Set a course for hidden harbors and the delights of off the beaten path Greece during a seven-day cruise to Hellenistic islands and a moonlight dinner concert in the Turkish ruins of Ephesus. Explore the colorful interior of the Cathedral of St. George atop Syros, a stately, hillside landmark founded in the 1200s and continually restored after devastating battles. Listen as a moonlight concert reverberates across the ancient Celsus Library walls during your candlelight dinner in Ephesus. Drink the decadent sweetness of local Muscat wines pressed at Samos and learn about their most famous and calculating resident--the mathematician Pythagora. Wander the weathered Doric decor of the Temple of Demeter prior to sampling the culinary perfection of pan-seared calamari in Naxos. Relax on the sunny and sandy expanses of the most scenic beaches in the Cyclades. Browse handmade clothing in unspoiled Folegandros and Milos--tiny island refuges yet to be found by tourists.

With 3,000 years of history, you can’t turn around in Athens without encountering the past. The Acropolis, a UNESCO site, the Plaka, and the Acropolis Museum are must-sees. But leave time if you can to climb Pnyx Hill for photos of the Parthenon at sunset, to buy your own set of Greek komboloi (worry beads), and to explore the metro stations that serve as mini-museums for the relics that are constantly being unearthed. 

With 3,000 years of history, you can’t turn around in Athens without encountering the past. The Acropolis, a UNESCO site, the Plaka, and the Acropolis Museum are must-sees. But leave time if you can to climb Pnyx Hill for photos of the Parthenon at sunset, to buy your own set of Greek komboloi (worry beads), and to explore the metro stations that serve as mini-museums for the relics that are constantly being unearthed.