Classical Greece: Ancient Wonders & Timeless Beauty
About the Trip
May 5–22, 2025 | 18 Days
Journey to the past on a mesmerizing 18-day odyssey through the ancient wonders and picturesque landscapes of Greece. Explore the historic treasures of Athens, including the National Archaeological Museum and the iconic Acropolis. Be enchanted by the landscapes of Kalambaka, Delphi and Patras. Marvel at the suspended monasteries of Meteora and the ancient oracle at Delphi. Traverse the Peloponnese region, take a historic scenic train ride through the Vouraikos River Gorge and discover the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Take in the charm of Nafplion and Chania, explore the cultural richness of Crete and soak in the captivating beauty of Santorini. This tour promises an extraordinary blend of history, culture and natural beauty. Opa!
Member Exclusive Benefits
We reward all our CAA Members on our Extraordinary Explorations® tours.
- Plaza Premium Lounge pass†
- 50 CAA Dollars®^
- 25% savings on CAA Travel Insurance◊
Extraordinary Experience
CAA has curated an exceptional experience unique to your tour. Details of this experience are listed below:
Historic Odontotos Rack Railway Ride
Take an amazing journey back in time on this unique, historic railway line. Opened in 1896, the Odontotos Rack Railway Train starts in Diakopto and runs through the beautiful Vouraikos River Gorge next to waterfalls and natural pools. This 0.75 metre-gauge toothed rack rail line is the narrowest in the world, running on a 175-degree incline in some sections. Passing through tunnels and over bridges, the line goes through the centre of the mountain village of Zachiorou and ends at the town of Kalavrita, located 750 metres above sea level. The highest and most mountainous rail route in all of Greece, this train ride is sure to become one of your favourite memories.
Package Includes:
- Return airfare from Toronto or Winnipeg to Athens
- Domestic airfare in Greece
- Ferry transportation from Heraklion to Santorini
- 2+1-night stay in first-class accommodation in Athens
- 1-night stay in first-class accommodation in Kalambaka
- 2-night stay in first-class accommodation in Delphi
- 1-night stay in first-class accommodation in Patras
- 1-night stay in first-class accommodation in Olympia
- 1-night stay in first-class accommodation in Nafplion
- 3-night stay in first-class accommodation in Chania
- 1-night stay in first-class accommodation in Heraklion
- 3-night stay in first-class accommodation in Santorini
- 16 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 5 dinners and 2 tastings
- Land transportation via first-class motorcoach
- All bridge, ferry and road tolls
- Sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary
- Professional English-speaking tour director throughout
- Prepaid gratuities
- Destination transfers
- CAA Host
Classical Greece: Ancient Wonders & Timeless Beauty
Activity Level: Active. Discover Greece’s ancient wonders, rich culture and natural beauty on this adventure-filled 18-day tour including Athens, Meteora, Delphi and Crete.
Day 1
Depart Toronto or Winnipeg for an overnight flight to Athens.
Day 2
Athens – Meet your tour director and transfer to your hotel. Welcome dinner this evening. (D)
Day 3
Athens – Full-day Athens city tour includes the National Archeological Museum, Plaka and the Acropolis, finishing at the Acropolis Museum. (B/L)
Day 4
Kalambaka – Drive to the clifftop monasteries of Meteora, with a stop at Thermopylae along the way. (B/L)
Day 5
Delphi – Travel to Delphi. On the way, stop at Arachova. (B)
Day 6
Delphi – Explore the archaeological site of Delphi. Enjoy a Greek cooking class this evening. (B/D)
Day 7
Patras – Drive through olive groves to Itea, then continue to Galaxidi and the Peloponnese. (B/D)
Day 8
Olympia – Ride the historic Odontos Rack Railway Train. Visit Kalavryta and the Kalavryta Holocaust Museum. Continue to Olympia. (B/L)
Day 9
Nafplion – Visit Mycenae and the Ancient Amphitheater of Epidavros. Evening in Nafplion by the sea. (B/L)
Day 10
Chania – See the Corinth Canal, then fly to Chania and transfer to your hotel. (B/L)
Day 11
Chania – Enjoy a walking tour of Chania, exploring Kastelli, the Jewish Quarter, Topanas and Splantzia. (B)
Day 12
Chania – Visit an olive oil farm and winery for tastings, then on to Vouves. (B/T/L)
Day 13
Heraklion – Explore the Minoan Palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. (B)
Day 14
Santorini – Ferry to Santorini. Explore Pyrgos and Megalochori, then tour a winery. Evening walking tour of Fira. (B/L/T)
Day 15
Santorini – Visit Akrotiri and the town of Perissa, finishing in Oia for sunset views. (B)
Day 16
Santorini – Day at leisure. Evening sunset dinner cruise on a traditional caïque. (B/D)
Day 17
Athens – Fly to Athens for a free day and farewell dinner. (B/D)
Day 18
Transfer from the hotel to the airport for your return flight to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | T - Tasting
Terms & Conditions
*All CAA Member prices are per person, based on single occupancy, in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated and are subject to change without prior notice until final payment is paid. All prices are correct at press time and apply to new bookings only, based on availability at time of booking. To receive CAA Member-exclusive benefits, there must be one valid CAA Member travelling per booking. Non-members booking Extraordinary Explorations will not receive Member-exclusive benefits.
†Plaza Premium Lounge is based on one voucher per person and applies to departures from Canadian airports where applicable. Subject to availability.
^CAA Dollars awarded per adult Member. To earn and redeem CAA Dollars, you must be a current CAA Member in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). CAA Dollars will be credited at time of departure. For more information on CAA Dollars, please visit www.caasco.com/caadollars.
◊CAA Travel Insurance, an Orion Travel Insurance product, is underwritten by Echelon Insurance. Twenty-five percent (25%) Member savings is made up of a ten percent (10%) Member savings as well as a promotional fifteen percent (15%) savings when you purchase an Extraordinary Explorations tour through CAA Travel, applies to CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba Members in good standing (CAA Membership dues paid in full by membership expiry date). This promotional offer is valid until December 31, 2025. Ten percent (10%) Member savings applies to Members in good standing of all other CAA clubs. Savings apply to the total premium excluding applicable taxes. Minimum premium applies. Visitors to Canada Insurance is limited to promotional savings. Certain exclusions, limitations and restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. A Medical Questionnaire may be required to purchase travel insurance.
Extraordinary Explorations vacations are organized and booked by CAA Travel (South Central Ontario) Inc. and CAA Manitoba (“CAA Travel”) on behalf of CAA Club Group (o/a CAA South Central Ontario and CAA Manitoba). In the event of an increase in any of the cost factors, CAA Travel reserves the right to increase the price whereby the provisions of the Travel Industry Act shall prevail. CAA Extraordinary Explorations packages are 100% non-refundable at final payment. CAA Travel service fee for cancellation prior to final payment varies by program. For full payment terms and conditions, please ask your CAA Travel Consultant. CAA Travel reserves the right to cancel or re-schedule any tour departure in accordance with operating requirements (minimum number of participants) or circumstances beyond its control. Additional fees for checked luggage or other incidentals may be incurred and vary according to itinerary and airline. Air schedules with some tours are not available at press time and may include several connections or forced overnight at passenger’s expense. CAA Travel strongly recommends the purchase of trip cancellation and emergency travel and emergency medical insurance at the time of booking.
Please note: Participants must be able to embark and disembark cruise ships and coaches without assistance as well as have a good level of mobility for walking tours in destinations where stairs and traditional cobblestone streets can be challenging. International transportation vehicles and facilities may not meet accessibility standards.
Flight
IncludedTour Itinerary
Day 1
Depart Toronto or Winnipeg for an overnight flight to Athens.
Day 2
Athens
Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel. The balance of the afternoon is at leisure before meeting for your welcome dinner. (D)
Day 3
Athens
Today is a full-day city tour of Athens. Visit the National Archeological Museum filled with priceless and significant Greek artifacts. Enjoy a walking tour of the Plaka, the oldest part of the city lined with narrow cobblestone streets. Next, visit the Parthenon and other structures atop the Acropolis to marvel at the Temple of Athena Nike and the carved Caryatids standing guard at the Erectheion. Finish your tour at the Acropolis Museum, which opened in 2009 and is home to more than 3,000 artefacts from the Athenian Acropolis. The evening is at leisure. (B/L)
Day 4
Kalambaka
After breakfast head north to Kalambaka with an enroute stop at Thermopylae. You’ll have an afternoon visit to the spectacular, somewhat surreal area of Meteora, meaning “suspended in the air”. Here, monasteries built by Orthodox monks perch high atop of massive stone columns rising from the plains of Thessaly. Return to your hotel with the evening free. (B/L)
Day 5
Delphi
Today travel south to Delphi, once so important in the ancient world it was known as “The Navel of the Earth”. On the way, stop at the charming mountainside town of Arachova to walk along the narrow main street and marvel at the beautiful view down the valley. Continuing to Delphi, check into the hotel and have the balance of the day free to relax. (B)
Day 6
Delphi
This morning, visit the Pan-Hellenic archeological site of Delphi, once home to an oracle who foretold the future and shaped major political decisions of the time. It features the Sanctuary of Apollo, several city treasury buildings and a well-preserved amphitheatre carved into the mountainside that is still used today. The afternoon is at leisure, and this evening you’ll take a Greek cooking class where you’ll make several delicious recipes to enjoy for dinner. (B/D)
Day 7
Patras
Say goodbye to Delphi and drive down the winding mountainside road to the valley below, filled with one of the largest olive tree groves in Greece. Make a stop at the seaside town of Itea to stroll along the waterfront, have a swim or relax over lunch. This afternoon, continue along the Gulf of Corinth to the pretty village of Galaxidi before crossing over the Rio-Antirion bridge to the Peloponnese. (B/D)
Day 8
Olympia
Follow the coastal road to the seaside town of Diakopto to begin your Extraordinary Experience, a scenic train ride on the Odontos Rack Railway Train. This unique historic railway line travels through the beautiful surroundings of the Vouraikos River Gorge on a narrow 0.75 metre-gauge toothed rail line, considered the narrowest in the world. As it climbs up the mountainside, pass through the centre of the village of Zachiorou on the way to the town of Kalavrita, located 750 metres above sea level. Pay a short visit to the Kalavryta Holocaust Museum which memorializes those lost to the barbaric actions of Nazi soldiers in December 1943. After lunch, continue to Olympia, site of the ancient Olympic Games which began in 776 BC. (B/L)
Day 9
Nafplion
This morning, visit the ancient Olympic site where the columns and walls of several temples are still standing. Walking through the stone archway into the grounds where the games would have taken place thousands of years ago. Continue to the ancient ruins of Mycanae, known in mythology as the city of Agamemnon. Next, visit the classical Ancient Amphitheater of Epidavros, with amazing symmetry and incredible acoustics. Your day ends in Nafplion, beautifully situated beside the sea with its castle towering over the town. (B/L)
Day 10
Chania
Drive to Corinth to see the Corinth Canal, an engineering marvel that allowed seafaring vessels to quickly pass from the Gulf of Corinth to Piraeus, the main port of Athens. Catch a late afternoon flight from Athens to Chania, then transfer to your hotel. (B/L)
Day 11
Chania
Enjoy a fascinating walking tour of the carefully preserved historic city of Chania, exploring the areas of Kastelli, the Jewish Quarter of Evraiki, Topanas and Splantzia. (B)
Day 12
Chania
After breakfast head out into the countryside to visit an olive oil farm and winery with tastings of both included. Stop by the village of Vouves, home to what is claimed to be the world’s oldest olive tree. After lunch the rest of the day at leisure. (B/T/L)
Day 13
Heraklion
Today drive east to the city of Heraklion to visit the Minoan Palace of Knossos. The largest and most famous Minoan site in Greece, it was unearthed in the early 20th century from under a layer of ash. See the Heraklion Archaeological Museum which houses displays representing all the prehistoric and historic periods of Crete’s history. The balance of the afternoon and evening are at leisure. (B)
Day 14
Santorini
Take a 2-hour ferry trip to Santorini then transfer to your hotel near Fira. Explore the picturesque villages of Pyrgos and Megalochori, followed by a winery tour and tasting. Admire the town’s signature whitewashed walls and blue domes on your evening walking tour of Fira. (B/L/T)
Day 15
Santorini
Visit the archeological site of Akrotiri, once a prosperous community before being destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1,500 BC. Stop at the nearby town of Perissa with its long stretch of black sand beach before heading to the picture-perfect town of Oia. Known for its scenic whitewashed buildings, blue domes and windmills, this is a top spot for sunset viewing. (B)
Day 16
Santorini
This morning and afternoon are at leisure. This evening, head to the town’s cable car station for the ride down the cliffside to the Old Port and board your sunset dinner cruise on a traditional wooden caïque. Enjoy the views as you sail across the caldera to the volcanic islands of Nea and Paleo Kameni, with a stop for an optional swim at the volcanic hot springs. (B/D)
Day 17
Athens
Following breakfast, check out and transfer to the Santorini airport for your flight back to Athens. Enjoy free time before your farewell dinner in Athens. (B/D)
Day 18
Transfer to the airport for your return flight from Athens to Toronto or Winnipeg. (B)
B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner | T - Tasting