Trip Overview
CALL TO JOIN THE WAITLIST! Mid-September 2017 is the ideal time to travel back in time to ancient Greece where you will delight in the warmth of the Greek people, the beauty of classic Greek architecture, enjoy Greek cooking at its finest, and hike through scenic byways in white-washed Greek villages.
If you watched the movie Mama Mia!, at some point you probably moaned, “Oh, I want to be there!” Well, here’s your chance. This trip is packed with everything Greek: sunshine and olive trees, Delphi and the Acropolis, soft-sand beaches, lavender-turquoise water, and villages drenched in mythology, history, and charm. Greece is to traveling as the great Dusenbergs were to car touring: classic, unforgettable, fundamental, and exotic! Greece is Socrates and Plato, Zorba and Shirley Valentine. It is ancient feuds that read like soap operas. A country so precious that gods and goddesses waged war over it.
In Greece, time, as we know it in the West, does not exist. “Right away”, “soon”, and “in five minutes” are assurances that can rarely be taken at face value. We believe this should be your “mode” while on vacation in Greece – in this sunlit, olive-scented land, where writers have penned that “of all the people on earth, the Greeks have best lived the dream of life.”
Find the mythology and history of ancient Greece around every corner as you explore the Greek mainland and a magical, less-traveled island in the Cyclades. Expert guides will introduce you to the ancient mysteries of the classic Parthenon in Athens and then Delphi, considered the center of the known world, the place where heaven and earth met, to behold the “Oracle” and Dephi’s treasures. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Walk through the natural beauty of the mountainous and off-the-beaten-path treasures of Mount Pelion. Called the “land of the Centaurs” (and also famous for the movie Mama Mia!), Mount Pelion is a glorious combination of the mountain and the sea, and more than twenty charming cliff side villages, each with lovely architecture unique to Pelion. Eenjoy beautiful sandy beaches, picturesque hiking, and a regional Greek cooking class here.
Then you’ll travel to the Cycladic island culture of Naxos, where Ariadne was abandoned by Theseus after saving him from the Minotaur on Crete. Explore on walking excursions, visit captivating island villages and historic sites, enjoy an optional sailing excursion, or just relax on the beach.
All along the way you’ll eat scrumptious food in restaurants where the local Greeks eat, and soak up the sun, the sea, the ancient ruins, and the history…. which will take your breath away. The inspiration of Greece will leave you glowing, and changed forever, as we travel in true Greek fashion and enjoy a veritable feast for the body, mind, and spirit.
Don’t miss this fascinating “deep dive” into the treasures of Greece in Fall 2017!
- “Classic Greece” Vacation Itinerary
- What’s Included in Your Vacation to Mainland Greece & Naxos
- Traveling Tips and Flights to Athens, Greece
- What To Pack on a Trip to Greece
- Detailed Itinerary: Greece Vacation Tour for Women
Main Attractions
- Stand where Plato and Socrates once debated politics and philosophy.
- Explore the Pelion Peninsula and visit one of its charming villages where the movie Mama Mia! was filmed.
- Discover the picturesque village of Makrynitsa, the "balcony of Mt. Pelion."
- Enjoy a private hands-on cooking class, learning about Greek cuisine, and savor the fruits of your labor for lunch!
- Walk through the ruins of Delphi, considered by Greeks to be the center of the known world and home to the famous "oracle."
- Fly to the island of Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cycladic Greek islands, and spend 4 days exploring the villages and treasures on the "island of Dionysus, god of wine."
- Stay in luxury and boutique hotels throughout our journey.
What You'll See and Do
- Archaeology
- Architecture
- Cooking Class
- Cultural Exploration
- Hiking
- Historical Sites
- Natural History
- Photography
- Sailing (optional)
- Sightseeing
- Swimming