Greece Turkey

As your much-awaited journey with Shree Swaminarayan Tourism  begins, here’s how your first day will unfold based on your departure city:

Guests Departing from Mumbai (Scheduled Group Departure)
Guests who have opted for the Mumbai to Mumbai tour will meet at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, four hours before the scheduled flight departure time.
From here, you fly together with Shree Swaminarayan Tourism tour manager to Athens and begin your beautiful journey. Upon arrival, the Shree Swaminarayan Tourism Tour Manager will assist you with all airport formalities and ensure a smooth transition to the hotel or sightseeing place as per the itinerary.

Guests Joining from Other Indian Cities
If you are flying from cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru or others, please ensure that you have received your complete travel details like airline, flight departure and arrival time, airport name, passport with valid visa etc. from your Shree Swaminarayan Tourism Travel Advisor. You will fly to the first destination of the tour as per your individual flight details. Upon arrival your tour manager will meet you at Athens Airport or at the sightseeing place conveyed to you in advance.

Joining & Leaving (J&L) Guests – From India or Anywhere in the World
If you are joining the tour from any part of India or overseas by making your own arrangements, please ensure that you have received complete guidance for smooth arrival, hotel check-in or joining at sightseeing place, from your Shree Swaminarayan Tourism  Tour Manager as well as travel adviser. Tour Manager will meet you directly at the first destination as per the tour plan conveyed to you.

Important Notes:
For Joining & Leaving guests the flight tickets, visa, insurance and airport transfers are to be borne by guests. Please ensure all these arrangements are as per the scheduled group tour. To avail of the group airport transfers, we request you to ensure your flight arrival is at the scheduled group airport and is minimum one hour before the group’s scheduled flight arrival time. For last day your flight departure time should be after the scheduled group flight departure time to avail the airport transfers.

Note:
• Standard hotel check-in time is 3:00 PM (15:00 hrs) or later. If our flights are reaching in the morning, we cover one of the sightseeing’s to fill up the gap.
• We recommend you to take care of your travel documents, valuables, foreign exchange, and emergency contacts handy during your journey.

Upon arrival, we walk through Plaka- the old historical neighborhood of Athens. It has a village feel, with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewellery, clothes and local ceramics. Here we have some free time for shopping.

Note: As per the Schengen visa rule, we need to process your Schengen visa from the consulate of the country we’ll be entering first on our Europe tour or staying in for the maximum number of days. ‘Joining & Leaving’ guests will also have to get their visas processed from the consulate of the same country; otherwise, boarding might be denied by the airline, or even entry into that country can be banned.

Included Meal: Dinner

Today we travel from Athens to Santorini by ferry. Santorini is known as ‘black pearl of Aegean’ and is one of the most spectacular Greek islands. Upon arrival, we will explore Fira — the vibrant capital of Santorini, known for its stunning natural beauty, lively social and nightlife, and excellent shopping. Afterwards, we will visit a renowned local winery for a wine tasting experience, where we will also learn about the unique wine production of the region.

Today we explore Santorini village, we visit Red Beach – without a doubt one of the most stunning and interesting beaches on the island, we then visit Akrotiri archeological site – one of the oldest and most important archaeological sites offering insights into the prehistoric settlement of the town of Akoriti in Santorini. Further we visit Lost Atlantis Experience Museum – The first museum in the world dedicated to the myth of Atlantis. Here you can re-live the cataclysmic destruction of Atlantis with all your senses in an extraordinary 9D experience. Later we visit Prophet Ilias monastery- built by two monks in 1711 on the highest peak of Santorini at 565 meters above sea level. Further we visit Black Beach – Here we enjoy the chill-out vibes and relish some mouth-watering Greek cuisine. We then visit Megalochori village- one of the most picturesque villages on the island. Its existence is recorded back to the 17th century, Oia village – the most famous of all villages in Santorini. It is known throughout the world for its beauty, fantastic architecture and the famous Blue Dome. Here we walk through the village and admire its and its beautiful sunset.

Today we travel from Santorini to Athens by ferry.

Today we travel from Athens to Istanbul by flight. Istanbul- a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. Upon arrival we visit Grand Bazaar – the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. Here we can shop for famous flavoured Turkish tea, Turkish Ceramics, Carpets, textiles, Leather & Pottery. Further we enjoy Turkish dinner with show.

Today we enjoy Istanbul city, we visit Topkapi Palace – the largest and oldest palace in the world and the heart, brain and centre of the Ottoman Empire, followed by a visit to Hippodrome square – also known as Atmeydani (Horse Square), We then visit Sultan Ahmet Tsami popularly known as Blue Mosque- a historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design, Hagia Sofia Museum – once the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum. Later we experience the most scenic cruise through Bosphorus strait – a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway. It forms part of the continental boundary between Europe and Asia.

Today we proceed to Pamukkale – known for the mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside.

Included Meal: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we visit the beautiful snow-white ‘Cotton Castle,’ one of the most visited places in Turkey. The word ‘Pamukkale’ means ‘cotton castle’ in Turkish. It features hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals formed by flowing water. Located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley. Later, we explore the ancient city of Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The name ‘Hierapolis’ also means the sacred city. During our visit, we explore its masterpiece theatre.

Today we proceed to Cappadocia – best known for its moon-like landscape, underground cities, caves, churches and houses in the rocks. En route, we visit the Mevlana Mausoleum in Konya, also known as the Green Mausoleum or Green Dome. This site is the original lodge of the Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes and houses the tomb and shrine of Mevlana. It remains an important place of pilgrimage. Upon arrival, we enjoy whirling dervish show – the part of the Turkish history, tradition, culture and beliefs.

Today we explore Cappadocia, we visit the famous valleys of Cappadocia like Devrent Valley – also known as Imagination Valley. It was never inhabited by humans. There are no rock-hewn churches or ancient castles, nor are there any troglodyte caves or pigeon homes. Instead what draws visitors to Devrent Valley is the incredible pink hued rock formations and geological anomalies that have been formed by centuries of erosion, Pasabag Valley – also known as Monk Valley. Pasabag contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple rock caps – formations that are unique even for Cappadocia! Locals refer to them as the mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys, Goreme open air museum- the UNESCO World Heritage site which hosts the most important Byzantine cave churches in the world that where the monks and nuns pursued monastic life, Kaymakli underground city – one of the most famous and the widest Underground city of the Cappadocia. Kaymakli’s history dates back to Hittites and Phrygians Period in the 7th and 8th century B.C. Kaymakli Underground City has acted as a safe haven for those fleeing from religious persecution, and it was mainly used by Christians during the Byzantine era for protection from invading Arabs. They estimate that up to 3,500 people once lived here. Later we visit Ceramic Workshop – the area is famous for the art work, souvenirs and household utensils all made from the red clay of the Avanos River.

Today we proceed to Istanbul by flight.

It’s time to say goodbye—Phir Milenge!
Let’s stay connected via email, phone, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and more. We look forward to seeing you again on another memorable Shree Swaminarayan Tourism tour.

Group Guests:
Guests traveling on the scheduled group flight will proceed to the airport as per the group’s departure time.

Joining & Leaving (J&L) Guests:
J&L guests will proceed to the airport after the scheduled group tour concludes.
If your flight timing and airport match the group’s, you may join the group airport transfer. Otherwise, the cost of reaching the airport, cruise terminal, railway station, or bus terminal will be borne by the guest.

Tour Concludes. Safe travels and see you soon!

Included Meal: Breakfast