This is a select program with limited enrollment. Participants must qualify. Please call for further information.
Departs 2 January 2005
Day 1 Depart USA
Day 2 Arrive Athens. Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel and commence introductions and orientation. If time permits, there will be a walking orientation of Plaka. Dinner will be at the hotel.
Day 3 Our first full day of discovery will start with a full breakfast (as always) at the hotel. We will meet archaeologist, David Scahill, from the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, for an on site orientation to archaeology in general and especially in the Athenian agora. David will escort us to off the beaten track places of historical interest and provide us with an insider's view of recent excavations. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy Athens as you would like. The options are endless. Dinner will be at the hotel.
Day 4 Following breakfast, we will embark on a half day city hike to the Acropolis, discovering off the beaten track charms along the way. We will scour the monuments of the Acropolis and its environs until early afternoon. In the afternoon, we will visit the National Archaeological Museum with classical studies specialist, Nikki Karvouni. Dinner will be at the hotel.
Day 5 Today is a free day for you to explore Athens as you would like or take one of the optional excursions to Delphi or Sounion. Dinner will be on your own. Choose from one of the endless choices of Plaka's fine, charming restaurants.
Day 6 Today we embark for the Peloponnesian Peninsula. It is loaded with natural wonders, including out of the way beaches and precipitous mountains, as well as historical treasures, such as ancient Corinth, Mycenae and Olympia--home of the first Olympic games. It also offers great recreational options, such as hiking, boating and water sports. The day will include a brief visit to the Corinthian Canal, an introduction to ancient Corinth and the opportunity for a moderate hike to acro-Corinth for its stunning 360 degree panorama. We will end the day in Tolo, a picturesque beachside village. Dinner will be at the hotel.
Day 7 Today calls for a full day journey to Olympia and its extensive excavations. It calls for a long coach ride across the central mountains of the Peloponnesian Peninsula, but the scenery will be enjoyable and the site is impressive. Dinner is on your own. Tolo has lots of great retaurants to choose from.
Day 8 Following breakfast we make our way to Piraeus, the port of Athens to meet our ferry for Mykonos, famed for its beaches, charm and nightlife.
Day 9 The jounrey comes to an end, when you are transferred to the airport for your return flight to JFK. Bon Voyage!
