Food of Greece: Thessaloniki, Athens & Crete

Board your overnight flight to Thessaloniki today.

Welcome to Greece! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner tonight.

Set out on a guided tour to get to know Thessaloniki, the second-largest city of the former Byzantine empire and a modern-day hub for Greek culture.

• View the Rotunda, which was built for Roman Emperor Galerius in the 4th century.
• Pass by the Hagios Demetrios and Hagia Sophia churches.
• See the Roman-style city walls that were constructed during the early 3rd century.
• Walk along the seaside promenade to view the White Tower of Thessaloniki, one of the city’s central landmarks.
• Stop to try some local olives.
• Visit the Ladadika district and enjoy free time to explore at your leisure.

This afternoon, head south to the Epanomi wine region and visit the Ktima Gerovassiliou winery.

• Follow a guide on a short walk through the vineyard to see Malagousia and Assyrtiko grapes that are used to create the winery’s signature red and white Epanomi wines.
• Tour the production area.
• Explore the on-site museum to see well-preserved artifacts that are essential to the history of Greek winemaking including bottles, barrels, and corkscrews.
• Sample some of the wines during a tasting.

Enjoy a free day in Thessaloniki or add an excursion

Travel from Thessaloniki to the seaside city of Volos. Located on the Pelion Peninsula, this area is known for its culinary scene. During an included lunch, you’ll try mezedes, or small plates, and tsipouro, an anise-flavored brandy.

After, continue on to Athens and spend a free evening in the city or add an excursion.

A local guide introduces you to the ancient highlights and traditional flavors of this bustling capital, home to the world's first democracy.

• Set off on a guided walking tour of the Plaka District and the markets of Monastiraki neighborhood.
• Stop to sample a variety of cheeses and loukoumades, a type of sweet fried dough.
• See the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, and Erechtheion on a walking tour of the Acropolis.

Enjoy free time in Athens or add an excursion.

Today, fly to Crete and take a guided sightseeing tour of Heraklion, the largest city on the island.

• Enter the city’s Old Market to sample traditional cheeses from villages around Crete.
• Visit the ruins of Knossos, where King Minos imprisoned the Minotaur in a labyrinth, according to the myth.

Tonight, sample some of Greece’s most well-known liquors including Ouzo, Metaxa, and Raki. Then, enjoy an included dinner of Cretan specialties and regional wine.

Travel through the Iraklio wine country on your way to Chania today, and make several stops along the way.

• Pay a visit to the village of Archanes and step inside a workshop where local women prepare traditional baked goods and preserves.
• Sample some of their homemade jams and baked goods.
• Tour a Cretan vineyard and enjoy an included lunch and wine tasting featuring varietals produced from Kotsifali, Mandilaria, and Malvasia grapes.

Then, continue on to Chania where you'll take a guided tour.

• Step inside the Chania Cathedral Trimartiri and Etz Hayyim, the only synagogue on the island and a symbol of the city’s ages-old Jewish community.
• Pass the Mosque Yiali Tzami as you walk along the old Venetian harbor.
• See the famous Egyptian lighthouse.

Today, head to a local cooking school where you’ll prepare regional dishes alongside a professional chef. Then, enjoy drinking Greek wine and eating the foods you cooked for lunch.

Later, enjoy a free evening in Chania or add an excursion.

Fly to Athens this morning. Tonight, gather with your group to celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay to explore Santorini and Athens.