Italy - Greece & Anzac Special

14 DAYS ROME ATHENS & CRETE TOUR

 

DAY 1 (Saturday 24th March): ROME (arrival)

Midday arrival in Rome. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight Rome.

 

DAY 2 (Sunday 25th March): ROME. (City tour)

Panoramic guided city tour Rome. After breakfast, meeting with our local guide and we start the Panoramic City tour of Rome. You will see amongst the others, the Colosseum (short stop),Bocca della Verita, the Circo Massimo, the Piazza Venezia with the Capitol Hills, Piazza Barberini and Piazza del Popolo. Afternoon free. After dinner, experience “Rome by night” and discover how the city is transformed after dark. Across the most famous piazzas and past the most beautiful fountains. Our guide will lead you through the maze of back streets which connect Piazza Della Repubblica, Piazza Barberini, Piazza di Spagna, and Piazza Navona, revealing treasures such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon. 

Overnight Rome

 

DAY 3 (Monday 26th March): ROME ( Vatican city)

Half day tour to Vatican city .On this tour will skip the long lines to visit the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. In the museums, among
 the largest in the world, your art-history expert local guide will introduce you to masterpieces of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art and the sculptures of ancient Rome, helping you to make sense of the sheer volume of paintings, mosaics, statues, and artifacts in these rooms, explaining each item's place in the rich tapestry of Vatican City history.

 

The highlight of this tour is the Sistine Chapel, which is undoubtedly the most famous chapel in the world. You'll learn about the paintings of Michelangelo, and of his predecessors, who covered every inch of these walls and ceilings. You'll hear about the history of the period, with the difficulties encountered by the patron, Pope Julius II and by the artist, Michelangelo.

Leaving the Sistine Chapel, you'll enter St. Peters Basilica, again without waiting in line! Standing beneath Michelangelo's great dome, you cannot help but feel somewhat humbled by the expansive surroundings. The Pietà, one of Michelangelo's most well-known religious sculptures, is among the highlights of this part of your visit. Afternoon free for shopping.

Overnight Rome.

 

DAY 4 (Tuesday 27th March): ROME – ANCONA

After breakfast we drive east to the port of Ancona (approx. three and a half hours). Arrival, embarkation to the ferry and accommodation at four birth cabins. Enjoy the facilities of the luxury ferry, while crossing the Adriatic Sea. Dinner on board. Overnight on board.

 

 

DAY 5 (Wednesday 28th March): PATRAS – OLYMPIA

Early in the afternoon arrive at the port of Patras . and travelling through the plains of Ilia and Achaia, arrive in Olympia. (birthplace of the Olympic games). Overnight Olympia.

 

DAY 6 (Thursday 29th March): OLYMPIA – ATHENS

Morning visit of the archaeological site of Olympia with the temple of Zeus, the temple of Hera, the altar of the Olympic flame, the Stadium and the museum of Olympia. Drive to Piraeus ( port of Athens) to get the ferry to Heraklion ( 21.00). Overnight on board.

 

 

DAY 7 (Friday 30th March): HERAKLION – CHANIA

Disembarkation at 08.00 am and meeting with our local guide.

Crete is the homeland of the Ancient Minoan Civilization and today we will have the opportunity to visit the famous Knossos palace and the archaeological museum of Heraklion.

The Palace of Knossos, lies 5 km south to Heraklion and is the largest of the preserved Minoan palatial centers. Four wings are arranged around a central courtyard, containing the royal quarters, workshops, shrines, storerooms, repositories, the throne room and banquet halls. Dated to 2000-1350 B.C.

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is one of the largest and most important museums in Greece, and among the most important museums in Europe. It houses representative artifacts from all the periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering a chronological span of over 5,500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The singularly important Minoan collection contains unique examples of Minoan art, many of them true masterpieces. The Heraklion Museum is rightly considered as the museum of Minoan culture par excellence worldwide.

Lunch at a restaurant in the city center. After lunch free, to stroll in the small alleys and the picturesque squares of the city, admiring and visiting some of the best preserved Venetian monuments of the Mediterranean. Early afternoon drive west to Chania. Check in and dinner at the hotel. Overnight Chania.time

 

DAY 8 (Saturday 31st March): CHANIA 

Morning visit the Anzac sites of Chania ( Souda bay Commonwealth War Cemetery, Maleme airport, Galatas village and the German cemetery). Walking tour of Chania . Lunch at the hotel. At 17.30 transfer for the OPENING CEREMONY OF THE MINOAN CUP. Overnight Chania.

 

 

DAY 9 - 11 (Sunday 1st April – Tuesday 3rd April): CHANIA : MINOAN CUP

One of these days , depending on the match schedule, half day tour to Rerhymnon and visit of the ANZAC sites in Rerthymnon. All these days overnight in Chania.

On April 2nd, ANZAC DAY, we will have an ANZAC Dawn Service at the Commonwealth War Cemetery.

 

 

DAY 12 (Wednesday 4th April): CHANIA

At 14.00 Closing and Prize giving ceremony of the MINOAN CUP. Late evening transfer to Souda port and embarkation to the ferry to Athens. Dinner on board. Overnight on board.

 

DAY 13 (Thursday 5th April): ATHENS (City tour)

At 08.00 disembarkation from the ferry, meeting with our local guide and half day guided tour of Athens. The striking contrast between breathtaking monuments of glorious past and modern elegant structures is what you will enjoy during your tour of Athens. Walking through Amalias’ street , passing by Roman Temple of Olympian Zeus and Adrian’s Arch , you will arrive at the Panathinaikon Stadium (site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896).

Continuing you will pass by the Presidential House (ex Royal House) at Herodus Atticus str., cross the National Garden and arrive at Syntagma (Constitution) Square where you will see the Parliament and the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the Evzones on their traditional uniforms.

Then you will have the experience of one of Athens’ bravura achievements: the Athens Metro. A magnificent marriage of high-tech transportation and archeology, this rapid transit system is a museum in of itself with its marble surroundings, displays of antiquities uncovered during construction and glass-encased artifact exhibits. Nowhere else in the world can one experience the glory of one civilization simultaneously within the urbanity of another.

Upon exiting the Metro you pass by the hill where St. Paul spoke to the Athenians on your way to the top of the Acropolis, home of the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena–the Goddess of Wisdom and Patron Goddess of Athens–the Erechtheion, the Temple Of Athena Niki and the Propylae.

Lunch at a restaurant in Plaka. Afternoon free. Overnight Athens.

 

DAY 14 (Friday 6th April): ATHENS (departure)

Transfer to Athens airport for departure.

 

 

PRICE PER PERSON IN TRIPLE ROOMS : UPON REQUEST

 

PRICE PER PERSON IN DOUBLE ROOMS : UPON REQUEST

 

SERVICES INCLUDED :

  • All Transfers and Tours by private air-conditioned coach.
  • Accommodation 3 nights in Rome at a 4 star hotel (semi central) on Half board (breakfast and dinner) basis.
  • Local guide in Rome for the tour to Vatican city.
  • Ferry tickets Ancona –Patras , Piraeus – Heraklion and Chania – Piraeus in four bedded cabins (AB4) , with private facilities.
  • Dinners and breakfasts on board, as per itinerary.
  • One night accommodation in Olympia at a 4 star hotel on Half Board basis.
  • Participation at the MINOAN football CUP, on All Inclusive basis.
  • One extra night accommodation in Chania on HB basis.
  • One extra night accommodation in Athens at a 4 star centrally located hotel on Bed and Breakfast basis.
  • Lunches on days 5, 6, 7 and 13 including bottled water and one soft drink per person.
  • Farewell dinner in Athens.
  • Services of professional guide during the tour in Italy and the Greek mainland.
  • Services of licensed English speaking guide in Crete ( Days 7 , 8 and 9)
  • Services of licensed English speaking guide for Athens city tour.
  • Entrance fees ( for adults only, students are FREE) to the following sites: Vatican Museums, Olympia, Knossos Palace, Heraklion museum and Acropolis.
  • All taxes, including VAT.

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