Treasures of the Aegean 2024
Dates & Prices
Start Date | End Date | Offers | Brochure Land Price | Quote |
---|---|---|---|---|
Thursday, May 02, 2024 | Saturday, May 11, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, May 09, 2024 | Saturday, May 18, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, May 10, 2024 | Sunday, May 19, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, May 16, 2024 | Saturday, May 25, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, May 17, 2024 | Sunday, May 26, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, May 23, 2024 | Saturday, Jun 01, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, May 24, 2024 | Sunday, Jun 02, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, May 30, 2024 | Saturday, Jun 08, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, May 31, 2024 | Sunday, Jun 09, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jun 06, 2024 | Saturday, Jun 15, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, Jun 07, 2024 | Sunday, Jun 16, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jun 13, 2024 | Saturday, Jun 22, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jun 20, 2024 | Saturday, Jun 29, 2024 | $10,190 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jun 27, 2024 | Saturday, Jul 06, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jul 04, 2024 | Saturday, Jul 13, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 | Saturday, Jul 20, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jul 18, 2024 | Saturday, Jul 27, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Jul 25, 2024 | Saturday, Aug 03, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Aug 01, 2024 | Saturday, Aug 10, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Aug 08, 2024 | Saturday, Aug 17, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Aug 15, 2024 | Saturday, Aug 24, 2024 | $9,990 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Aug 22, 2024 | Saturday, Aug 31, 2024 | $10,190 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Aug 29, 2024 | Saturday, Sep 07, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Sep 05, 2024 | Saturday, Sep 14, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, Sep 06, 2024 | Sunday, Sep 15, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Sep 12, 2024 | Saturday, Sep 21, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, Sep 13, 2024 | Sunday, Sep 22, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Sep 19, 2024 | Saturday, Sep 28, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, Sep 20, 2024 | Sunday, Sep 29, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 | Saturday, Oct 05, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 | Sunday, Oct 06, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Thursday, Oct 03, 2024 | Saturday, Oct 12, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, Oct 04, 2024 | Sunday, Oct 13, 2024 | $10,390 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
Friday, Oct 11, 2024 | Sunday, Oct 20, 2024 | $10,190 | Get Our Price | Get Quote |
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Tour Itinerary
Step back in time to ancient Greece and sail to fabulous destinations steeped in legend, lore and sunshine and enjoy lovely sunsets over the Aegean Sea as our cruise blends ancient with modern in a kaleidoscope of discoveries both mythic and epic...Spend two nights at a fabulous hotel in the heart of Athens, seeing antiquities that reflect its glory at the height of its power... Explore Greek Islands including Mykonos, playground of the rich and famous... Delos, holiest of all Greek sanctuaries... Santorini, eye-candy perfect with its blue-domed buildings and amazing views... Patmos, whose cultural treasures have attracted pilgrims for centuries... and Monemvasia, "the Gibraltar of the East"... plus Ephesus in Turkey, the famous remains of an ancient Greco-Roman city.
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Day 1
Arrive in Athens
Tour begins: 6:00 p.m., Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens, Greece. A transfer is included from Athens International Airport to Hotel Grande Bretagne. Meet fellow travelers at tonight's welcome cocktail reception and dinner.
Meals: Dinner -
Day 2
Athens' Acropolis & the Acropolis Museum
In the quiet early morning, before the crowds, visit the Acropolis of Athens – the rock above the city on which four of the greatest masterpieces of classical Greek art and architecture sit – the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Today's sightseeing also includes a guided tour of the Acropolis Museum, a towering modern work of concrete and glass with a direct view of the Parthenon. Spend the rest of the day as you wish in Athens, perhaps on the Grand Promenade, a pedestrian paradise built for the 2004 Olympics. Not far from your hotel, the walkway is lined on one side with classical antiquities and on the other with modern cafés, mansions, and art galleries.
Meals: Breakfast -
Day 3
Archaeological Museum & embark Wind Star
Begin your day with a guided tour through the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, considered one of the top ten museums in the world, before embarking your yacht, Wind Star, in Piraeus. Enjoy a cocktail hour, an evening briefing and dinner onboard at your leisure as the ship sails for Mykonos.
Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner -
Day 4
The islands of Mykonos & Delos
Wind Star arrives at the island of Mykonos, where you can take your pick of activities: a guided tour of this lively island, including a visit to the 16th-century church in the village of Ano Mera; or a boat ride to the archaeological site of Delos, where you'll find remnants of its reign as the holiest of all Greek sanctuaries. Ancient laws forbade anyone to be born or die on this island; even today, no one is allowed to stay the night! Return to Wind Star for lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure on Mykonos, exploring the labyrinthine town on your own. Dine onboard tonight as the ship continues on to the port of Kusadasi in Turkey.
Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner -
Day 5
To Kusadasi & Ephesus
Arrive this morning in the port of Kusadasi, Turkey for a guided excursion to Ephesus, one of the world's best-preserved classical cities revealing important vestiges of an ancient Roman civilization; in its heyday, marble lined the streets, fountains flowed, and an eternal flame burned upon a sacred altar. Take a walking tour of the ancient city, seeing the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, Trajan's Fountain, the Arcadian Way and the two-tiered Library of Celsus. Have lunch at a local restaurant and a carpet demonstration before returning to the ship for cocktails. Enjoy a special dinner ashore this evening, complete with music by the Aegean Chamber Orchestra, at the Library of Celsus at Ephesus. Wind Star charts a course for the island of Patmos tonight.
Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner -
Day 6
Cultural treasures on the Isle of Patmos
Today you'll discover the many charms of the picturesque island of Patmos, an important Christian pilgrimage site for its role in the writing of the Book of Revelations in the Christian Bible by St. John the Theologian. You'll have three choices of activities today. The first is a photography excursion through the historic heart of Chora, Patmos' capital city; with your guide, make your way through the old village's maze of winding cobblestoned streets and arched alleyways, learning to compose and capture stunning images of ancient whitewashed buildings and bell towers, rugged cliffs and hills, and blue Aegean seascapes. Alternatively, enjoy a day filled with rest and relaxation by the Aegean Sea on Agriolivadi Beach. And a third choice includes a tour of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian plus a visit to the Grotto of St. John – also known as the Cave of the Apocalypse – where tradition has it that John of Patmos received visions from Jesus that he recorded as the Book of Revelations; the grotto and the monastery have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following lunch, you'll have free time to explore the port of Skala on Patmos, from which Wind Star will depart, bound for the island of Santorini.
Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner -
Day 7
The pleasures of Santorini
Rise early to observe Wind Star's arrival at the beautiful island of Santorini. Travel ashore by motor launch for an island tour that takes you to Athinios Port and then up to Fira, the island's capital city. Here you'll visit the Prehistoric Museum of Fira, and feast your eyes on stunning views of the city's blue-domed buildings, which combine with the port to offer picture-perfect memories of this gorgeous Greek island. And you'll have the opportunity to see these treasures by cable car, atop Santorini's famous donkeys, or on foot as you make your way back down to Athinios Port. The ship offers tender service to and from the port, giving you the opportunity to explore this gem of an island at leisure until Wind Star sets sail for Monemvasia this evening.
Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner -
Day 8
Aegean cruising & Monemvasia
After a leisurely morning spent cruising the Aegean Sea, Wind Star arrives midday at the town of Monemvasia, located on a small, rock-like island off the Peloponnese's east coast that was separated from the mainland by an earthquake around 375 AD. Nicknamed "the Gibraltar of the East" or simply "the Rock," Monemvasia has over the past thousand years or so been ruled by the Byzantine Empire, the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire before becoming part of an independent Greece in the 19th century. Traces of its many occupiers over the centuries can be found throughout the island, some of which are revealed on a walking tour through the cobbled pathways of this fascinating town. You'll also have some time to explore as you wish before Wind Star departs the island and continues her cruise to Nafplion.
Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner -
Day 9
Nafplion, Mycenae & Epidaurus
Nafplion (also known as Nauplion), on the Peloponnese Peninsula, is considered one of the most beautiful and romantic towns in Greece. Nestled by the sea with two mountains and a fortress overlooking the town, the unique architecture of Nafplion includes ancient walls, medieval castles, Ottoman fountains, Venetian and Neoclassical buildings. This historic city is the starting point for your choices of exploration today. One choice includes visits to three important sites around the Bay of Argolis – the architectural remnants of the tomb of Agamemnon; Palmidi Castle, set high above the town of Nafplion; and, after lunch, a guided walking tour of Nafplion, followed by some time to explore on your own. Or, visit Agamemnon's tomb at Mycenae and the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. This 4th-century amphitheatre is still used for performances today and is known for remarkable acoustics that allow the voice of a speaker on stage to reach some 15,000 spectators. Epidaurus was also home to one of the most renowned healing centers in the classical world. This choice also includes a winery lunch and some free time to check out Nafplion as you please. Return to the ship for farewell cocktails followed by dinner, as Wind Star sets sail to return to Piraeus (Athens).
Meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner -
Day 10
Journey home
Tour ends: 9:00 AM, Eleftherios Venizelos, Athens' International Airport. Disembark Wind Star for an 8:15 AM transfer. Flights should depart after 11:45 AM due to disembarkation schedules which cannot be guaranteed.
Meals: Breakfast
OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-935-2620
Step back in time to ancient Greece and sail to fabulous destinations steeped in legend, lore and sunshine and enjoy lovely sunsets over the Aegean Sea as our cruise blends ancient with modern in a kaleidoscope of discoveries both mythic and epic...Spend two nights at a fabulous hotel in the heart of Athens, seeing antiquities that reflect its glory at the height of its power... Explore Greek Islands including Mykonos, playground of the rich and famous... Delos, holiest of all Greek sanctuaries... Santorini, eye-candy perfect with its blue-domed buildings and amazing views... Patmos, whose cultural treasures have attracted pilgrims for centuries... and Monemvasia, "the Gibraltar of the East"... plus Ephesus in Turkey, the famous remains of an ancient Greco-Roman city.
- Special Tauck Experience: a special dinner in Ancient Ephesus with musical entertainment
- All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff, local guides and drivers
- Traveling with Tauck's private group and the same Tauck Director on land and at sea aboard the ship
- Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $3,586
- 2 nights at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in the heart of Athens
- 7-night cruise aboard the yacht Wind Star or Wind Spirit to Mykonos, Delos, Santorini, Patmos, Monemvasia & Ephesus
Health and Safety Protocols for Tauck Tours
Traveling with Peace of Mind
Our commitment never wavers – to earn your trust by always doing the right thing. As we explore the world together again, this will be more important than ever as we adapt to living and traveling in the presence of COVID-19.
Tauck is 97-years young this year, and our ability to weather many storms over the decades is a result of our values and beliefs – as a family and as a family-owned and led company. In addition to the guiding light of these values, our extensive experience, local knowledge and global support network help to ensure your safety on every Tauck journey. Building upon our bedrock of award-winning guest care, we have worked tirelessly to prepare for your return following the COVID-19 hiatus in travel. With guidance from leading experts, including the CDC and WHO, together with our internal Global Response Team and, most importantly, with feedback from thousands of our guests, we have redefined how we will conduct our experiences as we resume travel.
Tauck is Prepared for the Unexpected
For decades, Tauck has operated in over 70 countries in all 7 continents. Over this time, our staff and network of supplier partners have always been there to support our guests and team on the road. Our guests travel with a comprehensive, built-in support system that starts with the care and local knowledge of our Tauck Directors and extends to our network of partners around the world, including hoteliers and transportation companies.
At the core of our ability to quickly and effectively respond to the unexpected is our Global Response Team - a group of over 50 employees across all departments who stand ready to spring into action around the world. This team has plenty of experience, from weather events, high and low water on rivers, earthquakes, volcanic ash, civil unrest and work stoppages. They have also dealt with past virus outbreaks including the SARS and Zika viruses.
The Tauck Travel Well Pledge
Before we operate tours and cruises, all Tauck employees, our supplier partners and our guests will take Tauck’s Travel Well Pledge.
As a company, we will follow our enhanced protocols with diligence and rigor; review them frequently as the landscape changes and always make common-sense decisions grounded in purpose and pride. We embrace these new and necessary measures to combat COVID-19 and will do our very best to provide the Tauck care we have been honored to deliver for 97 years.
OUR NEW HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Consistent with our commitment to the well-being of our guests, we are implementing enhanced health and safety protocols. These protocols may vary by geographic regions and will certainly evolve over time, as science and society respond to new realities:
Tauck Staff
Prior to interacting with guests, each member of Tauck’s field staff is trained in enhanced protocols and participates in a personal health screening.
Once on tour, our Tauck Directors and supporting staff are responsible for maintaining these protocols with a special focus on cleanliness and physical distancing. They will relay critical information regarding requirements, advise when protocols are mandatory – such as wearing a face covering in group settings – and help facilitate guest care through communication with appropriate parties should a guest become ill on tour. All Tauck staff will adhere to the same requirements.
Guest Responsibility
When joining a Tauck journey, every guest is responsible for their own health and, in turn, the protection of their fellow travelers, the Tauck staff, our suppliers and the places we visit. Guests will pledge to follow the direction of the Tauck staff and adhere to health and safety protocols.
Guests are expected to wear face coverings in all group settings, to wash their hands frequently and to adhere to supplier and government regulations. While supplies of face coverings, gloves, and hand sanitizer will be available, guests are asked to bring such personal items for their own comfort.
Small is BIG
For many years, Tauck has emphasized and invested in more choices of activities, resulting in smaller groups for activities like sightseeing and events. This is consistent with our mantra that “Small is Big” – small groups and smaller ships with fewer guests.
We initially focused on these elements to improve the guest experience. Yet today they take on an additional dimension; small group experiences and more personal space are critical in providing the peace of mind our guests expect. Accordingly, we are offering even more small group experiences and limiting guest numbers across all of our journeys.
We have been working diligently with our partners to be prepared to welcome you back when the time is right.
Tauck has worked meticulously with our global supplier partners to plan for every itinerary following the hiatus in travel. All partners, whether they be a hotel, museum, small ship/riverboat, restaurant or other partner, have been thoughtful about how to provide a Tauck experience in this environment.
And while it's impossible to list all of the enhanced health and safety protocols for the hundreds of Tauck partners across the globe, we would like to share a representative sample of what you can expect:
Hotels
Our hotel partners all have world-class health and safety protocols. However, these guidelines may vary depending on local situations and regulations. Here are some typical examples:
- Upon-arrival, health questionnaires and temperature checks may be required. Some hotels may even require daily temperature scans.
- Social distancing may be required in public areas, bars and restaurants.
- High-touch areas such as railings, door handles and elevators will undergo enhanced cleaning.
- In-room measures may include removal of tent cards and magazines. Common use items, such as coffee makers and minibar amenities may be on demand.
- High-touch areas, such as light switches, thermostats, remote controls and door handles will be subject to enhanced and frequent cleaning.
- Guests will have the option to determine housekeeping frequency.
- All hotel staff will undergo daily health screenings.
Ships and Riverboats
We have worked closely with our cruise partners to ensure the best possible health and safety protocols and to ensure the care and service you expect from Tauck:
- Guests on cruises and river journeys will be required to complete a health questionnaire and will undergo a temperature check prior to boarding. In some instances, our ship partners will conduct daily temperature checks.
- Face coverings and physical distancing will be required in most public spaces for guests and crew alike.
- Meals may be offered at staggered times and self-serve buffets will be eliminated.
- In-cabin measures include removing common use items. Coffee makers, minibar amenities and housekeeping will be on demand at guest discretion.
- Ship staff will undergo daily health screenings.
- All vessels will have medical staff onboard.
Sightseeing and Local Activities
Many of our experiences are exclusive and/or private and that’s important in taking care of you. Whether it be a guided tour, a visit to an iconic museum or private home, a musical performance, or any other special Tauck activities, we are applying the same rigor to health and safety protocols:
- Tauck listening devices will be sanitized thoroughly and frequently.
- Sightseeing is being adjusted to ensure proper physical distancing.
- Admission times at venues may be altered to ensure no crowding.
- Paper tickets, handouts and the like may be eliminated.
Dining
Tauck has always been known for a la carte dining; having more freedom to decide when and with whom to dine now has more value than ever. Additionally, our partners whether they be hotels, ships, special venues or restaurants, are raising their already rigorous hygienic standards. Here are some examples:
- Waitstaff will likely be wearing face coverings and gloves.
- Seating will be adjusted to accommodate physical distancing.
- Self-serve buffets will be eliminated. Common use menus will no longer be used unless sanitized.
On-Tour Transportation
Keeping on-tour transportation safe is a major focus of our team who has worked with hundreds of partners to ensure continuity in health and safety protocols:
- On motorcoaches and other on-tour ground transportation, such as airport transfers, guest should expect physical distancing and will be required to wear face coverings.
- Prior to each trip, our motorcoaches, vans, airport transfer vehicles and on-tour aircraft will undergo a deep sanitizing process.
- Luggage may also be sanitized at each movement.
- Drivers will wear gloves and face coverings during all guest-facing interactions.
- Drivers will frequently clean handrails, door handles, arm rests, tables, seats, air conditioning/HVAC units, restrooms and overhead storage areas.
Our Supplier Partners are ready for you
Tauck is proud to have worked closely with our partners around the world, many of them for decades, to deliver the quality, comfort and safety you expect. Whether it be hotels and resorts, riverboats and small ships, restaurants, event venues or transportation companies, their meticulous health and safety protocols reflect their leadership and well-earned respect in the travel industry. The following are some select health and safety protocols. We will update these on a regular basis.
In addition to our supplier partners, we have also been actively engaged with global travel organizations to standardize health and safety protocols throughout the travel industry. TourCare is one example:
TourCare are health and sanitation guidelines developed by the tour industry's major global associations: the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) and the European Tourism Association (ETOA). Tauck, and our supplier partners, meet and exceed these guidelines that require members to adhere to the highest standards in the industry.
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Wind Star
Hotel Grande Bretagne
OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-935-2620
Question: How many passengers aboard the Wind Star?
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The Tauck tour operator is fantastic. She was the highlight of the trip, along with the local guides.