Singles Travel Company - Greek Island Hopping

Greek Island Hopping

3 Nights each Athens…Mykonos…Santorini…Sailing the Islands also visiting the Islands of Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion (Crete)

Come join us on this great combination land and ferry island hopping vacation to both classical and modern Greece and ancient Kusadasi, Turkey. It’s a great trip with the best blend of sightseeing, adventure, free time, fun stuff, culture, and socializing all in an affordable package.
Greek Islands We start in Athens, home to the Olympics, where we have a guided sightseeing tour including the famous Acropolis and then we ferry to the wonderful island of Mykonos where we’ll really get to know this island and its’ people during our 3 night stay here. Free time to take optional excursions such as the one to historical Delos, rent a jeep to explore this island, and also enjoy the beautiful sunsets from a beachside restaurant. Then we’re off on our 3 night sailing of the islands visiting the ports of Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, and Heraklion (Crete) before we end on Santorini for 3 nights on this unbelievable island. Heading back to Athens for any last minute exploring or shopping, we end our fabulous vacation of the Greek Islands from the best way possible-on land and sea!
We’ll tour ancient city ruins, picturesque villages, charming countrysides, as well as ferry around the islands for three nights! Also, plenty of time to explore with three nights total in Athens and three nights each on the wonderful island of Mykonos and on the beautiful island of Santorini as well as our 3 night sailing to other islands!

Price Includes all of the following!

12 Nights accommodations in private bath or shower-(9) in 3-4 star hotels; (3) on island hopping ferry

3 nights Athens (2 nts-pre islands & 1 nt-after islands)
3 nights Mykonos Island
3 night sailing the Islands
3 nights Santorini Island

Hotel porterage for 1 bag, local taxes and service charges
Deluxe A/C private motor coach transfers as noted in itinerary

Athens to pier
To/from Mykonos pier
From pier to hotel-Santorini-then to airport from hotel

Ferry from Athens to Mykonos
Domestic air transportation from Santorini to Athens & transfer to hotel
English speaking assistance for all transfers and host service at hotel in Athens
Total 17 meals

12 Buffet Breakfasts-daily (including 3 on board ship) (B)
3 lunches (on board the ship) (L)
2 dinners (on board ship) (D)

Entertainment on board the cruise ship
4 Day/3 Night Island Hopping Ferry in an inside cabin (outside upgrade possible). Basic moderate/ferry type ship.

Kusadasi, Turkey (7am-12noon)
Patmos (4pm-9pm)
Rhodes (7am-6pm)
Heraklion, Crete (7am-11:30am)

Half day sightseeing tour of Athens with entrance fee and guided tour of the Acropolis
Free roommate matching
Single Travel Company Tour Representative (restrictions apply)

Available: Download Itinerary Now)
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Itinerary

Tue, Sept 15 Depart USA
Today you leave your hometown on your overnight flight to begin your wonderful Greek Islands Adventure!

Wed, Sept 16 Arrive Athens!
On arrival, transfer to our hotel and depending on your flights’ arrival time you’ll have time to start exploring! After a group meeting this evening, you’re free to explore Athens at your leisure with others from the group. Maybe see the Acropolis sound and light show, or wander through the Plaka located on the northeastern slopes of the rock of the Acropolis. The Plaka was the center of Athens even in antiquity and now is a neighborhood full of interesting shops, restaurants, museums, jewelry shops and is for the locals as well as the tourists. The nightlife is just as exciting with people out strolling at all hours of the evening. Welcome to Greece!

Thurs, Sept 17 Athens
After breakfast, this morning we’ll have a tour of some of the highlights of Athens with a visit to the Acropolis. This afternoon is free to continue exploring Athens, shop in the Plaka and continue enjoying this big city. Dinner is at leisure with new friends from the group….maybe in the Plaka! (B)

Fri, Sept 18 Athens to Mykonos – Arrive 6pm
After breakfast, transfer to the port to board our ferry and sail to Mykonos arriving at 6pm. Upon arrival we are transferred to our hotel which will be our home for the next 3 nights. Get settled in and then start exploring this fun island!
Mykonos lies almost in the center of the Cyclades islands (cyclades means the circle islands, because they form a circle around Delos) and is the jewel of these islands. It is known for its’ beautiful harbor fringed with a cluster of whitewashed houses and is one of the most popular and stunning of all the Greek Islands. Some of the closest islands are Delos, Tinos, Andros, Naxos and Ikaria. It is a cosmopolitan island and is visited by the international jet set also. (B)

Sat, Sept 19 Mykonos at Leisure
Breakfast and then your day is at leisure to explore this island with new friends from the group- lots to see and do!
In Mykonos town you can find traditional and fine dining, trendy bars, designer shops and the famous Myconian nightlife. Walk the maze of narrow alleyways and streets and don’t forget to check-out the many well preserved windmills and hundreds of tiny red-roofed churches. Make sure you are back to a waterside café for a view of the gorgeous sunset!
Mykonos beaches are magnificent, the nightlife surprising and Delos -birthplace of Artemis and Apollo- is only a couple of miles away (this is probably the reason that brought tourism on the island in the first place). You’ll have time to take a boat ride to Delos with its interesting ruins while you’re staying on Mykonos and you shouldn’t miss the opportunity as it is one of Greece's most famous archaeologic sites. Under the jurisdiction of Mykonos and situated just 2 kilometers to the west, the entire island has been declared a national museum. Access to the island has been made readily available through excursions that leave daily from the main harbor of Mykonos and some of the more popular beaches.
Tonight, maybe enjoy a seaside restaurant and then join in the party atmosphere of Mykonos town wandering around the intricate maze of narrow cobblestone streets. (B)

Sun, Sept 20 Mykonos at Leisure
After breakfast, another full day to continue where you left off yesterday exploring this fun island! Maybe visit one of the most famous architectural structures in Greece, the church- Paraportiani, which is near the main harbor entrance. This church is the central feature of the "Kastro" or castle area, the oldest section of town and its’ name means inner or secondary door, which it was to the Medieval stone walls which encircled the area. After sightseeing you can take advantage of the local beaches and don’t forget to watch the sunset from one of the local taverns with all the locals and visitors. (B)

Monday. Sept 21 Mykonos to Pier for Cruise Embarkation
Another day and your last chance to shop or sightsee on the island before our afternoon transfer from the hotel to our island hopping ferry ship! Get settled into your cabin that you’ll have for 3 nights and then start exploring the ship and take in the nightlife as we sail towards exotic Turkey. (B) Greek Islands

Tuesday, Sept 22 Kusadasi, Turkey (Ephesus)/Patmos Cruising
Arrive Kusadasi at 7am until noon. Stroll the market shops in Kusadasi and perhaps negotiate a great deal on a Turkish hand stitched rug. Or take an optional tour to Ephesus, the best-preserved classical city on the Mediterranean and known for being one of the best places to get the feeling for what life was like in Roman times. It is the site of a Christian shrine and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Legend says that the Virgin Mary, with St. Paul, came to Ephesus at the end of her life, circa 37-45 AD. In 1967 Pope Paul VI visited the site, where a chapel now stands, and confirmed the authenticity of the legend. Also the Basilica of St. John is located near Ephesus and St. John is said to have lived the last years of his life here and after his death a shrine was located over his grave.
In the afternoon we sail for Patmos arriving at 4pm and departing at 9pm. Here you can take an optional excursion to the Monastery and Cave where John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelation or explore on your own with friends from the group. (B)(L)(D)

Wednesday, Sept 23 Rhodes Cruising
We arrive early morning in Rhodes for a full day in this port of call. (7am-6pm).
Rhodes, named the sun island, or island of light, because of its’ over 3,000 hours of sun per year, is the biggest of the Dodecanese islands and one of the most popular holiday islands in Greece for both tourists and the Greeks from the mainland. The natural beauty of the island, as well as the warm hospitality offered by the people of Rhodes, makes this a great island to visit. You may want to take an optional excursion to the City of Rhodes and the rocky Acropolis of Lindos to visit the Temple of Athena.
Then our late afternoon departure to Heraklion,Crete. (B)(L)(D)

Thursday, Sept 24 Heraklion (Crete) to Disembarkation in Santorini Cruising
We arrive early in Heraklion, Crete (7am-11:30am).
Heraklion has many breathtaking locations, as well as beautiful sandy beaches. Maybe take an optional excursion of the city of Heraklion or enjoy the Museum and the Palace of King Minos at Knossos-an ancient town only 5 km from the capital and it was the center of the Minoan civilization.
We leave mid day for our arrival at 4:30pm into the most impressive volcanic island of Santorini where we’ll be transferred to our hotel stay of three nights on this gorgeous island! Santorini is known for its’ beautiful beaches, ancient archaeological sites, its busy port at Athinios, and of course its quite amazing sunsets. (B)

Friday, Sept 25 Santorini at Leisure
Your day is free to enjoy so much! With its sheer cliffs topped with gleaming white houses, Santorini is a truly unique island. Ride a donkey down a steep cliff, eat some fresh feta cheese, buy some unique jewelry, or indulge in sweet Baklava. Spend your day relaxing on the beach, or explore the town of Fira, Santorini’s capital straddling the edge of the caldera with its breathtaking cliff-top restaurants, winding narrow streets, stepped, white-washed houses, ancient marketplaces, picturesque churches, and arcades. Or take a caique to the active volcanic island of Nea Kameni or visit the site of Akrotiri - the lost city of Atlantis. (B)

Saturday, Sept 26 Santorini at Leisure
After breakfast your day is at leisure to continue exploring this beautiful island. Maybe visit Oia, the most charming and well preserved of all of the Santorini villages, and it's located along the caldera edge, 12 km from the main town of Fira. The sunset’s here are the island’s most famous, and there are plenty of fine dining restaurants from which to relax as you watch the setting of the sun. (B)

Sunday, Sept 27 Santorini to Athens
Today we will be transferred to the airport for a quick flight to Athens, where we’ll be met at the Athens airport and transferred to our hotel. The rest of the day is time for last minute shopping, sightseeing, or people watching. Enjoy the evening with your new friends from the group. Maybe a farewell dinner together? (B)

Monday, Sept 28 Athens to U.S. A.
Fond farewells this morning as our tour ends after breakfast at the hotel and we transfer to the airport. (B)

Hotels:Athens-Hotel Titania or similar; Mykonos-Hotel Kamari or similar; Santorini-Hotel El Greco or similar.

Price
$1972.00 Land/ferry- inside cabin, per person, based on double occupancy, (roommate matching available)
ADD $88.00 for an oceanview cabin, per person, based on double occupancy.

Room/cabin to yourself:
If not taking our free roommate matching option to save on your room/cabin price-and you want an inside single room/cabin, your price is $3073.00. To upgrade to an oceanview cabin by yourself, add $132.00

Add to above price $90.00 for Cruise Port Charges (subject to change).

Please Note:
--Very limited availability on outside cabins and single rooms/cabins-early sign-ups are encouraged.
--Shore Excursions---We will be offering a few shore excursions for the group as a whole to sign up for a little later in the year.

Airfare is additional and you need to fly into and out of Athens, Greece. We will try and coordinate air flights for those that want to fly with others and to help with airport transfers.

Transfers can be arranged (approx $27 based on a minimum of 2 people transferred) and we’ll be better able to give you a transfer price when we get everyones’ flight schedules. Return transfers can be coordinated in Athens for your convenience.

Travel Insurance is highly recommended. Please request more information at time of reservation.

Activity Level Please note this trip is an adventure trip with some facilities that you might not be accustomed to or some standards that may be different than found at home, but this adds to the adventure of this wonderful vacation to this great destination. You will encounter a lot of walking; walking on uneven surfaces; and stairs to access some areas.

Price does not include: items of a personal nature, shore excursions, meals not specified in itinerary, tips to drivers, guides, and cruise ship personnel, phone calls, airport transfers, etc.

Fine Print—Greek Island Hopping with Kusadasi, Turkey, Sept. 15-28, 2009
Your payment for a reservation on this trip constitutes consent and acknowledgement of all the provisions in this Fine Print listed below and in the Singles Travel Company General Terms and Conditions. Please make sure you read both of these important pieces of information and call us with any questions. Per our tour operator the hotels are subject to change and the ships’ itinerary is subject to the ship lines discretion.
Deposit of $300.00 by check (payable to Travel Advisors) or credit card is due with your reservation.
Final payment is due 75 days prior to departure date.
Cancellation Fees and Refunds All cancellations must be in writing. You’ll receive a full refund of your deposit minus a $50 administrative fee if you cancel 91 days or more from the departure date of the trip. No refunds within 90 days of departure date or on unused portions of the tour. Cancellation fees also apply to additional accommodations reserved prior to and after the tour booked with the tour operator of the trip. After airline tickets are issued, airline cancellations are per the airline’s policy/ and or the tour operator if purchased through the tour operator.
Travel insurance is highly recommended

Download full Terms and Conditions (PDF)

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