Classical Greece

Itinerary

Day 1: ARRIVAL ATHENS

Pass By: Athens International Airport, Attiki Odos, Spata Artemida 190 04, Greece
On your arrival at Athens airport, you will be greeted by our English-speaking assistant and taken to your Athens hotel in the comfort of an air-conditioned luxury car or bus. Athens has an array of amazing hotels, and this package offers the cream of the crop. Once you’re settled, you can spend the rest of the day at leisure, either by heading out to explore the streets of Athens at your own rhythm, or by making the most of the services available at the hotel. Overnight in Athens.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel Standard Category = Hotel Arion or similar 3*

Hotel Superior Category = Hotel Electra or similar 4*

Day 2: ATHENS ACROPOLIS (140km – 4 hrs)

Pass By: Arion Athens Hotel, Agiou Dimitriou 18, Athina 105 54, Greece
In the morning, have breakfast and then embark on a sightseeing tour of the ancient city. Along with your expert guide, go see the city centre, Constitution Square (Syntagma), the House of Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier and the National Library. On your way to the Acropolis you will pass Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Make a short stop at the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first Modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. Then, at the Acropolis, visit the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and the famous Parthenon. Your first taste of Athens would not be complete without a visit to the Acropolis Museum, a modern architectural building where, at last, the statues have found their home. After the tour, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. You can book an optional tour to Cape Sounion, passing the wonderful beaches of Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, to see the white marble pillars of the Temple of Poseidon and the rocky promontory of Sounio. In the evening you can book another optional tour: Night out in Athens. Enjoy a short panoramic drive through the city centre and then take photos of the illuminated Acropolis. After that, enjoy a walk through the picturesque streets of the old city and wrap up the night in a typical Greek tavern with live music and Greek folk dances in traditional costumes. At the end of the visit, return to your hotel. Overnight in Athens.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Standard Category = Hotel Arion or similar 3*

Hotel Superior Category = Hotel Electra or similar 4*

Day 3: ATHENS – CANAL OF CORINTH – EPIDAURUS –NAUPLION - MYCENAE – OLYMPIA (385km – 9 hrs)

Pass By: Antonios, Olympia 270 65, Greece
After breakfast in the hotel, leave Athens by the coastal road to the Corinth Canal, where you will make a short stop to contemplate the views. Then drive on and visit the splendid Theatre of Epidauros, famous for its remarkable acoustics. After that, proceed to the town of Nauplion, where you will enjoy a brief photo stop before continuing to Mycenae. Here you will visit the city’s fascinating Archaeological Site, as well as the Tomb of Agamemnon. Lastly, depart for Olympia by driving through the Central Peloponnese and the towns of Tripolis and Megalopolis. Once you arrive in Olympia, cradle of the Olympic Games, check in at the hotel to spend the night. Overnight in Olympia.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Standard Category = Hotel Antonios or similar 3*

Hotel Superior Category = Hotel Europa, Arty Grand or similar 4*

Day 4: OLYMPIA - DELPHI (330km – 8 hrs)

Pass By: Hotel Hermes, Греция, Akti Koundourou 17, Ag. Nikolaos 721 00, Greece
Today breakfast in the hotel is followed by a visit to the Archaeological Site containing the Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Stadium and the Archaeological Museum. After that morning of history, monuments and enlightenment, it’s time to drive through the plains of Eliad and Achaia to the magnificent bridge crossing the Corinthian Bay from Rion to Antirion. Pass by the picturesque towns of Nafpactos (Lepanto) and Itea before you finally arrive in Delphi, a city once regarded as the centre of the world. According to mythology, Zeus sent out two eagles from the ends of the universe to find the navel of the world, and it was in this location that they met. The sanctuary of Delphi is set within a most spectacular landscape. Check in at the hotel and spend the night.

Overnight in Delphi.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Standard Category = Hotel Hermes, Olympic or similar 3*

Hotel Superior Category = Hotel Amalia or similar 4*

Day 5: DELPHI - KALAMBAKA (310km – 8 hrs)

Pass By: Hotel Orfeas, Ifigenias &, Siggrou 35, Delfi 330 54, Greece
Wake up to breakfast in the hotel and then head out to explore the Archaeological Site and Museum of Delphi, where amongst other archaeological treasures you can contemplate the unique bronze statue of the Charioteer dedicated to Apollo by Polyzalos. After the visit, you will depart for Kalambaka, a small town located at the foot of the astonishing complex of Meteora, an almost alien landscape filled with gigantic rock formations. Check in to the hotel and have dinner at the hotel before spending the night. Overnight in Kalambaka.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel Standard = Hotel Orfeas, Antoniadis or similar 3*

Hotel Superior = Hotel Divani, Amalia or similar 4*

Day 6: KALAMBAKA - ATHENS (355km –9 hrs)

Pass By: Arion Athens Hotel, Agiou Dimitriou 18, Athina 105 54, Greece
After breakfast in the hotel, explore the striking scenery of Meteora. Perched on top of enormous pillars of rock that seem almost suspended in mid-air, stand a series of ancient monasteries showcasing a wonderful collection of Byzantine art. You will ascend to two of the monasteries to marvel at their beautiful contents before beginning the drive back to Athens via Trikala, Lamia and Thermopylae, where you’ll make a short stop to see Leonida's Monument. Arrive in Athens early in the evening and check in to the hotel. Overnight in Athens on selected hotel.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Standard Category = Hotel Arion or similar 3*

Hotel Superior Category = Hotel Electra or similar 4*

Day 7: ATHENS (OPTIONAL ONE DAY CRUISE TO AEGINA, HYDRA AND POROS)

Pass By: Arion Athens Hotel, Agiou Dimitriou 18, Athina 105 54, Greece
Charge your batteries after finally returning to Athens with breakfast in the hotel. Then you are free to enjoy a full day at leisure. Today you have the chance to book an optional one-day cruise to the islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina. After a morning transfer to the port, you’ll be welcomed on board a luxurious cruise ship and invited to one of its spacious open decks offering great views of the Greek coast. The first stop is the island of Poros, the smallest of the three islands you’ll visit on the tour. It’s separated from the Peloponnese by a narrow strait. After exploring the island, you’ll be served lunch as the ship sail towards Hydra. Take in the stunning views as you enter the port of Hydra and see the cove once used as a shelter for pirates. Wander around the narrow, stone-paved streets of the island on foot or by saddled donkey. When you return to the ship, you’ll find the tables set once again. Along with your food enjoy charming Greek music on the way to Aegina, the largest of the three. Apart from its beautiful harbour, there are numerous interesting sites that you’ll have a chance discover on your own. Alternatively, you can join an excursion to the Temple of Aphaia at an additional cost. Enjoy a Greek folk show with singers and dancers in traditional costumes on the sail back to Athens.

Overnight in Athens.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel Standard Category = Hotel Arion or similar 3*

Hotel Superior Category = Hotel Electra or similar 4*

Day 8: DEPARTURE ATHENS

Pass By: Athens International Airport, Attiki Odos, Spata Artemida 190 04, Greece
Wake up to one last breakfast in the hotel before taking your transfer back to Athens airport, where you’ll catch your flight to your following destination. The time your transfer leaves depends on your flight departure. Breakfast included.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.