Athens is one of the oldest and greatest cities of Western Civilization, with a recorded history that extends back 3,400 years. During the Classical Era, Athens was a center for the arts, learning, and philosophy. It was the home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. Modern Athens is still a vibrant city with a rich culture that takes great pride in its long and complex history.

Visit the Acropolis, which has overlooked Athens for over 2,000 years; habitation traces indicate that it was occupied as early as the Neolithic Age. View the Temple of Athena Nike, and its successor, The Parthenon. The Parthenon is the crowning achievement of the Doric order, built to demonstrate the wealth of Athens in tribute to its patron goddess, Athena.

Syntagma Square, located directly in front of the Old Royal Palace, is the central square of Athens.

The Agora, or marketplace, is located at the base of the Acropolis. It has been a meeting place for thousands of years, going through cycles of destruction and rebuilding. Signs of its changing nature are abundant.

Explore ancient temple architecture, its influence on modern design, and engage in creative activities like forming a scene based on a panel image and description, considering its historical context, characters, and message, to tell a believable story judged by theater critics.

Experience an up close look at the history, art and culture of ancient Greece from the foot of the Acropolis. Walk through this magnificent museum to see examples of Greek art and culture from the Archaic period all the way through the 7th century AD. Learn more about the world famous Acropolis, the Parthenon and the history that surrounds them.

Join hands for traditional Greek line dancing. Next, head to the taverna and live like a local. Enjoy Greek culture, cuisine—and a show!

Island hop, Aegean style! This four-day cruise will take you to six of the most beautiful islands in the world, all with a unique look and feel. There are more than 160 inhabited Greek islands, and they comprise one-fifth of Greece, and should not be omitted from any visit to this beautiful country. Your first port of call is Mykonos, with museums, white, cubistic buildings, Crayola-colored boats, gourmet restaurants, and lots of beach. Next stop is Kusadasi, known for its myriad of shops and historic sites. From there it’s on to seahorse-shaped Patmos, where you’ll see gold-leafed Byzantine frescos at the Monastery of St. John, the capital city of Hora, and the busy port of Skala. Rhodes offers tiled-roofed gazebos, huge trees, open-air plazas, old towns with whitewashed streets and buildings, and of course, beaches. Visit Heraklion, the capital of Crete, a former Minoan seaport with Venetian architecture and the largest collection of Minoan archaeology. And finally, you’ll visit Santorini, where whole villages seem to cling to the side of the volcano, and mysterious black sand beaches stretch into the sea. Itinerary is subject to change. Your cruise includes four shore excursions.

The following four excursions are included on your cruise: Santorini: Spectacular Oia Village perched on the caldera rim, Ancient Ephesus through the ages: Hellenistic and Roman, Rhodes: Medieval tour Acropolis of Lindos and the Citadel of the knights, and Crete: Minoan Palace of Knossos - 1st European Civilization. Note that depending on the departure date of your cruise, shore excursions are subject to change.

Now one of the most popular of the Aegean islands, Mykonos is rugged and beautiful at the same time, and is one of the smallest islands of the Cyclades – it’s only 10 miles long and 7 miles wide. Mykonos is absolutely picturesque - thatched windmills, whitewashed streets, and a medieval quarter boasting cubic houses with picturesque balconies, and churches with red or blue doors. You can walk along the main shopping street, Matoyanni, and search for jewelry and clothing, or just take a break in one of the cafes that line the street. You’ll also visit the capital, Hora, with its colorful harbor in which little fishing boats nest happily side by side with luxury yachts.

Patmos, a hidden gem in the Dodecanese, is renowned for its spiritual sites like the Monastery of St. John and the Cave of the Apocalypse. Its charming villages, Chora and Skala, feature picturesque whitewashed houses and narrow alleys, while the island's stunning beaches offer crystal-clear waters.

Once a political and religious center of the ancient world (and home of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world), Rhodes now lures visitors with sunny beaches, well-preserved medieval fortifications, and a castle on a hill. A league of Christian knights built the beautiful palace in the 1300s on the highest point of the island. Though partially destroyed by an explosion in 1856, the palace was rebuilt by the Italians to serve as one of Mussolini’s summer homes.

Rising steeply from the Aegean, crescent-shaped Santorini marks the rim of a volcanic crater that exploded in 1625 B.C., destroying and fragmenting a much larger island. The sea flooded into the crater, and now white towns gleam from the tops of the rocky cliffs, streaked black, brown, pink, and pale green. Rumors claim that this island may actually be the not-so-lost Atlantis.