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 Taormina and Messina

After meeting your professionally trained guide, set out on the one hour drive to Taormina. Perched on the side of a hill overlooking the sea, this town has a delightful character. Upon arrival, your walking tour will begin with a brief exterior visit to the famous 15th-century Palazzo Corvaia. This building, indicative of the architectural style of the period, is adorned with classic double windows.

Your guide will take you to scenic lookouts of Mount Etna and the Bay of Naxos, point out the municipal buildings and the maze of staircase "streets" that intertwine in this predominantly pedestrian only hillside town.

You will then have approximately one hour of free time to grab a coffee or hot chocolate or explore the many shops that line Corso Umberto, Taormina's main street. As well as being a resort town with boutiques of European fashion, you will also see many shops that offer the local Sicilian pottery.

For guests up to the climb, during the free time, your guide will lead an optional tour of the impressive Greek Theater, known for its stunning location. This Roman-style theater was reconstructed in the 2nd century AD. It has marvelous acoustics which allow performances of classical plays to still be held in the theater. To reach the theater requires climbing several uneven, steep stone steps. To access the upper part of the theater also involves climbing uneven steps. For those willing to do it, you will be rewarded with impressive views. Guests wishing to visit the theater are responsible for their own admission which is approximately 10 EUR.

After free time, you will meet your guide at the designated location and walk back to your vehicle. From here, you will drive back to the city of Messina for a brief orientation. With a history dating back to the 8th century B.C. Messina has been sacked, seized, or conquered by Carthaginians, Memertines, Goths, Arabs, Normans and English to name a few, but their spirit was never defeated. In more recent times, the city was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 1908, which killed over 60,000 people and destroyed most of the ancient architecture. Further damage was added by the massive Allied air bombardments of 1943, which caused thousands of deaths.

Your driver will take you along Messina's main street, the Via Garibaldi. You will see the Vittorio Emanuele Theater, the Town Hall, the church of Catalani, the Court and the university. Before returning to the ship, a photo stop will be made at the Cathedral Square to view the church, the Orion Fountain and the world's largest Astronomical clock, with more than 33,000 gears and moving parts. Guests wishing to remain in the downtown area will be responsible for their own transportation back to the pier.

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.

Exclusive Pompeii and Amalfi Coast

Departing from the Maritime Station cruise pier in groups of never more than 30 people max, you will meet your guide and your driver, who take you on an approximately 45 minute drive along the road that follows the Bay of Naples towards Mount Vesuvius and the ancient City of Pompeii, which lies in its shadow. Ironically, one of the ancient world's worst disasters preserved time in Pompeii, where you will experience life as it was lived in 79 AD. Once a thriving empire, it was devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD when 30 feet of volcanic ash and pumice stone covered the city.

Upon arrival in Pompeii, you will enter by one of its ancient gates, and a short walk will take you to the city's hub, the Forum. Surrounded by lavish temples and porticoes, you'll begin to grasp the lifestyle of the inhabitants. Admire the mansions and the art of wealthy patricians who moved to Pompeii to escape the turmoil of Rome; view countless paintings and inscriptions. See the streets with raised pavements on both sides and the stepping-stones that ensured pedestrians a safe crossing at intersections. Your guided visit to Pompeii is approximately 2 hours.

After your visit to Pompeii sit back and appreciate about a 40 minute drive to the door of Amalfi Coast: Vietri sul Mare, the picturesque seaside resort situated on top of a hill facing Amalfi Coast. It is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Italy. You will have approximately two hours to yourself in Vietri to buy lunch, shop, take pictures, or stroll the narrow streets and several churches on your own. You will then drive back to Naples.

Please Note: The entrance fee to Pompeii is included in the tour price; however, all guests must present a valid photo ID on the day of the tour. Crowds are to be expected at all sites and lines for certain attractions may exceed over one hour to enter. The tour itinerary may be reversed but will still cover the mentioned sights. Heavy traffic congestion should be anticipated and may affect the duration of the excursion. On select days or holidays, heavy delays in traffic may contribute to a change of itinerary at the operator's discretion. Your tour of the ruins is guided.