• Experience an in-depth guided tour of the historic Acropolis in Athens
• Enjoy the lovely ferry rides between the islands
• Stroll along the picturesque waterfront in Mykonos
• Opt for visits to the ancient archaeological sites of Delos and Akrotiri 
• Witness the famous blue domes of Santorini

  What’s Included for Highlights of Greece

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   ACCOMMODATION        6 nights of accommodation at highly rated, centrally located hotels.  All hotel taxes are included.

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   TRANSPORTATION       Private airport transfer upon arrival.  Ferry rides between islands.  All transfers to and from ferry ports.  A flight from Santorini back to Athens at the end of the tour.   International airfare between Charlotte, NC and Athens, Greece.

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   MEALS       4 breakfasts

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   EXCURSIONS AND ENTRANCE FEES       Guided tour of the ancient Acropolis in Athens, including entrance fees.   Optional excursions to Delos (Mykonos) and Akrotiri (Santorini) archaeological sites. 

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   Itinerary for Highlights of Greece (8 days)

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DAY 1:  DEPARTURE FOR ATHENS
Depart Charlotte for Athens.

DAY 2:  ARRIVAL IN ATHENS
Arrive at Athens International Airport where your included private transportation will take you to your centrally located Athens hotel.  The day is yours to explore this historic capital of Greece.

  ACCOMMODATION:   Titania Hotel   (2 nights)

DAY 3:   TOUR OF ACROPOLIS, FREE TIME
You will proceed on foot to the historic Acropolis where you will join a guided tour of The Parthenon, The Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, and other sections.  After the tour, you’ll have time to dabble in local cuisine, shop in the trendy Monastiraki district, or navigate the ancient cobblestone streets of our favorite section of Athens: The Plaka.

  MEAL:  Breakfast       

DAY 4:  FERRY TO MYKONOS, WATERFRONT EXCURSION, FREE TIME
You’ll catch your morning ferry to Mykonos, arriving in the early afternoon.  After checking into your hotel, take a self-guided tour of the main town.   The day is yours to explore this glittering gem of the Cyclades.  Take a gander at the historic Panagia Paraportiani church, get lost in the seemingly endless narrow footpaths of the main town, enjoy a photo op at the windmills, or relax at a local cafe.

  MEAL:  Breakfast         ACCOMMODATION:  Hotel Poseidon Suites (2 nights)

DAY 5:  FREE TIME OR EXCURSION TO DELOS
Continue to explore Mykonos on your own or take a ferry ride to the nearby isle of Delos and enjoy an in-depth tour of this highly significant historical and archaeological site.

This tour concludes in mid-afternoon, so you should still have plenty of free time to explore Mykonos after the tour.

  MEAL:  Breakfast 

OPTIONAL EXCURSION:  Guided tour of Delos, including ferry rides, and entry ticket with tour – $70 per person.

DAY 6:   FERRY TO SANTORINI, LEISURE TIME
In the morning, you’ll board a high-speed ferry to the island of Santorini, which is actually a mostly submerged dormant volcano.  Feel free to spend the day at leisure, perusing shops and cafes, snapping photos of the breathtaking cliffs, and ambling through the many museums and galleries.  Consider a trip to the Venetian Castle at Emporio.  Gaze at the black sand beaches of Perissa.  Or indulge in a nice seaside dinner at Kamari.   

  MEAL:  Breakfast            ACCOMMODATION:    Villa Koronios  (2 nights)

DAY 7:   OPTIONAL VISIT TO AKROTIRI, WITH LUNCH

In the morning, you have the option of visiting the ancient archaeological site of Akrotiri at the southern tip of the island.  At the end of the visit, there will be an included lunch at a nearby beachside restaurant.   In the afternoon, don’t miss a chance to visit Oia for beautiful and unforgettable sunset views.

  MEAL:  (Lunch, if one partakes in the Akrotiri excursion.)

OPTIONAL EXCURSION:  Excursion to Akrotiri, including entrance fee, round-trip transportation, and beachside lunch – $75 per person.

DAY 8:  DEPART SANTORINI FOR ATHENS
You’ll check out of your Santorini hotel early to catch your flight back to the Athens International Airport.  From there, you can catch your return flight home.  Kaló taxídi!

THE WEATHER
Like most Mediterranean places, Greece tends to have long, warm summers and cool, moderate winters.  In the summer months, highs generally range from the mid 80’s to the low 90’s and the lows reach the upper 60’s.  There’s is plenty of sun and little rainfall in the summer months.

BUGS AND PESTS
Depending on who you talk to, you’ll hear very different versions of the mosquito situation in Greece.  Based on our own experiences in Greece, we can tell you two things that we believe: 1. Mosquitoes tend to be more of a problem on the mainland than on the islands.  2. The mosquito problem begins in June, peaking in July or August, and abating in September.

Some hotels in Greece have insect repellent plug-ins that look like air fresheners.  Be sure to ask the front desk of your hotel to see if they can supply you with a plug-in.  You may want to bring some insect repellent with you. We also recommend that you keep your hotel room windows closed at night and leave the air conditioning on.  Mosquitoes don’t like air conditioning.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OF TOUR
On a scale of 1 to 10, the level of physical activity of this tour is 6, which is moderate.  Several days will incur a great deal of walking, and there will be some steep stairs to ascend, such as on the slopes of the Acropolis and other places.  The nice thing, though, is that the physical demands of the trip diminish toward the end.

IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS
We urge our guests to use common sense on our tours.  Be wary of strangers offering you something or trying to sell you something.  Keep guard of your important belongings, such as purse, wallet, keys, and cell phone.  Pickpocketing is a problem in Athens, and pickpockets there are wily.  A common scam that occurs is where one person will walk up to you, pretending to ask directions, while his or her partner in crime will slip past you from another direction entirely, casually taking your wallet or cell phone.  Be aware of your belongings at all times.

We also urge our guests to use extra caution while crossing the street in Athens.  Walk defensively and look in every direction before crossing. Don’t walk distracted.

WHAT TO BRING
We urge our guests to pack light.  As previously stated under our Terms and Conditions, all of our guests are allowed one carry-on measuring 45 linear inches (22 x 14 x 9).  For this trip, the carry-on must weigh no more than 8 KG (17.5 pounds) due to restrictions on the flight from Santorini to Athens.  You are also allowed a small personal item, such as a small laptop bag or purse.  Your small personal item must be able to fit under an airplane seat.  We strongly recommend bringing travel size toiletries. We recommend bringing sunscreen and possibly insect repellent.

JOURNEYS BETWEEN DESTINATIONS
Some of journeys between destinations on this trip tend to be longer than on other trips.  The ferry ride from Athens to Mykonos is about four hours. The ferry ride from Santorini to Athens runs about 8 hours.  However, it’s an open secret that we love longer ferry rides in Greece.

OUR HOTELS
We always book hotels that are centrally located, highly rated, and close to major attractions.  Having said that, there are a couple of things that one should understand about hotels in Europe, especially if one is from the United States.  More often than not, hotel rooms in Europe are smaller than hotel rooms in the United States. Additionally, hotel rooms in Europe may not have the same amenities that our American guests may be used to seeing.  For example, some hotels in Europe do not have an elevator.  

On the other hand, for our American guests who are traveling to Europe for the first time, the breakfasts that are offered at European hotels are a huge breath of fresh air.  There is usually an abundance of protein sources in the form of cold cuts, cheeses, eggs, milk, and yogurt, along with an assortment of fresh fruit, pastries, cereal, fruit juice, tea, and coffee.  Occasionally, some European hotels will serve a hot breakfast as well and this often consists of scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, and pancakes or waffles.

OUR RESTAURANTS
We strive to treat our guests to lunches and dinners at restaurants with interesting settings and this tour is no exception to that concept.  Whether it be right off the beach in Santorini, overlooking the marina in Mykonos, or at a lovely, elegant restaurant in the heart of Ios, Blue Onyx Travel will always seek out compelling venues for your included meals.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE AND CREDIT CARD USAGE
The Tour Leader will be able to tell you where to exchange currency and there will usually be a place to do so within walking distance of your hotel.  Most major banks will be able to exchange any currency that you have brought with you, for a small fee.

In most European countries (Greece included), the best exchange rate can be obtained by simply withdrawing money from a standard bank ATM using your debit card (not to be confused with your credit card).  For instance, let’s say it’s your second day in Athens and you need withdraw some euros. Just go to a local bank which has an ATM machine (often in a small, enclosed lobby-style room) and withdraw the amount of money you want.  Nearly all standard ATM machines worldwide have the capacity to issue instructions in English, so English speakers should have no problem at all understanding how to use them.

When we tell you to seek out standard bank ATM machines, we mean it.  Avoid the omnipresent stand-alone ATMs which are not part of a bank. Euronet, Moneybox, Travelex, and Cashzone are examples of independent ATM machines which have very unfavorable exchange rates.  If you have any questions at all while on tour, just ask your Tour Leader to point you the direction of a standard bank ATM. Now it’s true that your home-based bank, such as Wells Fargo, will charge a small fee ($5) for this transaction, but the European bank will not.

But wait, why don’t I just use my credit card for all my purchases, you may ask?  That’s okay, but there’s usually a 3% foreign transaction fee (or higher) for these types of transactions.  And there might even be an additional transaction fee from the store or restaurant in which you’re using your VISA card.  Dollar for dollar, withdrawing cash from a standard bank ATM is the most cost-effective way to exchange currency.

THE TOUR LEADER
All of our Tour Leaders must undergo a rigorous training course designed to help them handle not only the ups and downs of a tour group situation, but also the disparate personalities that they might encounter.  All of our Tour Leaders are thoroughly background checked and must adhere to a strict code of conduct at all times. You can rest assured that we are placing you with a Tour Leader who has your best interests at heart.