Airfare w/ taxes
Full board meals
Tip & Gratuities
After breakfast, proceed to the "Old City" for a full day tour including the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, St. Sophia Museum (Hagia Sophia) and the Topkapi Palace Museum. Last stop will be Grand Bazaar.
Check out and proceed to the Spice Bazaar. Experience the scent of cinnamon, cloves and thyme rising from every store, the same smell that filled the air over 400 years ago. We then embark on a scenic cruise of the Bosphorus and visit the majestic Dolmabahçe Palace. Transfer to airport to catch flight to Kayseri. Then drive to Cappadocia hotel for overnight.
Depart hotel after breakfast for a visit to the incredible Underground City of Kaymakli where early Christians lived secretly in order to survive and keep their faith. Picture stops at the Valley of the Birds and Uchisar Castle. Then proceed to the Goreme Valley to visit the rock carved churches hollowed out of volcanic ash. Lunch will be at Avanos Village followed by the famous local pottery and carpet shows allowing ample time for souvenir shopping in the afternoon.
Early in the morning departure for our long drive to Pamukkale. Arrive in time to enjoy the sight of petrified calcium cliffs. Behold the surreal terraces bathed in shimmering sunlight, resembling a celestial paradise.
After breakfast, visit the ancient city of Hierapolis. Continue to Kusadasi to pay homage to the house of Virgin Mary then to the Ionian city of Ephesus. We visit the ancient city covering Bouleterion, Prytaneum, Celcius library, Hadrian’s temple and theater.
Today we drive to Pergamon to visit the Acropolis, capital of Pergamon after Alexander the Great. In the afternoon on to the world- renowned city of Troy, to the legendary town mentioned in the "Iliad" with its Trojan horse. Drive to Canakkale for dinner and overnight.
Checkout from our hotel and drive to Ipsala. We cross the border to enter Greece then drive to Alexandroupolis and Kavala. Visit Philippi and see the remains of the Agora, the Octagon and the remains of the two Basilicas and St. Paul’s prison.the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon near Diamond Beach, where ice chunks glisten like precious gems against the black sand. Then we proceed to Selfoss. Weather permitting, we embark on a 2.5-hour drive away from the crowds and light pollution and venture off the beaten track to the best vantage points in search of the Northern Lights (Please note that the Aurora Borealis is subject to weather conditions, but rest assured, we’ll do our best to provide you with an unforgettable encounter with this natural phenomenon).
After breakfast, continue along the coast to Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki. See the Via Egnatia, the Rotunda, and the White Tower and visit the Church of St. Demetrius. In the afternoon, drive south to central Greece, to Kalambaka, the town nestling at the foot of Meteora.
Today we visit two of the Meteora monasteries standing amid striking scenery, perched on top of huge rocks, which midair seem to be suspended. See the main town of Kalambaka before driving south to Delphi, the Omphalos - navel of the Earth.
Time to explore Delphi and learn about the Delphic Oracle. On the slopes of Mt. Parnassus, lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios. Visit the Doric Temple, the Treasury of the Athenians and see Castalia Spring. Visit the museum holding masterpieces of TURKEY and GREECE: Legends of Anatolia & Hellenic Marvels ancient Greek sculpture, items from the site as well as the famous statue of the Bronze Charioteer. Depart for Athens. On the way, pass through the mountain village of Arachova and by the town of Thebes, connected with the tragedy of King Oedipus Rex. Fly to Santorini for overnight.
Today is free at leisure on this amazing island, where every moment is infused with unparalleled beauty. See the iconic whitewashed buildings perched on rugged cliffs, overlooking the deep azure of the Aegean Sea. Indulge in flavors of local cuisine, savoring the taste of sun-ripened produce and freshly caught seafood. And as the day draws to a close, bear witness to a breathtaking sunset, casting a spell of pure magic over the island. A day in Santorini, where beauty and wonder converge, leaving indelible memories that will last a lifetime.
Breakfast in the hotel. Last day to enjoy the beauty of this island before transferring to the airport for the flight back to Athens.
After breakfast, we drive west, along the coastal highway and stop to see the amazing sight of the Corinth Canal, which separates the Aegean and the Ionian seas. We continue to visit ancient Corinth. See the Bema, the Temple of Apollo, remains of the Agora and Pyrene Fountain. Continue south to Mycenae; see the Lion Gate, the Bee Hive Royal Tomb of Agamemnon and the Cyclopean Walls.
We are not to leave Greece without seeing the Acropolis. We explore the beauty of Athens today as we see Syntagma Square, the House of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the Evzones in their traditional costume. Photo-stop to see the Panathenaic Olympic stadium where the first Olympic Games of the modern era was held in 1896. See the site of the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch and finally, the world-famous site of the Acropolis, the Parthenon. Down from the Acropolis is Areos Pagos from where St. Paul preached the gospel to the Athenians. After lunch, we have some free time for shopping then we will be transferred straight to the airport to take our flight back home.