunch and leisure. The tour will end in the village of Naoussa, thought by some people as the most beautiful port in Cyclades. Optional drive to Kolimpithres, where you have a swim and jump from the huge formed rocks into the crystal clear waters.

Day 5: Naxos Island

Join us for a day trip around Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades islands. You will leave from the harbour of Parikia or Naoussa in the morning, and after a short journey, you will arrive in Hora, the capital of the Naxos. The guided tour starts in Hora with its narrow alleyways and market place, as well as the archeological museum. At about 09:30 a.m. you will return to the coach and continue towards the island area. Having passed the lush, green bamboo reed area in Livadi, you will arrive in Galanado, where (in the northwestern side of the village) is the Venetian Bellonia Tower and the little “twin” church of St. John, a place of worship for both Orthodox and Catholic religions. Continuing on, you will come to Halki which is about 16 km away from Hora. Here you will stop for a stroll to admire the village with its beautiful old mansions, Byzantine churches and an old traditional citron distillery.

Carrying on again, you will stop near the village of Moni to visit the church of Panagia Drossiani (6th century), one of the best-preserved monuments of the Christian era. The next village you will visit is Filoti, built amphitheatrically at the foot of Mount Zas. From here following a winding mountain road up to the height of 600 m, you will arrive in the village of Apiranthos. This is known as the “marble village” and boasts about its three museums: the archeological, the geological and the folk museum. You will stop here for an hour. You will continue to Koronos with its emery mines and the height of 700 m and to the village of Komiaki (Koronida). From here the road starts going downhill towards Apollona, an idyllic, seaside settlement on the northeastern side of the island where there is a gigantic statue (10.5 m) dating back to the 7th century B.C. You will make a stop here for leisure time. Your return into Hora will be made via the brand new coast road which passes the northwestern beaches of the island, and also the Agia and the Monastery of Faneromani (17th century). On arriving in Hora again, there will be free time to walk around the town and finally you will take the ferry back to Paros.

Day 6: One-day-cruise to Delos - Mykonos

(Every Tuesday – Thursday – Sunday)

Visit together with us the gems of Cyclades. Firstly Delos , the sacred island of the ancient Greeks with its unique archaeological monuments and one of the most important archaeological museums in Greece.

Secondly Mykonos, a beautiful cosmopolitan island with wonderful traditional style Cycladic architecture, a style which is maintained even with the new buildings. There are many things to do in Mykonos: take a walk around the attractive alleyways and windmills, visit the museums of interest (which include the archaeological, nautical, folk and agricultural museums) and the churches or just have a cool drink and swim.

Day 7: Kaiki Boat & Barbeque

Antiparos island tour with an original kaiki boat (duration about 6.5 hours). Lunch included. Around the beautiful coastline of Antiparos you can enjoy a wonderful day. The boat is leaving from Pounta and will take you to Pantalonisia, where you will have your first swimming stop. The water is crystal blue and looks like a natural swimming pool. On the beautiful beach of Faneromeni there will be a barbeque organized for you while enjoying the sun and the sea. You will be amazed from the pureness and beauty this small island offers you. Afterwards, you will head towards Mastichari cave, where you will make a photo stop. From the cave you will turn back to Pounta, where the bus is waiting for you to take you back to Parikia.

Day 8: Horse Ridding in Paros

Explore places in Paros, which can only be reached by horse, including beaches, dune areas and mountains. We arrange adventure tours on request. We offer morning and afternoon rides and the average length of the riding time is 2.5 hours. There are smaller tours available for children and beginners. The horses are from Greece, are used to the climate and the difficult terrain and have an average height of 1.5 meters.

Day 9: Return to Mainland & Cape Sounion

Your relaxing tour in Cyclades under the Greek sun ends with your arrival at the port of Paros. At about 15:30 p.m. you will arrive by ferry in Piraeus and the bus will take you from there to the amazing Cape Sounion. Cape Sounion is only 45 miles (70 km) away from Athens and thus the perfect destination for a sunny, lazy afternoon. The Temple of Poseidon, whose half of the Doric columns are still standing, is perched on a rocky hilltop overlooking the sea and offers an absolutely breathtaking, panoramic view of the Aegean sea. Hotel accommodation for 2 nights in Athens.

Day 10: Walking Tour Athens – Shopping

What is better than a walking tour in Athens, in the heart of Greek daily life? The tour begins inside the Syntagma metro station (subway), where you will shortly see the archaeological exhibits which came to light during the construction of the metro. The tour will continue to the House of the Greek Parliament with the monument of the Unknown Soldier and the changing of the guards with the traditional Greek uniforms.
Afterwards, you will head to the National Gardens and the Zappeion Hall, in front of which tower the surviving columns of the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch.The walking tour will get better and better as you enter the famous Plaka and Monastiraki with the numerous cafés and souvenir shops. By walking through the narrow streets and near their neoclassical buildings, it will be like travelling back in time. During your walk you can also visit the city part of Kolonaki, whose streets host some of the most famous and expensive brands, such as Prada, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. Another excellent option for shopping is a visit in Attica Department Store, one of the most beautiful malls in Europe.
http://www.atticadps.gr/

Day 11: Departure – ''Geia sas''

Transfer to Athens International Airport – Departure