7 Days Athens | Olympia | Delphi | Kalambaka - Meteora - Greece - TZ7D

Day 1

Day 1

ATHENS

Welcome to Athens the birthplace of Western Civilization, the Capital of Greece! Upon Arrival at Athens International Airport meet with your English-speaking escort, transfer to your hotel. A welcome envelope will be handed to you with all relevant information about your trip. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight Athens

Day 2

Day 2

ATHENS

Ancient yet modern, classic yet creative, traditional yet constantly changing… Athens is a city of memorable contrasts. The past and the present of Athens unfolds before your eyes while we drive around the city's highlight spots and monuments like the Temple of Zeus, the Old Stadium, Syntagma square, the Parliament and the Tomb to the Unknown soldier, the Academy, the Library, and the National Gardens. On the natural fortress of the Acropolis, reinforced by the hand of man, stand the Propylaea, the temple of the Winged Victory, Erechtheion with the Porch of the Caryatids and, towering over all, and the majestic Parthenon.  A winding path leads to the treasure of antiquity. Visible are the relics of the civilization of which we are the proud inheritors.  A few meters away from the Acropolis entrance and the Ancient Theatre of Dionysos, the New Acropolis Museum, built on pedestrian walkway of Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, looks like hanging between the past and the present of Athens. 

Designed by Bernard Tschumi and Mihalis Fotiades, the new Acropolis Museum has a total area of 25,000 square meters, with exhibition space of over 14,000 square meters. Made of stainless steel, glass, marble and concrete, materials typical of the Athenian environment, the new museum has a direct view of the Acropolis. With bioclimatic planning, which gives ideal lighting and heating conditions, the New Museum offers all the amenities expected in an international museum of the 21st century. Overnight Athens

Meals: Breakfast

 

 

Day 3

Day 3

ATHENS/OLYMPIA

Start your journey from Athens till Corinth first stop. Since 1893, it separates Central Greece from Peloponnese, so you will have to cross it to reach the peninsula Peloponnese. Another particularity of Corinth Canal is its 2 submersible bridges. Located at each end of the Canal, they must be lowered into the water every time a boat cross. It’s quite unique to watch. Head towards Epidaurus, an irreplaceable spectacle of unique beaty with huge cultural heritage. Its monuments are true masterpieces of the ancient Greek art, a genuine testimony of the Greek culture that is still alive. The great Theater of Epidaurus, has been characterized as the best preserved and the most beautiful one in the entire country. It was designed from the architect Polycleitus the Younger in 340 BC. The theater is situated close to Asclepius Sanctuary, one of the most sacred temples in ancient Greece dedicated to the god of healing which belonged to the city-state of Epidaurus. We continue our journey towards Nafplio. Nafplio is a lovely seaside town. Continue towards Mycenae, one of the most thriving towns of ancient Greece. It was the most important city of the Mycenaean civilization between 1600 and 1100 BC.  This UNESCO World Heritage Site is best known for being the former home of King Agamemnon. Explore the city founded by Perseus, according to Greek mythology, when he discovered a water spring in his exploration and believed it to be a good omen. Discover the Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon, the large “tholos” tomb, a marvelous 14th century BC structure and stroll through the Lion Gate, standing strong against the withering of time. Continue towards the birthplace of the Olympic games Olympia. Overnight Olympia.

Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Day 4

Day 4

OLYMPIA/DELPHI

Located in the western Peloponnese, Ancient Olympia was one of the most sacred and glorious sanctuaries of the ancient world. And, though only foundations of many of its structures remain, it is still one of the most evocative of Greece’s archaeological sites. Capturing all the spirit of the Olympic Games, it’s also the place where the Olympic flame is lit in commemoration of the Games that originated and were held here every four years for a staggering 1,000 years. The most important building of the Altis (or Sacred Precinct of Zeus) was the immense 5th-century-BC Doric temple dedicated to the king of the gods. It housed Pheidias’ statue of Zeus for more than 800 years. One column of the temple has been restored, allowing us to appreciate its size. Passing through a stone archway, you enter the remains of the Ancient Stadium, once housing more than 45,000 spectators. The mind boggles at being able to line up on the track (measuring 192.27m), just as the finest athletes in the land did thousands of years ago. Nearby are the judges’ seats. Leaving behind us Olympia we head towards Rion. Passing through Patras, Greece’s Gate to the West, we will catch our breath as we reach the “state of the art” award-winning suspended bridge connecting to Antirion. Spanning a 3 km-wide straight across the Gulf of Corinth, the bridge is considered to have the longest continuous, cable-stayed, fully suspended deck in the world. As we drive by the city of Nafpaktos, where, according to legend, the Heraclid built a fleet to invade the Peloponnese, we will follow the scenic coastal road to the omphalos or “navel of the earth”, according to Ancient Greeks, Delphi. Overnight Delphi

 

Day 5

Day 5

DELPHI/KALAMBAKA

Delphi is one of the most sacred places of Greece perched on the high slopes of Mount Parnassus, indeed its cultural richness designated it as a World Heritage Site from UNESCO. Delphi served as the religious and spiritual center of ancient civilization that contributed to the cultural development of the entire country. The permanent exhibition of the Delphi Museum covers a history of one thousand years, from the Mycenaean era to the Greco Roman times, accommodating one of the most valuable collections of ancient Greek art. In the central region of Greece, on the way towards the Valley of Peneus river and the enormous Thessaly plain, you will arrive to the majestic, mysterious, astonishing and spiritual monasteries of Meteora. The city of Kalambaka is the city center of Meteora. Driving alongside, your eyes will be impressed from the amazing monasteries from a distance of eighteen kilometers. It is a city with its hidden mysteries. Overnight Kalambaka

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6

Day 6

KALAMBAKA/ ATHENS

Breathtaking at first site, the Monasteries are of great cultural and natural importance, honorably included in the UNESCO’S World Heritage list. Split from earthquakes, weathered from the wind and the water over millions of millions of years, these immense rocks are an authentic masterpiece of mother nature. The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoro is the biggest and oldest one. Its name refers to the formation of the gigantic rock on top of which the monastery was built. The Holy monastery of Varlaam, the second biggest monastery, was established from ascetic monk Hosios Varlaam, who lived in a cave as a hermit and built a chapel on top of a rock, during the middle of the 14th century. As we leave the magnificent Meteora behind us on the fourth day, let us not overlook the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BCE, which has long been the topic of cultural motivation, as it is perhaps the most famous military last stand of all time. The monument of the Great Leonidas, king of Sparta, in Thermopylae, will grace our path on our way back to Athens in the late afternoon. Overnight Athens

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 7

ATHENS

After breakfast transfer to Athens International airport for your departure flight back home.

INCLUSIONS:

  • 3 nights hotel accommodation in Athens including breakfast
  • 1 night hotel accommodation in Kalambaka 4* including breakfast & dinner
  • 3 nights hotel accommodation in Thessaloniki 5* including breakfast & dinner
  • Private transfers in Athens
  • Professional English Escort to meet & greet at all places upon arrival
  • Half day Regular tour of Athens with Professional English-Speaking Licensed Guide) (4-5hrs), including entrance fees
    • Entrance fees Athens: Acropolis, Acropolis Museum.
  • Regular 5days/4nights land tour of Northern Greece Kalambaka-Thessaloniki, with English Speaking licensed Guide, including entrance fees
    • Entrance fees Delphi Archaeological Site, Meteora 2 monasteries, Rotonda, Vergina, Pella Site & Museum, Dion
  • Hotel Taxes

 

 

Exclusions:

  • International flight tickets
  • Personal expenses
  • Luggage Storage. Subject to hotel availability.
  • Airport & Hotel Portage & Trolleys
  • Tips for drivers, escorts, guides
  • Any other service not mentioned above
  • Greece Overnight Stay Tax payable directly at the hotel: 7€/night for 4* Hotels & 10€/night for 5* Hotels