|
GOLDEN FLEECE
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 1: ATHENS
Arrival in Athens – assistance and transfer to the hotel.
Balance of day at leisure.
Overnight in Athens.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 2: ATHENS
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning city tour of Athens which will give you the opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a
fascinating city. Your guide will take you to the center : Constitution Square, the House of Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown
Soldier. Then driving down Herod Atticus street you will see the Evzones in their picturesque costume and the Presidential Palace.
On your way to the Acropolis you will see the Panathenaic stadium (where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in
1896) and the Athens of the 2nd century A.D., the temple of Olympian Zeus and the Adrian’s Arch. On the Acropolis visit its museum
and the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens : the Propylaea, the temple of Athena Nike, the Erechteion and finally,
the “harmony between matter and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon. Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight in Athens.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 3: ATHENS - PIRAEUS - ISTANBUL
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning at leisure. In the afternoon transfer to the port of Piraeus and embarkation for the 7 day cruise to the Greek islands
and Turkey. At 19h00 sailing to Istanbul.
Dinner and overnight on board.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 4: DARDANELLES - ISTANBUL
Breakfast on board.
In the morning pass the Dardanelles and in the afternoon arrival in Istanbul. As you approach from the sea, the graceful minarets
of countless mosques appear at the horizon and the Islamic call to prayer carries over the water.
Lunch / dinner and overnight on board.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 5: ISTANBUL
Breakfast on board.
Free time or optional excursion. Istanbul’s blend of East and West has resulted in some of the most magnificent architecture in
the world. Visit the Topkapi Palace which overlooks the Bosphorus, Marmara Sea and the Golden Horn, and presents a maze of
buildings that was the great palace of the Ottoman sultans, from the 15th to the 19th century. Afterwards pass from the Hippodrome
that once was one of the largest chariot race grounds of the Byzantine Empire, Sainte Sophie, the 4th century Christian church, the
Blue Mosque and finally the Grand bazaar – one of the most popular places in Istanbul with over 4000 shops offering a large variety
of gold, carpets, leatherwear and souvenirs. In the afternoon sailing to Kusadasi.
Lunch / dinner and overnight on board.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 6: KUSADASI
Breakfast on board.
In the morning sailing to Kusadasi. Lunch on board. In the afternoon arrival in Kusadasi.
This seaside resort has undergone
vigorous development in recent years and is an excellent place to shop for Turkish goods. The optional tour to nearby Ephesus
is not to be missed, for here the history truly comes to life. Walking towards the ancient harbor, down the marble road rutted by
the wheels of countless chariots, you pass such architectural masterpieces as the Magnesian Gate and the Library of Celsus
before arriving at the great amphitheater where Saint Paul was arrested and cast out of the city. In the evening sailing to Patmos.
Dinner and overnight on board.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 7: PATMOS - MYKONOS
Breakfast on board.
Early morning arrival in Patmos. This serene island is known as the site of the apocalyptic revelations of Saint John the Divine,
written here during his exile from the Roman Empire. The cave where he is said to have lived is now the site of the monastery of
the Apocalypse founded in the 11th century by the abbot Christodoulos.
It houses priceless icons and manuscripts in its treasury.
At noon sailing to Myconos, the jewel of the Cyclades. Lunch on board. In the afternoon arrival in Myconos. Free time for shopping
and strolling through the narrow white washed streets of the picturesque town. In the evening sailing to Rhodes.
Dinner and overnight on board.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 8: RHODES
Breakfast on board.
In the morning arrival in Rhodes, the capital of the Dodecanese islands. Free time or optional excursion to Lindos and the Medieval
town. Drive along the picturesque Eastern coastline, scattered with white washed villages, to Lindos. The most important of the
three great cities of ancient times is guarded by the Medieval walls constructed by the Knights of Saint John in the 13th century.
Within, stands the ancient Acropolis of Lindos on the brink of a precipice 400 feet above the sea. From the Acropolis there are
breathtaking views to the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and Saint Paul’s Bay where the apostle cast anchor during his historic
voyage to Ephesus. You will proceed on foot uphill to the Great Staircase leading from the Hellenistic portico to the temple of Athena.
Return to Rhodes city. Enjoy a stroll through the Medieval town and view the Palace of the Grand Master, the Medieval houses and
the Hospital of the Knights of Saint John housing now the archeological museum . In the evening sailing to Heraklion.
Lunch / dinner and overnight on board.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Day 9: HERAKLION - SANTORINI
Breakfast on board.
Early morning arrival in Heraklion. Free time or optional excursion to the Palace of Knossos situated few kilometers from Heraklion.
Discovered in 1899 by Sir Arthur Evans and partially reconstructed, the elaborate palace is believed to be the mythical labyrinth of
King Minos and the seat of the ancient Minoan culture. The archeological museum displays many of the treasures found during the
excavations. Return on board and sailing to Santorini. Lunch on board. In the afternoon arrival in Santorini. This island is perhaps the
most breathtaking of all the Greek islands. Around 1500 B.C. a volcanic eruption destroyed the center of the island, leaving a crescent
shaped rim of cliffs around the harbor formed in the volcano’s caldera. The town of Fira is accessible by donkey or cable car. Free
time for shopping or strolling or optional excursion to the site of Akrotiri located on the Southern part of the island. The excavation site
has been roofed over to fashion an unique museum. Everything is in place as it was before the gigantic earthquake, including the
narrow “streets” which wind through the area which has been cleared of the ash that filled the houses and engulfed the town.
Akrotiri is often compare to Pompei but the ruins here date back to the prehistoric times, around 1500 B.C.. In the evening sailing
to Piraeus. Dinner and overnight on board.
|
Day 10 : PIRAEUS - ATHENS
Early morning arrival in Piraeus.
After breakfast disembarkation and transfer to the airport.
|
For details and prices, please contact us by email: info @ argonautravel.gr
and let us know of the number of participants as well as your requested dates
|
