Three hotel stays on Athens, Mykonos and Santorini frame a four-day cruise in this 14 day greek islands tour. Read the route below before you compare other tours in Greece.
The page covers the route day by day, the season, the Athens days, the Mykonos days, the cruise ports of Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes and Heraklion, the Santorini days, the flight home, entry rules and a short FAQ.
What is a 14 day greek islands tour, and how does the route run?
A 14 day greek islands tour has fourteen days and three hotel stays: Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. A four-day cruise in the middle adds one Turkish port to the Greek islands. The plan gives each island a long stay and uses the ship to link them.
This 14 day greek islands tour runs in a clear order. Days one and two are in Athens. Day three is a sea journey to Mykonos, and days four and five are open there. On day six the cruise begins. Day seven brings Kusadasi and Patmos, day eight Rhodes, and day nine Heraklion and Santorini.
After the cruise, days ten to twelve are open on Santorini. Day thirteen is a flight to Athens, and day fourteen is the departure. A 14 day greek islands tour has only three bases, so you unpack three times. The nights on board are the one exception.
The cruise sits between the two long island stays. Both islands belong to the Cyclades, and Wikipedia puts Mykonos among Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The ship links the two islands and adds four ports on the way. That is why a 14 day greek islands tour places the cruise between them.
On the west coast of Mykonos is its main town, Chora, as Wikipedia states. That matters on day six, when you leave the island by ship. A 14 day greek islands tour starts its cruise from an island that you already know by then. The start feels calm.
The season comes first, then the day list. Later parts take each stop in turn, from Athens to the flight home. Entry, packing and access points come near the end, before a short question list. Read in order, they follow a 14 day greek islands tour from the first day to the last.
Which season suits a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour suits spring and early autumn. Wikivoyage calls these the milder shoulder seasons on Santorini and says the island’s season starts around Greek Easter. Summer there is hot and crowded, as the same page describes it.
Wikipedia counts eleven climate types in Greece, a high number for a country of its size. It adds that the Mediterranean zone has wet winters, and snow lasts only a short time. A 14 day greek islands tour crosses the Aegean, where the sea matters as much as the air.
Wikipedia lists much of the Cyclades among the places with a hot semi-arid climate. That means low rainfall over the year. It says Mykonos winters are mild and wet, though sunny days still come in mid-winter. The summer daytime high is near 27 degrees Celsius. A 14 day greek islands tour meets dry weather in the warm months.
Wikivoyage adds a note for Santorini. For the walk from Fira to Oia, it finds April and late spring ideal. After that, it says, temperatures climb and summers become extremely hot. Cooler days return in September. A 14 day greek islands tour in spring or early autumn avoids the hardest heat.
Wikipedia says the etesian winds are strong and dry, and Greeks call them the meltemi. Mid-September is the end of their season. The strongest gusts come in the afternoon, while nights can be calmer. The nickname of Mykonos, Island of the Winds, fits this wind. A 14 day greek islands tour meets this wind on every island.
Wikipedia says the meltemi can reach force seven to eight, a wind in which inter-island ferries stay in port. This matters on day three, the sea journey from Athens to Mykonos. In a 14 day greek islands tour, a spare hour in the plan helps on that day.
Wikivoyage says a steady wind crosses the Cyclades through July and August, which eases the heat. It also says restaurants and amenities on Santorini close in the hottest hours of the day. A 14 day greek islands tour in summer therefore needs a slow midday.
The winter months are quiet. Wikivoyage says the ferries from Piraeus to Mykonos pause from the end of October until April. It describes December to March on Santorini as the off-season, with cooler weather, rain and wind. A 14 day greek islands tour with a cruise therefore sits in the warmer half of the year.
What happens on each day of a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour spends two days in Athens, three on Mykonos, four afloat and three on Santorini. One flight and one departure morning close the plan. The list below gives every day in order, with one step for each day.
- Day 1: You land in Athens and go to the hotel, and the evening is yours.
- Day 2: A sightseeing tour spends the morning at the Acropolis and its museum, and you plan the afternoon.
- Day 3: A morning transfer to the port starts the sea journey to Mykonos and the hotel there.
- Day 4: A free day for the beaches of Mykonos and for its evening life.
- Day 5: A second open day on Mykonos, at your own pace.
- Day 6: The morning is free, and in the afternoon you board the cruise ship.
- Day 7: The cruise reaches Kusadasi in Turkey, with Ephesus as a possible excursion, and then Patmos.
- Day 8: Rhodes, the island of roses, comes next, with Lindos and its acropolis as a possible visit.
- Day 9: Heraklion on Crete is first, with Knossos as a possible visit, and then Santorini.
- Day 10: You settle on Santorini, with views of the caldera.
- Day 11: A second free day, with the black-sand beaches and the sunset.
- Day 12: A third free day, with a boat trip of half a day to the volcano.
- Day 13: You fly from Santorini to Athens after a morning transfer, then go to the hotel.
- Day 14: A last transfer brings you to the airport, where you depart.
The pace of a 14 day greek islands tour is gentle at the start. Athens takes two days, and only the morning of day two is planned. The rest is open, so you can recover from the journey and see more of the city by yourself.
Mykonos takes three days in this plan, but day three is spent largely on the sea journey. Days four and five are open, and day six is open until the afternoon. On a 14 day greek islands tour, the four days afloat are the busiest part. A new port arrives on days seven, eight and nine.
The last third is calm again. Santorini has three free days, and Wikivoyage calls its airport very small. A 14 day greek islands tour then ends with one short flight to Athens on day thirteen. Wikivoyage gives 30 to 45 minutes for flights from Athens to the island. Day fourteen is only the departure morning.
How do the Athens days work on a 14 day greek islands tour?
Arrival and a city walk fill the opening of a 14 day greek islands tour. Day one brings the flight in and a quiet evening. On day two a sightseeing tour covers the old centre in the morning, and the afternoon stays free. As Wikipedia states, the urban area of Athens is home to more than 3.6 million people.
Wikipedia places the airport at Spata in Attica. It replaced the old Ellinikon airport, which had no space left for growth. Two parallel runways, 4 and 3.8 kilometres long, serve it. For a 14 day greek islands tour, the arrival means a drive into town. Day one is a rest day.
The main building and the satellite building are joined by a link under the ground, as Wikipedia describes it. Wikivoyage names the Metro as another way to the airport, and the change is made at Monastiraki. A 14 day greek islands tour leaves the whole first day free, so pick the link that suits your bags.
The morning of day two is a planned walk through the old centre, with a talk at each stop. The Acropolis is the main stop, and the next section explains it. The tour covers the classical sites in one morning. The afternoon is free for Plaka, a museum or a long lunch.
Plaka suits that free afternoon. Wikipedia describes it as the oldest district of Athens, with people living there from the Neolithic era until today. It sits on the Acropolis’s northeast slope. For a 14 day greek islands tour, it is an easy first taste of old Athens on foot.
Wikipedia lists small museums in Plaka. They include the Jewish Museum of Greece and the Greek Folk Art museum. A third museum shows Greek folk musical instruments. The area has strict zoning and conservation rules, and its utilities run underground. A 14 day greek islands tour can stop in one of these museums when the street grows warm.
Keep the evening of day two light on a 14 day greek islands tour. Day three starts with the transfer to the port. Wikipedia adds that Athens is a member of UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities. Two days give a fair first look at the city, and then the islands follow.
What do the Acropolis and the museums add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
Two museums and the sacred rock give a 14 day greek islands tour its ancient background. In Wikipedia’s words, the Parthenon is a key landmark for early Western culture. The Acropolis Museum keeps the finds from the rock. The National Archaeological Museum adds treasures from all over Greece, including the islands you visit next.
Wikipedia says the museum stands 400 metres on foot from the Parthenon, close to the ancient road up the hill. Bernard Tschumi designed it with the Greek architect Michael Photiadis. A 14 day greek islands tour needs only a short walk from the Akropoli stop of the red Metro line.
Pillars lift the building above Roman and early Byzantine house ruins. Moving the sculptures from the rock to the museum took four months, Wikipedia says. Three tower cranes carried them across the 280-metre gap. On a 14 day greek islands tour, that story adds respect for every block you see.
Three levels hold the collections. The first level shows finds from the slopes. The Erechtheum is shown there too, with the Propylaea and the Temple of Athena Nike. Wikipedia says visitors are sent first to the top level, where the Parthenon marbles stand. A shop and a cafe sit on a middle level.
In the Parthenon hall, the frieze, metopes and pediments are set facing outwards, as on the temple. Wikipedia says the pediment pieces stand at eye level, for ease of viewing. A 14 day greek islands tour gains a close look at carved stone here. The museum also has an amphitheatre and a virtual theatre.
The National Archaeological Museum has a neoclassical building with a garden full of sculptures. Wikipedia says the Artemision Bronze, a statue of Zeus or Poseidon, stands in room 15. The Epigraphical Museum is in the south wing. On a 14 day greek islands tour, marble figurines of the Cyclades from Delos and Keros come before the islands.
Wikipedia names the boxing boys fresco from the island of Thera among the well preserved wall paintings. It also lists the Antikythera mechanism in room 38. Check the Hellenic Ministry of Culture pages for opening days and hours, because this page gives no times. A 14 day greek islands tour has room for one museum, or two if you hurry.
How does the sea journey from Athens to Mykonos work on a 14 day greek islands tour?
The sea leg to Mykonos begins at Piraeus on the morning of day three. Wikipedia calls Piraeus a port city, eight kilometres from the centre and part of the Athens urban area. Wikivoyage describes it as the ancient port of Athens. It is the chief exit by sea for a 14 day greek islands tour and other Aegean journeys.
Wikipedia says Piraeus has three harbours, called Cantharus, Zea and Munichia. Long Walls once fortified the route between the city and its port. Today it ranks fourth among Greece’s municipalities by size. A 14 day greek islands tour thus starts at the port Athens has used since ancient times.
Wikivoyage calls the Metro very convenient for the trip from central Athens. Piraeus station joins Lines 1 and 3, near gate E6. Ferries to the central Cyclades sail from just across the station. Mykonos is one of the Cyclades. On a 14 day greek islands tour, the walk to the boat is short.
The gates differ by destination. Wikivoyage says Saronic Gulf ferries, hydrofoils and catamarans lie a short walk from the metro. Ships bound for Crete and the Dodecanese have a free shuttle bus. It adds that Airport Express buses link the port and the airport around the clock.
The plan puts a transfer to the port on day three, so bags stay in the vehicle until the boat. Wikivoyage warns that walking the port centre is easy only for people without luggage. Check your ticket for the gate and the sailing details. Luggage rules differ between boats, and this page names none.
Wind matters on a 14 day greek islands tour. Wikipedia describes the meltemi as a dry north wind that blows hard across the Aegean. Its season runs from about late spring to mid-September, and the afternoon brings the peak. On the Beaufort scale it can rise to force 7 to 8, and such winds can stop inter-island ferries.
Wikipedia adds that the meltemi rises with no warning, even in clear weather. It can last for days without a break. Island of the Winds is the nickname of Mykonos, and the name is earned. Reach the port early, listen to the crew, and keep a layer in your small bag. The plan holds in any season.
What does Mykonos add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour reaches its first long island stay on Mykonos, in the Cyclades. Granite rock and strong wind shape it. The town, beaches and evenings fill three days, between Athens and the cruise.
Granite makes up the island, and wind has worn away areas of the terrain. Wikipedia adds that streams run only in the wet season, and two of them became reservoirs. Wikipedia counts nearly 12,500 people on the island, and the main town holds the larger share. A 14 day greek islands tour here meets dry, bare land.
Locals call the town Chora. Wikipedia offers two ideas for the island name. One is a Greek word for a pile of stones. The second points to a hero named Mykonos. Little Venice appears among its landmarks. Days three and four of this 14 day greek islands tour start here.
The church of Paraportiani rises in the Kastro neighbourhood of Chora. Wikipedia describes it as whitewashed and made of five joined churches. Saint Eustathios, Saint Sozon, the Saints Anargyroi and Saint Anastasia give their names to the four lower churches. A short walk past suits a 14 day greek islands tour.
Wikipedia gives the average summer daytime high as around 27 degrees Celsius. Nights stay above 24 degrees. It credits the meltemi wind and the sea with making summer days pleasant. The sandy beaches therefore suit the two free days of the 14 day greek islands tour.
Wikivoyage calls Mykonos a cosmopolitan destination and warns of loud dance clubs. It lists Mykonos among the top-visited islands of the Aegean. Evening life is lively, then, and a traveller picks a quiet cafe or a busy bar. The plan sets no fixed programme for these evenings of the 14 day greek islands tour.
Rain falls from October until March, Wikipedia says. Winters stay mild and wet, yet sunny days come even in midwinter. Wikivoyage agrees that it hardly ever rains in summer. Wikivoyage also links the film Shirley Valentine to the small settlement of Agios Ioannis. Dry months suit the open days of a 14 day greek islands tour.
How do the three Mykonos days fit a 14 day greek islands tour?
The three Mykonos days of a 14 day greek islands tour are one arrival day and two free days. Day three covers the sea journey and the hotel transfer. Days four and five suit a beach, the town and the small island of Delos. These days are the calm hinge of the trip.
Tourlos lies about 2 kilometres north of Mykonos Town, Wikivoyage says. The port there holds cruise ships, yachts and fishing boats. It also takes a share of the ferries from the mainland. On day three of this 14 day greek islands tour, the transfer to the hotel handles the short distance.
A simple pace for day four is a beach in the morning and Chora in the afternoon. Day five can repeat that pattern or turn to Delos. The 14 day greek islands tour keeps both days free on purpose, as later days are full of ports. Rest on Mykonos helps the traveller later.
The Aegean Maritime Museum in Mykonos shows a portrait of Manto Mavrogenous, a Wikipedia caption states. A museum is a quiet hour for an afternoon in town. Wikivoyage finds the island easy to explore alone, so the town needs no booked excursion. This suits the open days of the 14 day greek islands tour.
Delos is a day-trip idea for day five. Wikipedia places it close to Mykonos, only 2 kilometres away, and gives its area as 3.43 square kilometres. Delos is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Wikipedia notes. Wikivoyage says the excursion can be arranged independently, guided or unguided. A 14 day greek islands tour gains a look at ancient Greece.
Wikipedia says three conical mounds can be seen from the Sacred Harbour of Delos. Apollo is honoured in the Temple of the Delians, a textbook case of the Doric order. Mount Kynthos rises 112 metres, and a sanctuary of Zeus crowns the summit. Such facts give the 14 day greek islands tour depth.
A mosaic in its atrium gave the House of the Dolphins its name. Steps still lead to the water of the Minoan Fountain, a public well of rectangular shape cut into the rock. In the Agora of the Competaliasts, the paving stones keep postholes that held market awnings. These sights suit a short walk.
How does boarding the cruise ship on Mykonos work on a 14 day greek islands tour?
On day six of a 14 day greek islands tour, the morning is free. A transfer then takes the traveller to the ship. Wikivoyage names Tourlos, north of the town, as the berth for almost every cruise ship. The ship then serves as hotel and transport for the four days that follow.
Wikivoyage describes a cruise ship as a passenger ship for pleasure voyages. The voyage itself and the amenities on board count as part of the experience. This sets the tone for the four days of the 14 day greek islands tour. The ship is both transport and base.
Wikipedia says cruise ships are organised like floating hotels, with hospitality staff besides the crew. It adds that modern ships offer added amenities for water tourists, though less speed than ocean liners. A traveller on a 14 day greek islands tour unpacks once. The ports change on days seven, eight and nine.
Round trips to ports of call come with shore excursions, Wikipedia states. In this plan the excursion ideas are Ephesus from Kusadasi, Lindos on Rhodes and Knossos near Heraklion. Each is an outing from the ship. Plan each shore day of the 14 day greek islands tour to end before the ship leaves.
Wikipedia names the Mediterranean as one of the two main cruising regions, with the Caribbean. A Greek islands route therefore sits in a main cruise area. The ship of a 14 day greek islands tour is built for leisure. Check the meal arrangements on board before the first evening.
Passengers reaching Tourlos by ship find a cruise shuttle bus, Wikivoyage says. It drops them near the northern bus station after a ride of under ten minutes. From there, everything is within walking distance. Day six of the 14 day greek islands tour already includes the transfer to the port.
Wikivoyage advises checking which port a boat will use before travel. Passengers at the old port can walk to the heart of town in 10 minutes. No bus is needed. The same source calls the Cyclades notoriously choppy at times. Early packing keeps the start of the 14 day greek islands tour calm.
What do Kusadasi and Ephesus add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour brings one Turkish port, Kusadasi, on day seven. From the port, a road leads to Ephesus, an ancient Greek city in present-day Selcuk. Both stops fit into one day of the plan.
Kusadasi lies along a gulf of the same name. Wikipedia names tourism as the main industry of the municipality. Its neighbour to the north is Selcuk, the town beside the ruins. A 14 day greek islands tour therefore meets a working holiday town on the Turkish side.
A six-lane highway links the port to the airport of Izmir, as Wikipedia states. The Okuz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai stands near the docks. Dilek Peninsula National Park lies about 30 kilometres south, with coves, beaches and canyons. A 14 day greek islands tour can look at these sights if time allows.
Ephesus has a wall circuit of 415 hectares, and the occupied area covered 224 hectares. Wikipedia says the Roman Republic took control of the city in 129 BC. The Library of Celsus keeps its large facade, though its roof has collapsed. On a 14 day greek islands tour, this is the ancient stop.
Kusadasi was overshadowed by Ephesus in antiquity, until the harbour of Ephesus silted up. Wikipedia says the Kucukmenderes River slowly filled that harbour with sand. The city then lost its role as a port and commercial centre. This is why a cruise port such as Kusadasi serves the ruins on a 14 day greek islands tour.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, completed around 550 BC, measured 115 metres long and 46 metres wide. Wikipedia adds that it was supposedly the first Greek temple built of marble, with columns about 13 metres high. Today the site near Selcuk shows foundations and one reconstructed column. Only these remains stand today.
The Ephesus Archaeological Museum stands in Selcuk and shows finds from the dig site. Earlier finds went to the British Museum and to Vienna. Turkish law now forbids taking finds out of the country, so new discoveries stay in Turkey. On a 14 day greek islands tour, the museum is a calm option.
What does Patmos add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour calls at Patmos, a Greek island of the Dodecanese, later on day seven. According to Christian belief, the Book of Revelation was written here by John of Patmos. For that reason, the island is a place of pilgrimage.
Patmos covers 34.05 square kilometres and has 3,283 residents, as Wikipedia states. Its highest point, Profitis Ilias, rises 269 metres above sea level. The other settlements are Grikou and Kampos. A 14 day greek islands tour therefore meets a small island with a quiet pace.
Skala is the island’s one commercial port, and the beach of Meloi lies within walking distance of it. Chora, the capital, lies four kilometres from Skala. Wikipedia states that the town can be reached only by the road across the island. A 14 day greek islands tour follows that road.
Wikipedia says the monastery was founded by Christodoulos Latrinos. The greater part was complete three years later. Strong outer walls answered the threat of piracy and of Seljuk Turks. A 14 day greek islands tour sees a fortress as well as a church.
The main church, the Katholikon, has the shape of a Byzantine church, domed and cross-in-square. Its floor is carved marble in the opus sectile style, with wall paintings from the Middle Ages. A two-storied arcade stands on the south side. The lanes of Chora are narrow, so a 14 day greek islands tour keeps a slow pace.
A mosaic over the cave entrance carries a Greek text naming Saint John the Theologian. Wikipedia says the cave holds a lectern once used by Prochorus, the scribe. Visitors can touch three narrow openings in the rock, which tradition links to the Holy Trinity. A 14 day greek islands tour keeps this visit quiet.
Owing to their meaning in Christianity, one UNESCO entry covers Chora, the monastery and the cave. Wikipedia adds that early Christian customs are still practised in the monastery. The listing also names the care taken of those customs. A 14 day greek islands tour treats the island as a place of worship.
What does Rhodes add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour reaches Rhodes on day eight. Wikipedia says Rhodes is part of Greece, in the South Aegean region. The plan names two sights: the walled Medieval City in Rhodes town, and the village of Lindos with its acropolis.
Wikipedia gives Rhodes an area of 1,400.68 square kilometres. One of its nicknames is the Pearl Island. In ancient Greek, rhodon meant rose, a word close to the island’s name. The Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem later ruled here. The island has a long past.
The Dorians built three important cities there in the eighth century BC, Wikipedia says: Lindus, Ialysus and Camirus. The three joined in 408 BC to form one territory. They built a new capital, the city of Rhodes. A strong earthquake about 226 BC badly damaged it. A 14 day greek islands tour walks a city with a very old plan.
The Rhodians raised a statue of their sun god Helios, called the Colossus of Rhodes. The Hospitallers later built the citadel of the city. On a 14 day greek islands tour, the citadel marks the start of the old town. Wikipedia notes the UNESCO World Heritage designation of the medieval city.
Wikipedia names Vittorio Mesturino, an expert in medieval architecture, as the architect who rebuilt the Grand Master’s Palace. He also planned the work on the Street of the Knights close by. The palace and the street make one walk on a 14 day greek islands tour.
Wikipedia says Lindos lies on Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, and a view shows the village with its acropolis and beaches. Dorians led by Tlepolemus arrived around the tenth century BC. The acropolis was fortified in turn by five peoples, from the Greeks to the Ottomans. This is the second choice on a 14 day greek islands tour.
In classical times, the acropolis of Lindos was dominated by the massive temple of Athena Lindia. The temple had its final shape by about 300 BC, as Wikipedia states. Strabo wrote that the daughters of Danaus founded it. With one day, the old town and Lindos are two choices on a 14 day greek islands tour.
What do Heraklion and Knossos add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
On day nine, a 14 day greek islands tour calls at Heraklion, the port for the palace of Knossos. Wikipedia states that Crete had no larger population centre than Knossos in Minoan times. The ship then sails on to Santorini, so the plan picks its sights with care.
Wikivoyage describes Heraklion as a city with Venetian and Byzantine churches and a coastal promenade. It also names a harbour fortress and a Venetian wall, both well preserved. A 14 day greek islands tour therefore meets a working city with a long past. The wider area has been inhabited since at least seven thousand BCE.
The Venetians held the city from the thirteenth century. A 14 day greek islands tour sees the harbour fortress of Koules, which the Venetians built in the sixteenth century. Wikivoyage adds that a mole runs almost two kilometres out from the fortress. The city wall is 7.5 kilometres long and has seven bastions.
Knossos stood on Kephala hill, where people first settled about seven thousand BC. The first palace dates from about nineteen hundred BC. After a major destruction around seventeen hundred BC, the Minoans rebuilt it on a larger scale. For a 14 day greek islands tour, this is the main reason to leave the ship.
Wikipedia lists a central court, monumental entrances, storage magazines and drainage systems in the rebuilt palace. Wikivoyage calls the site fairly compact. Sir Arthur Evans reconstructed parts of it. A visitor on a 14 day greek islands tour therefore sees ancient stone and modern restoration. The site is tied to the old myth of the Minotaur.
The Heraklion Archaeological Museum shows a bull’s head rhyton and an ivory bull leaper, both from Knossos. A 14 day greek islands tour that adds the museum gives the ruins their objects. Another example is the Snake Goddess figurine. Minoan larnakes, which are clay coffins, fill a room of their own.
The museum also has a Hall of the Frescoes. Wikipedia places the Hagia Triada sarcophagus there. Wikivoyage names the Bull-Leaping Fresco and the Phaistos Disk among the highlights. Check the opening hours on the Ministry of Culture pages before the trip. The ship keeps a fixed sailing hour. Pick the palace, the museum, or both.
How does the arrival on Santorini work on a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour reaches Santorini at the end of day nine. The ship anchors inside the caldera, below the town. Wikipedia places the cruise anchorage off the town of Fira. Passengers then go ashore, and a transfer takes them to the hotel on Santorini.
Wikipedia says the South Aegean Volcanic Arc holds no more active volcano than Santorini. Its official name is Thira. An old church of Saint Irene in the village of Perissa gave Santorini its name. A 14 day greek islands tour therefore ends its cruise at the rim of a drowned volcano.
Wikipedia calls the eruption that formed the caldera the Minoan eruption, and says massive tsunami waves followed it. It says the eruption lasted for weeks. It left a large water-filled basin with deep ash deposits around it. On this stage of the trip, the cliffs seen from the deck show the layers of that event.
Wikipedia names Fira as the modern capital of the island. Its houses stand on a caldera wall that Wikipedia puts at 400 metres high. The ship stays out in the harbour, and the town stands far above the water. On a 14 day greek islands tour, passengers step ashore at the port below.
Wikipedia lists three ways up to Fira from the port. Travellers can climb the zigzag footpath on foot. They can ride a donkey on the same path. They can also take the steep cable car from its lower terminal by the port. A 14 day greek islands tour leaves this choice to each person.
After disembarking, the plan moves on by road to the hotel on Santorini. The cases do not go up the path. The central square of Fira, Plateia Theotokopoulou, has a bus and taxi station. The three Santorini days that follow slow the pace, after four busy days afloat.
What do Fira, Oia and Akrotiri add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
Days ten to twelve of a 14 day greek islands tour are free on Santorini. Fira, Oia and Imerovigli stand along the rim of the caldera. Akrotiri is a prehistoric site named after a nearby village. Together they give three free days a clear order of walks and visits.
The name Fira comes from a different way of saying Thira, the ancient name of the island. An earthquake destroyed an earlier church, and the Cathedral of Ypapanti stands on its site. The first free day of a 14 day greek islands tour can use Fira as its base.
Two museums of interest stand in Fira, as Wikipedia states. One museum, the Archaeological Museum of Thera, stands near the cable car. The other, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, lies at the southeast corner of the cathedral. A 14 day greek islands tour can fit both into one morning before the cliff walk. They explain what the island holds.
North of the capital lies the village of Imerovigli, on the rim of the caldera. Wikipedia lists the church of Ai-Stratis in its centre. Along the path between Imerovigli and Fira lies the Monastery of Saint Nikolaos. A 14 day greek islands tour can walk that path. It makes a quiet stretch between two stops.
In Oia, a cobbled path called Nikolaou Nomikou winds round the caldera as the main street. Wikipedia says sunlight hours there are much longer than in Fira. Oia lies 11 kilometres from Fira. The village gets crowded in the tourist season. Keep one evening of the 14 day greek islands tour for it.
Akrotiri is a prehistoric town that volcanic ash buried. Wikipedia dates the earliest signs of village life there to the fifth millennium BCE. It also states that only the southern tip of this large town has come to light. It shows streets, squares and houses of up to three storeys. Wikipedia compares its preservation with Pompeii.
The wall paintings at Akrotiri kept their colour because ash covered them. Wikipedia adds that the site yielded no human remains and only one gold object, a sign of an orderly evacuation. The Museum of Prehistoric Thera displays these finds. A 14 day greek islands tour can therefore join one museum visit and one site visit.
What does the volcano cruise add to a 14 day greek islands tour?
Half a day on the water is the volcano part of a 14 day greek islands tour. The boat sails into the flooded Santorini caldera and visits the young volcanic islands at its centre. It fills one of the three free Santorini days.
Nea Kameni is uninhabited and of volcanic origin. Wikipedia places it inside the flooded caldera of Santorini. Here a 14 day greek islands tour offers a rare moment. You stand on the volcano itself. You no longer look across at it from the cliff.
Wikipedia gives the area of Nea Kameni as 3.4 square kilometres. Its last small eruption pushed out a dome of lava, as the article records. A scientific institute for the Santorini volcano keeps the island under close watch. It is a good place to see how the caldera grew.
The walk uphill is short and plain. Wikipedia says a path of loose stones leads up to the crater. From the top, visitors can walk right around the edge. Wear shoes with a firm grip on a 14 day greek islands tour. The soil is thin, and the island is nearly barren. Bring water for the walk.
Wikipedia adds that dozens of tourist boats stop at the island each day through the summer. The island is sparsely covered with succulent plants. Keep a hand free on the path. Listen to the crew on this stop of the 14 day greek islands tour.
Palea Kameni sits south-west of its younger neighbour, as Wikipedia states. The island has a hot spring. Wikipedia says thermal waters are commonly warmer than the sea around them. A herd of goats and a church are found there too. Tourists can reach it by swimming from Nea Kameni.
Thirassia is the third island of the ring. Wikipedia lists it, with Santorini, as an inhabited island of the same municipality. The caldera is 18 kilometres long, as the Fira article states. Ask the provider of a 14 day greek islands tour where the boat stops and for how long.
How do the flight back to Athens and the last day work on a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour ends with a flight on day thirteen from Santorini to Athens. One more night follows in the city. On day fourteen comes the transfer to the airport and the flight home.
The plan swaps the ship for a plane on day thirteen. Wikipedia says Santorini lies further south than any other Cyclades island. A short flight brings the traveller back to Athens. After landing, the traveller rides a transfer to the hotel. This keeps the last night of the 14 day greek islands tour in the capital.
Wikipedia calls Athens International Airport the main airport of Greece and the one for the region of Attica. Wikipedia adds that the older Ellinikon airport had no space for growth, and this airport took its place. Knowing the place helps you picture the transfer. It also helps with day fourteen of a 14 day greek islands tour.
Wikipedia puts the airport 20 kilometres from the centre in a straight line, to the east. The road is longer at 30 kilometres, since hills interrupt the way. Use the longer road distance when you plan the morning transfer on your 14 day greek islands tour.
Two terminals serve the airport, as Wikipedia describes. An underground link connects the main building with the satellite building. Check the ticket the evening before to learn which terminal the flight uses. Then the end of the 14 day greek islands tour runs smoothly.
Keep a spare buffer on the last morning. Roads, check-in and security all take time. Leave the hotel earlier than the bare minimum. Day fourteen has one job, and that job is the flight home. A calm start suits a 14 day greek islands tour.
Luggage allowance differs by airline, so read the rules of every flight. The flight from Santorini and the flight home can carry different limits. Pack the bag on day thirteen so that it fits the later limit. Then the 14 day greek islands tour closes without a rush.
Which entry rules, packing points and access needs matter on a 14 day greek islands tour?
A 14 day greek islands tour needs a valid passport or ID card. Turkey is not part of the Schengen Area, which adds a border step on the Kusadasi day. Look up the rules for your passport on the official sites before booking.
In the Schengen system, 29 European countries have ended border controls at their common borders, says Wikipedia. Turkey appears in its list of eastern neighbours of the area. So the Kusadasi stop of a 14 day greek islands tour lies outside it.
The Turkish Government sets the visa policy of Turkey. Wikipedia says an ordinary passport needs at least 60 days of validity beyond the stay. Cruise passengers can receive a visitor permit at the port, valid for the port city. The permit is valid for up to seventy two hours. Read the official page for your passport.
Greece uses the euro, and Turkey uses the lira, so carry a bank card that works in both countries. Plan each shore day of the 14 day greek islands tour to end in time for the ship. Leave a margin for queues at the gangway and the walk to the port.
Wikipedia states that the meltemi wind is strongest in the afternoon. A hat, sunglasses and a light layer for windy deck evenings help. Choose shoes with grip for marble and cobbles. At monasteries, dress modestly and cover the shoulders and knees. Pack with these points in mind for a 14 day greek islands tour.
Stairs are part of the plan. Wikipedia describes a zigzag footpath from the port up to Fira, used on foot or by donkey. A steep cable car runs there too. At Lindos a monumental staircase leads to the acropolis. Expect steps on other shore days of a 14 day greek islands tour.
Children tire on long days, so keep shore days short and add a rest after lunch. Access for wheelchairs varies between ports, and between tender boats and gangways. Ask the provider before booking whether each stop of the 14 day greek islands tour suits your needs.
What else do travellers ask about a 14 day greek islands tour?
Why can a stop on a 14 day greek islands tour change?
Wikipedia says cruise ships sail on round voyages, and passengers go ashore on excursions at each stop. In a 14 day greek islands tour, that means four days afloat with shore stops. The plan names the stops, but wind, sea and port rules can still move one.
Wikipedia notes that Mykonos is called Island of the Winds because of the very strong winds there. It adds that a deep draught kept older ocean liners out of shallow ports, so cruise ships are built differently. Weather and water depth both shape where a ship ties up on this route.
Wikivoyage also describes two harbours at Mykonos. One harbour is in the town, and the other lies about 2 km north of it, at Tourlos. From the new harbour, it says the cruise shuttle bus ride into town takes under ten minutes. Ask the provider which harbour the ship will use on day six.
Which collections of the Athens museum link to a 14 day greek islands tour?
Three groups of objects point toward the islands. Wikipedia says the Cycladic collection shows human figures from old island cemeteries that resemble modern art. In a 14 day greek islands tour, they prepare you for the Cyclades before the ferry leaves Piraeus.
Wikipedia says the Stathatos collection holds about a thousand objects, mainly jewels. They date from the Middle Bronze Age to the post-Byzantine era. The same article says the rooms of Minoan frescoes opened to the public after the main refurbishment. Knossos on Crete belongs to that Minoan world.
The building has a neo-classical design, and a large garden with sculptures stands at its front. Wikipedia says the building was completed in the nineteenth century. Funds came from the Greek Government and the Greek Archaeological Society. Check the official page for opening hours.
Which Greek words help on a 14 day greek islands tour?
One Greek word earns its place in every pocket. A travel page on Greek phrases lists efharisto as the word for thank you. Learn it first. A 14 day greek islands tour brings small moments for it, from the dining room to a beach kiosk.
The same page lists yamas as cheers and signomi as excuse me. These three words cover a meal, a crowded lane and a thank you. Nai and oxi, meaning yes and no, take only a minute to learn.
Wikivoyage notes that all permanent residents of Mykonos speak Greek, while visitors get by in English. This page found no phrasebook source for Turkish in Kusadasi. Check the official Turkish tourism pages or a printed phrasebook before the cruise.
How does a free evening look on a 14 day greek islands tour?
In Athens, Wikivoyage calls Monastiraki a bohemian district with stores for antiques and souvenirs. It names Anafiotika an oasis of calm and the home of the first university of Athens. A 14 day greek islands tour leaves free evenings for these walks.
On Mykonos, Wikipedia names the four windmills and Little Venice among the sights of the town. In the main town, a statue of the heroine Manto Mavrogenous stands at the centre of a square. Wikivoyage calls Chora the island’s port town and capital.
In Fira, Wikipedia describes whitewashed houses on the caldera edge. You find a bus and taxi station, banks and pharmacies on the central square, Plateia Theotokopoulou. A short walk there gives a quiet last evening before the flight to Athens.
Where can a traveller meet Santorini’s past on a 14 day greek islands tour?
Two places hold it. Wikipedia says Fira takes its name from Thira, which was the island’s ancient name. It names two museums there. Athens has Bronze Age frescoes from Akrotiri, so a 14 day greek islands tour can meet the same island twice.
The Archaeological Museum of Thera stands near the cable car entrance, Wikipedia says. Beside a cathedral, built where an earlier church once stood, sits the museum of prehistoric Thera. Both museums are in Fira.
The Athens museum shows the boxing boys fresco, which Wikipedia calls one of the well preserved frescoes from Thera. It also shows a fresco of a spring landscape from Akrotiri. Seeing these in Athens first gives the Santorini days more meaning.