Day 1: Athens - New York
Meeting at the airport, final instructions and flight to New York with the leading airlines our office works with. Flight to the dream, the legendary "New York - New York", the city with a thousand faces that we all know from the movies in the cinema, the city that combined its name with "the dream" and the imagination of modern man. Upon arrival, we will transfer to the hotel located in the heart of Manhattan. Time to settle in. Shortly afterwards, depending on arrival time, we will embark on a walking tour with our guide for a first introduction to the most exciting city on the planet.
Day 2: New York - North Manhattan tour - Central Park
We start the day with a guided tour of the sights of Northern Manhattan for which the city is famous. We will begin our tour at the statue of the most important explorer, Christopher Columbus with his caravels, which today is the measuring point for all distances from New York City. We will then pass by Lincoln Center, home to the Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera, an ideal venue for classical music lovers. A short stop at Central Park, one of the world's most popular parks, a place where New Yorkers relax and spend their leisure time. A park full of picturesque lakes, magnificent fountains, the Whispering Bench, Shakespeare's Garden and the small but lively zoo. Continue on to the General Grant Memorial and Columbia University, New York's premier theoretical science university, whose entrance makes mention of ancient Greek philosophers. Next is the Harlem neighbourhood, formerly known as the African-American Mecca of New York City, home to the Apollo theatre, which has hosted all the jazz demigods and Michael Jackson.The tour ends with 5th Avenue with its famous fashion stores and Rockefeller Center, one of the largest private complexes in the world owned by the family of the same name, a city landmark, which is home to the "Top of the Rock" observatory. We will end up in Times Square, the world's busiest and most photographed square, where millions of visitors are dazzled by the illuminated skyscrapers with colorful "neon" signs that truly make the night a day. Nearby is the wondrous Broadway, an entertainment industry hub where one can enjoy the world's most spectacular shows. For the evening, we recommend catching one of the famous musicals at the Broadway theatres, completing your day in New York in the best possible way. Don't forget to purchase your tickets from our office in Greece, in order to take advantage of the special low prices and save considerable time in queues!
Day 3: New York City - South Manhattan tour, United Nations, Chelsea Market and the new eccentric Hudson Yards district, cruise to the Statue of Liberty - Grand Central station
Gather in the hotel lobby for the second part of the city tour in which we will head alongside the East River passing the East Manhattan piers with views of the Brooklyn Suspension Bridge. Our first stop will be at the United Nations House, the headquarters of the organization whose purpose is to preserve world peace, study international economic trends, human rights issues, natural resources, etc. Then we will visit the Grand Central Station, gateway and symbol of the city, where at least 750,000 people pass through the magnificent main hall every day. We then head to the Flatiron Building, a pioneering skyscraper of great architectural significance. We move on to Greenwich Village which was beloved by artists and writers, the benchmark being Washington Square and New York University (N.Y.U).Next is Soho, filled with famous fashion houses, Little Italy and Chinatown, two of the city's most vibrant districts where New York's multicultural identity can be felt. We head to Wall Street, the centre of the world's economy with a stop at the Charging Bull bronze sculpture, where we can also see Battery Park. Next we come across Ground Zero, where a memorial has been created to remind everyone of 9/11, and next to it is the new Financial Center called the One Word Trade Center. In the same area is the new much-discussed station, built by Kalatrawa, known as Oculus, a special architectural building dominated by white, which is impressive both inside and outside and is even considered the most expensive station in the world, costing 4 billion dollars. Afterwards, we will enter the famous Chelsea Market, home of famous New York gourmet restaurants, where there will be free time to buy local produce and taste famous delicacies. At this point there is also the Highline, a wonderful park on the old railway line, where one can walk over the city taking spectacular photos, filled with images of Manhattan neighborhoods.Our tour continues with a cruise around Manhattan Island, where we can see historic Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty that dominates the entrance to the city, Staten Island and the great Verenzano Bridge. Of course we will pass under the various small and larger old and newer bridges and over the many tunnels that connect Manhattan to the surrounding area and the adjacent State of New Jersey. This will now give us a great opportunity to photograph the impressive Manhattan skyscrapers from afar. After the cruise, we will visit Hudson Yards, the newly built neighborhood of Manhattan that came out of a science fiction movie! Spread over 14 acres it includes dozens of shops, gardens, groves, upscale stores, celebrity chef restaurants and the impressive climbing project The Vessel which resembles a giant beehive. We will then return to our hotel and have time to get ready for our evening out.We have almost limitless options in the not coincidentally named "the city that never sleeps": at a unique cocktail bar or restaurant in the Meatpacking District, at a rooftop bar enjoying the lit Manhattan or in nearby Soho, Little Italy, Tribecca, West & East Village, all areas with a rich nightlife. Among New Yorkers relaxing with a drink or food after a long day, New York is ready to show you its nightlife face! If we're still lucky and there's a basketball game on, we suggest you experience the spectacular and magical world of the NBA in Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center with tickets secured by us! Of course, those of you who want to get specific and tested suggestions from our guide, feel free to consult him at any time!
Day 4: New York City - Visit to the Metropolitan Museum - Public Library - walk in the neighborhoods "Sex & the city'', "Friends'' - tour of the Brooklyn Bridge - Brooklyn Dumbo area - Timeout Market
Today, we begin our tour of the public library, a beautiful building both outside and inside, dominated by marble, murals, woodwork, quiet spaces for reading and study. Remarkably, the public library is one of the most important research libraries in the United States. We continue in the footsteps of the main protagonists of the famous Sex and the City series, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. In addition to 5th Avenue where the four friends spent most of their time shopping, we will visit in particular the Magnolia Bakery where the famous group used to enjoy their famous cupcakes, and Carrie's house where the filming of the famous series took place. At the same time we will continue our walk in the West Village, where we will pass by the building where the shooting of the series that was a huge success in Greece, "The Friends", thus completing our special walk ! Then, we visit one of the richest museums in the world, the Metropolitan Museum of Art where works of priceless value from every culture are collected.It is the third most visited museum in the world, after the Louvre and the British Museum. Its permanent collections include works of art from classical antiquity, ancient Egypt, Byzantine and Islamic art, paintings and sculptures by leading artists, as well as an extensive collection of American, African, Asian and contemporary art and much more. Surely a single day is not enough to explore it in its entirety. This is a museum with a rich and inexhaustible collection that art lovers will love. Next, we will experience Brooklyn's Dumbo district, an area located on the southeastern end of Brooklyn. This area, whose name comes from the initials Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, is one of the most historic and photographed areas with unsurpassed views for the best photos of your trip.So don't forget to take a photo of yourself on the corner of Washington Street as a souvenir. There we will walk through neighborhoods that are reminiscent of another era. The famous brownstone houses of the 19th century are a landmark, the immaculate buildings and manicured trees of Brooklyn Heights lend an air of stateliness to the neighborhood. While the area caters to classic tastes, one need not be an expert to enjoy the neighborhood's rustic architecture. In Brooklyn's most impressive neighborhood is the Timeout Market a multi-faceted market with restaurants of top chefs with specialties from around the world. We will stroll along the river overlooking the Manhattan skyscrapers and have the opportunity to enjoy food and drink in a unique setting among the majestic bridges of Brooklyn and Manhattan. From there we will have the opportunity to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with a final destination of Manhattan! The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States (1883) and connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by crossing over the East River. Since its opening it has been a symbol of New York City and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972.Then we return to the hotel. We recommend spending the evening at one of Manhattan's most authentic Jazz Bars, with live music, food and drinks. Due to the fact that the venue is often full, you have the option of booking and purchasing a ticket from us. For the burger and chocolate lovers, our guide will recommend the best spots in town!
Day 5: New York - Woodbury Commons Outlets (optional)
Free day. For those of you whose very cheap shopping is one of the reasons for visiting New York, a visit to the largest, richest and most impressive, shopping mall, the famous Woodbury Commons is a must. It is worth noting that the shops are spread out in a huge open space that resembles a small village, which makes your shopping even safer. Just an hour or so away from Manhattan, there are all the brand-name items at incredibly low prices. Two hundred and twenty plus fashion names will be at your disposal. It is no coincidence that the largest percentage of Americans, choose this place for their shopping. With stores like Michael Kors, Gucci, Guess, Dolce&Gabbana, Ugg, Nike, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Timberland, Brooks Brothers, Tommy Hilfiger and many more in an incredible variety and at prices up to four times cheaper than in Greece. It will also help you save time, as you won't have to spend extra time shopping in Manhattan.Our guide will give you the necessary advice to see as many shops as possible, making the most of your time according to your shopping interest. Along with your participation, you get a $10 VIP Coupons Book for extra perks and discounts, as well as a map to mark the top stores that interest you. Again, if shopping is not your forte, we suggest a stroll through Soho, Chelsea with its local market and East village, which was home to high society until 1900, then populated by immigrants and from the 1950s onwards the area became a mecca for the Beatles, hippies and punk generation. The East village became a laboratory for experimentation and new trends.
Day 6 : New York - Havana
Transfer to the airport and flight to Havana, the capital of Cuba. There you will be met by our Cuba guide who will accompany you to your hotel. Welcome cocktail drinks, settle into your rooms and overnight.
Day 7: Havana - City tour
Breakfast at the hotel and then depart for our guided tour of the beautiful Caribbean city. We will start from Revolution Square with its huge portraits of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos. We will then pass by the University of Havana, cross the "modern" district of Vedado with its central Copelia Square and the famous Malecón promenade and end up at the Capitol, a faithful replica of the same in Washington. Our tour changes pace and we enter Habana Vieja or Old Havana, a World Heritage Site and protected by UNESCO since 1982, which is home to some of the finest colonial buildings in the Caribbean. We will tour the museum with their national drink "rum", which we will taste.We will then visit the only Greek Orthodox church in the Caribbean, Agios Nikolaos, and then walk to St. Francis Square of Assisi, the Old Square, and Arms Square. Entrance to the impressive miniature of Old Havana and finally we will continue to the Cathedral Square the ''Templete'' Nave and the Castillo de La Fuerza Real. We will end our walk with a visit to the pirate fortress El Moro, in a peripatetic position at the entrance of the harbour with a magnificent view. Return to the hotel and in the afternoon you will have the afternoon free to walk around the city.
Day 8: Havana - Free day - Vignales - Pinar del Rio (optional)
Breakfast and free day to use as you wish. In your free time you can visit the city's large bazaar where you will find jewelry and decorative items made of wood, fruit and vegetable pits, crocodile skin and teeth, papier mache or clay, as well as works of art (avoid buying items and jewelry made from black coral or sea turtle shells as besides being illegal, their harvesting causes significant ecological problems). Stroll through the narrow streets of the old town, sip a fresh juice of "fruit bomba" the papaya or "guayaba" known to us to the sounds of a nostalgic son or bolero, and return to your hotel walking along the famous Malecón coastal avenue, gazing at the sunset and the sun disappearing into the sea in a riot of colours. Alternatively, we recommend an excursion to Vignales - Pinar del Rio (optional). A majestic valley in the westernmost province of Cuba, where the tobacco for the world's finest cigars is grown. A visit to a cigar factory to see how they are processed. Our walk in the Vignales Valley will be unforgettable as you will see green velvety hills, known as mogotes, which are found nowhere else in the world, springing out of the valley lush and almost eerie, framed by towering palm trees, waterfalls and underground caves with rivers, making up a magical landscape. Then we will see the huge Prehistoric Mural in the Indian Cave and cross its underground river in a small boat. This is followed by lunch at a local restaurant in a unique setting with live music. Returning to Havana, we will stop at the Los Hasmines Observatory with a magnificent view of the Vignoles Valley. In the afternoon return to Havana.
Day 9: Havana - Ride with cars Antiques! - Varadero
Breakfast and a last walk in Havana. we will offer you an unforgettable experience, an Antiques car ride on a wonderful route in the lush exotic forest of Havana. Immediately afterwards we will depart for the exotic, cosmopolitan Varadero, a favourite holiday destination, famous throughout the world. Cuba has over 4800 km of coastline, not counting the numerous coral reefs and islands. On Cuba's beaches, such as Varadero, Cayo Coco and Cayo Largo, you can enjoy many water sports, sunbathe, enjoy the clear waters of the Caribbean or simply rejuvenate. Cuba undoubtedly has some of the best beaches in the world and a large number of resorts where you can enjoy service and comfort on the best sandy beaches of the city, on the magnificent Varadero beach.
Day 10: Varadero
Free day to enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches in Cuba. Various optional water activities are offered, you can take a stroll through the local bazaar or visit the dolphinarium. Please note that all meals and drinks at your hotel are included in the price. Optional cruise to Kayo Blanco with dolphin swimming. Departure by catamaran to the desert island of Cayo Blanco (Cayo Blanco or white island). Stop en route at a coral reef, where you will be given time and equipment (masks, personal snorkels and flippers) to explore the reef and the colorful underwater nature around it. You will also stop at a fenced area midway along the reef where dolphins are housed and you will be given the opportunity to swim with them. At Kayo Blanco you will have time to swim and sunbathe. Included is a buffet lunch with fresh fish, lobster and other grilled seafood. Return to Varadero with rum, salsa and lots of fun and dancing!
11th - 12th day: Varadero - Havana - Athens
Breakfast at the hotel and then depart for Havana airport, crossing the Matanzas Valley with the beautiful eastern coast and the homonymous city with its many bridges and two impressive rivers in the background. Arrival at the airport, where we will take the flight back home. The beautiful memories and images of magnificent Kuva and dazzling New York will always be with us!
