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- Day 1 Welcome to Athens Arrive in Athens, home to the Acropolis and the Parthenon, monuments that have defined the city’s skyline since the 5th century BC. After settling into your hotel, meet your Travel Director and fellow Small Group travelers. This evening, gather with your group for dinner at a local restaurant featuring Greek dishes shaped by regional produce and long-standing culinary traditions. Locations Visited: Athens GR.
- Day 2 The Glorious City of Athens Explore Athens with your Local Expert, beginning at the Acropolis Museum to view Parthenon sculptures and Acropolis finds, including frieze panels and architectural fragments. Continue past Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, marking the scale of Roman Athens. View the Panathenaic Stadium, reconstructed in marble for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. In Syntagma Square, see the Parliament Building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then pass the 19th-century neoclassical Trilogy of Athens. This evening, you may choose to join an Optional Experience for dinner in Psiri. Locations Visited: Athens GR.
- Day 3 Ancient Dion and on to Thessaloniki Travel north from Athens to Thermopylae, the narrow coastal pass where King Leonidas and 300 Spartans resisted the Persian army in 480 BC. You’ll stop to see the modern memorial marking the site and learn how the landscape shaped the battle strategy. Continue to Ancient Dion, a sacred city of the Macedonians at the foot of Mount Olympus. With your Local Expert, explore the archaeological park, including sanctuaries, theaters and Roman-era villas. Later, arrive in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, where you’ll enjoy dinner with your Small Group. Locations Visited: Athens GR, Thermopylae GR, Thessaloniki GR.
- Day 4 Thessaloniki, Greece’s Foodie Capital Explore Thessaloniki, a port city shaped by Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule and long recognized as a cultural crossroads of northern Greece. See the city’s sights with Insight Choice. You may join a Local Expert for a city tour that traces Thessaloniki’s layered history, moving from Roman remains and Byzantine churches towards the Upper Town for views across the Thermaic Gulf. Alternatively, join your Travel Director for a guided food walk, tasting regional specialties that reflect the city’s trading heritage and diverse influences. The afternoon is at leisure to continue exploring at your own pace. Perhaps walk the waterfront promenade to the White Tower, browse the Modiano and Kapani markets for spices, olives and sweets, or head up to Ano Poli for views over the Thermaic Gulf. Locations Visited: Thessaloniki GR.
- Day 5 Vergina, Metsovo and on to Ioannina Travel to Vergina with your Local Expert to the ancient Macedonian capital of Aigai. You’ll explore the Royal Tombs, including the burial chamber traditionally identified with Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. Continue to the Museum of Aigai to view finds from the royal cemetery and palace site, including gold grave goods, weapons, jewelry and painted tomb elements. Later, travel into the Pindus Mountains to Metsovo. Enjoy time at leisure, browsing cheese shops known for Metsovone and other smoked local varieties, visiting the Tositsa Folk Art Museum or stopping at a local winery connected to Metsovo’s modern wine production. Continue to Ioannina for dinner at your hotel. Locations Visited: Thessaloniki GR, Vergina GR, Metsovo GR, Ioannina GR.
- Day 6 Picturesque Ioannina Explore Ioannina, a lakeside city shaped by Ottoman rule and regional trade across Epirus. Walk within the castle walls of the old town, where mosques, Byzantine churches and stone houses reflect centuries of layered authority. From the lakeside promenade, take in views across Lake Pamvotis before boarding a small boat to the Island of Ioannina. Once ashore, you’ll have time to explore independently. You might visit the monastery associated with Ali Pasha, sample traditional syrup pastries such as baklava made to Ottoman-era recipes or see examples of the silverwork that established Ioannina as a center of metal craft. Locations Visited: Ioannina GR.
- Day 7 Venetian Town of Nafpaktos Begin in Nafpaktos on the Gulf of Corinth, a fortified harbor town shaped by its position at the narrow entrance to the gulf. You’ll spend time around the Venetian harbor and the defensive walls that rise from the waterfront towards the castle above, a clear outline of how the town was organized for maritime control. Offshore, the Battle of Lepanto was fought in 1571, and your visit places this major naval clash in its geographic setting. Later, arrive in Galaxidi for a two-night stay and join your Small Group for a seafood dinner. Locations Visited: Ioannina GR, Nafpaktos GR, Galaxidi GR.
- Day 8 Delphi with a Local Expert Visit Delphi, long regarded as the center of the ancient Greek world. With your Local Expert, ascend the Sacred Way, once lined with votive buildings, passing the Parian marble Treasury of the Athenians and the Polygonal Wall, whose interlocking stones remain intact after thousands of years. Approach the Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle of Delphi delivered pronouncements for some 14 centuries. Later, join a local chef in Delphi, making Greek pies, a long-established staple in this mountainous part of Central Greece. Then sit down together for lunch, sharing the pies you created with your small group. Locations Visited: Galaxidi GR, Delphi GR, Galaxidi GR.
- Day 9 On to Nafplion Enter the Peloponnese and pause in Nemea, one of Greece’s leading wine regions, known for reds made from the Agiorgitiko grape. You’ll enjoy a light lunch followed by a tasting that compares styles shaped by vineyard site and ageing approach. Later, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a local beekeeping family dedicated to pollinator conservation and sustainable honey production, learning how hive care supports both biodiversity and agriculture. Continue to Nafplion, Greece’s first capital after independence, set beneath the Palamidi fortress with the Bourtzi sea tower in the harbor. Walk the old town with your Travel Director before settling in for the evening. Locations Visited: Galaxidi GR, Nemea GR, Nafplio GR.
- Day 10 The Beauty of Nafplion Visit Mycenae with your Local Expert and explore one of the key centers of Bronze Age Greece, associated with the Mycenaean civilization that dominated the mainland in the late 2nd millennium BC. Enter through the Lion Gate and walk the citadel, examining the Cyclopean walls built from massive limestone blocks and visiting tholos ‘beehive’ tombs used for elite burials. Continue to Epidaurus to see the 4th-century BC theater, designed for clear sightlines and acoustics as part of a sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius. On the return to Nafplion, stop at a local olive grove to follow the steps from harvest to pressing, then taste olive oil and learn how producers assess quality through aroma and flavor. Locations Visited: Nafplio GR, Archaeological Site of Mycenae GR, Ancient Theatre of the Asklepieion at Epidaurus GR, Nafplio GR.
- Day 11 The Island of Crete, Heraklion Cross the Corinth Canal, opened in 1893 to create a direct passage between the Aegean and Ionian seas, then fly to Crete for a four-night stay in Heraklion. On arrival, join your Travel Director for an orientation walk through the historic center. You’ll view the Koules fortress at the harbor, the Venetian Loggia and Morosini Fountain, then pass landmarks that reflect the city’s layered rule, including Agios Titos, the Cathedral of Agios Minas and the former Monastery of St. Catherine. This evening, join your Small Group for a shared Cretan dinner built around olive oil, local cheeses and island specialties, finishing with a first toast of raki. Locations Visited: Nafplio GR, Athens GR, Heraklion GR.
- Day 12 Heraklion History Visit Knossos with your Local Expert and explore Crete’s largest surviving Minoan palace complex, first established in the Bronze Age and rebuilt after earthquake damage. You’ll move through the Central Court and the Throne Room and see reconstructed frescoes including the ‘Prince of the Lilies’. Continue with your Local Expert to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum to view objects recovered from Knossos and other Cretan sites, including ceramics, jewelry, seals and sculpture from the Minoan period. Locations Visited: Heraklion GR.
- Day 13 Rethymno and on to Chania Spend the morning in Rethymno, a Cretan port town shaped by Venetian rule and later Ottoman administration. Join a walking tour through the old town, moving along cobbled lanes where Venetian facades sit alongside Ottoman domes and minarets. You’ll pass courtyards and shaded alleys, then continue towards the waterfront to view the lighthouse and the 16th-century Venetian fortress above the harbor. Later, continue to Chania for the night, a former Venetian stronghold known for its preserved old town and working harbor that remains central to the city’s daily life. Locations Visited: Heraklion GR, Rethymno GR, Chania GR.
- Day 14 Chania, The Old Town Explore Chania with your Local Expert, focusing on the old town’s layered neighborhoods. Begin in Splantzia, the former Ottoman district, and walk through Splantzia Square to view the Church of Agios Nikolaos, a landmark shaped by changing religious use over time. Continue into the Jewish district to understand the city’s long multicultural history through its streets and surviving communal landmarks. The afternoon is at leisure. You might walk the Venetian harbor to the lighthouse, visit the Maritime Museum of Crete for the island’s seafaring story or browse the covered market halls for Cretan products such as thyme honey, herbs, olive oil and graviera cheese. This evening, join your Small Group for dinner in a traditional Cretan restaurant. Locations Visited: Chania GR.
- Day 15 Goodbye Greece Transfer to the airport, saying goodbye to your Small Group and Travel Director at the end of your journey through Greece and Crete. Locations Visited: Chania GR.
Name: Greece Undiscovered with Crete Extension - Small Group
Brand: Insight
Quality: Superior First Class
Tour Type: Unknown
Start City: Athens
End City: Chania
Location Summary: Athens, GR
Thermopylae, GR
Thessaloniki, GR
Vergina, GR
Metsovo, GR
Ioannina, GR
Nafpaktos, GR
Galaxidi, GR
Delphi, GR
Nemea, GR
Nafplio, GR
Archaeological Site of Mycenae, GR
Ancient Theatre of the Asklepieion at Epidaurus, GR
Heraklion, GR
Rethymno, GR
Chania, GR
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Highlights
- Dining Summary - 14 Breakfast (B). 6 Dinner (D). 2 Lunch (L).
- Well-being - Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.. Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day..
- Additional Included Highlights - Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.. Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.. We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.. From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.. Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).. If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport..
- Authentic Dining - Athens: Taste seasonal dishes built around olive oil, grains, legumes and coastal produce, paired with wines from native grape varieties grown across mainland and island vineyards.. Delphi: Join a pie-making class in Delphi with a local chef, preparing savory pies rooted in Central Greece’s mountain cuisine, a long-standing staple in village kitchens. Work with thin pastry and fillings of seasonal vegetables, herbs and local cheeses, then sit down together to taste the pies fresh from the oven.. Heraklion: Share a Cretan menu with your Small Group. You’ll try island dishes such as dakos, built on barley rusk with tomato and mizithra, and kaltsounia pastries finished with honey and cinnamon. Raise a first toast with raki, Crete’s traditional grape spirit.. Chania: Join your Small Group for dinner in a traditional Cretan restaurant. The menu features local specialties and seasonal ingredients, typically including dishes built around olive oil, vegetables, herbs and local cheeses, with regional wine served alongside..
- Insight Experiences - Athens: Visit the Acropolis Museum with your Local Expert to examine sculptures and architectural fragments from the Parthenon and other Acropolis buildings. The top-floor gallery aligns with the Parthenon’s orientation, allowing you to view surviving frieze sections in their original sequence.. Vergina: Visit the Royal Tombs at Vergina with your Local Expert and see the tomb traditionally identified as Philip II’s. You’ll learn how the discovery of the burial complex reshaped understanding of Macedonian royal history and funerary practice.. Nafplion: Meet an expert sommelier at a Nemea winery and learn about the evolution of Greek wine making, dating back to antiquity. After touring the winery, sample some of the delicious and elegant Greek wines, expertly paired with piquant local cheeses and tasty cured meats.. Heraklion: Explore the Palace of Knossos with your Local Expert, Crete’s largest Bronze Age palace complex and traditionally linked to King Minos. You’ll walk through the Central Court and Throne Room and see reconstructed frescoes, examining how the scale, layout and surviving details reflect the administrative and ceremonial role of the site..
- Top Rated Highlights - Athens: Walk the Acropolis with your Local Expert, examining the Parthenon’s Doric columns, the Caryatids of the Erechtheion and the gateway of the Propylaea. You’ll understand how these structures expressed Athenian political power, religious devotion and architectural precision during the 5th century BC.. Athens: See Hadrian’s Arch, built in AD 131 to mark the boundary between ancient Greek Athens and the Roman city rebuilt under Emperor Hadrian. Its inscription reflects the city’s dual identity during the Roman period.. Thermopylae: View the monument to King Leonidas, erected near the site of the 480 BC battle between Greek forces and the Persian army of Xerxes I. The statue commemorates the Spartan-led defense of the pass, where terrain played a decisive role in delaying the Persian advance into mainland Greece.. Metsovo: A mountain town in the Pindus range with a long Vlach heritage and a strong tradition of trade across the high passes of Epirus and Thessaly. Built on steep slopes, the town is known for stone-built houses, carved timber balconies and small churches that reflect its 18th- and 19th-century prosperity.. Ioannina: Cruise across Lake Pamvotis to the Island of Ioannina, a rare example of an inhabited lake island. Once ashore, the lanes lead past small churches and monastic sites that connect directly to the city’s Ottoman-era history, including places linked to Ali Pasha.. Nafpaktos: See how Nafpaktos marks the Battle of Lepanto on its waterfront, with memorial inscriptions near the Venetian harbor and a statue of Miguel de Cervantes, who fought in the 1571 naval battle. The harbor’s enclosed shape and defensive walls remain the clearest present-day reminder of why this port mattered strategically.. Delphi: Explore Delphi with your Local Expert, following the Sacred Way past the Treasury of the Athenians and the Polygonal Wall as the sanctuary climbs the slope of Mount Parnassus. You’ll reach the Temple of Apollo and learn how the oracle’s consultations shaped decision-making across the Greek world for centuries.. Nafplio: Join your Travel Director for an orientation of Nafplion. See why this town was chosen as Greece’s first capital after independence, with neoclassical public buildings and waterfront promenades set beneath the Palamidi fortress.. Archaeological Site of Mycenae: Explore Mycenae with your Local Expert, entering through the Lion Gate and walking the citadel where Cyclopean walls protected one of the most powerful centers of the Late Bronze Age. You’ll visit tholos tombs and learn how archaeology connects the site to Mycenaean society, trade and kingship.. Corinth Canal: See the Corinth Canal, opened in 1893 to cut a 6.3-kilometer passage through the Isthmus of Corinth and link the Aegean with the Ionian. From the crossing point, you’ll view the steep limestone sides and the narrow channel that shortened sea routes around the Peloponnese.. Heraklion: Take an internal flight to Crete, your home for the next four nights. Heraklion: Join your Travel Director for an orientation walk in Heraklion, introducing the city’s Venetian and later layers. You’ll view key landmarks including the Koules fortress on the harbor, the Venetian Loggia and Morosini Fountain, then pass Agios Titos, the Cathedral of Agios Minas and the former Monastery of St. Catherine.. Heraklion: Visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum with your Local Expert to view artifacts from Knossos and other Cretan sites. You’ll see Minoan ceramics, jewelry, seals and fresco fragments displayed in chronological order, offering a clear view of craftsmanship and daily life across the Bronze Age.. Rethymno: Walk through Rethymno’s old town and see how Venetian and Ottoman layers sit side by side. You’ll follow cobbled lanes past Venetian-built houses and civic buildings, then notice Ottoman domes and minarets added after the 17th-century conquest.. Chania: Explore Chania with your Local Expert, beginning in Splantzia. View the Church of Agios Nikolaos, built in the 14th century under Venetian rule and later converted into a mosque during Ottoman occupation, with a minaret added. Continue to the Etz Hayyim Synagogue in the Jewish quarter, restored in the 20th century and one of the few surviving Jewish monuments on Crete..
- Insight Choice - Thessaloniki: Join your Local Expert for an introduction to Thessaloniki’s historic center, exploring key districts shaped by successive empires. You’ll move through the city streets before continuing to the Upper Town for views across the harbor and Thermaic Gulf.. Thessaloniki: Walk with your Travel Director through central markets and bakeries, tasting sesame koulouri rings, local cheeses, cured meats and bougatsa pastry. You’ll see how Balkan, Anatolian and Mediterranean influences shape the city’s everyday food culture..
- Make Travel Matter - Nafplion: Meet Anthony and Sophia at their family’s organic beekeeping facility in Arcadia, where three generations have tended bees with care and curiosity. Put on a beekeeper’s suit and step into the hives to witness these remarkable pollinators in action, before enjoying a guided tasting and discovering why Greek honey is prized around the world for its purity and flavor. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land..
- Tasting - Nafplion: Stop at a local olive grove to learn the steps from harvest to pressing, including how timing and temperature affect flavor. You’ll taste olive oil and learn how producers assess fruitiness, bitterness and peppery finish as markers of freshness and quality..
- Choice Highlights - Thessaloniki: Join your Local Expert for an introduction to Thessaloniki’s historic center, exploring key districts shaped by successive empires. You’ll move through the city streets before continuing to the Upper Town for views across the harbor and Thermaic Gulf.. Thessaloniki: Walk with your Travel Director through central markets and bakeries, tasting sesame koulouri rings, local cheeses, cured meats and bougatsa pastry. You’ll see how Balkan, Anatolian and Mediterranean influences shape the city’s everyday food culture..
