Glorious Greece Tour
This tour of mainland Greece is well-paced and expertly planned. In fact, it is so successful that it has operated, due to popular demand, virtually unchanged for 20 years.
Suggested Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive Athens (D)
You are met at the airport and transferred to your tour hotel for a two night stay. Then there is time to settle in and relax or start exploring this ancient and thriving city. A welcome drink is offered to meet your tour leader in the evening.
Overnight in Athens
Day 2: Athens Sightseeing (B)
Morning sightseeing tour of the city. Highlight of the tour, is a visit to the Acropolis. See the Parthenon, built atop the Acropolis. Despite the ravages of time and the loss of the Elgin Marbles, the site is still impressive. You also see the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of the Wingless Victory and Hadrian's Arch - a magnificent list of treasures from the Classical age. An option to join a night of traditional Greek food in a lively taverna.
Overnight in Athens
Day 3: Athens-Olympia (B, D)
Follow the shores of the Saronic Gulf to the breathtaking Corinth Canal - an amazing rock-cut channel dividing the Peloponnese from mainland Greece. Then see the ancient ruined city of Mycenae whose 3500 year old monuments were only discovered in 1876 by the controversial archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. Walk through the Lion Gate and see the giant Cyclopean stones that were used to build the city walls. Visit the royal 'beehive' tombs and hear tales of Agamemnon (hacked to death in his bath by his wife Klytemnestra!).
Heading west, a delightful drive takes you through the mountains of Arkadia to arrive at Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games.
Overnight in Olympia
Day 4: Olympia – Delphi (B, D)
See the Olympic Stadium where the original games were first held in 776BC, plus the athletes' gymnasium and the city's ancient temples. Then head north to Patras on the tip of the Peloponnese and cross the soaring Rio-Antirrio bridge to the mainland. Follow the coast road before climbing into the foothills of Mount Parnassus. With its elevated site on the slopes of a mountain terrace and dwarfed on either side by the ominous crags of Parnassus, it's easy to see why the ancients believed Delphi to be the centre ofthe universe. Walk up the Sacred Way, once lined with offertory temples and statues to the honour of Apollo and see the splendid marble Treasury of the Athenians that has been recreated by modern archeologists. Finally you visit the legendary Temple of Apollo itself, where the mysterious Oracle of Delphi breathed her enigmatic 'words'.
Overnight in Delphi
Day 5: Delphi – Kalambaka (B, D)
Leave Delphi and head north into the heart of Greece. Stop at the pass at Thermopylae, famous for its heroic defense by Leonidas and his courageous Spartans. In 480BC, this was the main route from Thessaly into Southern Greece. Continue through the market town of Trikala, famous in ancient times for its sanctuary to Asklepios. Your destinationis the town of Kalambaka.
Overnight in Kalambaka
Day 6: Kalambaka - Athens (B)
This morning visit the amazing monasteries known as Meteora, incredibly perched on top of pinnacles of rock. Visit one of the monasteries and enjoy stunning views over the Peneios Valley and Pindos Mountains. Afterwards, cross fertile Thessaly. Enjoy a scenic drive along the coast to return to Athens for your final night. An optional final dinner at a local taverna.
Overnight in Athens
Day 7: Depart Athens (B)
A transfer to Athens airport.
Typical Greece Tour Inclusions:
• All accommodation
• Meals as per the itinerary
• Services of a professional multilingual tour director days 2 - 6
• Travel by luxury 40 seat air-conditioned coach
• Service charges, taxes and porterage in Athens
• Document wallet, map book journal and information pack
• Services of a resident manager in Athens
• Arrival & departure transfers between the airport and the tour hotel at nominated times.
Prices vary with seasonality please contact your Concierge Traveller Advisor for more information.
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