Day 1 Depart the US

• Greet your fellow adventurers and board your international flight bound for exotic Greece

Day 2 Athens

• Arrive in Athens and immediately begin your exploration by climbing up to the Parthenon to visit the Acropolis. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments in 2007. Explore such archaeological and architectural wonders as the Parthenon, the Old Temple of Athena and the intriguing Erechtheon with its porch of caryatids (columns in the shape of women). Enjoy fantastic views over the beautiful city of Athens.
• Dine along the footsteps of such historical figures as Plato, in Athens’ ancient city centre, the Plaka.

Overnight: Athens

Day 3 Athens

• Dive into the world of Greek mythology and learn about the ancient Greek gods. You will understand the history and culture of this fantastic country much better from the stories and morals passed on through these thousands of year old myths and legends. Many of these figures from Greek mythology have left imprints on our own language and culture; from the underlying philosophy of democracy to such common words as “narcissistic”, “museum” and “Amazon”.
• Attend a performance of an ancient Greek tragedy in a thoroughly modern presentation, an example of how both Greece’s history and future shape this iconic culture today.

Overnight: Athens

Day 4 Olympia

• Board your motor coach and depart for Olympia
• Explore Olympia, where the first Olympic Games took place in 776 BC. At ancient Olympia, you can see the ruins of the Temple of Zeus as well as a 3rd century BC athletic stadium. Discovering the roots of the contemporary Olympic Games, an international vehicle for cooperation and diplomacy, is enlightening.
• Travel to Kyparissia Bay and prepare for two days on the frontlines of conservation with the loggerhead sea turtle project.

Overnight: Camping with researchers at Kyparissia Bay

Day 5 Kyparissia Bay

• Receive an introduction to the loggerhead sea turtle project that you will participate in over the following 2 days. The “Archelon Association” takes care of the protection of sea turtles, especially by preserving their natural living space and thus securing the existence of their species. Tasks during this full day turtle project include:
  • Help run the established Nature Information Centres
  • Conduct morning surveys at dawn, to assess the previous night's turtle activities
  • Help relocate nests laid in unsafe areas to safer areas
  • Collect the night survey data on nesting females
  • Excavate a sample of nests is carried out in order to determine hatching success

Overnight: Camping with researchers at Kyparissia Bay

Day 6 Kyparissia Bay

• Continue with your turtle project by participating in morning observation
• Enjoy a farewell lunch with your fellow researchers, then board your motor coach for Patras
• Spend the night travelling by ferry to Italy

Overnight: Overnight Ferry from Greece to Italy

Day 7 Alberobello

• Enjoy the fairy-tale city of Alberobello, the Trulli capital. The origin of these curious cone-shaped houses is unknown, but they are five centuries old and make an intriguing landscape.
• Discover the Dolci Pascoli cheese cooperative and watch all the steps of cheese production. Fine cheese making can create complexities and nuances to cheese that rival the range found in fine wine making. Afterwards you will have the chance to try different varieties of typical Italian cheese.
• Try your hand at this craft and assist in its production.

Overnight: Castrovillari

Day 8 Mt. Etna

• White-water raft the beautiful and ancient Lao river. Once described by Pliny circa 50 AD, the river still runs strong year round today, with challenging rapids.
• Travel to Mt. Etna and once there receive an introduction to one of the few remaining active volcanoes in Europe.

Overnight: Refuge on the slopes of the active volcano, Mt. Etna

Day 9 - 10 Mt. Etna

• Mt. Etna is a stratovolcano, which means that it is a conical mountain that was built by the eruption of lava, ashes, and pyroclastic flows. The isolated mountain, which today is about 3340 meters high (just over 10,000 feet), is visible from a great distance and dominates the Strait of Messina. As a consequence, it becomes very steep approaching the summit.
• Mt. Etna's long recorded history has proven invaluable to the world's volcanologists as it has been active for more than 2.5 million years. The first recorded eruption was in 1500 BC. Mt Etna also has a long presence in Roman and Greek mythology. The ancient Greeks believed it to be the home of the Cyclops, and Romans believed that Vulcan, their god of fire, worked at a hot forge within the volcano, striking sparks as he made swords and armor for the other gods.
• Spend two days exploring the areas on Mt. Etna, including several calderas, and lava fields from recent eruptions. Experience geothermal energy first hand as your guide hands you rocks hot to the touch from the surrounding terrain. Learn to identify geological features of the volcano.
• Split into teams: one will spend the day trekking on the volcano while the other half will go mountain biking – two great ways to see this iconic volcano.
• Learn about what makes this volcano home: As one of Italy's most beautiful national parks (Parco Regionale dell' Etna), Mt Etna is home to stone pines, birch, beech, and oak trees; and such fauna as hedgehogs, porcupines, lizards, owls, hare, weasels, squirrels, and foxes; watch the skies over the beautiful desolation of the cold and windy summit for falcons and eagles.
• The following day, continue your small group team exploration of the volcano, participating in the activity your group had not done previously.

Overnight: Refuge on the slopes of the active volcano, Mt. Etna

Day 11 Mt Etna - Palermo

• After breakfast, depart for Caltagirone, where you will get a hands-on experience making pottery with the locals.
• Continue on to Palermo and spend the night traveling to Naples on the overnight ferry.

Overnight: Overnight Ferry

Day 12 Pompeii – Rome

• Your arrival in Naples via ferry is an opportunity to find out everything you need to know about ships, ports and navigation in this busy Italian port.
• Visit the ancient city of Pompeii, Vesuvius' most famous victim. When the mountain erupted in AD 79, it rained ash and stone and completely destroyed and buried the city. The glimpses into everyday Roman life preserved here have solved some mysteries for historians as well as creating others. Flex your detective skills as you try your hand at some mystery solving in this amazing venue.
• Continue on to the marvels of Rome

Overnight: Rome

Day 13 Rome

• Get unique access at the capital of Catholicism and the world's smallest state, the Vatican.
• Admire the masterpieces of St. Peter's cathedral, including Michelangelo's glorious Pieta and the Sistine Chapel.
• Meet a Catholic priest and learn of daily life at the Holy See.
• Be escorted by a Swiss Guard, a soldier who has served as a body guard at the Holy See, behind the scenes in this world behind worlds.

Overnight: Rome

Day 14 Rome

• Participate in the exclusive full day Discover Rome: A Team Based Challenge. Explore the capital of Italy, this iconic city in both culture and history, through checkpoint challenges and cooperative problem solving in small groups.
  • Discover the Coliseum and find a clue within its walls
  • Test your Italian interacting with the locals at the Trevi Fountain to complete your checkpoint
  • Explore the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona in hands-on activities, which immerse you in their history, and local culture.
• Completion of the challenge will rely on what you have learned both pre-travel and during travel to work your way through Rome and be the first team at the end. Teams will travel along different paths to the finish line.

Overnight: Rome

Day 15 Rome

• Say “Arrivederci Roma” and return to the US