An island... A myth...

"Crete is a land in the middle of the king -
blue Sea, decorated by waves, beautiful, and fertile".

This is how Homer, the great poet of ancient Greece, let his hero Odysseus praise the island. This is where the greatest Greek god, Zeus, was born. Disguising himself as a bull he kidnapped the King’s daughter, Europa, from Asia Minor and brought her to Matala. She gave her name to our continent. Deadalus and Ikarus flew to freedom from Knossos with their wings of wax. In the Labyrith, Theseus son of King Ageus, killed the Minotaur, the hornheaded beast. We invite you to this small 'continent', the bridge connecting Africa, Europa and Asia, where the sun shines more than 300 days a year! Visit our imposing mountains, our endless sandy beaches with the turquoise water and above meet our proud and friendly people!.

Day 1: Italy – Greece
Boarding the ferry in Italy. Departure in the evening. Overnight stay on board.

Day 2: Athens (aprox.220 km)
Arrival in Patras around 15:00. By coach along the north coast of the Peloponese, over the Korinthian Channel, where you make a short stop, and on to Athens, to your hotel. The is evening is yours to visit a typical Greek tavern in Plaka, to enjoy the light show of the Acropolis or simply to relax in your hotel.

Day 3: Akropolis - Cape Sounion-Piraeus for boarding (approx.70 km)
You begin the day by visiting the radiant monuments of Akropolis, the national museum, Adrian’s Gate etc. At noon begins an especially picturesque excursion along the Attica coast to Cape Sounion where you can see the Temple of Poseidon and the amazing view of the Aegean Sea and the nearby islands. In the evening we return to Piraeus and board the ferry to Heraklion, Crete. Overnight stay on board.

Day 4: Heraklion- Knossos
Palace Arrival in Heraklion early in the morning. Visit to Knossos, the largest and most significant Minoan Palace, followed by a tour of the city of Heraklion and then to see the priceless findings in the archaeological Museum, which holds the greatest collection of Minoan art. Afterwards we meet at the hotel for a welcoming drink of Ouzo and Raki (cretan schnapps) and for a short briefing of the excursions that follow.

Day 5: South Crete, Gortys, Festos, Matala. (approx. 140 km)
We journey to the inner part of the island. The Cretan landscape is most known for its olive groves and vineyards. Gortys, the old Greek-Roman capital of the island, is where the oldest European law codes were found. From there we visit the Minoan Palace of Festos. We journey a bit further to have a swim and lunch in Matala, the small but very famous village on the south coast with the numerous caves.

Day 6: 1-Day-Cruise to Santorini
This day is for your to enjoy as you please. Either staying in the hotel to relax, going shopping in Heraklion or, as we suggest, going to the island of Santorini for the day. Black sand, white houses, deep blue sea, dome chapels and amazing landscapes and breathtaking views are a few things that best describe the volcano island of Santorini. Her wild beauty cannot be compared with any other island in the Aegean.

Day 7: Lassithi-Plateau, Monastery of Kera, Agios Nikolaos. (140km) Through picturesque landscapes we reach the Lassithi-Plataeu amongst the Dikti Mountains. The Plateau is 800m high and is particularly impressive from Mount Dikti. In Dikti we visit the cave where Zeus was born and the nunnery of of Panagia Kera (Byzantine frescoes). On the way back we stop in the colourful port town of Agios Nikolaos.

Day 8: West-Crete, Rethymnon, Chania. (approx. 340km)
Journey along the panoramic north coast towards the West.. Rethymnon clearly shows Crete’s recent history with its Venetian houses and the monuments from the Turkish occupation. In Chania, the old capital of Crete, it is definately worth going for a stroll through through the colourful narrow streets of the old town and the romantic harbour. On the way back, we visit the national sanctuary of Crete, the Monastery of Arkadi.

Day 9: Heraklion
The day is free for you to enjoy as you like. In the evening we board the ferry to Piraeus.

Day 10: Delphi-Patras-Boarding the ferry (approx. 270km)
Arrival in Piraeus early in the morning and set off for Delphi. We visit the Sanctuary of Apollo, which lies on an impressive landscape high above the sea. We visit the Sacred Road, the Temple, the Theatre and Stadium, the Kastallia-Springs, the Sanctuary of Athena and the Museum. From Delphi we continue to Patras over Antirion-Rion to board the ferry to Italy.

Day 11: Arrival in Italy - Journey Home
The ferry trip from Patras to Ancona is an unforgettable experience. The ships are fully equipped with modern facilities to ensure a pleasurable journey. Swimming pools, restaurants, bars, discos, casinos, sun-decks, shops, comfortable, modern cabins and of course air-conditioning throughout the ship. Enjoy a relaxing and secure journey over the Adriatic.

Departure also possible from Bari/Brindisi/Venice