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The Great Odyssey

(31 Reviews)
Price
From3,700 US$3,500 US$
Price
From3,700 US$3,500 US$
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18 Days
Athens
Istanbul
Min Age : 6
Max People : 24
The Great Odyssey

Follow the path of Odysseus on this custom tailored 18-day tour of Turkey and Greece meant to give you the most amazing adventure through antiquity. From the ancient steps of the Parthenon to the sensational crumbled walls of Troy, you will stand with legends and gods, sailing through the incredible waters of the Mediterranean, and wandering along the path of history.

Every adventure starts with that first step; come take it with Eskapas.

Tour Details

Departure & Return Location

Istanbul to Athens

Pick-up and Drop-off Locations and Time

  • Pick-up from any Istanbul Airport any time
  • Drop-of to Athens International Airport any time

Price Includes

Click to expand

  • 17-night 4-star/first class accommodation. 
  • In-between flights 
    • Athens – Istanbul international flight is included
    • Crete – Athens domestic flight is included
  • Official English speaking guide during visits
  • 17 Breakfasts – 1 Lunch – 6 Dinners
  • All transport and transfers per itinerary as described in the program.
    • Normal Ferry ticket with numbered seats Piraeus – Mykonos.
    • Fast Ferry ticket with numbered seats Mykonos – Santorini.
    • Fast Ferry ticket with numbered seats Santorini – Heraklion.
  • All entrance fees mentioned in the programs

Price Excludes

Click to expand

  • Before/After air tickets
  • Stay-over taxes to be paid directly to the hotels in Greece
  • Tips to the guide and driver 
  • Personal expenses
Itinerary
Click on the day itinerary to expand

Day 1Istanbul Arrival

Arrival to Istanbul . Meet with english speaking assistant at the airport . Transfer to the hotel for check in . Overnight: Istanbul Meals: N/A

Day 2Istanbul

Hagia Sophia
 
Breakfast at the hotel . Drive from your hotel to Spice Market for shopping . Free time. Then meet and proceed to take 1,5 hrs Bosphorus Cruise excursion along the bosphorus , that is dividing the 2 continents Asia & Europe . During the excursion you will enjoy the beauty of Istanbul , with its forest , Palaces and wooden old houses built on both continents . Lunch at local restaurant . After lunch visit Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) , Hippodrome and the famous Hagia Sophia . Free time at Grand Bazaar .
Overnight: Istanbul Meals: Breakfast – Lunch

Day 3Istanbul - Ankara

Topkapi-Palace

 

Breakfast at the hotel . Departure from the hotel to visit Topkapi Palace ( harem section entrance free is not included ) the house of the ottoman sultans . Departure from the hotel to Ankara – the capital of Turkey . Arrival to Ankara in early evening

Overnight: Ankara Meals: Breakfast – Dinner

Day 4Ankara - Cappadocia

B
Ankara Anitkabir
reakfast at the hotel . Visit Anatolian Civilizations Museum where you will see the Neolithic & Paleolithic ruins from Urartu , Hatti, Hittite, Phrygia civilizations, then proceed to Mausoleum of Ataturk , the founder of Turkish Republic. In the afternoon drive to Cappadocia . En route visit the Underground city that is one of the biggest underground city in the region, constructed by the first Christians to protect themselves from the attacks.
Overnight: Cappadocia Meals: Breakfast – Dinner

Day 5Cappadocia

 
Breakfast . Full day visit at Cappadocia . Visit Göreme Open Air Museum – a UNESCO Heritage site , a fantastic region with it’s cave churches located on the valley. Then proceed to Uchisar Village and then the spectacular fairy chimneys. Visit Derbent Valley with and explore the natural rock formations and get a chance to attend the workshops of carpets and onyx-stones .
Overnight: Cappadocia Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Cappadocia balloon ride during sunrise
 
Optional Tour | HOT AIR BALLOON TOUR
In the early morning departure from your hotel . a chance to live this unique experience, an overlooking to Cappadocia from the sky , see the beauty of the region the rock formations, fairy chimneys, natural formations, lunar landscapes ..

Day 6Cappadocia - Sultanhani - Pamukkale

After the breakfast at the hotel , drive to Pamukkale. En route visit Sultanhan Caravansarai that was built during Seljuk Empire and used long years as a stop over for the travellers and merchants. Continue to Pamukkale . Visit Cotton Steps – a UNESCO heritage site that has been believed to have healing thermal water.
Overnight: Pamukkale Meals: Breakfast – Dinner

Day 7Pamukkale - Ephesus - İzmir

Hadrian’s Temple

Breakfast . Drive to Selcuk – Ephesus . Visit the Ephesus Ruins – the city that was dedicated to Artemis I the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, the House of Love, the Library of Celsus, the Agora .Then proceed for Virgin Mary House – has been believed it is the final resting place of the mother of Jesus . Then stop at Leather Production Store . Proceed for Izmir . Overnight: İzmir Meals: Breakfast – Dinner

Day 8Izmir - Pergamon - Troy - Çanakkale

Çanakkale, Turkey – July 19, 2014: The wooden horse used at the movie of Troy. It was given to the city of Canakkale as a present in 2004. Now, it is located and displayed at a public park near the coast of Canakkale city in Turkey.
 
Breakfast . Drive to Pergamon ( Bergama ) region and visit the ruins of Asclepion which is the first hospital of Asia Minor in human history . Then continue to Troy , visit the famous city that evokes the poetic name of Homer’s Iliad. Continue to Canakkale .
Overnight:Çanakkale Meals: Breakfast – Dinner.

Day 9Çanakkale - Gallipoli - Anzac Cove - Istanbul

Gallipoli
 
Breakfast . We will cross Dardanelles Strait by car ferry and continue to Gallipoli Peninsula. We will visit one of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli, including Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston’s Jolly, Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels, 57. Regiment Turkish Memorial,The Nek,Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial.
Overnight:İstanbul Meals: Breakfast

Day 10Istanbul - Athens (Flight)

 
Breakfast . Transfer to airport and fly to Athens (flight ticket is included) . After your arrival in the mythical city of Athens, the transfer to your hotel will be conducted in one of our private vehicles. A member of our English speaking team will meet you at your hotel, help you with the check-in, inform you of all the details of your trip, introduce you to the city and its everyday way of life and answer any questions you may have. The rest of the day will be free for you to relax and enjoy Athens at your own pace.
Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast

Day 11Athens

 
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.
Adrianu street in 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.
Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast

Day 12Athens - Mykonos

 
Early in the morning, your assistant will escort you to Piraeus port in one of our private vehicles and you will take the ferry to the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos. The crossing is scheduled at the ideal time of the day so that you can enjoy the sun on deck and marvel at the deep blue of the Aegean Sea.
Upon your arrival, one of our English-speaking representatives will welcome you, transfer you to your hotel and introduce you to this famous island.
The rest of the day is free for you to relax and immerse yourself in the ‘slow’ way of life of the natives.
Overnight: Mykonos Meals: Breakfast

Day 13Mykonos

 
Free day to enjoy this magnificent island. Mykonos is the meeting point of the international “jet set”, famous for its wonderful beaches, the dazzling shops and vibrant nightlife.
Overnight: Mykonos Meals: Breakfast
Eskapas Tip: Just a short distance away by ferry, there is the historic island of Delos, which, according to Greek mythology, was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. This small island, inhabited since 3000 B.C., was one of the most important cultural centers of antiquity.

Day 14Mykonos - Santorini

 
After breakfast, we will pick you up at the agreed time, in one of our private vehicles, to drive you to the port, where you will continue on to your next destination, the island that is an inexhaustible source of inspiration, Santorini. As the ferry approaches the port, you will admire the capital city of Fira, with its white houses perched on the cliffside and facing the volcano.
Upon disembarkation, one of our English-speaking representatives will welcome you, escort you to your hotel and introduce you to some of the most outstanding features of this picturesque island. The rest of the day is free for you to wander through the narrow streets and become part of this amazing world.
Overnight: Santorini Meals: Breakfast

Day 15Santorini

 
Free day to explore, at your own pace, this magical island, considered to be the lost continent of Atlantis. The name of the island was given by the Venetian Giacomo Barozzi due to the presence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Eirini. His descendants remained until 1576, when the island became part of the Duchy of Naxos and until the Turkish conquest by Piyale Pasha.
Overnight: Santorini Meals: Breakfast

Day 16Santorini - Crete

Heraklion Crete

 

At the agreed time our staff will transfer you to the new port of Santorini, Athinios, where you will board the ferry to the largest island in Greece, Crete and more precisely to the port of Heraklion. Upon your arrival we will meet you at the port and transfer you to your hotel.

Overnight: Heraklion Meals: Breakfast

Day 17Heraklion

Knossos Palace
After your breakfast, you will have a free day to explore this incredible city. We suggest a leisurely stroll through the charming historical center and, of course, a visit to the extraordinary Palace of Knossos, home to the fabled King Minos and the ferocious Minotaur.
Overnight: Heraklion Meals: Breakfast

Day 18Athens Departure

After breakfast, at the appointed time, our staff will transfer you to Heraklion airport, where you will board your flight (included) back to Athens. In Athens, you will connect to your international flight, which should ideally depart after 12:30 hrs.
Have a nice trip!
31 Reviews
Sort By:RatingDate

Roland O.

Solo Traveller

The only thing I wasn’t happy about with this tour was that it had to end. I wish it could have lasted forever!

August 8, 2024

Melissa G.

Group Traveller

I always pay attention to details like having free Wi-Fi and water on the buses, and hairdryers in the hotel rooms. Every little thing was thought of on this tour. The itinerary was a unique adventure, and I was truly satisfied. I felt sad when the tour ended, and if you’re feeling that way at the end, it means the trip was amazing. Thanks to Eskapas and their friendly staff for an unforgettable experience!

August 1, 2024

Nico W.

Couple Traveller

We had an amazing time on our Turkey and Greece tour. Despina, our guide, made everything so much easier, allowing us to fully relax and enjoy the experience. One of the highlights was visiting the stunning hot springs of Pamukkale—it’s a place like no other! If you’re looking to explore local culture and historic landmarks, we highly recommend a tour like this one.

June 24, 2024

Sienna A.

Solo Traveller

The tour was quite exhausting, but we had plenty of time to relax during our free day on Mykonos. Istanbul is a massive city, and you’d probably need a separate trip just to explore it all (which I plan to do soon!). Ephesus is an incredible historical city, as is Athens. If you take this tour, I highly recommend doing a wine tasting in Cappadocia and experiencing the hot air balloon ride. As I wrap up my review, I’d like to send my regards to the wonderful guide, Mehmet, he truly made the trip special!

May 27, 2024

Hazel V.

Solo Traveller

I absolutely loved Turkish cuisine! The kebabs and hummus were just perfect for my taste, and Raki was such a unique drink—I tried it for the first time. The Greek olive oil-based dishes were also fantastic. It was 18 days of incredible food, amazing historical and natural wonders, and meeting wonderful people. A big thank you to our guides, tour operators, and drivers. I’ll definitely be back!

May 25, 2024
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