A 9-day Grand Tour of Greece including visits to the most classical sites of Greece
8 night accommodation in Athens, Olympia, Delphi, Kalambaka, Thessaloniki in selected 3- or 4-star hotels sharing double occupancy in standard double room on bed and breakfast basis
Professional, state licensed, English speaking guide for all tours
Day 1: Athens - Arrival Arrival in Athens. A Destination Greece representative will meet you at the airport and will brief you on your itinerary. Transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure for you to relax and explore the city of Athens
Day 2: Corinth / Epidaurus / Mycenae / Olympia Depart Athens for Corinth canal. Drive on to Epidaurus where you visit the archaeological site and the theatre famous for its remarkable acoustics. Drive on to Nauplia (short stop). We continues on to Mycenae where we visit the archaeological site and then we depart for Olympia. Driving through the central Peloponnese area passing the cities of Megalopolis and Tripolis we arrive in Olympia. Dinner and overnight
Day 3: Olympia / Delphi In the morning visit the archaeological site and the museum of Olympia. Drive via Patras to Rion, cross the channel to Antirion on the state of the art, new suspended bridge considered to be the longest and most modern in Europe. Arrive in Nafpaktos, then continue to Delphi. Dinner and overnight
Day 4: Delphi In the morning visit the archaeological Site and the Museum. Depart for Kalambaka, a small Town situated at the foot of the astonishing complex of Meteora, gigantic rocks. Overnight. (Dinner)
Day 5: Meteora / Kalambaka Visit Meteora, among striking scenery, perched on the top of huge rocks which seem to be suspended in mid-air, stand ageless Monasteries, where you can see exquisite specimens of Byzantine art. Depart from Kalambaka, drive through the plain of Thessaly and the valley of Tempi, arrive and visit the Archaeological Park of Dion. Admire also the gigantic figure of Mount Olympos, the highest mountain in Greece and home of the 12 Gods of Mythology. After the visit depart for Thessaloniki, the second largest and the most vibrant city in Greece. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Dion / Thessaloniki Depart in the morning for the Macedonian hinterland and the town of Kastoria, renown center of the fur industry and also famous for its Lake and its 75 Byzantine churches. A Neolithic Lake Settlement 7000 years old, was discovered here and you will be able to stroll through and admire the reconstruction of the village which represents the contemporary museological concept. After Kastoria continue driving in the plateau of Western Macedonia and arrive in the picturesque town of Edessa. Here you can see the town's famous landmark, the Waterfalls. Then, proceed to Pella, the capital of Alexander the Great. See the exquisite floor mosaics of the 4th century b.C. villas, in situ as well as in the local Museum. Return to Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Pella / Vergina / Lefkadia / Thessaloniki See in the morning the city that throughout the era of the Byzantine Empire, was the 'co-reigning' city, second in population and prestige only to Constantinople. Visit unique monuments and feel the glorious Byzantine past in some of the oldest and most characteristic churches of the Christian world as well as in the Museum of Byzantine Culture, awarded with the Council of Europe's Museum Prize for the year 2005. Rest of the day free, to enjoy time in the lively center of the city. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Thermopylae / Athens Drive to Vergina, to live the experience of a visit to the unique Museum, created in the Great Tumulus covering the royal tombs of Macedonia. See the astonishing findings from the tomb of King Philip II, Alexander's father, and feel the thrill of the greatest discovery of the 20th century. After the visit we shall start driving south and through Thessaly, Lamia, Thermopylae (see the Leonidas' Monument) and Thebes, arrive in Athens late in the afternoon.
Day 9: Athens - Departure Transfer to the airport for your flight home
Notes
Rates upon request for 5-star hotel accommodation
Greek phrase of the day
ti' o'ra ei'nai ?: what time is it ?
Did you know that...
multicolored vases from Minoan Crete decorated with sea themes were dated at 1800 B.C. ?
