1 DAY
ARRIVAL AT CORFU
Arrival at the airport of Corfu. Transfer to the hotel. And later we can have a short city tour of Corfu. Return to our hotel. Dinner and overnight.
2 DAY
THE CITY OF CORFU-ACHILLEION PALACE-CORFU BY NIGHT
We will have the opportunity to visit Corfu. The old town of Corfu is very similar to Venice, as long as it had been under Venetian rule for about 600 years. We will visit the narrow alleys, the sung “Kantunia”, the church of St. Spyridon between the new fortres and the old one as well as the church of St. George in the old fortress. In the afternoon we will visit the Achilleion Palace, in the village Gastouri about 10 km south of Corfu. The Achilleion Palace was built and decorated after the Empress’s of Austria visit to Corfu. The Palace, built by famous architect Rafaelo Kavito in 1890/1, has a magnificent view of the island and a famous fresco. In the evening, we will return to our hotel. Later we are going to attend a Greek folklore show and have three-course-dinner along with excellent wine. Return to the hotel and overnight.
3 DAY
FREE DAY
Free day. You will be able to rest, sunbathe or walk and explore the island, as you wish. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
4 DAY
LONG SIGHTSEEING IN THE NORTH
In this trip we are going to be guided along the Panorama Street. An enchanting area in green and pastel-hue countryside with traditional villages will be presented. We will head towards Palaiokastritsa, a picturesque area of Corfu, surrounded by 6 low hills. There, we will visit the historic byzantine Monastery of Theotokos. The monastery itself is a strong building complex with a nave in the center and a typical for Corfu Venetian protruding on the outside and flat bell-tower. Provided we have enough time, we will have a boat trip (excl.) to the grotto or swim. Afterwards, we will visit an olive grove further to bella Vista, also known as the Balcony of the Ionian Sea, to enjoy the magnificent view. Later we will pass from Lakones and Acharavi villages as well as Kassiopi fishing village. Lakones is known for its workshop of artistic woodcarving on olive tree wood. The small area of Acharavi is a popular destination in Corfu as well as Kassiopi. Besides, from Kassiopi, if the weather is good, we may have a view of the opposite Albanian coast. Later in the evening, we will return to the hotel.
5 DAY
MINI-CRUISE TO PARGA AND PAXOS
Today’s mini-cruise will start with a visit to Parga. Parga is a fishing small harbour with distinctly whitewashed houses. Through narrow alleys we may reach the Venetian Kastro. Later, we are going to visit Paxos Island with its Emerald Grotto. In addition, Paxos has the only olive tree forest of 260000 olive trees. Opposite of the romantic harbour lies Agios Nikolaos. In the evening, return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
6 DAY
FREE DAY OR OPTIONALLY VISIT TO KALAMBAKA AND THE MONASTERIES OF METEORA-RETURN TO CORFU
After breakfast we may cross the strait by ferry to Igoumenitsa, the harbor opposite to Corfu. Then, we will continue our journey from Ioannina to Kalambaka by bus. Upon our arrival, we will see the medieval monastic community built on the top of the steep mountains and we will enjoy the absolute silence. This is a place of great contrasts, dark and scary during the winter if a gale bursts between the clefts but also beautiful, sunlit and full of scents of wild-flowers. The monastic community consists of 6 monasteries: Varlaam, Metamorfosi, Agios Stefanos, Agios Nikolaos, Rusanu and Holy Trinity.
7 DAY
KAIKI TRIP-TRADITIONAL BOAT TRIP WITH BARBEQUE
We will take a kaiki, a traditional Greek fishing boat, from tho old harbor of Corfu, about 10 minutes course in the North. We will enjoy the marvelous view of the old fortress, the old town and its harbor and the small island of Vidos. About 1 and a half hour later we will reach bay with magnificent view, where we may sunbathe and have lunch. After lunch, we will head northeast to the small fishing village of Kassiopi, where we will have our evening coffee and have the opportunity to taste local ouzo and buy sweets. On our return to the hotel, we will have the opportunity to visit a beach and a sea cave (about 14 m. deep). In the afternoon around 17.30 o’clock we arrive in the city. Dinner and overnight in our hotel.
8 DAY
RETURN FLIGHT
Transfer to the airport of Corfu.