Worldwide brochure 2022-2023

EUROPE • GREECE
The Wonders
of Ancient Crete
Duration • 8 days & 7 nights
Category • Superior
Small-group tour • From £1,595 (incl. flights)
Private tour • From £3,790 (incl. flights)
This group tour features…
No single supplement on
selected departure dates
(limited availability)
Small group size – average 14
people (max 18)
4- & 5-star accommodation
Flexible – extensions, room & flight
upgrades available
Direct international flights with
British Airways
Transfers in air-conditioned
vehicles
Experienced local tour manager
7 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 1 dinner
Guided sightseeing & entrance fees
Welcome drink & farewell dinner
Weather
Heraklion
J F M A M J J A S O N D
A 14 14 15 19 23 27 28 28 25 22 19 15
B 7 8 8 11 14 18 20 20 18 15 12 9
C 153 118 90 38 20 8 3 1 23 95 83 122
A: Maximum average temperature (°C)
B: Minimum average temperature (°C)
C: Average rainfall (mm)
As a strategic gateway to the eastern
Mediterranean, Crete has been ruled by a
number of great powers, from the Minoans,
one of Europe’s first civilisations, to the
Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman empires.
This tour explores Crete’s scenic and cultural
highlights, including the Palace of Knossos,
an incomparable monument of ancient
Minoan society.
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES
Beekeeping experience and honey
tasting
Visits to the archaeological sites of
Knossos and Eleftherna
Wine tasting with a traditional
Cretan lunch
Boat trip to the isle of Spinalonga, once
home to a leper colony
Day 1: Fly to Heraklion • Rethymno
Fly from London (regional connections
available) to Heraklion with British Airways.
Transfer to Theartemis Palace in Rethymno
(or similar) for 3 nights. Welcome drink. (N)
Day 2: Aptera • Chania
Morning visit to the ancient site of Aptera
and meet a beekeeper for an introduction to
beehives and their cultivation. Continue to the
town of Chania with its Venetian harbour. Also
make a poignant visit to the Allied Cemetery,
containing Second World War burials. (B)
Chania
Day 3: Arkadi • Eleftherna • Rethymno
This morning, visit the fortified monastery of
Arkadi. Near Eleftherna, visit the MAE museum
with its impressive collection of artefacts
from Greece, Cyprus and Egypt. Continue to
Rethymno for a guided city walk. (B)
Day 4: Phaestos • Matala • Heraklion
Drive across the island to the Messara plain
and visit Phaestos, the second Minoan palace.
Continue to Matala, a pretty seaside town,
and enjoy a swim or relax on the beach.
Drive to Heraklion, stopping en route at the
archaeological site of Gortys. Stay 4 nights at
the Aquila Atlantis Hotel (or similar). (B)
Day 5: Knossos • Wine tasting
Morning drive to the ancient Minoan Palace of
Knossos, the centre of Europe’s first civilisation.
According to myth, it was home to King Minos
and site of the legend of Theseus slaying the
Minotaur in the labyrinth. Then drive into the
Pediados region south of Heraklion, Crete’s
most famous wine producing area. Visit a wine
domaine for an introduction to Cretan wine,
with tasting and a traditional lunch. Afternoon
at leisure. (B, L)
Day 6: Kera • Spinalonga • Heraklion
Visit the Church of Panagia Kera to view the
finest Byzantine frescoes in Crete. Continue
to Elounda and take a boat to Spinalonga.
Formerly a leper colony, the legacies of Greek,
Ottoman, Byzantine and Venetian occupation
over the centuries have left their imprint on
this fortified island. Return to Heraklion via the
port town of Agios Nikolaos. (B)
Day 7: Heraklion
Morning at leisure to relax by the pool or
explore Heraklion’s old town. Afternoon guided
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