Greece - Women only Trip - WFT

13–21 October 2019 (8 nights / 9 days)

(Athens – Delphi – Meteora – Santorini)

Whitewashed walls, colourful doors, purple bougainvillea bushes, cobblestone streets, blue-domes roofs, and sparkling indigo waters.... What comes to mind? Correct – Greece!

Like Atlas, who carried the entire world on his shoulders, Athens carries a huge responsibility to live up to the expectations of its numerous visitors. And it does not fail. It is here we start our trip. Athens has been the centre of Greek civilization for over 4,000 years. It is an ancient city still dominated by 5th century landmarks like the Acropolis and the Parthenon temple. It is a cosmopolitan, grungy, graceful, bustling, modern, yet ancient city. You have to visit it to understand the vibe that is so uniquely Athens, and a private walking tour of introduces you to this edgy capital.

High above the landscape of Meteora in Greece’s central region, 60 monks and nuns live in fabled monasteries, perched on the edge of sandstone peaks. The landscape is beautiful, to say the least. Visit the stunning monasteries at Meteora, where wind-swept monoliths rise abruptly from the earth, with vertical cliffs forming a dramatic backdrop against the flat fields around them.

And any Grecian holiday is incomplete without a visit to Santorini. Santorini, with its rugged landscape, owes allegiance to a rather violent volcanic eruption that took place many moons ago. The city evokes images of white, cubist houses clinging precariously to rugged cliffs, overlooking the bluest sparkling indigo waters of the Aegean. And the sunsets can make even the most stone-hearted emotional! Swim in the balmy seas, watch incomparable sunsets that speak to your soul, and sit under a sky full of stars with fun-loving women, or even all by yourself. Witness gorgeous sunsets that Santorini is famous for from the hotel, without millions of tourists taking away from that picture-perfect view, and even at Oia.

Join Wonderful World to explore the Grecian landscape this October.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Go on a private on-foot tour of Athens

• Enjoy a sunset at Oia

• Stay in a beautiful boutique hotel in Santorini

• Visit the archaeological site at Delphi

• Enjoy a guided hiking tour in Meteora

ITINERARY

Day 1 – Sunday, 13th October (includes no meals)

Athens – Arrival

- Arrive at Athens International Airport and group transfer to the hotel in the city centre.

(Please check flight timings with us before booking.)

(Separate transfer can be arranged if you do not arrive together, at additional cost.)

Overnight at Hera Hotel or similar

Day 2 – Monday, 14th October (includes breakfast and lunch)

Athens

- Today go on a full-day, exhaustive sightseeing tour of Athens.

Walk first to the Acropolis site and then visit the Panathenaic Stadium, the stadium that hosted the 1st Olympic games of the Modern Era in 1896. (Museum with Torches not included in the tour.)

- After this, hop on to the minibus and be dropped off near Syntagma Square. Walk outside the Parliament and witness the change of guards.

(From Monday to Saturday the change of guards occurs at the top of the hour, whereas the official ceremonious affair with the official costumes takes place only every Sunday at 11.00 am.)

- From the Parliament walk outside the Academy, the Old University, and the National Library.

- Break for lunch at a local restaurant.

- After lunch proceed by minibus to the Acropolis Museum. If someone is tired, you may head back to the hotel – it is a short walking distance from here.

- After finishing with the Acropolis Museum, return to hotel on foot.

- Evening at leisure.

Overnight at Hera Hotel or similar

Day 3 – Tuesday, 15th October (includes breakfast)

Athens

- Enjoy a half-day walking tour in Athens today with your guide. We start the tour at Omonia Square.

- Omonia Square is lined with buildings of importance from the 19th and 20th centuries. Noisy and busy most of the times, Athinas Street is connected mainly to the food trade. You will see the neoclassical mansions of the Town Hall, the Varvakeios Municipal Market (where meat, fish, and vegetables are sold; closed on Sundays), and the spacious Kotzia Square surrounded by impressive mansion buildings housing the Cultural Center of the National Bank and the services of the National Bank of Greece.

Continue on the pedestrian zone of Aiolou Street and see two marvelous churches – Panagia Chrysospiliotissa and Agia Irini, the first Cathedral of Athens.

Walk to Monastiraki Square, the historic square that is now fully renovated with multicoloured mosaic and surrounded by sites such as Tzistarakismoque, Roman Agora, and Hadrian’s Library.

- Stop for lunch on the way.

- Then walk up Adrianou Street, lined with many souvenir shops, till the 12th century Metropolis Athens Cathedral.

- Walk through Plaka’s main shopping street, view the oldest house of Athens of the Benizelos family, and the Lysicrates monument, right before reaching Dionysiou Areopagitou Street where the tour ends.

- The hotel is a short distance from here and we will walk back.

- Evening at leisure.

Overnight at Hera Hotel or similar

Day 4 – Wednesday, 16th October (includes breakfast)

Athens – Delphi – Meteora

- Post breakfast, drive to Meteora. The total journey will be around 8 hours, including all stops in between.

- En route, visit Delphi archaeological site. (We will not be visiting the museum, but only the site.)

- Stop for lunch.

- Thereafter drive directly to the hotel in Meteora and reach by evening.

Overnight at Doupiani Hotel or similar

Day 5 – Thursday, 17th October (includes breakfast and lunch)

Meteora

- Today we go on a guided hiking tour of Meteora, one of the best ways to learn the history of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk through hidden trails that only locals know of. Get transported back in time following the footsteps of the first monks who arrived here more than 15 centuries ago.

The hike begins at the foothills of Doupiani rock, beneath the old ruins of Pantokrator monastery. It then crosses through the immense rock formations to reach the northern side of Meteora. Here, discover the hidden monastery of Ypapanti and the ruins of St. Dimitrious. Listen to the stories and the legends behind each place you pass along the trail.

Visit the monastery of Varlaamor (if open).

- After the hike, the bus will drop you off at the small village of Kastraki for lunch.

- Return to the hotel.

- Evening at leisure.

Important notes:

- Wear comfortable clothes and good shoes.

- The monasteries in Meteora have a strict dress code – women must wear a long skirt and a top with long sleeves.

Overnight at Doupiani Hotel or similar

Day 6 – Friday, 18th October (includes breakfast)

Meteora – Athens

- Post breakfast check-out of the hotel and proceed to Athens.

- En route visit two monasteries (subject to opening days and timings).

- Evening at leisure.

Overnight at Athens Cypria hotel or similar

Day 7 – Saturday, 19th October (includes packed breakfast and dinner)

Athens – Santorini

- Transfer to Piraeus port to catch your ferry to Santorini.

- Arrival at Santorini and transfer to the hotel.

- Relax for a while.

- Then transfer to enjoy the famous sunset at Oia and have dinner here.

- Post dinner, transfer back to Santorini.

Overnight at Andromeda Villas or similar

Day 8 – Sunday, 20th October (includes breakfast and dinner)

Santorini

- The day is free for you to explore around Santorini.

There are a few optional tours, such as wine tasting or a volcano tour. We can discuss the options at the time of booking.

Overnight at Andromeda Villas or similar

Day 9 – Monday, 21st October (includes breakfast)

Santorini – Athens – Departure

- Post breakfast, group transfer to Athens airport to catch your flight back home.

(Cost of transfer from Santorini is not included.)

(Please check flight timings with us before booking.)

COST

Rs. 1,59,000 per head on a twin sharing basis (without GST at 5%)

Single supplement – on request

If there is more than a 5% variation in the exchange rate taken – the cost will be revised at the time of raising the final invoice

NOTES

• We need minimum 7 confirmations to do this tour

• Itinerary may be revised in terms of the order of activities as the ferry schedule is completely dependent on weather

INCLUSIONS

- Accommodation on a twin-sharing basis

Double beds may be the only option in Santorini, since we don’t always get twin-sharing rooms here; we stay in a beautiful boutique hotel, which is the highlight of our trip

- Transportation as mentioned in the itinerary

- Tolls

- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary

- Tours as mentioned in the itinerary

- Guides for the sightseeing as mentioned

- Entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary

- Ferry tickets from Athens to Santorini

- Services of an English-speaking guide for tours in Athens and Meteora

EXCLUSIONS

- GST at 5%

- International flights into and from Athens / domestic flight or ferry out of Santorini.

- Visa (approx. INR 6,000)

- Travel insurance

- Any optional tours

- Any meals not mentioned in the itinerary

- Any beverages, alcoholic or non-alcoholic

- Any personal expenses, such as laundry, phone calls, porterage, etc.

- Tips for guide and driver

- The overnight tax of roughly Euro 3 (at Athens) and Euro 1.50 (at Santorini) per head per night, payable directly at the hotel

- Any other item not mentioned in Inclusions above

- Any services not mentioned in Inclusions above

- Any cost arising out of unforeseen circumstances like ill‐health, land blocks, bad weather, etc.

- Any cost out of Santorini

PAYMENT PLAN

• Please pay INR 10,000 (+5% GST) as booking deposit to reserve your spot

• 30% of the total amount due by 1 July 2019

• Balance payment due by 14 August 2019

CANCELLATION POLICY

• Upto 90 days before departure – full refund

• Between 90 days and 50 days – booking deposit is non-refundable

• Between 50 days and 30 days – 75% refund

• Between 30 days and 25 days – 25% refund

• No refund thereafter for any cancellation or no-show

For more details contact +91 9971820462