No trip to Greece is complete without visiting the Acropolis of Athens! On our tour, Greece & the Greek Islands, September 26 – October 8, 2018, we’ll explore the major monuments of the Athens Acropolis.

The Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a citadel built on a hill during the Golden Age of Athens (460-430 BC). The Acropolis served as the preeminent sanctuary of the ancient city of Athens and its purpose was to provide sacred grounds to the goddess Athena. Athena was the goddess of many things: wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law, justice, mathematics and the arts.  She was essentially urban and civilized but was also the goddess of war.

Led by a certified guide, we’ll tour and learn about the key monuments of the Acropolis: 

Parthenon 
Temple of Athena
Erectheum
Temple of Athena Nike
Propylaea
Temple of Zeus
Theather of Dionysis

We’ll also visit the Acropolis Museum (opened in 2009) that houses the historic and archaeological treasures of the Acropolis as well as objects of Athenian every day life. The museum hosts its collections on three levels and has an archaeological excavation site that lies at its foundation.

1. Be guided through the Acropolis temples: the Parthenon, Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionysis, Temple of Athena Nike…follow with a visit to the new Acropolis Museum.
2. Drink Greek wine…you’ll love it!  Also, tour and taste at Santorini wineries.
3. Enjoy free time to wander, shop and dine in the Plaka District of Athens. 
4. Take a culinary walking tour in Athens…sample and taste Greek delicacies and liqueurs.
5. Enjoy an evening event (a concert, dance, theatre) at the Acropolis…it’s especially beautiful lit up at night!
6. Hike to two Meteora Monasteries and visit their interiors…a serene experience!
7. Be guided through Delphi, the site of the Temple of Apollo…followed by a visit to the Delphi Museum.
8. Sail around the island of Mykonos on a catamaran… Greeks are known for their skill on the water.
9. Snorkel in a secluded cove…Greece has some of the most beautiful sea life on earth.
10. Enjoy the local cuisine in Old Mykonos Town from a seaside cafe…order some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever taste.
11. Visit a Greek volcano…hike along the Caldera of Santorini, the edge of the volcano.
12. Watch a Greek sunset… perhaps the best sunset you will ever see is from Oia, Santorini.
13. Eat a traditional Greek meal… we’ll try local specialties and traditional Greek dishes everywhere we go!
14. Learn to cook as the Greeks do in a hands-on cooking class paired with Greek wines.
15. Take in the beauty of the Aegean Sea…it’s a vista you will always remember!

Whatever you do…enjoy yourself and take in all that Greece and the islands have to offer during this small group tour!