Contiki 5-Night Spotlight on Greece

Featuring: Athens, Corinth, Mycenae, Olympia, Delphi and Mount Parnassus, Greece

Accommodations:

• 3 nights twin or triple share hotel accommodation
• 3 Continental breakfasts (B) & 2 three-course dinners (D) as per itinerary
• Hotel tips, local taxes and service charges
• Please note: The first day has been designed to allow you to start and finish the tour without needing an extra night of accommodation

Added Tour Value:

• Experienced, professional expert local guide
• Transport in modern air-conditioned coach
• 'Welcome to Greece' information pack
• Sightseeing tours of all major cities

Tour Highlights:

• Athens - Guided tour including Acropolis and Parthenon
• Corinth - See the Corinth Canal
• Mycenae - Guided tour including Palace of Agamemnon
• Nafplion - See the Acronafplion citadel
• Olympia - Guided tour including Olympic Stadium and Temples of Hera and Zeus
• Delphi - Guided tour including Temple of Apollo

Itinerary:

• Depart for Europe (1 nights )

  Jet off to the trip of a lifetime awaiting you in Europe! ()

• Arrive Athens (1 nights Hotel)

  Check-in to your hotel and spend the afternoon getting a sneak peak at mythical Athens, a city crammed with ancient wonders and busy with modern, urban soul. Later, meet up with your Contiki Crew and Tour Rep, back at the hotel. Wrap up the day on the shady slopes beneath the Acropolis and jump start your trip with an optional dinner in the rustic district of Plaka, where traditional tavernas spill out onto the pavements. Tonight’s festive atmosphere is perfect for getting to know your group and Tour Manager over local wine. ()

• Athens to Olympia (1 nights Hotel)

  Step back in time in Europe’s oldest city to the birthplace of democracy. Get the run down on the Parthenon and the Acropolis from our expert Local Guide, as you wander around the famous columns above the city sprawl. Then we check out the first modern Olympic Stadium from the 1896 games. Travelling across the Peloponnese, past rugged mountains, cypress trees and citrus groves, the group drops by the impressive man-made Corinth canal. Next up is epic Mycenae, a former military stronghold. Unravel 4000 years of history with your Tour Manager and get inside the legend with a visit to Agamemnon’s Palace. You’ll learn about the heroics, myths and curses connected to this site. Check out the impressive Acronafplion citadel that looms over Greece’s original capital, Nafplio, where we stop by for free time and lunch. Park yourself at a portside café or a grill-house in the narrow streets of the old town and order local specialties, like fried shrimp or koutsomouris (small red mullet). Tonight, we pull in to the hometown of the Olympic games and UNESCO World Heritage site, Olympia. Finish up the day with a couple of drinks at the hotel by the pool. (Breakfast, Dinner)

• Olympia to Delphi (1 nights Hotel)

  This morning our Local Guide shows off the important sites of the first Olympic Games in 776BC and gives you the run down on this sporting sanctuary. Take a seat in the impressive 45, 000 seat stadium and get a look into ancient beliefs with a visit to the Temples of Zeus and Hera. After a lunch stop in a traditional Greek village, watch rural Greece go by from the coach, before crossing the Corinthian Gulf and arriving in Delphi. Delphi is one of Greece’s most important sacred destinations and a scene stealer. After dinner round up some friends and discover Delphi’s casual bars, where you can try out the national drink, ouzo. (Breakfast, Dinner)

• Delphi to Athens (1 nights )

  With lush valleys and a cliff-side position on the slopes of Mt Parnassus, Delphi is all about spine-tingling views and incredible ruins. Learn how this spectacular site was the centre of the universe for Ancient Greeks and a place of prophecy, as your Tour Manager leads you through the limestone columns of the Sanctuary of Apollo. Afterwards we head back to Athens where the tour winds down this afternoon in the heart of the city at Syntagma Square, home to the Greek parliament. Make the most of a last look at the Parthenon, high up on the hill above the city before you farewell your new friends. (Breakfast)

Optionals:

• Plaka meal - Euro 37.00

  Head to the winding streets of the historic Plaka district, set on shady slopes beneath the Acropolis. Feast on a traditional 3 course meal in a typical Greek taverna and soak up the culture with your friends. With Greek dancers, singing and Bouzouki music, the tone is definitely fun and festive!

Departures:

Tour Code	Depart	Return	Price
12I10a	9/12/2010	9/16/2010	$819
26I10a	9/26/2010	9/30/2010	$819
10J10a	10/10/2010	10/14/2010	$819
02E11a	5/2/2011	5/5/2011	$799
16E11a	5/16/2011	5/19/2011	$819
30E11a	5/30/2011	6/2/2011	$819
13F11a	6/13/2011	6/16/2011	$819
27F11a	6/27/2011	6/30/2011	$819
11G11a	7/11/2011	7/14/2011	$839
25G11a	7/25/2011	7/28/2011	$839
08H11a	8/8/2011	8/11/2011	$839
22H11a	8/22/2011	8/25/2011	$819
05I11a	9/5/2011	9/8/2011	$819
19I11a	9/19/2011	9/22/2011	$819
03J11a	10/3/2011	10/6/2011	$819
17J11a	10/17/2011	10/20/2011	$819