Classical Greece cruise
6 Guided Tours Package Schedule
easyCruise offers guided tours to various interesting sites at all the cruise destinations. During the tour, you will also be able to listen to lectures that will put what you have seen at the sites into context and answer your questions. Our goal is to help you explore Ancient Greece in the best way possible so that you leave each site with a complete understanding of its importance as well as its history.
The tour package offers 6 days of guided tours that include the sites of Mycenae, Olympia, Delphi, Ancient Corinth, Nemea, Epidavros and the Acropolis. Whether you are a Classics enthusiast or interested in finding out more, there is something for everyone to appreciate on these fun and interesting excursions.
Day: 2
Port: Kiato
Included Excursion: Mycenae
Duration: Full day with lunch
On board price: € 50 per person
You will journey to the infamous prehistoric citadel of Mycenae, home of Agamemnon, the Greek Commander-in-Chief during the Trojan War. These sombre and mighty ruins are vestiges of a kingdom which, for 400 years, was the most powerful in Greece.
After a leisurely lunch in a restaurant nearby, it will be time to go back to the port of Kiato.
Day: 3
Port: Patras
Included Excursion: Olympia
Duration: Full day with lunch
On board price: € 60 per person
Throughout the ancient world, the Olympic Games stood as the pinnacle of athletic achievement and civic rivalry. At their birthplace, Ancient Olympia, the richness and quantity of the remaining structures and artefacts stand as a testament to the massive investment and preparation that went into hosting an event open to all the corners of the ancient world –you will not only see temples but the workshops, inns, gymnasia and training grounds. Take a tour around the sanctuary of Zeus to see some of the most imposing remains in Greece; the stoas and treasuries lining the sides of the sanctuary and the museum with its incredibly well preserved ancient sculpture, armour and athletic finds. Hear the stories of the altar to Zeus which grew so high with the ash of sacrifices in his honour that in the 2nd century AD it stood over 20ft high! It was home to hundreds of statues of athletic victors and dedications by cities and states keen to shout loud about their achievements to the rest of the Greek world. The sanctuary was a notice board, a talking shop, a place of intense competition and prestige and over it all presided one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the gold and ivory statue of a seated Zeus, placed inside his temple, made by the great sculptor Pheidias. The statue was said to be so tall that if Zeus ever decided to stand up, he would take the roof of his temple up with him into the sky.
Day: 4
Port: Itea
Included Excursion: Delphi
Duration: half day, no lunch
On board price: € 40 per person
Mystical Delphi was regarded by the ancients as the centre of the world. It was a sanctuary dedicated to the god Apollo and contained his most famous oracle: the Pythian Priestess who would, when consulted, go into a frenzy inspired by the God and give his pronouncements on the future. Delphi was an international political centre, where Greeks came to commemorate their victories and celebrate their cities, states and culture. Several bitter wars were fought over its ownership and eventually a compromise was reached in which it was supposedly neutral and independent. Dominated by the Temple of Apollo and set high up on the hill side overlooking the largest olive grove of the Mediterranean, the site has a timeless feel. Above the temple is a well preserved theatre and stadium. The museum is magnificent, with beautiful artefacts from every era of the sanctuary’s activity- its treasuries were full to bursting with expensive treasures and offerings.
Day: 5
Port: Corinth
Included Excursion: Ancient Corinth and Nemea
Duration: half day, no lunch
On board price: € 35 per person
The tour will begin at the site of Ancient Corinth. There, you will see the magnificent remains of a powerful city-state, including its agora and one of the oldest standing temples in Greece. It is at Corinth that Paul came to convert the Ancient Greeks to Christianity. Next comes Ancient Nemea. You will be surprised by what this little known but important site has to offer: Hercules performed his first labour here- slaying the Lion of Nemea. The site also hosted the Nemean Games, one of the 4 Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. Nowadays, the surrounding region is famous for producing some of the finest wines in all of Greece.
Day: 6
Port: Nafplio
Included Excursion: Epidavros
Duration: Half day without lunch
On board price: € 30 per person
The Sanctuary of Askleipios at Epidavros is famed for its marvellous ancient theatre with astounding acoustics. Pausanias, traveling in the 2nd Century AD, was full of praise for its symmetry and beauty. Many a visitor has climbed to the top row of the theatre to marvel at the sound that travels from the stage area. Beautifully situated in a lush green landscape, several people set out for Epidavros in the summer months to watch plays, mainly Ancient Greek tragedies and comedies.
Day: 7
Port: Piraeus (near Athens)
Included Excursion: Athens Acropolis and National Archaeological Museum
Duration: Full day with lunch
On board price: € 60 per person
On to Athens, the “cradle of democracy”. Our visit will take us to the very heart of the ancient city, the Acropolis, the political and religious centre of Ancient Greece: there sits the Parthenon, one of the most important ancient monuments in the Western world. After lunch in Plaka, in the picturesque centre of “old” Athens, the tour will end with the National Archaeological Museum. It is full of captivating artefacts, many from sites that you will have visited earlier on in the tour, thus bringing you full circle in your voyage.
Day: 8
Port: Piraeus (near Athens)
Disembarkation Day
Q: What is included in the 6 Guided Tours Package price?
A: The following are included:
• Transportation from the ship to the sites and back.
• Museum and site fees
• Tour Guides
• Guest Lecturer (depending on availability)
• Lunch on the excursions of Kiato, Patras and Athens
Q: What excursions will I be getting for the 6 Guided Tours Package price?
A: The following 6 excursions:
• Day 2: Mycenae (lunch included)
• Day 3: Olympia (lunch included)
• Day 4: Delphi (half day - no lunch)
• Day 5: Corinth and Nemea (half day- no lunch)
• Day 6: Epidavros (half day - no lunch)
• Day 7: Athens Acropolis and the National Archaeological Museum (lunch included)
Q: Are other excursions organized by easyCruise that do not feature in the 6 Guided Tours Package?
A: Not at present.
Q: Can I purchase the 6 Guided Tours Package once I arrive onboard?
A: The package will not be available at the 40% discounted price. You may however, purchase these individual excursions on board at full price.
Q: Is the terrain at the sites suitable for people with walking difficulties?
A: Not everywhere. Olympia, Ancient Corinth and Ancient Nemea are relatively flat. However Delphi, the Acropolis and Mycenae are on hilly terrain, they are extremely challenging to walk through and there is not adequate disabled access.
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