LONDON, July 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

With the summer holidays now upon us and the skies especially grey, why not treat yourself to some guaranteed sunshine this year?  Head to Thomas Cook online to check out the range of last minute holidays available and start planning your adventure.

With enough history and culture for even the keenest enthusiasts, Greece is the perfect destination for an action-packed break.  To celebrate the glory of Greece on your next trip, check out our Top Five cultural highlights:

1.    Enjoy a great summer read in the home of literature

With a good blockbuster or best seller often making the hours spent on the beach fly-by, why not celebrate a love of reading in the place it all began? Explore the home of eighth century BC epic poet Homer, author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, and walk in the footsteps of Achilles and Odysseus as you re-live heroic tales of love and war.  Or check out Kefalonia holidays and let the idyllic setting of Louis de Bernières' ever-popular romance Captain Corelli's Mandolin capture your imagination.

2.    Relive the glory of the ancient Greeks

With 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites to be explored, take a holiday to Greece to see what you could discover. Head to Athens to admire the splendour of the Parthenon, an ancient temple on the Acropolis dedicated to the city's patron, the goddess Athena, or take a trip out to Cape Sounion to visit the Temple of Poseidon, god of the sea.

3.    Get set for London 2012 in the Olympic homeland

In preparation for London 2012 which kicks off today, why not get in the spirit by exploring the birth place of the Games?  Soak up the historical atmosphere of the Olympics' ancient origins, first recorded in 776 BC, and visit the sites of Mount Olympus where the athletes of the ancient world fought to prove their worth.

4.    Contemplate the origins of the civilised world

Boasting enlightened thinkers including Socrates, Aristotle and Plato, ancient Greece is the home of Western philosophy. Contemplate Athens' historical standing as a hub for intellectualism and the arts as you stroll amongst the ruins of the Acropolis, and consider the implications of science and democracy on our lives today.

5.     Fall in love… again!

You love the story, now fall in love with the setting!  Boasting balmy temperatures, dramatic coastlines and crystal-clear waters, value-for-money holidays to Corfu are perfect for the ultimate sing-a-long sunshine getaway.  Capture the spirit of the highest-grossing musical film of all time and start planning your own happy-ever-after…

SOURCE Thomas Cook