Best of Greece

 DAY GREECE TOUR OF ATHENS, OLYMPIA, DELPHI AND METEORA

Travel

8 days, 1 country and 8 cities

Walk in the very place western civilization was born as your travels reveal all the best of Greece highlights. From the other-worldly clifftop Meteora monasteries to walking the Sacred Way as the ancients once did in Delphi, this journey back in time will bring centuries of history to life.

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Day 1 - Welcome to Athens

Put the "oh" in opa and embark on an unforgettable exploration of an ancient land of gods and goddesses, myths and legends.  Your springboard to your spellbinding holiday is the vibrant capital of Athens, an effortless mix of ancient treasures and modern verve, which you will have an opportunity to explore after being transferred to your hotel.  This evening, join your travel director and travel companions for a light meal.

Meals: Dinner

Hotel Divani Caravel/Radisson Blu Park/Crowne Plaza

Day 2 - Explore Amazing Athens

Join your local specialist for a guided morning sightseeing tour to the ancient complex that was once the "Cradle of Western Civilization".  Along our journey into antiquity, we'll have an opportunity to explore the Acropolis with its treasures and admire the Parthenon, dedicated to the goddess Athena, the Royal Palace, Temple of Zeus and the Agora, once the haunt of Socrates and Plato.  Dive into Culture and the see remarkable displays of an ancient world during an included visit to the Acropolis Museum, and see Hadrian's Arch and the stadium where the first modern Olympics took place in 1896.  The rest of the day is yours to enjoy on your own.  Stroll through the Plaka, people-watch in Syntagma Square or go in search of the city's tastiest souvlaki - the choice is yours.

Meals: Breakfast

Hotel: Divani Carvel/Radisson Blu Park/ Crown Plaza

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Optional Experiences:

Cape Sounion - Take a relaxing trip down to the southernmost tip of Mainland Greece to see the fifth century B.C. temple of Poseidon at Sounion.  See if you can spot where Bryon carved his initials on one of the temples sixteen columns.  Marvel at the sheet rugged beauty of the coastline and the ancient temple perched above a 197-foot drop down the Aegean Sea below.  Stand above the site of the world's first lighthouse, overlooking an area steeped in classic Greece history, ever since the tragic King Aegeas threw himself from the rocky precipice into the sea below thereby giving his name to the Aegean Sea.

Dinner Meze Style & Athens Illuminations - Enjoy a lovely dining experience at a wonderful restaurant located in the lively area of Psiri. Dining is "Meze Style", giving you the opportunity to taste many Greek Cuisine dishes, which are served in the center of the table.  Also enjoy the local Free-flowing wine! Afterwards, see Athens illuminated as you return to your hotel.

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Day 3- Journey to Corinth - Mycenae and Nafplion

We depart Athens this morning, crossing the mighty Corinth Canal to the wild Peloponnesian Peninsula. Arriving in Corinth, we join a local specialist to explore an ancient city that several empires fought over throughout the centuries. We continue to Mycenae, a mighty kingdom of Ancient Greece, where we'll see the Beehive Tombs (the Treasury of Atreus), the Lions's Gate and the remains of Agamemnon's Royal Palace, in the company of a local specialist.  Later, we'll travel to Epidaurus to visit the ancient theater and view the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the God of Medicine, whose snake-entwined staff remains the symbol of medicine to this day.  Arriving in the Venetian town of Nafplion later, we'll dine in our hotel this evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Amalia Nafplio/Ippoliti/Nafplia Palace

 

Day 4- Continue to Ancient Olympia

We traverse the Mountains of Arcadia to ancient Olympia, the site of the first Olympic Games held in 776 B.C.  This evening, connect with locals joining the Karambellas family for dinner on their olive and wine farm at a Be My Guest Experience featuring traditional dancing and characteristic Greek philoxenia.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel Amalia Olympia

 

 

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Day 5 - Onwards to Patras and Delphi

We join a local specialist this morning to delve into centuries of history.  we'll visit the ancient Olympic site, the museum and the ruined remains of the Temple of Zeus and Hera.  Leaving Olympia, we skirt the coastline north to Patras, crossing the Guld of Corinth to mainland Greece before continuing to Delphi, were you may wish to try your hand at preparing some local dishes during an interactive cooking lesson.

Meal: Breakfast

Hotel: Amalia Dephi

 

Optional Experiences:

Greek Culinary Experience - This evening enjoy a fun interactive Greek cooking lesson: try your hand at preparing various famous local dishes under the expert direction of your warm and hospitable chef and hosts.

Afterwards relax in the lovely surroundings and enjoy a scrumptious dinner including the dishes you have prepared!

Day 6 - Off to Thermopylae and Kalambaka

Tread in the footsteps of the ancient Greeks, who would descend on the sanctuary of Delphi to consult with the most important oracle in the classical world.  Join your local specialist and walk the sacred way to the 4th century temple of Apollo.  View the statues immortalizing the Pythian Games, held in honor of Apollo and the Arts.  Continue on to a family-ran honey farm for a Make Travel Matter experience. Taste the rich thyme honey freshly collected from the hive and come up close to the unique biodiversity of the area.  A scenic afternoon drive brings us to Thermopylae, famous for the heroic defense by Leonidas and his brave Spartans against the invading Persians.  We cross the lush Thessaly region, the "breadbasket of Greece" then travel over the Pourmaki Pass towards Kalambaka.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Amalia Kalambaka

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Day 7 - Admire Meteora and Return to Athens

The UNESCO World Heritage monasteries of Meteora are our first stop today.  Join a local Specialist to vist tow of the six Eastern Orthodox monasteries that cling impressively to immense, rounded rock towers overlooking the town.  A scenic drive returns us to Athens, where we'll enjoy a rousing Farewell Dinner with our travel companions and reminisce over an incredible journey through Greece.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Hotel: Divani Caravel/Radisson Blu Park/Crowne Plaza

Day 8 - Farewell to Athens

We say a fond farewell to our newfound friends and the treasures of Greece after an unforgettable journey.

Meals: Breakfast

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