Athens and the Aegean

Explore Athens with your local guide, where ancient history and modern life meet. Visit the Acropolis, the heart of classical Athens, to see the Parthenon, dedicated to the goddess Athena, and the elegant Temple of Athena Nike. Admire sweeping views of the city before stopping at the 2004 Olympic site, a symbol of Greece’s enduring athletic spirit. Continue to Syntagma Square to watch the ceremonial changing of the guards at the Parliament, then to Omonoia Square, a lively gathering place surrounded by cafés and olive trees.

Prophet from the past. Explore the impressive ruins at Delphi, which the Greeks considered the center of the world. Within the depths of the Temple of Apollo, a priestess would inhale intoxicating vapors that used to rise from the earth and, thus inspired, deliver the prophecies of Apollo. Modern visitors might find more inspiration in the view from Mount Parnassus, over 8000 feet high.

Explore ancient temple architecture and its influence on modern design. Then bring history to life through a creative activity: build a scene from a panel image, considering its context, characters, and message, and perform it as a believable story judged by theater critics.

Island hop Aegean style on a four-day cruise to six unique destinations. Explore Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini, plus Turkey’s Kusadasi. Highlights include Byzantine frescoes at the Monastery of St. John, Venetian Crete, and Santorini’s volcanic cliffs and black-sand beaches. Four shore excursions are included. Note: tour must depart North America on Thursdays for the Aegean Cruise.

Your cruise includes three guided shore excursions: explore Santorini’s spectacular Oia Village on the caldera rim, walk through the ancient ruins of Ephesus from the Hellenistic and Roman eras, and discover the Minoan Palace of Knossos in Heraklion, the cradle of Europe’s first civilization.

One of the Cyclades’ smallest islands, Mykonos charms with whitewashed streets, thatched windmills, and a colorful harbor in Hora. Stroll Matoyanni Street for shops, cafés, and views of fishing boats alongside luxury yachts.

Step off your cruise in Kusadasi, Turkey, and journey inland to the awe-inspiring ruins of Ancient Ephesus. Stroll marble streets to the grand Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre, and imagine the bustling agora and sacred temples that once defined this thriving Roman city.

Cruise on to Patmos, where Saint John the Evangelist, exiled for a year, was inspired to write the Book of Revelation amid the island’s barren, haunting landscape. Visit the hilltop monastery built in his honor, admire Byzantine icons and art inside, and take in sweeping views of the sparkling Aegean.

Once a political and religious hub of the ancient world and home to one of its seven wonders, Rhodes now welcomes visitors with sunny beaches and medieval charm. Explore its hilltop castle and the Palace of the Grand Master, built by Christian knights in the 1300s, later rebuilt by Italians after an 1856 explosion to serve as a summer retreat for Mussolini.

Heraklion, Crete’s largest city, mixes modern energy with ancient history. See Minoan treasures at the Archaeological Museum, explore ruins and Byzantine churches, or wander lively markets to sample Greek fare. This vibrant port offers a true blend of past and present.

Santorini rises from the Aegean as the rim of a volcanic crater that erupted in 1625 B.C., shattering a larger island. The sea filled the caldera, leaving whitewashed towns perched on cliffs streaked with vivid colors. Some even believe this breathtaking isle may be the legendary Atlantis.

Visit the Temple of Poseidon, perched high atop the hill of Cape Sounion at the southernmost tip of Central Greece. Stand among its tall marble pillars rising from the rocky cliffs and gaze out over the calm Aegean Sea. Built between 450–440 BC, around the same time as the Parthenon, the temple offers a tranquil contrast to the bustle of Athens.