Cycladic Treasures

Day 1: Arrival in Athens

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

Day 3: Tinos Island – Panagia Evangelistria

Transfer to the port of Piraeus or Rafina, where you will take the ferry to Tinos.

The day is dedicated to visiting the Church of Panagia Evangelistria, which is located in the town of Tinos and is said to be the most important shrine of Virgin Mary in Greece. That is why Tinos is nowadays one of the most famous stops in the pilgrimage tours. The complex is built around a miraculous icon, which – according to tradition – was found after the Virgin appeared to the nun St. Pelagia and revealed to her the place where the icon was buried. The icon is widely believed to be the source of numerous miracles. It is by now almost completely encased in silver, gold, and jewels, and is commonly referred to as the "Megalochari" ("[She of] Great Grace"). By extension the church is often called the same, and is considered to protect the seafarers and heal the infirm ones. Hotel accommodation for 2 nights.

Day 4: Tour Island Tinos

In ancient times, Tinos was called "Ofiousa" or "Hydrousa", due to the large amount of snakes and the abundance of running water all around the island. During the island tour, you will visit the famous dovecotes, where the local people breed pigeons mainly for their tasty meat and their dropping, which constitutes a first quality fertilizer. The dovecotes are built in the countryside at well-chosen locations near cultivated areas and water, on the slopes of mountains and ravine. They are massive, stone-built edifices and date back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Other stops in your tour will be the monastery of Kechrovouni and the traditional village of Volax, built in a height of 284 m. The village is known for the massive rocks found around it, thought by the villagers to be meteorites. The tour will continue to the traditional village of Pyrgos, famous for its marble works of art decorating each and every corner of it. Besides, Tinos is widely known for its fine white and green marble and is the motherland of many famous Greek artists, such as Jannoulis Chalepas and Nikiforos Lytras.

Day 5: Paros Island

Transfer to the port of Tinos, where you will take the ferry to Paros. After your arrival 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.

Day 6: 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 7: 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 8: 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 9: Santorini

Enjoy the magical journey while sailing the blue waters of the Aegean sea and, on arrival in Santorini, the stunning view of the island with its unique scenery. The first stop by bus from the harbor is at Oia and finally the attractive town of Fira. Climbing up to the top of the cliff, there is a wonderful view. Santorini is completely different from all the other Cycladic islands with uniquelly wild scenery which brings out feelings and emotions not experienced in other places. The beautiful town of Fira, the attractive settlement of Oia and the black sandy beaches, streching as far as the eye can see, will make your trip unforgettable.

Day 10: Island of Antiparos with Kaiki Boat & BBQ

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. A perfect farewell day for you to remember the time you spent in Cyclades.

Day 11: 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.

Day 12: Walking Tour Athens – Shopping

Return with the ferry to the port of Piraeus and transfer to the centre of Athens for a walking tour 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 13: Departure – ''Geia sas''

Transfer to Athens International Airport – Departure