Πρόγραμμα Εκδρομής

Day 1: Athens-Athens by night tour (optional): Arrival in Athens. Our transfer will be waiting for you at the airport to take you to your hotel. Check-in. By night tour (optional): Your evening begins with a short panoramic drive through the City Center and at the slope of the sacred hill you will be able to enjoy the view and take photos of the illuminated Acropolis. Afterwards, a pleasant walk through the narrow picturesque streets of Plaka, the old city, will lead you to a Typical Greek Tavern where you will enjoy your dinner followed by a show with live music and Greek Folk Dances in traditional costumes. Overnight in Athens.

Day 2: Athens-Athens city tour & Acropolis museum & Cape Sounio tour (optional): Athens city tour starts from the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896 (short stop). Continue and pass by the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library, the Constitution Square (Syntagma). On the Acropolis visit, the Architectural Masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens:  The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally “the harmony between material and spirit”, the monument that “puts order in the mind”, the Parthenon. Continue our visit to the place where at last the statues found their home and admire the wonders of the classical era: The new Acropolis Museum. Drive along the coastal road, passing the wonderful beaches of Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza to the most Southern point of Attica, Cape Sounion, where the white marble pillars of the Temple of Poseidon stand. On the way, you have a splendid view of the Saronic Gulf and the little islands offshore. After visiting the Temple of Poseidon, you have time to walk at leisure on the rocky promontory of Sounion. Return to your hotel. Overnight in Athens.

Day 3: Athens-Argolis-Olympia: Leave by the coastal road to the Corinth Canal (short stop). Drive on and visit the Theatre of Epidaurus famous for its remarkable acoustics. Then proceed to the Town of Nafplio (short stop) drive on to Mycenae and visit the Archaeological Site and the Tomb of Agamemnon. Then depart for Olympia through Central Peloponnese and the towns of Tripolis and Megalopolis. Arrive at Olympia, cradle of the ancient Olympic Games. Dinner and overnight in Olympia.

Day 4: Olympia-Delphi: In the morning visit the Archaeological Site with the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Stadium and the Archaeological Museum. Then drive on through the plains of Ilia and Achaia until the magnificent bridge which is crossing the Corinthian Bay from Rion to Antirion. Pass by the picturesque Towns of Nafpactos (Lepanto) and Itea, arrive in Delphi. Dinner and overnight in Delphi.

Day 5: Delphi-Meteora: In the morning visit the Archaeological Site and the Museum of Delphi. Depart for Kalambaka, a small town situated at the foot of the astonishing complex of the Meteora, those gigantic rocks that rise steep from the plain of Thessaly. Dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Meteora-Thessaloniki: Visit the Meteora: perched on 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 striking plain of Thessaly and the Valley of Tempi, and admire the gigantic figure of Mount Olympos, the highest mountain in Greece and home of the 12 Gods in Greek Mythology. Arrival at Thessaloniki, the second largest and the most vibrant city in Greece. Dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Thessaloniki-Thessaloniki city tour: In the morning visit 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: Thessaloniki-day tour to Edessa-Naousa-Vergina: Depart in the morning for a unique approach to historical Macedonia. First stop at picturesque Edessa where we see the town’s famous landmark, the Waterfalls. Then proceed to Naoussa, to a site of exceptional beauty and importance: Aristotle’s School, the picturesque site where the great philosopher taught ‘the doctrines of morals and politics’ to Alexander the Great and the Macedonian youth. Then drive to Vergina (ancient Aigai), 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 Phillip II, Alexander’s father, and feel the thrill of the greatest discovery of the 20th century. In only a few miles away is Veria (Biblical Beroea) to visit Saint Paul’s Bema, and then stroll through the old Jewish neighborhood and the colorful market area. A walk in a city where past is present and around. Return to Thessaloniki. Dinner and overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 9: Thessaloniki: Drive 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 new Museum. Then proceed and visit the Archaeological Park of Dion (sacred city of the Macedonians, at the foot of mountain Olympos). 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 10: Athens: Transfer to the airport, having the best impression from your trip!