It used to be that travelers would return from Greece with one of two regrets: "Ruin Overload"

(too many temples, too few days) or "Beach Fatigue" (so many hours on the sand that they never saw the real Greece). But that's no problem for you! This Classic Journey delivers the best of everything—most of all, because we concentrate on two gorgeous (and compact) Greek Isles that encapsulate the best of classical antiquity, modern comfort and traditional culture. We explore Crete with its Minoan ruins, deep gorges, rolling olive groves and Byzantine churches. And we take our time, too, on red-cliffed Santorini, settling into a charming hotel with incredible sunset views of the extinct volcano's caldera. All along we meet shepherds, villagers and fishermen—the contemporary Greeks who live amid some of the loveliest scenery and finest historical treasures on earth. You'll head home with a deep and very personal feel for this wonderful civilization and the islands that have cradled it for millennia.