After your arrival in the city that was once Byzantium (and later Constantinople), your English-speaking assistant will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in one of our private vehicles.  He will help you with the check-in, inform you about all the details of your trip, offer a brief presentation of the city and its day to day life and answer your questions. The rest of the day will be free for you to relax and start enjoying this stunning city.

Alternatively, you can join the Night Cruise on the Bosphorus with Dinner & Show or enjoy an hour's pampering at the Hamam Cimberlitas.

Greca Tip: You can also head to Ortaköy, the area for upmarket chic, where you will find a strip of stands serving kumpir, Turkey's answer to the jacket potato. Pick your spud and toppings and savor the seaside views while you eat on your feet.

After a delicious breakfast and, at the time indicated, we will pick you up from your hotel, or the nearest meeting point, to begin the full day tour of this magnificent city. It includes an official English-speaking guide, tickets, lunch at a central restaurant and a visit to the most resplendent monuments that the Ottoman, Byzantine and Roman empires have left to future generations: Hagia Sophia, Constantinople Racecourse, The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, which houses more than 4000 stores inside.

After the visit, you can linger a little longer in the beautiful Sultanahmed neighborhood or you can return to your hotel straight after your tour by covering the individual cost of the transfer.

Greca Tip: Make sure you try the delicious apple tea served hot or cold.

Early in the morning, and at the time indicated, you will start your full-day city tour. The first place to visit together with your English-Speaking guide  is the Egyptian Market or Spice Bazaar, one of the largest in the city.  It has been open since the mid-17th century and has fulfilled exactly the same function since then. Istanbul was the last city of the Silk Road and played an important role in the east-west cultural and economic exchange, thus becoming a distribution center for the whole of Europe.

After practicing your bargaining skills and enjoying the aroma of the spices, nuts, dried fruits, cheeses and flowers, your guide will accompany you to the port, where you will continue your adventure by the sea. You will sail in the Bosphorus and have the opportunity to gain a different perspective of the Golden Horn. From your cruise boat you will see at a glance how the continents of Asia and Europe converge in this city.

After the tour, there is the possibility of continuing your adventure by having a classic Turkish lunch in a typical restaurant, by visiting the Asian part of the city with the views offered from the Camlica Hill and, above all, by becoming acquainted with the summer palace of “Beylerbeyi”, which looks its most attractive from the Bosphorus. From here you will also enjoy a good view of its two bathing pavilions, one for the harem (women's only) and the other for the selamik (men's only). It was the residence of Sultan Mahmut II and it literally means "Lord of the Lords."

At the end of the tour you will make your own way to your hotel.

Greca Tip: Instead of returning to the hotel, you can continue the adventure with one of our interesting optional evening activities.

At the time indicated, we will transfer you to Istanbul airport to board your flight to Athens.

After your arrival in the historic capital of Europe, the transfer to your hotel will be carried out in one of our private vehicles.

Your English-speaking assistant will welcome and give you a brief account of the city and its day to day life.  He will also inform you about all the details of your trip and answer any questions you may have.

For the rest of the day you can relax and familiarize yourself with this celebrated city at your own pace.

Greca Tip: Take the funicular railway to Lycabettus Hill and enjoy sprawling views of Athens stretching out to the city's coastline.

After your breakfast and, at the agreed time, you will commence the panoramic tour of the Athenian Neoclassical Center: the Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the University, the Library, and National Academy, the Ilion Palace, the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Gate, the Panathenaic Stadium, and many other monuments and sites of great interest.  You will learn all there is to know about their history and background from the licensed English-speaking Tour Guide accompanying you on this tour.

Your next stop will be the "sacred rock", the spectacular, unique and magnificent Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. The entrance fee to both sites is included. At the end of the visit, you can either choose to return to your hotel or set out on your own adventure through the charming and picturesque streets of Plaka.

In the evening, we have included a guided walking tour that will take you through the prettiest districts of the capital, such as Anafiotika, Thissio, Monastiraki, and Plaka.

Greca Tip: In Plaka look for something alluring, like ceramics, musical instruments, handmade jewelry to specialty food shops stacked high with olives and spices.

Early in the morning, you will be transferred to the port to commence the Full Day Cruise to three of the most beautiful islands of the Saronic Gulf. Aegina is famous for its variety of pistachios, Poros for its scenic beauty and Hydra, the greenest of these islands, for its elegant stone mansions, serene atmosphere and vehicle free roads. While on board the cruise ship, you will also enjoy lunch in the accompaniment of traditional Greek music and dance. 

At the end of the day you will be comfortably transferred back to your hotel.

Greca Tip: You can look for Aegina's famous pistachio nuts, Poros' high-quality honey and Hydra's almond sweets, amygdalota.

After a tasty breakfast, you will have a free day to explore Athens at your own pace. You can visit the city's principal attractions, museums and archaeological sites, as well as wander through the charming alleys of the historical city center.
Alternatively, you may choose to spend a day or even several days outside of Athens, for example venture out in the glorious peninsula of the Peloponnese or to Delphi, declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site.

Greca Tip: If you want to skip tours and get to know Athens at your own pace, take the pedestrianized Apostolou Pavlou to the ancient Agora and Monastiraki, or ascend Mount Lycabettus.

At the agreed time, our driver will transfer you to Athens Airport to board your international flight back home or to your next destination.  You will check in your luggage and benefit from the tax return resulting from any last minute "tax free" shopping for family and friends.

Undoubtedly, and after spending a few fantastic days with Greca, we hope to see you again soon to create new and extraordinary moments that will be lovingly etched in your memory.

Have a nice trip! Or as Greeks say: "Kalo taksidi!"

Greca Tip: As a going away gift you can choose from a wide range of brightly colored flokati rugs, handmade sandals, embroidered covers and Greek honey or olive oil.