Itinerary Notes
Prices are based on double occupancy; all other room configurations are on request and cannot be guaranteed. We will accommodate triples/quads whenever possible. Please call for further details.
Family Journeys are designed for groups traveling with children between the ages of 7 and 17. Your group must include a child in order to book, and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Day 1 : Athens
Welcome to Athens–your arrival transfer to the hotel is included. Check in and get excited to meet your fellow travelers during a welcome meeting this evening where all families can bond before the Journey ahead.
Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
1h
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2 : Athens
Immerse yourself in Athens, the birthplace of Western civilization. Begin the morning with a visit the Agora of Athens—where Athenians gathered to discuss the affairs of the day—and listen to your guide bring these timeless ruins to life. Next, walk to the Acropolis Museum and visit the exhibits—including a model of the Athenian Acropolis built entirely of LEGO pieces that took the creator around 300 hours to complete. Enjoy lunch on your own and a free afternoon to explore Athens, where you may opt to visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch. Before dinner, learn all about the Parthenon—a global symbol of the ancient world—on a guided visit. Revel at the sight of the marble Doric temple, built between 447 and 438 BC, as you wander among the columns dedicated to the goddess Athena. Afterwards, walk together with the group to a Bouzouki dinner experience.
Ancient Agora Visit
Athens
Explore the ruins, located in the heart of modern Athens, which were once the site of the marketplace in ancient times. It was the political, cultural, social and economic centre of the ancient world, where the likes of Socrates, Plato and affluent Athenians used to gather to discuss philosophy, political issues, exchange gossip and trade.
Free time:
Athens Afternoon
Spend a free afternoon in Athens. Opt to visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch, or simply walk around and get to know the city.
Guided Parthenon Visit
Athens 1h30m
Visit the Parthenon, built for the Goddess Athena in 447 BC with a local guide. This Greek temple, despite the gradual state of ruin and damage sustained over time, still symbolizes the key ideals of harmony and balance that defined the Classical style of Greek architecture.
Acropolis Museum Visit
Athens 1h - 3h
Visit the Acropolis Museum to see some of the artifacts and artworks discovered during excavations of the Acropolis on a self-guided tour. With over 25, 000 square meters (82,020 ft) the museum is architecturally as interesting as the collection. The museum is built over an archaeological dig site and there is an impressive view of the Acropolis from the third floor.
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Dinner
Day 3 : Athens
Following breakfast, head to ancient Pnyx Hill, the historic site that hosted Athenian public assemblies-the first form of democracy! Join one of the site’s professional facilitators for a fun and interactive family activity to gain insight on the origins of democracy in ancient Athens and Sparta. Take part in a role-playing game recreating a people’s assembly, where teams will speak and vote on day-to-day city matters, then use a map for clues while discovering the other attractions around Pnyx Hill.
After, enjoy lunch with the group at a traditional Greek restaurant, then spend a free afternoon in Athens, where you can choose to visit the National Archaeological Museum, or the Panathenaic Stadium or ride the cable car up to Lycabettus Hill. Dinner this evening is on your own.
Democracy Experiential Workshop on Pnyx Hill
Athens 2h30m - 3h
Explore the world of Democracy and learn about how the People’s Assembly operated in classical Athens. Work with a professional facilitator to role play an assembly meeting and vote on a city matter, carving your vote on a real ceramic ostrakon.
What’s Included:
- Professional facilitator and assistant.
- Instructions to the group leaders by email, prior to the activity date.
- Introduction: Learn about Democracy and how the People’s Assembly operated in classical Athens.
- Exploration Activity: Team Game, Discover Pnyx Hill with a map.
- Roleplay Activity: Recreation of an Assembly Meeting, speak and vote on a city matter.
- Ostracism Activity: Exile the dangerous citizen, carving your vote on a real ceramic ostrakon.
- All materials (tags, cards, maps, replica of an ancient water timer, ostrakons).
Free time:
Athens Afternoon
Enjoy a free afternoon in Athens. Opt for more museum visits, like the National Archaeological Museum. Or perhaps see the Panathenaic Stadium or ride a cable care up Lycabettus Hill.
Optional Activities - Day 3
National Archaeological Museum Visit
Athens 1h
Take a tour of the National Archaeological Museum, home to some of the most important artifacts from ancient Greece. In the collection are various sculptures, vases, as well as metal works and is considered one of the most impressive museums in the world.
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Lunch
Day 4 : Athens/Páros
Begin your day with a ferry ride from Piraeus Port to the island of Paros. This island’s semi-translucent, snow-white marble is responsible for providing the stone slabs used in the creation of 80% of Greek antiquities. Next, set off on a tour of the island, which includes lunch. Visit some of the unspoiled, authentic whitewashed villages like Lefkes and Marpissa. In Marpissa, you’ll tour the Folklore Museum to see replicas of typical houses on the island of Paros filled with traditional old furniture, looms, utensils and other objects used throughout the island’s history. After touring the island, return to the hotel, and the rest of the day will be spent at your leisure. In the late afternoon, you may swim at the beach and have dinner on your own at a local restaurant in the village.
Private Vehicle
Athens - Port of Piraeus 0h30m 11km
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Ferry
Port of Piraeus - Páros 3h30m
Get to the next spot on your route aboard a convenient and efficient ferry boat.
Paros Island Tour
Páros 4h30m
Enjoy a guided tour around the island of Paros. Visit the unspoiled, authentic whitewashed villages of Leffkes and Marpissa. Next to the port of Parikia, stands the Church of Ekatontapiliani (the church with the hundred gates). The church was built in the 4th century AD, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and is one of the most important Byzantine Monuments in the whole of Greece. Up in the mountains admire the whitewashed houses, Venetian architecture, windmills, and dovecotes. In Marpissa pay a visit to the Folklore Museum to see a typical island house of Paros. See traditional furniture, looms, utensils, and other household items dating back hundreds of years.
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Lunch
Day 5 : Páros
This morning, experience a cooking class on the island in the village of Anezina. Join a local chef, who shares their passion for cooking by passing on their grandmother’s traditional recipes. Along with the chef, you’ll prepare a 6-course Parian meal using the regional flavors of Greece. Then, sit down with your hosts and fellow travelers for a feast featuring the delicious dishes you made. The afternoon is yours to continue exploring Paros. You may swim in the inviting waters of the Mediterranean, go sea kayaking along the coast or cruise around the islands by boat, where you can snorkel, explore caves and swim in the calm, turquoise waters. Dinner this evening is at your leisure.
Free time:
Páros Afternoon
Opt to snorkel, swim in the calm waters, or cruise around the islands by boat on a free afternoon in Paros with your family.
Anezina Cooking Class
Páros 3h30m
Learn from a local chef on the island of Paros how to cook a traditional Greek meal. After enjoying a refreshment, the group will prepare a six course Parian meal handed down from the chef’s grandmother. Dishes include a starter, a salad, fish, meat, and vegetarian options, pulse desert. After the lesson everyone will sit down together and enjoy their delicious meal.
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Lunch
Day 6 : Páros/Crete
This morning, enjoy some time on your own to experience more of Paros with your family. Stroll by the waterfront, play a game of volleyball on the beach or try watersports at Aliki Beach. Catch the ferry to Crete in the afternoon and arrive in the evening. Transfer to the hotel and sit down for a group dinner.
Spend a free morning as a family in Paros. Stroll along the waterfront, opt to gave a leisurely breakfast, or maybe check out the volleyball games and watersports happening at Aliki Beach.
Get to the next spot on your route aboard a convenient and efficient ferry boat.
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Dinner
Day 7 : Crete
In the morning, transfer by bus to the port city of Heraklion—the capital of Crete—where you’ll set out on a half-day walking tour and scavenger hunt adventure in Heraklion City. Follow an expert cultural guide through this historical labyrinth, as you work together with your family, searching for sites, monuments, buildings and answers to riddles. Later, wander through the ruins of Knossos Palace, an incredibly well-preserved structure offering a glimpse into the lives of the Minoans. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure in Crete, where you can swim at Agios Nikolais or spend time exploring this stunning island on your own, before joining the group for a delicious dinner.
Heraklion Scavenger Hunt
Crete 2h - 3h
Enjoy a half-day guided walking tour and scavenger hunt in the center of Heraklion. Search for sites, monuments, and buildings as you answer questions and solve riddles to find the clues. Discover the fascinating history and fortification of Heraklion. Visit popular sites with an experienced cultural guide and race to be the first team finished. The tour focuses on the year 1669 in Heraklion. It was during this time that the city experienced one of the longest sieges in world history. With the city in ruins and the fall of its crown looming on the horizon, you will answer questions like, How did people survive under these circumstances? And What was the city administration doing to help?
Knossos Site Visit
Irákleion - Dimos Heraklion 2h - 3h
Enjoy an included visit to Knossos, known to be the largest archaeological site of the Bronze Age on Crete. Knossos was a major city ruled by King Minos and is believed to be the oldest city in all of Europe. Explore the ancient palace and surrounding city, discovered in the 1900s by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans.
There will be free time in Crete this afternoon for swimming at Agios Nikolais or to wander the island on foot in search of more stunning ocean views.
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Dinner
Day 8 : Crete
Spend the day exploring the magnificent island of Crete on your own. Several tours are available at an additional cost, including a full-day land rover safari along an ancient Minoan route leading into the mountains. Or tour through pastures, villages and the scenic Lassithi Plateau, where you’ll visit Dikteon Cave, the mythological birthplace of Zeus. In the afternoon, you may spend time swimming at the resort or pay a visit to a Cretan olive oil farm for a tour of the grounds and a tasting. In the evening, gather together with your group to enjoy a farewell dinner.
Free time:
Crete Full day
Enjoy a full free day in Crete for a variety of optional activities in the area. Choose between a full-day land rover safari along an ancient Minoan route leading into the mountains. Pass through pastures, villages, and the scenic Lassithi Plateau. Visit the mythological birthplace of Zeus at Dikteon Cave, and watch island shepherding traditions at an interactive eco-park. Or opt to spend time swimming in the pool at the resort, or pay a visit to a Cretan olive oil farm.
Optional Activities - Day 8
Land Rover Safari - Crete
Crete
Hop on a Land Rover safari along an ancient Minoan route into the mountains, pastures and villages of Crete. Take photos of the scenic Lassithi Plateau and visit the mythological birthplace of Zeus at Dikteon Cave. Local cuisine and wine will also be showcased during an included tavern lunch.
Meals Included:
Breakfast | Dinner
Day 9 : Crete
Depart at any time.
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.
Meals Included:
Breakfast
