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Greece

The Best of Greece: Island Hopping in the Aegean

Program No. 20916RJ
Discover ancient relics, iconic architecture, inspired art and enduring traditions as you voyage throughout the timeless islands of Greece — a haven of antiquity.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 5 - May 19, 2024
Starting at
4,699
May 9 - May 23, 2024
Starting at
4,749
Filling Fast!
May 12 - May 26, 2024
Starting at
4,749
Filling Fast!
May 14 - May 28, 2024
Starting at
4,749
Filling Fast!
May 19 - Jun 2, 2024
Starting at
4,949
Itinerary Note

This departure will stay at the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel in Athens

Filling Fast!
May 21 - Jun 4, 2024
Starting at
4,949
Itinerary Note

This departure will stay at the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel in Athens

Filling Fast!
May 27 - Jun 10, 2024
Starting at
4,949
Jun 6 - Jun 20, 2024
Starting at
4,949
Filling Fast!
Sep 1 - Sep 15, 2024
Starting at
5,199
Sep 5 - Sep 19, 2024
Starting at
5,199
Sep 9 - Sep 23, 2024
Starting at
5,149
Sep 13 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
5,149
Sep 16 - Sep 30, 2024
Starting at
5,149
Filling Fast!
Sep 19 - Oct 3, 2024
Starting at
4,899
Filling Fast!
Sep 22 - Oct 6, 2024
Starting at
4,899
Sep 24 - Oct 8, 2024
Starting at
4,799
Sep 27 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
4,799
Oct 2 - Oct 16, 2024
Starting at
4,699
Oct 3 - Oct 17, 2024
Starting at
4,699
Oct 7 - Oct 21, 2024
Starting at
4,699
Oct 10 - Oct 24, 2024
Starting at
4,699
Oct 14 - Oct 28, 2024
Starting at
4,699
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 5 - May 19, 2024
Starting at
5,359
May 9 - May 23, 2024
Starting at
5,459
Filling Fast!
May 12 - May 26, 2024
Starting at
5,459
Filling Fast!
May 14 - May 28, 2024
Starting at
5,459
Filling Fast!
May 19 - Jun 2, 2024
Starting at
5,799
Itinerary Note

This departure will stay at the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel in Athens

May 21 - Jun 4, 2024
Starting at
5,799
Itinerary Note

This departure will stay at the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel in Athens

May 27 - Jun 10, 2024
Starting at
5,799
Jun 6 - Jun 20, 2024
Starting at
5,799
Filling Fast!
Sep 1 - Sep 15, 2024
Starting at
6,249
Filling Fast!
Sep 5 - Sep 19, 2024
Starting at
6,249
Sep 9 - Sep 23, 2024
Starting at
6,499
Sep 13 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
6,499
Sep 16 - Sep 30, 2024
Starting at
6,499
Sep 19 - Oct 3, 2024
Starting at
5,699
Sep 22 - Oct 6, 2024
Starting at
5,699
Sep 24 - Oct 8, 2024
Starting at
5,569
Filling Fast!
Sep 27 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
5,569
Oct 2 - Oct 16, 2024
Starting at
5,359
Oct 3 - Oct 17, 2024
Starting at
5,359
Filling Fast!
Oct 7 - Oct 21, 2024
Starting at
5,359
Filling Fast!
Oct 10 - Oct 24, 2024
Starting at
5,359
Oct 14 - Oct 28, 2024
Starting at
5,359

At a Glance

In the Cyclades Islands, discover where mild Aegean breezes refresh communities built among the remains of ancient civilizations and waves lap at the shores of fishing villages where traditional ways of life survive unchanged for centuries. From grand architecture to captivating archaeological sites, learn how the story of Greek civilization is the story of its islands.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking uphill and downhill, up to two miles per day, on uneven terrain, cobblestone and marble streets that may be slippery. Steep stairs without railings and standing for four hours per day with breaks at museum/historic sites. Participants must carry their luggage on and off the ships.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Climb the Acropolis in Athens to the Parthenon and explore the National Archaeological Museum.
  • Come ashore on the islands of Mykonos, Delos, Paros and Santorini to learn about their role in Greek civilization and conjure the ancient Minoan civilization on the island of Crete.
  • Participate in traditional music and dance and taste ouzo, a time-honored drink among Greeks.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The King Must Die
by Mary Renault
The first in Mary Renault's trilogy of well-researched page-turners features the tale of Theseus, slayer of the Minotaur and the king of Athens. Known for her exhaustive research, Renault is an acknowledged master of historical fiction.
Travels With Epicurus
by Daniel Klein
Daniel Klein's witty meditation on the ancients, life in the Greek Islands, his favorite philosophers -- and growing old gracefully -- is also a delightful romp through the Aegean, primarily set on Hydra.
The Colossus of Maroussi
by Henry Miller
Miller captures the spirit and warmth of the resilient Greek people in this inspired tale of a wartime journey from Athens to Crete, Corfu and Delphi with his friend Lawrence Durrell.
Greece, A Traveler's Literary Companion
by Artemis Leontis (Editor)
In this terrific anthology, 24 modern Greek writers offer a flavor of their nation, its culture and people, beautiful landscapes and rich history.
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Why the Greeks Matter
by Thomas Cahill
Cahill brings to life ancient Greek society and civilization through the lives and words of politicians, playwrights, a poet, a philosopher and an artist in this eloquent and absorbing tribute.
Greek, A Language Map
by Kristine K. Kershul
This durable, foldout card gives easy phonetic pronunciation for several hundred of the most commonly needed words and phrases.
A Traveller's History of Greece
by Timothy Boatswain, Colin Nicolson
A nicely written survey from prehistory through the 1990s: wide-ranging, accessible and necessarily condensed.
Eyewitness Guide Greek Islands
by Eyewitness Guides
Color photography, excellent local maps and an island-by-island synopsis of attractions make this book the one to carry with you. Includes a chapter on Athens.
It's All Greek to Me
by Charlotte Higgins
With timelines, a who's who, charts and maps, this handy little primer is a thoroughly entertaining introduction to everything Greek, from poetry and drama to philosophy, history and culture.
Homer the Classic
by Gregory Nagy
Harvard classics scholar Nagy considers how Homer’s poetry was greeted in its own day and in the centuries immediately following the great bard.
The Most Beautiful Villages of Greece
by Mark Ottaway
Organized geographically, this handsome oversize picture book is an illustrated portrait of Greece with hundreds of color photographs accompanying lively essays.
Greece, Land of Light
by Nicholas Gage, Barry Brukoff
Brukoff's dramatic color photographs are paired with incisive commentary by award-winning author Nicholas Gage for this striking portrait of the people, land and history of Greece and the islands.
The World of the Ancient Greeks
by John Camp, Elizabeth Fisher
Featuring hundreds of illustrations and invitingly short chapters on topics from the first Greeks to the Heroic Age and classical Athens. With modern color photographs of great Greek cities from Athens and Delphi to Knossos, Ephesus, Pergamum and Priene.
The Parthenon
by Mary Beard
A lively tale of the construction, significance and uses of the 2,500-year-old architectural marvel.
Corelli's Mandolin
by Louis De Bernieres
This lyrical novel captures the humanity, quirks and loves of village life in the Greek islands. A satire of war, this charming and richly-colored novel is set on Cephalonia during the Italian occupation in the 1940s.
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece
by Robert Morkot
This pictorial survey of Greek antiquity, recording its culture and expansion, features dozens of full-color maps.
The Complete World of Greek Mythology
by Richard Buxton
With hundreds of color illustrations, site plans, genealogies and maps, this handsome, encyclopedic reference illuminates the world of the Greek gods.
The Greek Myths, Complete Edition
by Robert Graves
A new edition of Graves' classic collection with a cover by comic book artist Ross MacDonald. This expert retelling by Graves, a poet, memoirist and the author of I, Claudius (ITL429), still remains the seminal modern translation of the mythologies of Ancient Greece.
Greece Map
by Michelin
A colorful shaded map of Greece, the Greek Islands and the western coast of Turkey (including Istanbul) at a scale of 1:800,000.
Ancient Greece: Art, Architecture, and History
by Marina Belozerskaya, Kenneth Lapatin
This lively illustrated guide covers the architecture, painting and sculpture of Ancient Greece from the third millennium to the end of the Hellenistic period. With 282 color and 28 black-and-white illustrations.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.