Private Full Day Highlights of Corfu

Private Highlights of Corfu Full Day Tour (Monastery of the Virgin)
From $165.00/person to $979.00/person (Select "Individuals" below) Price varies based on number of individuals in your group
Choose Options My Cruise Itinerary
Summary
Shore Excursion Size ? Private
Shore Excursion Type Cultural, scenic
Shore Excursion Duration 7 Hours
Activity Level ? Moderate
Shore Excursion Leaves From ? Cruise Ship Pier
Food/Beverage Provided A meze, a glass of local wine (ouzo), and a Greek-style lunch is included.
Recommended Dress As you will be visiting a religious site, you may wish to have your shoulders and knees covered out of respect. Comfortable sensible, flat-soled walking shoes, sun glasses and sun screen are suggested.
Restrictions Guests must be able to walk over paved, cobblestone and packed dirt surfaces. Many of these are uneven. There are some steps at sites visited.

Private Full Day Highlights of Corfu

This private, full-day tour offers some of Corfu's most enchanting landmarks, places of natural beauty and colorful villages, and a walking tour of historic Corfu Town.

Leaving from the port, you will drive through the beautiful countryside, full of olive groves and fruit trees, to the famous Monastery of the Virgin, located high on the hill overlooking the gorgeous Paleokastritsa Bay, known as "the Capri of Greece." This Byzantine monastery is still inhabited by a self-reliant community of monks; its long history is evident from the collections of Byzantine icons and other religious relics featured in the chapel and its museum. From the monastery's gardens you can enjoy breathtaking views of beautiful bays of the area, with their crystal-clear waters and rocky promontories. According to local myth, the legendary Greek ancient hero Odysseus was shipwrecked in one of these bays before meeting and becoming enchanted with the beautiful local Princess Nausica.

Following your guided tour of the monastery, you will continue uphill to the old village of Lakones and its panoramic views of the scenic Paleokastritsa Bay. Driving onwards, you arrive at the traditional village of Makrades, where you will stop for a meze (a local snack) with a glass of local ouzo or wine at the village taverna.

You then continue over the ridge to the northeastern section of the Pantokrator mountain range: the highest on the island. Your next stop is at the picturesque village of Kassiopi, where you will have lunch, Greek-style, at one of the best traditional tavernas in the village. You will also have time to walk around the village and its picturesque harbor, full of colorful caiques.

After lunch, you will drive along the northeastern coastal road of the island, where you will catch glimpses of the shores of Albania, just two nautical miles away. You will pass the beautiful bay villages of Kerasia, Kouloura and Kalami, the latter made famous by the British author Lawrence Durrell, who lived there, and the coastal resorts of Barbati, Dassia, and Kontokali, as you make your way back to Corfu Town.

On arrival, you will be dropped off by the main square, the Esplanade, and set off on a guided walking tour around some of the most elegant quarters of this Venetian-built town. You will visit the 300-year-old Church of the Island's Patron Saint Spiridon, with its priceless collection of icons and offerings. You also have free time for shopping before rejoining your transportation for your return to the pier.

Please Note: This tour offers customized departure times between 7:30 AM and 7:00 PM. If your preferred departure time is not listed, please contact us to place your request.