Classical Greece: Islands of the Aegean

Afternoon: After arriving at the hotel, check-in and take some time to unpack and relax. Attend an orientation meeting. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Daily Schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. Indicated times are approximate. Program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible.Please also note that your departure is part of our Adventures Afloat programs. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary. Sea conditions affect the progress of the ship, making it run late and sometimes miss ports because it is not safe to dock. Because of this, the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. The operators reserve the right to change the content of excursions without prior notice. Unless otherwise noted, all lectures and field trips will be led by our Group Leader, a local expert.

Dinner: In the hotel restaurant, get to know your fellow participants with a welcome family-style meal featuring Greek cuisine, plus wine, coffee, and water.

Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Walking about 2 miles including uphill along a winding trail with many well-worn steps to reach the Acropolis, no handrails; uneven and rocky at the top; standing up to 2 hours. At the Acropolis Museum, walking and standing for more than an hour. Popular sites may be crowded at certain periods.

Breakfast: In the hotel restaurant, our breakfast buffet offers a daily selection of breads, cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: We will begin our exploration of Athens with a visit to its signature site, the Acropolis. Led by our Group Leader, we will climb the formidable Acropolis to explore the pinnacle of Greek Antiquity. Home to some of Ancient Athens’ most iconic monuments – the Parthenon, Erechtheon, and temple Athena Nike – the rocky summit was transformed into a manifestation of Greek advancement in culture and the arts. The Acropolis’s focal point is the Parthenon, built to honor the city’s patroness Athena, constructed under Pericles’ rule and completed in 432 BCE. We will also visit the renowned new Acropolis Museum.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will have plated meals served family style. Small glass of wine or beer, coffee, and water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: Free Time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: On your own to explore local cuisine.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Please pack your passport and any medications in your hand luggage today. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary. Sea conditions affect the progress of the ship, making it run late and sometimes miss ports because it is not safe to dock. Because of this, the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. The operators reserve the right to change the content of excursions without prior notice.

Breakfast: In the hotel restaurant.

Morning: Check out of the hotel and transfer our luggage to the motorcoach before departing for our excursion. We will explore the National Archaeological Museum, which houses the most treasured relics from throughout the country, for an expert-led visit revealing an impressive assembly of artifacts. With collections ranging from the 6th millennium BCE to the Roman period, the Museum offers a comprehensive view of Greek civilization.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal with wine and water included.

Afternoon: We will transfer to the Bay of Zea, on the eastern coast of the Piraeus peninsula, to embark the M/Y Callisto late afternoon for the cruise portion of our program. Once aboard, we will have a welcome drink to meet the ship’s crew and staff, followed by a safety orientation before we depart for Cape Souinon at the southernmost tip of Attica on our way to the island of Kea.

Dinner: Aboard the ship, dinners will be eaten in the open seating dining room. Most will be buffets, with choices of salads, vegetarian and meat or seafood entrees, dessert, and coffee, tea, and water. The first and last dinners on board will include a glass of wine, with other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. Having arrived to the island of Kea, you may wish to take some time on your own to explore the quaint port city, Korrisia. The ship will be in port in Kea until an early morning departure for Delos.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles on uneven ground with wide and exposed roads. There is no shade on Delos, so a hat and sunscreen is strongly recommended. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary.

Breakfast: Aboard the ship, our breakfast buffet offers a daily selection of breads,cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: Having cruised through the early morning, we will arrive at the island of Delos, antiquity’s most sacred island and the birth place of Apollo and Artemis. Setting out via motorcoach with our Group Leader, we will arrive at the island’s main archaeological site. We will return to the ship at the end of our field trip. The ship will then depart for the island of Mykonos.

Lunch: Aboard the ship, most lunches will be buffets with choices of salads, vegetarian and meat entrees, dessert, coffee, tea and water.

Afternoon: As the ship travels towards Mykonos, we will stop (weather permitting) for an opportunity to swim in the warm Aegean waters. After pulling into port, take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: Aboard ship or independently in Mykonos.

Evening: At leisure. Continue to enjoy Mykonos and the island’s cosmopolitan lifestyle. The ship will remain in port overnight.

Activity note: Going ashore in Santorini may require the use of a tender, requiring climbing in/out of it; assistance provided as needed. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary.

Breakfast: Aboard ship.

Morning: Free Time aboard the ship. Engage in shipboard activities, spend time with fellow participants, or relax and enjoy the views

Lunch: Aboard ship.

Afternoon: Once we arrive in Santorini around noontime, we will set out to explore the island’s picturesque villages and archaeological sites. Classically known as Thera, the island of Santorini is the largest of an archipelago surrounding the underwater caldera from the Minoan Eruption during the mid 2nd millennium BCE. Santorini is home to archaeological sites from the Minoan period and whitewashed stone villages along the rim of the caldera, which we will explore on foot. The island is very crowded, and we do not recommend donkey rides up the mountain. Later in the afternoon, we will return to the ship.

Dinner: Aboard ship.

Evening: At leisure as we head south to Crete.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles over mostly even terrain. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary.

Breakfast: Aboard ship.

Morning: After arriving at Crete’s lively port of Rethymno, we will set out via motorcoach for an exploration east to the ancient Minoan capital of Knossos, considered to be the oldest city in Europe. Knossos is the home to many well-known legends including King Minos, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Daedalus and Icarus. As we explore on foot, led by our Group Leader, we will view elaborate architecture and elegant wall frescoes that are reminiscent of the days when Knossos was among the strongest cities in the Mediterranean.

Lunch: At a local restaurant in Knossos.

Afternoon: We will continue to explore Knossos, one of the UNESCO’s Minoan Palatial Centers. Late in the afternoon, we will return to Rethymno and embark the ship.

Dinner: Aboard ship.

Evening: At leisure. The ship will depart for Kythira, beginning the northward portion of our cruising.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles on varied terrain. Optional swimming, weather permitting. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary.

Breakfast: Aboard ship.

Morning: Free Time. Engage in shipboard activities, spend time with fellow participants, or relax and enjoy the views. Before we arrive at Kythira in the late morning, weather permitting, we will have another stop to swim in the Mediterranean waters.

Lunch: Aboard ship.

Afternoon: Arrive in Kythira, a lesser known island gem that is quickly coming into the public eye like the more popular islands of Mykonos and Santorini. Alongside our Group Leader, we will take a coach into town and enjoy a walking tour on the island. Located at the key crossroads of the Peloponnese peninsula and Crete, Kythira is rich with history and varied influences from empires and cultures that sailed the Mediterranean. These influences are reflected in the unique architecture from the presence of Aegean and Venetian peoples.

Dinner: Return to the ship in the evening for dinner aboard.

Evening: At leisure. You may choose to remain aboard the ship or set out to explore the main town of Chora, taking in the subdued charms of this peaceful island.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles on varied terrain. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary.

Breakfast: Aboard ship.

Morning: Once getting off the ship in the early morning, we will set off to explore the fortified town of Monemvasia, where beautifully preserved Venetian and Ottoman architecture is complemented by the beauty of the surrounding environment. An island formerly connected to mainland, an earthquake in the 4th century left Monmevasia as an island plateau rising 300 feet out of the Aegean. While here, we will learn about the island’s history of strategic possession by various empires.

Lunch: Aboard ship or on your own to enjoy what you like in Monemvasia.

Afternoon: We will depart in the early afternoon from Monemvasia to Nafplion with weather permitting, a swim stop along the way. As we travel up the coast, engage in shipboard activities, spend time with fellow participants, or relax and enjoy the views.

Dinner: Aboard ship.

Evening: At leisure. We will arrive in Nafplion in the evening, where the medieval fortifications can still be seen in the port and on the crowning hills above. You can also see them in the charming old quarter, home to narrow streets and characteristic architecture of Nafplion’s long history. At the head of the Argolic Gulf, Nafplion was held by the Greeks, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans before being the first capital of an independent Greece following the Greek War of Independence. The ship will remain docked in Nafplion overnight.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles on varied terrain in historic site. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary.

Breakfast: Aboard ship.

Morning: We’ll begin by setting out in the morning from Napflion via motorcoach for our field trip to the ancient city of Mycenae, the powerful walled palace of the Homeric Achaean king Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus. Long before the city-states of Athens and Sparta rose to prominence, Mycenae was a military stronghold of the Mycenaean Civilization. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mycenae is home to the well preserved Treasury of Atreus – a large tholos tomb built into the side of the hill – and the fortified palace complex constructed on three artificial terraces. Our Group Leader will show us around this legendary site all the while providing lush descriptions of ancient history and drama. Afterwards, we will return to the ship.

Lunch: Aboard ship.

Afternoon: Free Time. We will dock at the island of Hydra where you will have time to explore on your own. Separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strip of water, Hydra has developed a strong maritime culture around the many natural bays and harbors. It was around these harbors that towns grew into picturesque port towns along the steep hillsides.

Dinner: Aboard ship.

Evening: At leisure. Relax aboard the ship. The ship will arrive in Athens port early tomorrow morning. Be sure to prepare for check-out, disembarkation and departures in the morning.

Breakfast: Aboard ship.

Morning: Ship arrives in Athens in the morning. Disembarkation at the Bay of Zea in Athens will follow after breakfast, and timing is based upon cabin location. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!