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Ancient Marvels & Iconic Islands of Greece & Turkey

Program Number: 20727RJ
Start and End Dates:
9/19/2012 - 9/28/2012;
Duration: 9 nights
Location: Greece/Turkey
Price starting at: $4,024.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Adventure Afloat Study Cruise; Small Ship Cruising
Meals: 23; 8 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 8 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Embrace the essence of the ancient world during a voyage that begins with an inspiring exploration of the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, and ventures to the sacred temples, ruins and cities that are sprinkled throughout the islands of the Aegean Sea.




Activity Particulars

Walking up to two miles per day over varying terrain including hills and stairs.



Itinerary At-a-Glance

Athens (Greece), 1 night; aboard Pegasus, 7 nights.



Day 1: Overnight flight from the U.S.A.


Days 2-3: Arrival Athens (Greece) / embark Pegasus:

Venture to the Acropolis to examine the Parthenon and the temples built under Pericles during the Golden Age of Athens. Walk through the historic Pláka neighborhood. Lodging: Comfortable, centrally located hotel.



Day 4: Delos and Mykonos:

Discover Delos, sacred to the ancients as the birthplace of Apollo and his sister the goddess Artemis. Marvel at the famed Marble Lions, the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Temple of Isis and more. Discover the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos.



Day 5: Samos:

Sail on to the green island of Samos, traditional birthplace of the goddess Hera.



Day 6: Kusadasi (Turkey) / Ephesus:

Venture to the ancient city of Ephesus to explore its stunning, well-preserved ruins. Make your way through the bustling marketplaces of the port of Kusadasi.



Day 7: Patmos (Greece) / Amorgos:

Visit Patmos, the sacred island where St. John wrote the Book of Revelations. At the monastery of St. John, step into the courtyard, the bakery and the beautifully frescoed main church. Spend a free evening on the picturesque island of Amorgos.



Day 8: Santorini:

Experience this quintessential Greek island as you visit the cliffside town of Oia for remarkable views of the island, and view artifacts from the ancient city of Akrotiri at the Prehistoric Museum.



Day 9: Kythnos:

Enjoy a swim in Kolones Bay during a day at the beautiful island of Kythnos.



Day 10: Athens / disembark / departure


M/Y Pegasus

This small, oceangoing catamaran is 147 feet long with a beam of 35 feet. Cabins are fully equipped with private bathroom and shower, television, air-conditioning and personal mini-safe. The ship's 23 cabins can accommodate 42 passengers on an exclusive sailing for Road Scholar. Common areas are linked by stairs.
Meals and Lodgings
   Titania Hotel
  Athens, Greece 1 night
   Pegasus
  Cruise, Greece 7 nights
 Titania Hotel
Type: Hotel
  Description: This recently renovated hotel is located between the city’s most important squares, Syntagma and Omonia.
  Contact info: Panepistimiou 52
Athens,  10678 Greece
phone: +302103226000
  Room amenities: The hotel’s 385 rooms offer private bath, air conditioning, ISDN Lines, Quadrica (multimedia service), TV, hairdryer, minibar and private safety deposit box.
  Facility amenities: Hotel amenities include grand marble lobby, restaurants including a roof-top restaurant, bar, room service, elevators and convention facilities.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Contact program provider Contact program provider at eh@groupist.com

 Pegasus
Type: Cruise Ship
  Description: The twin hulled Pegasus accommodates up to 46 participants in a relaxed, congenial atmosphere. The ship features a large sundeck, covered deck and restaurant/lounge with bar.
  Ship Information: The vessel is 150 feet long and 36 fee wide and cruises at a speed of 12 nauts.
  Contact info: NA
NA,   Greece
phone: +NA
  Room amenities: Outside cabins over private bath, individual climate control and tv
  Facility amenities: Dining room, lounge, covered outdoor deck, sun deck
  Smoking allowed: Yes


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
Athens, Greece. Orientation begins at 6:30 pm in the hotel. You will be staying at Titania Hotel that night.
  End of Program:
Room checkout is between 11am and 12:00 noon, You will be staying at Pegasus the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. At this time visas are not required for participants with US passports traveling to Greece. Participants holding all other passports should check with the consulate for regulations and instructions. Visas are required for US Citizens visiting Turkey. Visas can be obtained at Turkish border crossing points for tourist/business visits of up to 3 months.
  Parking availability:
n/a
Transportation (For Independent Travelers)
To Start of Program
  Location:  Athens
  Transportation to site: SITE DIRECTIONS ATHENS Athens’s Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Spata, is 35km approx. from Athens center, and handles both International and Domestic flights. The airport has two exits one for passengers with European passports and one for all other passengers (including the USA). PROGRAMS BEGINNING IN ATHENS TAXI Take a taxi (available outside the arrival exit). The hotels are at various locations in Athens and average about 1-½ hours away from the airport (depending on traffic). Cost of the taxi is approx. 36.00 –45.00 EUR . AIRPORT METRO A new metro station has been opened at Athens International Airport. The entrance to the station can be located by following the signs inside the arrivals terminal. The station is about 200 yards away just outside of the airport exit and next to SOFITEL Athens Airport. The metro line is Line 3 (Blue Line) Airport – Monastiraki. Following are the Metro stops for the hotels used for Road Scholar programs. Hotel Metro Stop Titania Hotel Omonia station The one way ticket costs Euro 7.00 per person. The trip takes approximately 35-40 minutes with departures every 8’ – 10’ minutes between about 6:00am and midnight. BUS & METRO HOTEL TITANIA From the airport metro station take the line “3” blue line “Venizelos Airport – Monastiraki” and get off at “Omonia” Metro Station. Or from the airport bus station take Bus E94 to Metro Station “Ethniki Amyna (approx. time 1 hour). The frequency of departures of these buses is every 20 minutes. All buses depart from the designated area on the inner curbside of the arrivals’ level of the Main Terminal Building exactly outside the Schengen Exit (Doors 4-5). From “Ethiniki Amyna” Metro Station take the Metro to “Omonia” Metro Station. The hotel is a 10 minute walk from Omonia Station.
  From End of Program
  Location:  Cruise
  Transportation from site: Taxi transfer from port to Athens airport is readily available. Public transport is also available but is more difficult for participants carrying luggage.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: International Flight
(Wednesday, September 19)
   
 Depart From: Depart USA.

Day 2: Orientation and Welcome Dinner
(Thursday, September 20)
   
 Arrive To: Arrive in Athens.
 Dinner: Evening orientation and welcome dinner.
   
Accommodations: Titania Hotel
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 3: Acropolis-Marina Zea
(Friday, September 21)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel
 Morning: This morning we begin our exploration of Athens and Greece with a visit to its signature site, the Acropolis. We climb the formidable Acropolis home to a number of temples, most famous of which is the Parthenon, built to honor the city's patroness, Athena. We see the grand sun-bleached structure built by Pericles in the 5th century BC to celebrate the city's victory at Marathon. After we will end in the Plaka, Athens medieval heart for a stroll, lunch at a local taverna and some free time for independent exploration.
 Lunch: Lunch at a local taverna in the Plaka district.
 Afternoon: Transfer to Marina Zea for the cruise portion of your Journey. Your ship sets sail for Delos that evening, passing Cape Sounion in the distance, where the white marble pillars of the Temple of Poseidon stand on a high promontory and are illuminated at night.
 Dinner: Welcome dinner on board
   
Accommodations: Pegasus
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Delos and Mykonos
(Saturday, September 22)
   
 Breakfast: Breakfast aboard ship.
 Morning: Enjoy a visit to Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. On a guided excursion, you’ll visit the archaeological ruins of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, unearthed here in the 19th century. Delos is a true open-air museum with many ancient monuments and buildings that are remarkably intact.
 Lunch: Lunch aboard ship.
 Afternoon: We sail to one of Mykonos beautiful bays for a nice swim stop weather permitting. The afternoon is free to explore Mykonos on our own. Walk along the harbor, take in the trademark windmills or wander the narrow lanes with their Venetian style houses.
 Dinner: Dinner aboard ship.
   
Accommodations: Pegasus
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Samos, Greece
(Sunday, September 23)
   
 Breakfast: On board
 Morning: We leave Mykonos to reach the island of Lipsi for a swim stop and a barbeque on deck.
 Lunch: On board
 Afternoon: Free time in Samos
 Dinner: On board
   
Accommodations: Pegasus
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Kusadasi/Ephesus
(Monday, September 24)
   
 Breakfast: aboard ship.
 Morning: Excursion of Ephesus, the greatest archaeological site in the Aegean region. The white marble ancient city of Ephesus with spectacular monuments such as the Library of Celsus, the Agora, the Odeon, the Trajan Fountain and the Great Theater, where St. Paul preached, having a capacity of 24.000 people, is a Unesco World Heritage Site. On the way to Kusadasi we will visit St.John’s Basilica which was erected over his grave in the 6th Century AD by the Emperor Justinian. Continue through a traditional village where we will have a short visit to enjoy a carpet demonstration and \ local products before reaching the port of Kusadasi.
 Lunch: on board
 Afternoon: Some free time at the Kusadasi’s bustling market before we sail for Patmos
 Dinner: aboard ship.
   
Accommodations: Pegasus
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Patmos/Amorgos
(Tuesday, September 25)
   
 Breakfast: aboard ship.
 Morning: Depart by motor coach to explore the Grotto of the Apocalypse and Monastery of St. John, built 900 years ago, and is exceptional in its architecture. Visit the Treasury museum in the Monastery with its jeweled chalices, crowns, vestments and old manuscripts dating back to 1073. Continue to the whitewashed village of Chora for a short walking excursion and leisure time before returning to Patmos port.
 Lunch: on board.
 Afternoon: After lunch we will set sail for the picturesque island of Amorgos which we reach in the evening.
 Dinner: Dinner aboard ship.
 Evening: Free evening in Amorgos
   
Accommodations: Pegasus
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Santorini
(Wednesday, September 26)
   
 Breakfast: aboard ship.
 Morning: We stop at Manganari Beach / Ios, one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. Later at we reach Santorini, formed by the half-submerged crescent of a volcanic caldera.
 Lunch: on board
 Afternoon: Disembark for a short walk of the Capital Fira and visit the Prehistoric Museum with its fascinating collection, models and wall paintings from Akrotiri excavations. Board the bus for a pleasant drive through the village of Pyrgos to the northern coast arriving at Oia to visit the most picturesque village of Santorini with its beautiful views over the Caldera. Explore the village with your local expert guide, have some free time and re-board the bus for your return drive to Fira. You'll also visit the Prehistoric Museum, which houses fascinating artifacts from Akrotiri, a city buried in the eruption that created the caldera in 1600 B.C
 Dinner: Dinner on board.
   
Accommodations: Pegasus
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Kythnos- Marina Zea, Athens
(Thursday, September 27)
   
 Breakfast: On board
 Morning: Set out for Kythnos Island where you will enjoy a swim in Kolones Bay.
 Lunch: on board
 Afternoon: We sail for Marina Zea
 Dinner: Farewell dinner on board
   
Accommodations: Pegasus
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Depart for USA
(Friday, September 28)
   
 Breakfast: on board
 Morning: Disembark and transfer to the airport
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

What’s included in this Road Scholar program?



Except for the occasional meal on some programs, Road Scholar programs are all-inclusive. That means there are no extra “options,” no passing the hat for tips and no surprises. From lectures and field trips to gratuities and accommodations – the price you pay up front is the price you pay.

Specifically, this program includes:


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