The Mediterranean Diet in Greece

DAY 1: Fly overnight to Athens.

Day 2 (Athens):  Arrive in Athens, the historical capital of Europe.  Meet your travel director and transfer to your hotel. After a free afternoon, dive in to Greek culinary culture with a gourmet welcome dinner in an authentic local restaurant.

Day 3 (Athens):   Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, followed by a guided tour of Athens.  Highlights of this city, famous for the arts, learning and philosophy throughout the centuries, include the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the ancient agora.  During free time for lunch, explore the Plaka district, the oldest section of modern Athens.  End the day with a delicious seafood dinner.

Day 4 (Athens):  After an early breakfast at your hotel, immerse yourself in the food culture of Greece with a cooking lesson at a taverna, followed by a culinary walking tour through the city’s central meat, fish and fruit markets.  Stop to enjoy loukoumades, typical Greek pastries, as well as a true Greek coffee.  Return to the taverna to eat the food you cooked!  Enjoy a free afternoon to discover hidden corners of the city, followed by a souvlaki dinner in the evening.

Day 5 (Itea):  Today, travel to the mysterious ancient sanctuary of Delphi to visit the archeological site and museum.  Along the way, stop for a tasting of local olive oil and a picnic lunch in an olive tree grove, including feta cheese, spinach pie, homemade cheese pie, Greek salad and, of course, various types of olive oil.  In the afternoon, journey to Itea to check in to your hotel and have dinner with a local Greek family.

Day 6 (Nafplio):  Journey today to Nafplio, a seaport town in the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece.  Visit a small-town clinic to learn the role that diet and medicine play in the health of the people of this Mediterranean region.  Enjoy dinner in a traditional restaurant in the old city. 

Day 7 (Nafplio):  Visit the Corinth Canal this morning to enjoy a breathtaking canal crossing and then drive to mythological vista of Nemea to see the archeological site, museum and nearby stadium.  Stop at a local winery for wine tasting and lunch.  On the way back to Nafplio, stop for a fun Greek coffee making activity in the town’s coffee brewery.  Enjoy dinner at a local taverna.

Day 8 (Athens):  After breakfast at the hotel, spend the morning exploring the UNESCO-listed Sanctuary of Askeplios at Epidaurus, then travel to Mycenae, a fortified city from the second millennium BC.  See the renowned Lion’s Gate and the Tomb of Agamemnon, then stop for a citrus farm visit and lunch.  Drive through the magnificent Greek landscape to Athens. Enjoy dinner.

Day 9 (Athens):  Today features a full-day cruise with stops in the mythic Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra.  Celebrate all you have learned—and eaten—at your final farewell dinner in Athens. 

Day 10:  Travel to the airport for your return flight to the United States.