Spring in Crete - Landscape, history & archaeology

10 days
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Small Group Tour
The ‘garden of Eden of European civilization’: these words used by botanist David Bellamy, powerfully encapsulate the history, landscape, and vegetation of Crete. Mountainous, dramatic limestone crags contrast with the lush green of the fertile inland valleys, high upland plains, and densely cultivated coastal strips. Wherever they live, the people of Crete d...
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Concentrates on the extraordinary civilization of the Minoans, but also pays due attention to Classical and later cultures.
    • Plenty of time for Knossos and the main sites and includes many remote and little-visited ones.
    • Wonderful, contrasting landscapes at a beautiful time in the island’s calendar.
    • Explore various cultural layers, history, landscape and tradition

What's this trip about?

    The ‘garden of Eden of European civilization’: these words used by botanist David Bellamy, powerfully encapsulate the history, landscape, and vegetation of Crete. Mountainous, dramatic limestone crags contrast with the lush green of the fertile inland valleys, high upland plains, and densely cultivated coastal strips. Wherever they live, the people of Crete define themselves as a mountain people with traditions of genuine hospitality (philoxenia), and a fierce sense of freedom (eleftheria). These qualaties are celebrated in a distinctive and lively tradition of folk music and dance.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - 24 max
Age range36 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityHeraklion
End CityChania

Travel Themes

  • Cultural

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Greece

Attractions

  • Akrotiri
  • Crete
  • Heraklion

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Ruins & Archaeology

Trip includes

    • Air travel (economy class) on scheduled flights with Aegean Airlines via Athens (Airbus Industrie A321 & A320)
    • Travel by private coach
    • Hotel accommodation
    • Wine, water and coffee
    • All admissions to museums and sites
    • All tips for restaurant staff, drivers and guides
    • All state and airport taxes
    • The services of the lecturer and a local guide

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1

Fly at c. 12.15pm from London Heathrow to Heraklion via Athens (Aegean Airlines). Overnight Heraklion at the Lato Boutique Hotel.

Day 2

Knossos Palace and Archaeological Museum. The capital of Minoan Bronze Age Crete, Knossos resonates in both myth and archaeology. At its peak it comprised a magnificent palace with courts, religious buildings and mansions. Excavated by Sir Arthur Evans at the beginnin...

Day 3

Festos, Agia Triada, Gortyna. A day in the Mesara, the rich agricultural plain on the south coast. Phaistos is the second largest Minoan palace, dramatically located on a ridge overlooking the plain. The Agia Triadha Minoan villa is situated to appreciate the green an...

Day 4

Knossos. A second visit to the Archaeological Museum gives a more detailed appreciation of Minoan art and artefacts, and a chance also to see the unique Daidalic sculpture of Archaic Crete and the statues of the Classical and Roman periods. The Historical Museum compl...

Day 5

Mallia Palace, Elounda (to take boat to Spinalonga Island). Set on a fertile coastal plain is the Minoan palace of Mallia. Further east is the beautiful Elounda Bay, with a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mirabello and the mountains of east Crete. The island of Spinalonga, site of the Venetian fortress that became a 20th-century leper colony is sheltered in the bay. Overnight Heraklion.

Day 6

Knossos Villa Ariadne, Fourni, Anemospilia. The Villa Ariadne was Arthur Evans’ home while excavating Knossos. Our private guide tells a host of stories revealing the life of the Villa from Evans until modern times. Archanes Fourni cemetery, the most complete excavate...

Day 7

Arkadi Monastery, Armeni Cemetery, Rethymnon. Heading to Chania and the mountainous west of the island, Arkadi is one of the great fortified monasteries of Crete. Its active role in the 1866 revolt against Turkish rule make it a symbol of Cretan resistance. Armeni cem...

Day 8

Aptera, Souda War Cemetary, Agia Triada Monastery. One of the most powerful Graeco-Roman city states, Aptera is a huge site with Roman ruins, a theatre and a Turkish fort. See the British war cemetery at Souda Bay. Moni Agias Triadas on the Akrotiri peninsula above Hania was founded in 1630
by Venetian nobles and has some of the finest monastic architecture on the island. Overnight Chania.

Day 9

Chania. A morning walking tour includes the Archaeological Museum, Minoan Kastelli, Old town, Harbour Mosque and Synagogue. The extensive Venetian town of Chania provides an opportunity to bring together all the threads of Cretan history. The walking tour takes in the...

Day 10

Fly to London Heathrow via Athens, arriving c. 3.30pm.

The opening of sites on Crete is arbitrary and can be influenced by the politics at the time of the tour. This may mean that at short notice not all sites listed can be visited.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,608
Price per day$361
Single supplement (single occupancy)$3,377
Last Updated: 7/16/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Martin Randall Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Martin Randall Travel

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Martin Randall Travel is one of the most respected travel companies in the world, among both travellers and within the tourism community. We are committed to providing the best planned, the best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours currently available.

We offer an unequalled range of tours and events focusing on art, architecture, music, archaeology, history, gardens and gastronomy. Our mission is to deepen your understanding and enhance your appreciation of the many civilizations around the world.

For over two decades we have been the most influential organisation in the field of intellectual travel. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration.

Small groups, and congenial company

Most of our tours run with between ten and twenty participants. We strictly limit numbers, specifying the applicable maximum in each tour description. The higher costs of smaller numbers are outweighed by the benefits of manoeuvrability, social cohesion and access to the lecturer.

The small-group principle is diluted when there are private concerts or several speakers exclusively for our clients.

Not the least attractive aspect of travelling with MRT is that you are highly likely to find yourself in congenial company, self-selected by common interests and endorsement of the company’s ethos.

Health & safety

Martin Randall Travel and its management team attach the upmost importance to the health and safety of clients, tour leaders and employees travelling on our tours and events. It is our duty to comply with relevant health and safety legislation, and we take seriously our 'duty of care' to all who travel with us. Employees and tour leaders cooperate with the company in fulfilling our duty of care by following company rules on safety and codes of practice – which together form our Health and Safety Policy.

We allocate clear responsibilities and accountabilities to implement our Health and Safety Policy.

We set clear direction for the business to follow our Policy, supported by the Board and senior management.

We adopt and review health and safety management systems.

We make available suitable resources to meet our commitments.

We maintain consultation and dialogue with employees.

We assess travel-related risks faced by clients and staff.

We provide clients and staff with information to the risks they may face and the preventative and protective measures there are to control these risks.

Value for money, and no surcharges

The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, transport and the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips, drinks with meals and airport taxes.

We do not levy surcharges for fuel price increases, exchange rate changes, additional taxes or for any other reason. The price published here is the price you pay.

Travelling solo

We welcome people travelling on their own, for whom our tours are ideal, as many of our clients testify. There are usually several solo travellers on tour. On evenings when dinner is not included there is always the option of dining with the tour manager.

Hotels usually charge a supplement for single occupancy of a room, but we never add anything to this – indeed, most of the supplements we charge are subsidised by ourselves, sometimes by hundreds of pounds.

Where we are able to, we assign those travelling on their own to rooms which are normally sold as doubles.

 

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Personal Expenses

Accommodation

,Lato Boutique Hotel, Heraklion: family-run 3-star hotel with small but well-appointed rooms. Good location by the Venetian port. Kydon Hotel, Chania: 4-star hotel well located close to the old town and port. Single rooms are doubles for sole use throughout.
Cancellation policy

If you have to cancel your participation on a tour, there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before the tour the deposit only is forfeited. Thereafter a percentage of the total cost of the tour will be due:

between 56 and 29 days: 40%

between 28 and 15 days: 60%

between 14 days and 3 days: 80%

within 48 hours: 100%

If you cancel your booking in a double or twin room or cabin but are travelling with a companion who chooses to continue to participate on the tour, the companion will be liable to pay the stipulated single supplement.

We take as the day of cancellation that on which we receive written confirmation of cancellation.

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

All breakfasts, four lunches and five dinners

Age Requirements
36 years and up
Additional Information

Strenuous

There is quite a lot of walking and scrambling over archaeological sites and this tour is not suitable for anyone who is not sure-footed. Average distance by coach per day: 56 miles.

Trip ID
martin-SprCreMar

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