ITINERARY
Day 1. Athens: Philoppapus Walking Tour
Reception at the airport. Transportation to the hotel.. A little later we take a walk around the heart of the city. Our first stop on the walking tour is the Philoppapus monument, from which you can see all of Athens. Our restaurant for dinner is in the Plaka with a view of the Acropolis. Accommodation Athens. (Dinner)
Day 2. Athens: The Cerameicus-The Agora-Acropolis South Slope / The Acropolis-National Museum The Cerameicus (the "potters quarter") reveals substantial remains of the original city wall as well as a splendid collection of funerary offerings in its museum. The Agora was the administrative and economic heart of democratic Athens. The South Slope of the Acropolis holds the Theatre of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.. The Acropolis. We pass the Propylaion (the entrance gate) on our way to the Parthenon (Athena's temple) and the mysterious Erechtheum. There is also an important museum on the hill itself with critical remains of the Archaic Period (750-480). Accommodation Athens. (Breakfast - Lunch – Dinner)
Day 3. Athens-Marathon-Sounio
Today we take a bus tour of the area right around Athens, called Attica. Our first stop is the battlefield of Marathon, where the Athenians pushed back a much larger Persian force in 490 B.C. (Break for lunch) Next we travel down the coast another 30 miles, to beautiful Cape Sounio and its dazzling temple to the sea god Poseidon. Accommodation Athens. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 4. Thermopylae - Dion – Veria.
We drive north. First break at Thermopylae, where King Leonidas with his 300 Spartans and their allies held off the vastly superior Persian invasion for three critical days until they were overwhelmed. Continue north to the ancient site of Dion. Dion was a small settlement but an important place in Macedonia. Drive north direction DION. The name of Dion is derived from Dias (Zeus) the Olympian god. The Macedonian kings used to celebrate their victories and to offer to Zeus in Dion. Many objects shown in the Museum are from the Roman period when many Romans lived in Dion. Early afternoon arrival Veria where we overnight. Accommodation Dion (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 5. Vergina-Kalambaka (Meteora)
After breakfast awe take a short drive to Vergina in Macedonia. Here is what is thought by many scholars to be the tomb of Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. The museum is almost miraculously built all around the tombs, and their artifacts are displayed almost where they discovered. Drive south to Kalambaka where we overnight. Accommodation Kalambaka. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 6. Kalambaka (Meteora)-Delphi
Meteora is a must-see on any trip to Greece. Here are some of the most ancient, active monasteries on all of Greece, perched miraculously atop the mountains along the Pinios river. A two-three hour drive puts us in Delphi. Accommodation Delphi. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 7. Delphi-Olympia
Delphi was truly a Pan-Hellenic site for the Greeks; they all gathered here to celebrate Apollo and to get practical advice from the Pythia, the priestess. Aside from its historical importance, Delphi is a wondrously beautiful place. Morning visit the museum and the ruins of Delphi and early noon drive direction Olympia. Break for lunch at Nafpaktos and later afternoon arrival Olympia where we overnight. Accommodation Olympia. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 8. Olympia-Nafplion
The site of Olympia needs no introduction. We take a tour of the site where the games we held and visit the magnificent museum. This afternoon we drive across the spine of the Peloponese for Nafplion, which many guide books call "the most beautiful city in all of Greece.". Accommodation Nafplion. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 9. Nafplion- Mycenae - Epidavros-Corinth-Athens Using Nafplion as our point of departure, we now tour the area of the Peloponese known as the Argolis (the region around the main ancient city of Argos). Our morning tour is to Mycenae, the legendary home of Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces at Troy and then drive east to the most impressive theatre remaining from antiquity at the Sanctuary of Asklepeos. Drive north east direction Athens. Break at ancient Corinth and late afternoon arrive Athens. Accommodation Athens. (Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner)
Day 10. Athens . Flight back home
Breakfast and transportation to the airport. END of services (Breakfast )
