city: Greece

Nat Geo Day Tour: The Fascinating World of Bees

Your introduction to this fascinating world begins at the Bee Museum of Rhodes, featuring engaging interactive exhibits. Learn about the importance of beekeeping as your National Geographic-trained guide explains the history of maintaining colonies of bees and their hives in the South Aegean islands. Watch bustling beehive life through transparent observation hives and discover intriguing facts about pollination and apitherapy—the medicinal use of bee products. You'll also learn various simple ways to protect these creatures so crucial to our planet's ecosystem. National Geographic travelers will then enjoy an exclusive, live demonstration of honey extraction by one of the Bee Museum staff in a private room. Learn about professional techniques like honeycomb scratching and the use of tools such as manual extractors to fill empty jars. Afterwards, you'll be able to sample the freshly extracted honey in a dedicated space exclusively available to National Geographic groups. Try other types of honey, too, including varieties like pine, thyme and erica. Plus, try the famous Melekouni, a traditional sweet snack from Rhodes. After the tasting, don a protective suit and take a look at an active apiary, examining the open hive with an experienced beekeeper. Surrounded by happy buzzing, you'll learn about important tools, such as frames, smokers and scrapers, as well as gain a practical understanding of how bee colonies are organized. Leave with a new understanding of the humble honeybee and what you can do to protect it.