Best of Italy and Greece with 4-day cruise

After a tasty breakfast, you will meet our guide at 10:00AM (*) on Via dei Fori Imperiali, ready to discover the legendary Colosseum in a complete and exclusive tour: the perfect way to re-live the excitement that once took place in one of the most admired landmarks worldwide.

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On the arena floor, you can see the Colosseum as those who entered two thousand years ago: not only gladiators but those condemned to death by wild animals. A professional guide will provide explanations that'll immerse you in the rich past of the most famous sporting venue in history.

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Take your photos, and feel like the ancient warriors (or poor unfortunates) themselves, as you can almost feel the thunder of the roaring Roman crowds, now long gone...

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Following your exclusive tour of the Colosseum, the guide will take you to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, explaining the relevance of these famous archaeological sites on a guided tour.

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Overnight: Rome Meals:  Breakfast

­ (*) The first Sunday of each month Colosseum entrance is free so we will replace another visit or refund the cost of entrance.­ 

(**) Due to the exclusivity of the tour and the limitations in the ticket management process recently incorporated in the Colosseum, the tour start time may vary up to 2 hours. This means that due to availability and operational issues, it may be moved to 10:30 am or even 12 pm at the latest, for example. The schedule is therefore indicative.This information will be provided a couple of days in advance.

Departing at 7:15 am from your hotel by a deluxe coach, you will arrive in Assisi, ready to explore, at your own leisure, this tiny town surrounded by walls, built in the Middle Ages. Take your time to visit the basilica of St. Francis, where you will see masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue and, then, have free time for lunch (not included). Board on the bus to reach Siena, a Unesco World Heritage Site, world-known for the Palio, the historical horse race around the shell-shaped town square: Piazza del Campo. Next, you will continue on to Florence, where you will check in at your hotel before enjoying dinner and a well-earned night of rest.

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Overnight: Rome Meals:  Breakfast - Dinner

After breakfast, you will spend the day venturing around beautiful Florence, the “Cradle of Renaissance”, where, with the help of Michelangelo, Italian art reached its pinna- cle. Based on Etruscan-Roman origins, the city flourished in the Middle Ages as a free “Comune” and was further refined during the Renaissance. You will be fascinated by the uncountable monuments, churches and buildings as Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly referred to as the Duomo. On your visit, you will be amazed by its mag- nificent dome built by Filippo Brunelleschi. Cross a small piazza to see the “Campanile” tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery, with its bronze doors where Mi- chelangelo imagined the “Gates of Paradise.” In the heart of the city, you will see Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo Vecchio), and the Basil- ica of Santa Croce. Lunch in a typical Tuscan restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce. 

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Spend the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence on your own or take a short trip to Pisa (optional), one of the four main historical Marine Republics of Italy. There, you will tour the Piazza dei Miracoli with the Duomo, Pisa’s symbol “the Leaning Tower” and the Baptistery. Dinner at leisure, overnight stay in Florence.

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Overnight: Florence Rome Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

After breakfast in Florence, departure to Bologna. There, you will discover the elegant city center with its “porticos”, it’s shopping streets and so on. From Piazza Malpighi you  will walk to Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore (Nep- tune square and Major square) in the heart of the city, then King Renzo’s Palace; Palazzo Podestà and the basilica of San Petronio, one of the biggest in the world. Bologna it’s a real gourmet’s heaven...don’t miss a tasty meal at your own leisure! In the afternoon, continue toward Padova, with Sant’Antonio Basilica: one of the most visited church- es by pilgrims of the catholic world. Later in the afternoon, arrival in Venice (Mestre). Check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight: Venice Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, enjoy your transfer to Piazza San Marco, and visit the most iconic places of the “Floating City”: the Palazzo dei Dogi, symbol of Venice’s glorious past, the legendary “Bridge of Sighs”. After the panoramic walking tour, allow us to treat you to a spritz or a prosecco, as a delightful conclusion to your visit to the highlights of Venice, in the company of your tour leader. While you sit comfortably and savor your drink, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy a taste of the famous "cicchetti," a Venetian variation of tapas (light lunch). Spend the afternoon roaming along Venice’s canals at your leisure and then return to the hotel and overnight.

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Overnight: Venice (Mestre) Meals: Breakfast 

After breakfast, departure from Piazzale Roma heading to Tuscany, world-known for its landscapes, its churches and castles and its delicious wines. You will proceed to Val di Chiana with a stop in Montepulciano, a medieval town rich in history and art. Known for its “Nobile” wine, on purchase in local wine houses, Montepulciano also hosts an annual Jazz and Wine Festival every July. Lunch in a typical restaurant included!!! After lunch, quick stop to spend some free time. In the evening, you will arrive in Rome to check in into your hotel.

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Overnight: Rome Meals: Breakfast - Lunch 

Breakfast and transfer to the airport and flight to Athens (in some flights there are no direct flight. We can provide connected flight) and upon arrival meet with our assistant to greet you and transfer to your hotel in Athens. 

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Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast  

After breakfast we will meet you at your hotel or close by, in order to start the morning Half Day Athens Sightseeing Tour. This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Our expert guides will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium, home to the first Olympic Games of the modern era, where we will make a short stop. As we continue our trip, we will pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace), guarded by the Evzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy of Athens, the University, the National Library and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). One cannot take a tour of Athens without visiting the Acropolis, one of the world’s most prominent sites and a symbol for democracy in the Western world!  It is there that you will explore architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Pericles. From the Propylaea, to the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and of course the Parthenon, a place where ‘there is harmony between material and spirit’, and the monument that ‘restores order in the mind’, as ancient Greeks used to say. Your last stop will be the modern Acropolis Museum, with nearly 4,000 exhibits of Hellenism housed inside.

Departure approximately at 08:00 – Return approximately at 13:30

Afternoon is free at leisure in Athens.  Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast free time until your transfer to the Port. We leave the historic and classical capital of Greece and set sail for our first destination, the beautiful island of Mykonos, also known as the Island of the Winds. Take an evening stroll through the atmospheric Old Town with its immaculate whitewashed houses, winding alleys, lovely little churches and delightful restaurants at the water’s edge. You will undoubtedly recognise the picture postcard white windmills sitting side by side, overlooking the sea.

­ Overnight:  Cruise Ship Meals: Full board on board (soft drinks included during meals.)

Our odyssey continues as we spend an evening in Santorini, whose stunning face is instantly recognisable across the world. We’re sure she will take your breath away, with her soaring landscapes, clusters of whitewashed houses in the capital Fira, and of course the iconic blue-domed church at Oia. Don’t forget to try one of the many restaurants jostling for position at the edge of the caldera.

Overnight: Cruise Ship Meals: Full board on board (soft drinks included during meals.)

Arrive in Rhodes at 09:00am and leave at 05:00pm. Free day at leisure on the island. 

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Overnight: Cruise Ship Meals: Full board on board (soft drinks included during meals.)

We arrive in the colorful Turkish beach town of Kusadasi in the morning. This is the coastal gateway to the Hellenistic ruins of Ephesus, famed for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis.

After-noon sail to Patmos, one of northernmost islands in the Dodecanese and one of all the smallest has a charm all its own. It is famous for being the supposed location of the vision to John the Baptist in the Book of Revelations and where it was written. Most scholars say this was probably someone else, but why spoil such a good story?

Overnight: Cruise Ship Meals: Full board on board (soft drinks included during meals.)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your onward flight. End of our services. 

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Overnight: Not available Meals: Breakfast