Island of myth and legend, Crete can claim to be home to the oldest civilization in Europe, the Minoans. Discover the superb Minoan, Mycenean, Doric and Roman remains of Crete and nearby Santorini in the company of Professor John Bennet, Director of the British School at Athens, and unravel the clues left behind to learn how this ingenious Bronze Age civilization was so ahead of its time. 

Highlights

• Discover the Minoan palace cities of Phaestos, Malia and Knossos, adorned with staggering frescoes and home to the ancient scripts Linear A and Linear B
• Visit the evocative remains of Ancient Aptera, once a powerful city-state, reduced to ruins by an earthquake 
• Enjoy charming Chania, with its beautiful Venetian mansions and lighthouse, and Heraklion, with its medieval city centre
• Take a catamaran to Santorini to see the recently excavated site of Akrotiri, buried by volcanic ash with remarkably well-preserved remains