Exclusive Athens with Free Time in the Plaka

For guests wanting a general orientation, a little history, time for shopping and exploring on their own, or even an optional visit to the Acropolis, this is the perfect exclusive Athens tour for you or your group, offering more time in the city than cruise line tours.

During your time in Athens, you will drive approximately 30 minutes from the pier. Upon arrival, your professionally trained guide will narrate during a city orientation, viewing such sights as the Temple of Zeus, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the former Royal Palace, which is now the Greek House of Parliament. You will pass by the University of Athens, the Academy of Athens, and the National Library.

You will also see the Panathenaic Olympic Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. From here, you will continue on to the Plaka, one of the oldest parts of the city.

Upon arrival at the Plaka, your guide will give you a time and specific location to meet for your transfer back to the pier.

Your guide will then begin an optional tour for those guests wishing to climb the famous Acropolis. As this is an option, admission to the Acropolis site is not included in the price of your tour. The entrance fee is approximately 30 EUR, and they do not accept credit cards. Admission to the Acropolis must be purchased directly from the guide, as all guests must have tickets for the same time assignment.

The Acropolis of Athens is recognized as the culmination of Greek architecture, art, and sculpture. During your visit to the Acropolis (from Greek meaning above the city), you will view The Parthenon, constructed between 447-432 B.C. as a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its main function was to shelter the monumental statue of Athena which was made out of gold and ivory. You will see the Erechtheon, started in 420 B.C. as a temple for religious rituals; the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis which blends Doric and Ionic building principles; and the small temple Athena Nike, which stands on a protruding mass of rock, protecting the gate to the citadel.

From the Acropolis, you can also look down on the Ancient Agora, Tower of the Winds, Herodes Atticus Theater, and the Theater of Dionysus from your lofty perch. The guide will lead you up, narrating as you climb. The guided portion of the tour ends upon reaching the Parthenon, allowing you free time to browse on your own. Those guests taking the Acropolis option will have approximately one hour of free time after you descend. Your guide will depart after the Acropolis tour.

For those guests not climbing, you will have approximately three hours of free time to explore.

Bordered by the Acropolis to the south and the Ancient Agora to the west, the Plaka is the historic heart of Athens. Blending with the adjacent Monastiraki district, the Plaka area seems to have a little of everything, from the ancient ruins of a Roman forum, the Greek Agora, and Byzantine-influenced churches, to restored 19th-century neoclassical homes and modern-day stores, boutiques, and cafes sprinkled throughout.

The Plaka area is home to several nearby museums including the Benaki, Kanellopoulos, the new Acropolis, and the Greek Folk Art Museum, to name a few. For shopping, you will find Greek souvenirs and clothing, as well as jewelry shops. Greek gold jewelry is often better priced than in other European countries as the labor cost is lower.

For a quick, inexpensive taste of traditional Greece, order a pita-souvlaki or gyro from a walk-up window and eat it standing up. Be aware that any time you sit at a cafe in the Plaka, you pay for the experience, and outside seating carries a higher charge than inside seating. If you want to sit down and enjoy a leisurely meal, look for where the locals are dining, which is almost never on the major streets, but usually on smaller side streets. At the designated time and location, your guide will be waiting to take you to the transportation for the drive back to the pier.

Guests wishing to stay longer in the Plaka should let their driver know, and will need to arrange their own transportation back to the port.

Due to crowds, traffic, or other conditions out of our control, the order of the tour itinerary may be changed but will still cover the mentioned sights.

Please Note: Admission to the Acropolis must be purchased directly from the guide on the day of the tour (30 EUR in cash per guest), and reservations are required. Please indicate how many tickets you wish to reserve for your group using the drop-down menu. Acropolis tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE after they have been reserved. Please do not purchase Acropolis tickets online on your own.

Exclusive Snapshot of Malta

Escape the 50+ person mob tours the cruise lines offer with this group tour of never more than 30 guests (and often less). Leaving the port, you will be driven to Mdina. Approximately 30 minutes away and Malta's first capital, Mdina dates back to before Roman times. Together with the guide, you will stroll through the quaint winding streets, admire the beautiful palazzos still used as homes by Malta's oldest families, and enjoy the view from the bastions of the 'Silent City'. The total walking time with stops is approximately 45 minutes.

After leaving Mdina, you will have a short photo stop outside the Mosta Dome Church, the third-largest dome in Europe. In 1942, the church had 300 people inside when a bomb pierced the dome and miraculously failed to explode.

Arriving in Valletta, you will begin your approximate 90-minute walking tour of the capital city of Malta. You will visit the Upper Barrakka Gardens for a panoramic view of Malta's natural harbors and the historic cities of Senglea, Cospicua, and Vittoriosa in the distance.

Continuing through Valletta's main streets, you will walk to St. John's Co-Cathedral, the 16th-century knight's own church. Revealing a staggering display of Baroque art, it houses some of Malta's finest art treasures. The two masterpieces by Caravaggio, "The Beheading of St. John the Baptist" and "St. Jerome," hang in the Oratory.

At the end of the tour, you will walk past various important buildings before reaching your transport, which will be waiting to return you to the port below. Guests wishing to remain in town may do so but are responsible for getting themselves back to the cruise pier at their own expense.

Please Note: The St. John's Co-Cathedral will not be open to the public on Sundays and public holidays. In such instances, visits to the cathedral will be substituted with a visit to the Grand Master's Palace. The same would apply in case of any last-minute closures of St. John's Co-Cathedral. The order in which the sites are visited may change according to the logistical needs of the day.

Exclusive Mykonos Old and New

After meeting your guide at the pier, you will join your transportation for a drive to see some of the island. A brief photo stop will be made at northern beach, which is located on one of the largest bays of the island. It can get rather windy, attracting windsurfers and daredevils. Further along is Agia Anna beach which is sheltered from the wind creating a relaxing sandy beach. Enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage and local Greek pastry in a local coffee shop and some free time to explore before making your way towards the yet unspoilt village of Ano Mera.

This is one of the very few places in Mykonos where traditional Greek village life continues regardless of all the night life, jet setting of the island's capital. Ano Mera is the most populated village on the island and its peaceful environment and great location offer easy access to sandy beaches such as Elia, Kalo Livadi, and Kalafatis. The main square of the village is adorned with local coffee shops Kafeneio and traditional tavernas.

The village's claim to fame is the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani which houses a collection of Cretan icons and a magnificent handmade "Templo" which dates back to 1767 and came from Florence. After your visit to the Monastery, you will return to the main town of the island.

After leaving your transportation, you begin a walking tour of the twisting pedestrian streets of Mykonos Town, which is also known as Chora locally. Your guide will point out the Old Harbor area and fish market where you may see its most famous celebrity, Petros, the official mascot of Mykonos for over 50 years.

In the Kastros area, You will see the Church of Panagia Paraportiani, one of the most photographed structures on Mykonos. The church was begun in 1425 and not finished until almost 300 years later. Today it consists of five small churches connected together.

Continuing your walking tour, you will also pass through the area known as Little Venice, whitewashed buildings with multicolored shutters constructed right on the sea's edge with their balconies overhanging the water. On a hill overlooking the town, you will see perhaps the island's most famous landmark, the Mykonos Windmills which date back to the Venetians in the 16th century. From here, you will return to your transportation back to the cruise pier. If your ship is at anchor and is tendering into the old harbor area, your guide will lead you back to the tender pier.