ROmance VOYAGES tours ancient Athens and sails the Greek Isles. Our 10-night package begins with two nights in Athens at the Athens Gate Hotel. You will be within walking distance of the Plaka, the Acropolis, and the temple of Olympic Zeus.

We include a guided half-day city tour of all the highlights: the Royal Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Acropolis, and the Monastiraki Flea Market, just to name a few. We have also incorporated plenty of free time to explore and shop on your own. We depart Athens for Marina Zea aboard the 25 cabin sailing ship Panorama. All accommodations are outside staterooms.

Sail 7-nights to Hydra, Poliegos or Kimolos, Santorini, Mykonos, and Sounion. The best feature of this exclusive all-gay sailing is two full days and nights in the gay mecca, Mykonos.

Our Cruise/Tour package includes hotel accommodations, ship accommodations, airport and intra-Greece transfers, all sightseeing entrance fees, and most meals.

Day 1 (0) - August 17, Tuesday
USA/Athens
Depart USA
Meal: D

Day 2 (1) - August 18, Wednesday
Athens
Arrive and check into Athens Gate Hotel.
Meal:

Upon arrival you will be greeted by ROmanCE VOYAGES representatives and transferred to the Athens Gate Hotel. The rest of the day will be at leisure. Lunch and Dinner are on your own.

Day 3 (2) - August 19, Thursday
Athens
Guided Athens City Tour: Acropolis, Parliament, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Monasteraki Flea Market.
Meal: B

After a complimentary breakfast, we will be met by our guides to begin our Athens City Tour. We will visit the former Royal Palace, now the Parliament Building, on Constitution Square where Evzones - the brightly attired and elite military unit with the coolest shoes - guard the Monument to The Unknown Soldier and the Panathenian Stadium, the only major stadium in the world built fully of white marble from Mount Penteli. In ancient times it was used to host the athletic portion of the Panathenaic Games in honor of the Goddess Athena.

We will also visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the colossal ruined temple in the centre of Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Planned as the greatest temple in the ancient world, construction began in the 6th century BC, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 650 years later. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed giant gold and ivory status of Zeus with an equally large statue of Hadrian next to it. Today, nothing remains of these statues.

Next, we visit the Acropolis, the symbol of the glory of ancient Greece. Climb the marble steps and history opens before you at the Propylaea, the entrance to the complex. See the Temple of Athena Nike (Wingless Victory), the Erectheum with its famous porch of the Caryatids, and the Parthenon, a perfect example of classic architecture that once housed a massive gold and ivory statue of the warrior goddess Athena.

We will visit the Monastiraki flea market in the old town of Athens. Be prepared to bargain for great souvenirs, authentic antiques (just be sure you know what you are buying) and that perfect reminder of Athens. We will also tour one of the modern markets. Afterwards, we will drive through the bustling center of town down Patission Ave and Alexandras Ave. and Sofias Ave and Panepistimiou Ave. Along the way we will see the Academy, the University and the National Library.

In the early afternoon, we return back to the Athens Gate. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

Day 4 (3) - August 20, Friday
Athens: Marina Zea/Hydra
After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to Marina Zea and the s/c Panorama. 3 hour visit in Hydra. Evening Cocktail Party.
Meal: B, D

After breakfast, enjoy some time for private exploration. We don't depart for Marina Zea until 2 in the afternoon.

The Marina of Zea is a recreational port on the eastern coast of the peninsula of Piraeus, the main cruise port. Marina of Zea has an inner harbour (Passalimani), and an outer one (Freatida). This lesser port serves only private ships and luxury yachts.

Once we board, enjoy a welcome drink and mingle with the crew and fellow passengers. We will sail for Hydra where we will stop for 3 hours before our overnight sailing to Kimolos. Hydra is a very popular island because of its extremely picturesque capital, full of red-tiled houses and stone-paved narrow alleys. It used to be the destination of fashionable artists during the sixties and has kept a highly cosmopolitan character. Hydra in Mythology was a nine-headed monster, sister of Medusa. After Hydra, we sail overnight to Poliegos/Kimolos. Breakfast, lunch or dinner are included.

Day 5 (4) - August 21, Saturday
Poliegos or Kimolos/ Folegandros
Visit these small islands known for their amazing beaches and quiant towns. Enjoy an outdoor BBQ lunch on the main deck. Sail on to picturesque Folegrandos. Tour the upper city and dine at one of the local taverna.
Meal: B, L

Depending on the weather we will make a morning stop Poliegos or Kimolos. Poliegos is uninhabited and Kimolos is a volcanic island, mountainous and full of natural caves with a population of only about 650. Both islands are known for their amazing beaches. That's why we are here, for a morning of swimming, sunning and relaxing on deck in the glorious Mediterranean sun. We follow this with a wonderful barbeque on deck.

In the afternoon we sail for Folegandros, one of the most amazing and less known islands in the Aegean Sea. Conde Naste Traveler which called Folegandros Greece's most beautiful undiscovered island. Walk to the quaint Upper City through the hills of wild thyme, oregano and the array of colorful wildflowers then dine in one of the local taverna. Unlike many of the neighboring islands like Sifnos and Milos, Folegandros cuisine has not been tainted by progress. The food is a simple and perfect.

We sail for Santorini tonight. Breakfast and lunch or dinner are included.

Day 6 (5) - August 22, Sunday
Santorini
Explore Santorini and its unique capital, Fira. Optional excursions are available from the ship.
Meal: B, D

We anchor in the great caldera of Santorini in the bright morning sunshine. Above you rise 900 foot cliffs capped with the signature blue-roofed whitewashed buildings.

Explore the islands unique capital Fira. You can rent scooters and tour the island and maybe check out the ruins of Akrotiri. This Bronze Age civilization made great progress between 3000 to 2000 BC, and reached its peak in the period 2000 to 1580 BC. This advanced civilization had apartment buildings three stories high. Plumbing, including running water and primitive water closets indicate that they may have even hot and cold water supplies; the origin of the hot water was thought to be geothermic, given the proximity to the volcano that wiped out the civilization around 1627 BCE.

Panorama offers an optional excursion to a typical Winery with a breathtaking view, a tour of the villages and the small beautiful village of Oia.

We set sail late and travel overnight to Mykonos. Breakfast and lunch or dinner are included.

Day 7 (6) - August 23, Monday
Mykonos
Start the day with a stop for swimming in the bay at Mykonos. We dock in Mykonos port in the afternoon. The evening is yours to explore.
Meal: B, L

Start your morning with a swim stop in an enchanting bay of Mykonos. In the afternoon we sail into the main port of Mykonos. Now the real fun begins!

Mykonos first captured the world's attention when Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis started visiting in 60’s. After that, Mykonos became the jet-set spot to see and be seen. In the 70’s the party scene exploded and Mykonos was making headlines on society pages and the best magazines with the gay community following right behind. What started as a traditional Greek fishing village with labyrinthine roads leading you through centuries of beautiful Cycladic architecture is still as pretty and romantic, and still has an intangible "je ne sais quoi". Combine this with amazing secluded beaches, rocking nightlife (both straight and gay), and fabulous restaurants; you have the perfect party town. August is the height of tourist season so the drinks will flow, the music will thump and the fun will last late into the night.

The afternoon and evening are on your own today. Breakfast and lunch or dinner are included.

Day 8 (7) - August 24, Tuesday
Mykonos
Excursion sailing to Mykonos "Super Paradise Beach". Afteroon and evening are at your leisure. Optional excursion to Delos is available from the ship.
Meal: B, L

After breakfast (that is, if you are up) Panorama has an optional excursion to visit the Delos archaeological site. Delos, said to be the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, is a mere 1.5 square miles covered with ruins.

Be sure to see Sanctuary of Dionysos, erected about 300 BC. Outside it is one of the more boggling sights of ancient Greece: several monuments dedicated to Apollo and decorated with huge phallus’, worshiped during the Dionysian festivals. Around the base of one of them is carved a representation of a bride being carried to her new husband's home. A marble phallic bird, symbol of the body's immortality, also adorns this corner of the sanctuary. Panorama will also sail to one of the pristine beaches for a bit of swimming.

Panorama returns to Mykonos port early and you can begin the fun all over again.

Don't worry about getting back before dawn, we overnight in Mykonos port and leave the next day, late morning. The afternoon and evening are on your own today. Breakfast and lunch or dinner are included.

Day 9 (8) - August 25, Wednesday
Mykonos / Kea
Depart Mykonos in the morning and sail for Kea. Explore Kea on your own in the afternoon or swim from the ship's water platform.
Meal: B, D

Start with breakfast onboard and another swim stop then we set sail for Kea in the afternoon.

Kea Greece is also part of the Cyclades and is also known by the name Tzia and lies very close to Athens. Be sure to walk the capital city of Loulida. Walking is easy since cars are not allowed within the city. Be sure to see the archaeological museum and dine at one of the many local taverna.

Tonight we enjoy a special evening with the Captain's dinner. Join the Captain and crew for some fine food and great fun. We overnight in Kea. Breakfast and lunch or dinner are included.

Day 10 (9) - August 26, Thursday
Sounion
We arrive in Sounion in the afternoon. Sounion is the home to the temple of Poseidon. Enjoy your day exploring this beautiful island.
Meal: B, D

We arrive at Sounion in the early afternoon and enjoy a relaxing afternoon swim near the temple of Poseidon. Sounion is noted as the site of ruins of the ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea in classical mythology. The ruins are perched on a high promontory, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The ruins also bear some rather important grafitti, they were deeply engraved by English Romantic poet Lord Byron during his visit in the 19th century.

In the evening we sail for Marina Zea and overnight there. Breakfast and lunch or dinner are included.

Day 11 (10) - August 27, Friday
Athens (Marina Zea)
Today we disembark the Panorama and transfer to the airport for our flights home.
Meal: B

After a farewell breakfast, we disembark the Panorama. We transfer to the airport and our home bound flights with a killer tan.