Oct23 back – Jewish heritage tour of Greece – an amazing 10-day tour – October 22nd to 31st, 2023

DAY 1 – Sunday October 22^nd – ATHENS
As soon as you land in ATHENS, you will be met by our representative at the airport, and transferred to your hotel in Athens. You will enjoy a free day at leisure in Athens, with an optional visit to the National Archaeological Museum. You can walk in the traditional area of Monastiraki, taste some souvlaki and gyros, and get to know this incredible city! In the evening we will enjoy a WELCOME DINNER at the Community Center of the Jewish Community of Athens. Overnight in Athens. (D)

DAY 2 – Monday October 23^rd – ATHENS
In the morning we will have a Tour of the Jewish Sites of Athens. This will include the visit to the Jewish Museum, the Synagogue of Athens, the Holocaust Memorial, and other sites of Jewish interest. In the evening, we will have a walk through Plaka, the beautiful area of old Athens, with picturesque paved streets and hundreds of boutique shops. Then we will enjoy dinner and a Greek folklore show with traditional Greek singing and dancing. Overnight in Athens. (B, D)

DAY 3 – Tuesday October 24^th – CHALKIDA & VOLOS
After breakfast, we will depart with our bus from Athens to CHALKIDA, a beautiful town which is the capital of Evoia island. We will visit the Synagogue of Chalkida, and learn about the rich Jewish history of the town. We then head to VOLOS, where we will arrive at about 2:45 PM. We will check into our hotel, and rest for a couple of hours. At 5:15 PM we will visit the Synagogue of Volos and the Holocaust Memorial of Volos. Dinner and overnight in Volos. (B, D)

DAY 4 – Wednesday October 25^th – PELION, LARISSA, TRIKALA, METEORA, IOANNINA
After breakfast in Volos, we will have a short tour to PELION, visiting the picturesque village of Makrynitsa. We then proceed to LARISSA, where we will stop for 1 hour for visiting the Synagogue and the Monument of Jewish Martyrs of the Holocaust. We continue to TRIKALA, where we will stop for about 2 hours for visiting the Synagogue and having lunch. Then we will visit KALAMBAKA, a small town built at the foot of majestic gray rocks, where we will stop for about 1 hour for admiring the breathtaking METEORA monasteries. We then head to IOANNINA (Yannena), a beautiful town with a very rich Jewish history. We will arrive there at about 7:00 PM and settle in our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Ioannina. (B, D)

DAY 5 – Thursday October 26^th – IOANNINA
After breakfast, we will have a tour of the Jewish sites of Ioannina, including the Synagogue and the Cemetery. In the afternoon, we will have a boat ride in the beautiful lake, visiting the small islet. Dinner and overnight in Ioannina. (B, D)

DAY 6 – Friday October 27^th – METSOVO, VEROIA, THESSALONIKI
After breakfast in Ioannina, we depart for METSOVO, a picturesque little town, where we will stop for one hour. Then we continue to VEROIA, a wonderful small town with an amazing old Synagogue in Barbouta area (the old Jewish quarter of Veroia). Then we head to THESSALONIKI, where we will arrive at about 2:00 PM. Settle in our hotel, go for lunch, and rest. In the evening we will enjoy a heartwarming Kabbalat Shabbat and dinner. Overnight in Thessaloniki. (B, D)

DAY 7 – Saturday October 28^th – THESSALONIKI
Free day in Thessaloniki. Of course it’s possible to go to the Synagogue for the Shabbat service.
In the evening we will have a nice walk in the center of Thessaloniki and Ladadika area. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki. (B, D)

DAY 8 – Sunday October 29^th – THESSALONIKI
After breakfast, we start exploring the amazing Jewish sites of this city. We will walk together through the historical center of Thessaloniki, where Jewish life used to flourish from the 15th century until World War II. We start the tour by visiting the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki, and continue to the main Synagogue “Monastirioton“, the only pre-war synagogue (out of 43) still existing in the city. We will then visit “Yad Lezikaron” synagogue and continue to Modiano market, in the heart of the former quarter of Jewish life in the city. We will proceed to Yahudi Hamam and then to Allatini Bank in Frangon area, the heart of the commercial life of the past. We will then visit the Shoah monument (Holocaust memorial) at Liberty Square, where the first Nazi prosecution of Thessaloniki’s Jews took place.
After a short break for lunch, we will continue with a bus to get to know many more Jewish sites in Thessaloniki! We will drive to the old train station, from where the deportations to Auschwitz Birkenau had started. Then we will drive to the east part of the city, to see the villas of the wealthy Jews of the prewar period – some masterpieces among them! We will continue to Yeni Cami, which used to be a mosque built for the converted Jews (a jewel of architecture, loaded with an amazing story), the old city walls with an amazing view, and of course the University campus with the recently inaugurated monument for the destroyed ancient Jewish cemetery, where there used to be more than 350.000 tombs (totally destroyed today). Of course, during the tour, we will also also admire the touristic attractions of the city, the White Tower, the Rotonda, Kamara, etc. Return to the hotel at about 5:00 PM. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki. (B, D)

DAY 9 – Monday October 30^th – ATHENS
In the morning we fly to Athens. Our bus will be waiting for us at the airport of Athens, and we will immediately start the Athens Sightseeing Tour (about 4 hours). We will see the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Zappion, the National Garden, and the House of Parliament. We will stop at the “Memorial to the Unknown Soldier” where we will see the Evzones in their picturesque uniform. Pass by the Academy of Fine Arts, the University and the National Library. Then visit the Panathenaic Stadium, the cradle of the first Olympic Games of the modern era (1896). We will then visit the Acropolis & Parthenon (the most important monuments of Greece). We will arrive at our hotel at about 2:00 PM. Free time for lunch and rest. In the evening, we will have a Farewell dinner at a traditional Greek taverna with live bouzouki music, singing and dancing! There is no better way for ending this incredible tour, which will create memories for a lifetime! Overnight in Athens. (B, D)

DAY 10 – Tuesday October 31^st – ATHENS
Transfer to the airport of Athens for our return flight. (B)

OPTIONAL – You can stay in Athens for more nights, before or after this Tour!
If you wish, you can arrive to Athens 1 or 2 nights BEFORE this Tour, that is on Friday October 20th or on Saturday October 21st.  OR you can depart from Athens 1 or 2 nights AFTER this Tour, that is on Wednesday November 1st or on Thursday November 2nd.
There are many activities that you can have during your additional days in Athens! You can take an incredible one-day cruise to 3 Greek islands (Hydra, Poros, Aegina), at a discounted price. Or otherwise, you can take a Full-day tour to DELPHI, or a Full-day tour to Nafplion, Epidaurus, Mycenae.
If you prefer to spend a day in Athens, then you can visit the National Gallery of Greece (which includes countless masterpieces), or you can visit an incredible winery, and many more attractions!
* The additional cost for an extension of 1 day (1 night) is 68 EURO per person on double occupancy of the hotel room, and 119 EURO per person on single occupancy of the hotel room.