15-Day Greece Undiscovered with Crete Extension - Small Group
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Child age: 0-12
Tour Overview
Highlights
Bask in Greece and Crete on a Small Group journey built around the country’s essential sites and regional flavors. Start in Athens at the Acropolis and Hadrian’s Arch. Stand at Thermopylae where Leonidas is honored and at Vergina, see the royal tombs of Macedon. At Delphi, walk the Sacred Way to the Temple of Apollo and in Mycenae, pass through the Lion Gate and study the Cyclopean stones before stepping inside Epidaurus’ theater. Taste Agiorgitiko wines in Nemea with local cheeses and cured meats, visit an olive grove for a pressing and meet a beekeeping family focused on pollinator conservation. In Crete, explore Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, then stroll the old towns of Rethymno and Chania, finishing with shared Cretan dinners and local raki.
Dates & Prices
Price in USD (per person, based on double occupancy)
Itinerary
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.
Athens, Greece
One of the oldest cities in the world, Athenian history spans more than three millennia, and served as the foundation for much of modern Western culture. Ancient monuments like the Parthenon have been standing for thousands of years.
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.
Athens, Greece
One of the oldest cities in the world, Athenian history spans more than three millennia, and served as the foundation for much of modern Western culture. Ancient monuments like the Parthenon have been standing for thousands of years.
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.
Athens, Greece
One of the oldest cities in the world, Athenian history spans more than three millennia, and served as the foundation for much of modern Western culture. Ancient monuments like the Parthenon have been standing for thousands of years.
Thermopylae, Greece
A place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity, the site of the heroic battle of Leonidas'300 doomed Spartans against Xerxes'huge Persian army.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, is a vibrant port and the capital of Macedonia. It blends Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern Greek culture, offering rich history, a lively waterfront, and renowned cuisine.
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.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, is a vibrant port and the capital of Macedonia. It blends Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern Greek culture, offering rich history, a lively waterfront, and renowned cuisine.
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.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, is a vibrant port and the capital of Macedonia. It blends Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern Greek culture, offering rich history, a lively waterfront, and renowned cuisine.
Vergina, Greece
Vergina is an ancient Macedonian city and UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for the royal tombs and treasures of Philip II, offering a deep dive into Greek history.
Metsovo, Greece
A coffee in this Metsovo that will reminds us of the history and influence of the Slav and Turkish world in the north of Greece.
Ioannina, Greece
Ioannina is a vibrant city in northwestern Greece, known for its scenic lake, historic castle, and the island of Ioannina with its Byzantine monasteries.
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.
Ioannina, Greece
Ioannina is a vibrant city in northwestern Greece, known for its scenic lake, historic castle, and the island of Ioannina with its Byzantine monasteries.
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.
Ioannina, Greece
Ioannina is a vibrant city in northwestern Greece, known for its scenic lake, historic castle, and the island of Ioannina with its Byzantine monasteries.
Nafpaktos, Greece
Nafpaktos is a town and a former municipality in West Greece, situated on a bay on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth. Its castle reminds us that this city is Lepanto, where the famous sea battle between Christians and Turks took place.
Galaxidi, Greece
A charming coastal town on the Gulf of Corinth, Galaxidi offers traditional stone architecture, a peaceful harbor, and a relaxed Greek atmosphere.
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.
Galaxidi, Greece
A charming coastal town on the Gulf of Corinth, Galaxidi offers traditional stone architecture, a peaceful harbor, and a relaxed Greek atmosphere.
Delphi, Greece
It occupies an impressive site on the south-western slope of Mount Parnassus, overlooking the coastal plain to the south and the valley of Phocis. It is now an extensive archaeological site with a small modern town of the same name nearby. It is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in having had a phenomenal influence in the ancient world.
Galaxidi, Greece
A charming coastal town on the Gulf of Corinth, Galaxidi offers traditional stone architecture, a peaceful harbor, and a relaxed Greek atmosphere.
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.
Galaxidi, Greece
A charming coastal town on the Gulf of Corinth, Galaxidi offers traditional stone architecture, a peaceful harbor, and a relaxed Greek atmosphere.
Nemea, Greece
Nemea is a historic town in the Peloponnese, famous for its ancient Temple of Zeus and as a premier wine-producing region, blending archaeology with viticulture.
Nafplio, Greece
Nafplio, a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece, is a popular tourist destination with beautiful beaches and a vibrant cultural center. Visitors often visit Acronauplia (the oldest part of the city), Plateia Syntagmatos (Constitution Square) and town fortifications like Palamidi and Bourtzi.
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.
Nafplio, Greece
Nafplio, a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece, is a popular tourist destination with beautiful beaches and a vibrant cultural center. Visitors often visit Acronauplia (the oldest part of the city), Plateia Syntagmatos (Constitution Square) and town fortifications like Palamidi and Bourtzi.
Archaeological Site of Mycenae
The Archaeological Site of Mycenae is a UNESCO World Heritage site, featuring the iconic Lion Gate and the Treasury of Atreus, offering a glimpse into the Mycenaean civilization.
Ancient Theatre of the Asklepieion at Epidaurus, Greece
The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is one of the best-preserved ancient Greek theatres, renowned for its exceptional acoustics and architectural beauty, located within the Sanctuary of Asklepios.
Nafplio, Greece
Nafplio, a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece, is a popular tourist destination with beautiful beaches and a vibrant cultural center. Visitors often visit Acronauplia (the oldest part of the city), Plateia Syntagmatos (Constitution Square) and town fortifications like Palamidi and Bourtzi.
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.
Nafplio, Greece
Nafplio, a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece, is a popular tourist destination with beautiful beaches and a vibrant cultural center. Visitors often visit Acronauplia (the oldest part of the city), Plateia Syntagmatos (Constitution Square) and town fortifications like Palamidi and Bourtzi.
Athens, Greece
One of the oldest cities in the world, Athenian history spans more than three millennia, and served as the foundation for much of modern Western culture. Ancient monuments like the Parthenon have been standing for thousands of years.
Heraklion, Greece
Heraklion is the largest city and main port of Crete, Greece, and the capital of the Crete region. It's a historic hub for exploring Minoan civilization, home to the famed Palace of Knossos, and a vibrant modern city blending Venetian fortresses, bustling markets, and scenic waterfronts.
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.
Heraklion, Greece
Heraklion is the largest city and main port of Crete, Greece, and the capital of the Crete region. It's a historic hub for exploring Minoan civilization, home to the famed Palace of Knossos, and a vibrant modern city blending Venetian fortresses, bustling markets, and scenic waterfronts.
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.
Heraklion, Greece
Heraklion is the largest city and main port of Crete, Greece, and the capital of the Crete region. It's a historic hub for exploring Minoan civilization, home to the famed Palace of Knossos, and a vibrant modern city blending Venetian fortresses, bustling markets, and scenic waterfronts.
Rethymno, Greece
Rethymno is a historic city on Crete, featuring a Venetian harbor, castle, and charming old town.
Chania, Greece
Chania is a captivating city on the northwest coast of Crete, Greece, famed for its well-preserved Venetian harbor, colorful old town, Ottoman-era landmarks, and beautiful beaches, offering a perfect blend of history and relaxed Mediterranean charm.
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.
Chania, Greece
Chania is a captivating city on the northwest coast of Crete, Greece, famed for its well-preserved Venetian harbor, colorful old town, Ottoman-era landmarks, and beautiful beaches, offering a perfect blend of history and relaxed Mediterranean charm.
Transfer to the airport, saying goodbye to your Small Group and Travel Director at the end of your journey through Greece and Crete.
Chania, Greece
Chania is a captivating city on the northwest coast of Crete, Greece, famed for its well-preserved Venetian harbor, colorful old town, Ottoman-era landmarks, and beautiful beaches, offering a perfect blend of history and relaxed Mediterranean charm.
Includes & Excludes
Price Includes
Additional Notes
- DAY 1: Complimentary transfers from Athens Elefherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) depart at 11:00 and 16:00 on the first day of the trip only. Guests should arrive at least 2 hours before the last transfer time. Please be aware when booking your flights.
- DAY 15: Complimentary transfers to Chania International Airport (CHQ) depart at 06:30 and 09:30 on the last day of the trip only.
- CHARGEABLE TRANSFERS: Guests who have booked their extra hotel nights with Insight Vacations or whose flight times do not coincide with the shuttle coach timings may purchase a chargeable transfer. However, guests booking independent hotel nights will make their own transfer arrangements.
- GREEK SUSTAINABILITY TAX: For arrivals from 21JUL25, the Greek Sustainable Development fee has been implemented by the Greek Government to support sustainable tourism and local infrastructure throughout the Greek Islands. This fee is per person per disembarkation and applies to all visitors including children, added to the onboard account, and settled at checkout. Guests who do not disembark are not charged. All adults must sign a consent form to disembark, or they won't be allowed to leave the ship at Greek ports during the cruise. From June 1 to September 30, Santorini and Mykonos EUR 20pp, other ports EUR 5pp; April 1 to May 31 and October 1 to October 31, Santorini and Mykonos EUR 12pp, other ports EUR 3pp; November 1 to March 31, Santorini and Mykonos EUR 4pp, other ports EUR 1pp. All fees are subject to change.
- INTERNAL FLIGHTS: This tour has an included internal flight; any excess luggage charges are at your own expense.
- LUGGAGE ALLOWANCE: Each guest is permitted one bag with maximum dimensions of 58 linear inches (147 cm), the total of length, width, and height - and a weight not exceeding 44 lbs (20 kg). Guests may also bring one personal item, such as a purse, backpack, or similarly sized item that fits comfortably under the seat in front of them or the overhead compartment weighing no more than 15 lbs (7kg). This tour has an included internal flight; any excess luggage charges are at your own expense.
- GROUND HANDLER: This trip is operated by ground handler Siva Travel.
- SMALL GROUP SERIES: Greece Uncovered with Crete is now featuring exclusively small-group departures, operating with a maximum of 24 guests for the entire series.
- 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.
Policies
All purchases are subject to re-confirmation within 2-3 business days after booking. Please do not book airline tickets until you have received the confirmation.
Complete operator information, including local telephone numbers at your destination, is included on your e-ticket. You must print the e-tickets and take them along on your trip; they are your proof of purchase.
Travel Documents
Each passenger must carry a valid travel document. (Valid visa for countries needed) (E.g. Green Card, Passport, Re-Entry Permit, and etc.) Tour operator is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items.
Each passenger must carry a valid travel document. (Valid visa for countries needed) (E.g. Green Card, Passport, Re-Entry Permit, and etc.) Tour operator is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items.
Cancellation penalties per person (request day and departure day are not counted)
30 days or more prior to departure - $175/person penalty.
2-29 days or more prior to departure - $280/person penalty.
Day of departure no show or late - 100% per person.
If the tour include airtickets, additional $75+airline surcharge will be charged as penalty.
Unused features are non-refundable. No shows forfeit entire payment.
Trips require a minimum number of participants to avoid cancellation. We reserve the right to cancel a scheduled trip to fully refund affected customers although tour companies will make every effort to maintain normal operations.
The refund amount will be credited directly to your TakeTours wallet as credits for future use. Or the refund can also be forwarded directly to your credit card with a 6% handling fee.
NOTE: We cannot grant any refunds more than 30 days after completion of the tour.
30 days or more prior to departure - $175/person penalty.
2-29 days or more prior to departure - $280/person penalty.
Day of departure no show or late - 100% per person.
If the tour include airtickets, additional $75+airline surcharge will be charged as penalty.
Unused features are non-refundable. No shows forfeit entire payment.
Trips require a minimum number of participants to avoid cancellation. We reserve the right to cancel a scheduled trip to fully refund affected customers although tour companies will make every effort to maintain normal operations.
The refund amount will be credited directly to your TakeTours wallet as credits for future use. Or the refund can also be forwarded directly to your credit card with a 6% handling fee.
NOTE: We cannot grant any refunds more than 30 days after completion of the tour.
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