MINOAN GLORIES The Art and Architecture of Bronze Age Crete

7 days | £3995 per person with flights | 15 - 21 October 2025

The Art and Architecture of Bronze Age Crete

“Out in the wine-dark sea there lies a land called Crete, a rich and lovely land, washed by the waves on every side, densely peopled and boasting ninety cities . . . One of the ninety towns is a great city called Knossos, and there, for nine years, King Minos ruled” (Odysseus speaking in Homer’s Odyssey). When a Cretan antiquarian, also called Minos - Minos Kalokairinos - discovered some large storage jars at Knossos in 1878, he started an international race to find the ancient city and turn the myth of the Minotaur into reality. The victor was Arthur Evans, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and the discovery of Crete’s impressive and intriguing Bronze Age site of the so-called Palace at Knossos, as well as at excavations at Phaistos, Hagia Triada, Malia, and Gournia, plus the unearthing of the astonishing buried city of Akrotiri on Santorini, revealed a visually rich and archaeologically fascinating culture which turned the archaeologists who unearthed it superstars. Their excavations brought to light the stunning architecture, sculpture, frescoes, weaponry, ceramics, and jewellery of a civilization as ancient as that of Egypt, yet also distinct from it. Arthur Evans called this culture ‘Minoan’ after its mythical king, and described it as ‘the first European civilisation’.

From our base at the elegant Hotel Megaron, itself a historical monument overlooking the old harbour in the heart of Heraklion, we will explore the artistic and cultural splendours left by the Minoans. In the expert and affable company of classicist Dr Steve Kershaw we will spend quality time examining the exquisite relics of these Bronze Age people in the world class museums of Heraklion and Santorini, scrutinise the palatial complexes of Knossos, Phaistos, Hagia Triada, and Malia, walk the ancient streets of Gournia, and take to the seas to witness Akrotiri, the ‘Pompeii of the Aegean’ and its unparalleled collection of frescoes. We will also experience the beauties of Crete’s natural environment on our visits, be this heading into the mountains to see evidence of Minoan wine-production and to taste the fruits of this 4500-year-old tradition at a modern winery, or down on the coast strolling around the allegedly bottomless Lake Voulismeni in Agios Nikolaos. Overall, the island of Crete and its unique Minoan culture will offer us a thrilling and enriching time in a world of mesmerising myth, absorbing history, and enthralling art and archaeology. 



Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

Flight from London to Crete. Check in to the Megaron Hotel, within walking distance of the Archaeological and Historical museums of Heraklion. Welcome drinks and dinner.



Day 2

Spend the morning at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum to view the highlights of its world-class Minoan collections: the bull-leaping fresco, the ‘Snake Goddess’ figurines, the exquisite Kamares Ware pottery, the mysterious Phaistos Disk, the Hagia Tiada sarcophagus, and so much more. After lunch, to avoid the worst of the crowds and heat, we will make a late-ish afternoon visit to the enormous, multi-storeyed, richly decorated complex at Knossos known as ‘the Palace of Minos’, which was ‘reconstituted’ by Sir Arthur Evans.



Day 3

Cross to the south side the island to make a morning visit to the Minoan Palace at Phaistos, with its impressive Central and West Courts, theatral area, and storage facilities, all excavated by the Italian Archaeological School of Athens, before moving on to the nearby Royal Villa at Hagia Triada. After lunch by the sea, our afternoon will continue with investigations at Gortyna, mentioned in Homer and famous for its inscribed ancient Greek law code, and at the excellent newly opened Archaeological Museum of Messara.



Day 4

Day trip to the island of Santorini. Sail on the morning ‘Flying Cat’ into the spectacular caldera of Santorini. Drive to the Akrotiri Archaeological site where we can walk through the streets of this once vibrant harbour town, destroyed in an enormous volcanic eruption in the Late Bronze Age, giving rise to speculation about the destruction of the Minoan culture on Crete, and Plato’s myth of Atlantis. After lunch in Fira, perched on the edge of the volcano’s cliffs we will make an afternoon viewing of the Museum of Prehistoric Thira, where the magnificent frescoes from Akrotiri have recently been put back on exhibition following meticulous restoration. We will sail into the sunset back from Santorini to Heraklion.



Day 5

Our day’s explorations will take us into the mountains above Knossos to make inland visits to Vathypetro with its Minoan wine press, the Minoan Cemetery at Fourni, the Anemospilia Temple (subject to opening), and the Minoan settlement town of Archanes, including the interesting Archaeological Collection of Archanes. We will complete our day with a visit to a Cretan winery for insights into the history and contemporary delights of the island’s distinctive wine production.



Day 6

Morning visit eastwards along the coast to the archaeological site of Malia, one of the major Minoan settlements, which flourished particularly between 1950 and 1650 BCE. The extensive site features all the principal elements of Minoan palatial architecture, including its large central court, theatral area, colonnades, light wells, two-storeyed rooms, storage magazines, and private rooms. After lunch in the very attractive port of Agios Nikolaos, with the remarkable Lake Voulismeni in the centre of the town, we will make our final exploration of the Bronze Age world at the Late Minoan town of Gournia, sitting on a small hill just a few hundred metres from the Gulf of Mirabello. With around 50 well-preserved houses, a system of cobbled streets, a central court, a Minoan palace, and a cemetery, Gournia provides us with a vivid picture of what a Late Bronze Age urban settlement looked like. On our return to Heraklion, we will enjoy a final dinner in an elegant Cretan restaurant.



With Flights: £3995

Join Direct: £3795

Single Supp: £395

Deposit: £450

Departure Dates:

15 - 21 October 2025

Duration:

6 nights / 7 days

Your Holiday Includes:

• Return flights (Economy class) from London to Crete
• Six nights' bed and breakfast at the Megaron Hotel in Heraklion
• Private coach transfers and excursions
• Five meals (lunch or dinner) and one wine tasting
• Guided visits to sites listed in the programme.
• Services of the tour lecturer and tour manager. 
• Detailed programme and study notes.
• All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff
  

Tour Lecturers

Dr Steve Kershaw

As a Classics Tutor for Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, and as a lecturer for the V&A and The Arts Society, Dr. Steve Kershaw has spent much of the last 40 years travelling extensively in the world of the Ancient Greeks both physically and intellectually. His media appearances include featuring as an expert contributor to the History Channel’s Barbarians Rising series and as a guest on BBC Radio 3’s You’re Dead to Me, and his publications on Greek history include A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths, A Brief Guide to Classical Civilization, Three Epic Battles that Saved Democracy: Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis, and a children’s book on Greek Mythology entitled Mythologica that was Amazon.com’s Best Children’s Non-Fiction Book of 2019.

Travel Information

The price does not include extras at the hotels or travel insurance.

Please note that Art Pursuits use hotels of character featuring a variety of rooms & styles.

Stamina

Please note that some of our tours can involve a fair amount of walking, sometimes across uneven ground. Please contact us if you would like more information.