Military History Tours Australia Greece and Crete ANZAC Day Tour 2011 Itinerary
CLICK HERE for details of our NEXT Greece and Crete tour.
Day 1 - 22 April 2011 Athens, Good Friday: Arrivals throughout the day and free time until in the evening we move to Syntagna to see the Easter Epitaph processions which gather at the Monument for the Unknown Soldier with an Army Escort for a short Church Service. This does not happen anywhere else in the world.
Day 2 - 23 April 2011 Athens, Easter Saturday: Early morning visit to the Acropolis and the Museum and following lunch we enjoy a tour of Athens. The remainder of the day and evening is free to relax and meet other guests and to enjoy parts of this beautiful city but should you wish to see the Midnight Mass of the Resurrection and the fireworks, the Church it is not far from our hotel. B/L
Day 3 - 24 April 2011 Athens: After breakfast at the hotel, we are planning something special that may have us invited to the Easter Family Lunch at the Presidential Guard Camp. The afternoon is free for further exploration and as this is Easter Sunday there will be an opportunity to be part of Easter in Greece. The evening is at leisure. B
Day 4 - 25 April 2011 Athens: ANZAC Day, this is a very special day on the 70th Anniversary of the battles that were taking place near Athens as the Australians were gathering to evacuate to Crete. This will be, we believe the first actual Dawn Service as many ANZAC Day Services in the past have been at 1100.
An early wake up call before coffee and tea in our hotel lobby then off to the Service. On arrival you will be ushered into the area at the base of the Cross of Remembrance for a traditional Dawn Service. At the completion of the Service there will be time at the Cemetery to inspect the area before our coach arrives to take us into Athens for our special breakfast. The afternoon is at leisure for you to further enjoy this city as tomorrow we leave Athens. B
Day 5 - 26 April 2011 Olympia: After breakfast we say farewell to Athens as we drive out to Olympia via the Corinth Canal, Argos and Kalamata. Corinth was the location of the German para drop that secured the crossing into the Peloponnese and Kalamata was the last evacuation beach. o/n Olympia B/D
Day 6 - 27 April 2011 Delphi: An early start as we head to Delphi, visiting the Castalia Springs and Athena Sanctuary. In Delphi our guide will take us through the history of the Oracle and we will visit the special museum that is on the hill overlooking the location where the Oracle was housed. That evening we enjoy dinner together in those famous hills of Delphi. B/D
Day 7 - 28 April 2011 Meteora: Final viewing of Delphi before we head north to Kalambaka via Brallos Pass and Domokos. In Kalambaka we will visit the famous monasteries on the mountains. Kalambaka was also a blocking position during the withdrawal and due to the successful holding action there our forces in Larissa were able to escape. B/D
Day 8 - 29 April 2011 Meteora: A further day viewing this historic area as well as the location of the blocking point that was to cover the west of the main withdrawal route before returning to our hotel in Kalambaka where we will dine together in our hotel or at a local restaurant. B/D.
Day 9 - 30 April 2011 Florina : We are now moving into the area where the 6th Division deployed prior to the German invasion. We are not far from the Albanian Border and it was out here that the Greek Cavalry Regiments acquitted themselves so well. They were not defeated by the Germans but bypassed and left to their own resources to either try and rejoin the main Greek Army or melt into the countryside. B/D
Day 10 - 1 May 2011 Florina: Today we visit the areas where the 6th Division propped and waited for the German assault. We will discuss those positions and the battles that followed. Ptolemaida will be among our visits today. Not only will we walk the ground of those actions, but we will take time out to enjoy some of the culture of this part of Northern Greece. Tonight we have dinner in our hotel in Florina. B/D
Day 11 - 2 May 2011 Kozani: A special day as we commence our withdrawal to the south. If possible we will take time for a couple of unusual visits. B/L/D.
Day 12 - 3 May 2011 Larissa Area: We leave Kozani and head down to the area east of Larissa on the route taken by our troops as part of their fighting withdrawal. We settle into our hotel for our two (2) nights in the coastal town of Platamon. This lovely seaside town was the area where the 21st New Zealand Battalion put up such a wonderful defence. B/D
Day 13 - 4 May 2011 Larissa: This will be a special day visiting Tirnavos, Elasona and Mount Olympus returning to Platamon for dinner. B/D
Day 14 - 5 May 2011 Athens: We return to Athens via Volos, Lamia, Thebes and the evacuation beaches at Megara. That night we take the overnight ferry to Crete from Pireaus. B/D
Day 15 - 6 May 2011 Crete: Early arrival in Chania, early breakfast before we meet our guide for our tour of the Chania/Maleme Area. In the early afternoon we tour Souda Bay War Cemetery prior to settling into our hotel. B/D
Day 16 - 7 May 2011 Crete: Breakfast in our hotel prior to heading across the island where we will visit the evacuation route and beach at Sfakia. We then proceed east along the coast past small villages until we arrive at Preveli Monastry where so many of our men were given shelter prior to evacuation via submarine. We return to our hotel in Rethymon for dinner. B/L/D.
Day 17 - 8 May 2011 Crete: We enjoy breakfast at your hotel before we set out to visit the battlefields at Heraklion and Rethymon following which we can have some free time to explore this old pirate haven. We return to our hotel for a cool drink and dinner. B/D.
Day 18 - 9 May 2011 Athens: AM transfer to Heraklion Airport for departure to Athens. The tour ends as we arrive at Athens Airport. B.
