Cycladic Treasures (A and B)

TOUR INCLUDED FEATURES:
• Roundtrip airfare including fuel surcharge.
• 2 nights hotel accommodations in Athens.
• Breakfast daily in Athens.
• Athens city sightseeing tour including the Acropolis and its museum.
• 7-day cruise of the Greek Islands & Turkey on the Mega Yacht, Star Clipper, with all meals and on board entertainment. Choice of two cruise itineraries.
• Outside cabins with private facilities and air-conditioning.
• Water sports (except Scuba diving) including snorkeling, waterskiing, windsurfing and banana boating.
• English speaking Cruise Coordinator.
• Airport and pier transfers as per itinerary.
• Hotel taxes and service charges.
• Porterage of one suitcase per person.
• Assistance at the airport by Homeric Tours representative.
• 24 Hour “Emergency” Hotline
• USTOA $1 Million Consumer Protection Guarantee.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY: CYCLADIC TREASURES A

DAY 1: WED – NEW YORK
Depart JFK for an overnight flight to Athens. Full service on board. (D,B)

DAY 2: THU - ATHENS
Arrival in Athens. A Homeric Tours representative welcomes you to Greece and transfers you to your hotel. Rest of your day at leisure.

DAY 3: FRI - ATHENS
Morning sightseeing tour of Athens. Visit the Acropolis and the world-famous on-site museum. Spend the afternoon at leisure, or explore this
fascinating city on your own. (B)

DAY 4: SAT – ATHENS / PIRAEUS
Enjoy this day at leisure. After breakfast at your hotel, take the time to stroll through the upscale shopping district of Kolonaki, shop the Monistiraki flea market, or enjoy lunch in the Plaka. Late afternoon transfer to the pier to board your yacht for a 10:00 pm departure. (B)

DAY 5: SUN – AT SEA
Today, enjoy your day at sea. Take advantage of ship board activities. (B,L,D)

DAY 6: MON – BEACH / KUSADASI
This morning, enjoy a swim stop at a beach before heading on to Kusadasi. Kusadasi is a popular Turkish port of call for cruise ships, a bustling resort town and the main access point for the famous archaeological site at Ephesus. Take an optional excursion of this ancient city through which visitors can now wander and observe the wonders of a bygone civilization. (B,L,D)

DAY 7: TUE – SAMOS
Today, arrive in Samos, the Greek Island located only 2,500 meters from the coast of Turkey. Notable island propeny include Hera, mathematician Pythagoras, and the great tale teller Aesop. (B,L,D)

DAY 8: WED – PATMOS
This serene island is known as the site of the apocalyptic revelations of St. John the Divine, written here during his exile from the Roman Empire. Visit the Monastery of St. John, on one of island’s highest points, which houses priceless icons and manuscripts in its treasury. (B,L,D)

DAY 9: THU – DELOS / MYKONOS
Begin your day in the uninhabited island of Delos where you may visit the temples, alters and shrines dedicated to Greek, Roman and Egyptian deities. This afternoon, continue on to the nearby island of Mykonos, the most cosmopolitan Greek Island. The town of Mykonos spreads around a colorful harbor in which fishing boats nestle side by side with luxury yachts. Enjoy dinner or drinks at a waterfront taverna and watch the sunset on the sea. (B,L,D)

DAY 10: FRI – SIFNOS
Spend your day on the island of Sifnos, a center for folk arts, delicate laces and distinctive potteries. Visit the 17th century monastery precariously perched on a rocky islet jutting into the sea. (B,L,D)

DAY 11: SAT – ATHENS
Arrive in Piraeus in the morning. You will be met and transferred to the airport for your return flight home. Same day arrival. (B)

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY: CYCLADIC TREASURES B

DAY 1-5: SAME ITINERARY AS

DAY 6: MON – RHODES
Spend your day in Rhodes, the Island of Roses. See the beach of Lindos, the best on the island, Rhodes Town, a bustling mecca for sightseers and shoppers alike, and the Acropolis of Lindos, where one can find a labyrinth of winding streets and dazzling white buildings. (B,L,D)

DAY 7: TUE – BODRUM
Enjoy a full day in Bodrum, the ancient city of Alikarnassos. Bodrum Castle or the medieval castle of St. Peter has been converted into a Museum of Underwater Archaeology, with remains dating as far back as the Bronze Age. (B,L,D)

DAY 8: WED – DALYAN RIVER
Today you will see a lovely, unspoiled lake teaming with fish, verdant farmlands, a lazy, reed-fringed river meandering into the sea and a lonely, deserted beach where sea turtles lay their eggs. Here, the sea is an incredibly clear blue and on the bottom are ruins of an ancient civilization. (B,L,D)

DAY 9: THU – SANTORINI
The Island of Santorini is perhaps the most breath-taking of all the Greek Islands. Around 1500 BC, a volcanic eruption destroyed the center of the island, leaving a crescent shaped rim of cliffs around a harbor formed in the volcano’s caldera. (B,L,D)

DAY 10: FRI – HYDRA
Hydra looks barren and rocky, but the narrow harbor of Hydra hides a surprise, a town of stately mansions all built around 1800. Another surprise is that there are no cars, so if you want to see the spectacular view from the Monastery of Ilias, you will have to ride a donkey to the top. (B,L,D)

DAY 11: SAT – ATHENS / USA
Arrive in Piraeus in the morning. You will be met and transferred to the airport for your return flight home. Same day arrival. (B)