Argolis, Sparta, Monemvasia, Olympia, Delphi & Meteora Tour

Six days Argolis, Sparta, Monemvasia, Olympia, Delphi & Meteora tour starts with a 45-mile drive along the National highway to Peloponnese. We reach the well-known Corinthian canal or else Isthmus canal that connects the Saronic Sea and the Corinthian Sea.

After a short stop for pictures, we continue with a ten-minute drive through the orange and lemon tree fields and arrive at Ancient Corinth and its unique museum, the Temple of Apollo-the God of Oracles and the Sun, the Roman baths and finally the Vima (step) form where St. Paul preached to the Corinthians in 52 A.D.

We leave Ancient Corinth and after a forty-minute drive along the scenic coastal road of Saronic Gulf, we reach ancient Epidaurus (3rd Century B.C), a spiritual place worth visiting for its sites such as the Sanctuary of Asclepius and the ancient Theatre with its unique acoustics. The Sanctuary of Asclepius was a healing and culture centre of ancient times and the Theatre of Epidaurus is one of the very few that retains its original circular Orchestra and it is a rare aesthetic sight still used in our days.

Leaving ancient Epidaurus, we continue our tour with a thirty-minute drive to Nafplion, a picturesque seaport town near the north end of Argolis Gulf.
Nafplion became the first capital of modern Greece from 1829 to 1834 by John Kapodistrias, few years after the beginning of the Greek War of Independence (1821) against the Turkish custody. Nowadays Nafplion attracts a great number of travellers from all over the world and has become a popular day or weekend road trip for Athenians.

During our visit in Nafplion, we visit the Palamidi Castle, which was the last construction of the Venetian Empire, and the Acronafplia Castle, the walls of which date back to pre-classical times. These two castles are located on a hill above the old town.

We conclude our visit to Nafplion by having lunch at picturesque restaurant by the sea enjoying the view of the Bourtzi Castle situated on a small islet in the Argolis Gulf at the entrance of the port.

Leaving Nafplion, we continue our tour with a thirty-minute drive through orange and lemon tree fields to an imposing site on the top of a rocky hill located in the Northeast part of Peloponnese in Argolis, the ancient citadel of Mycenae. Mycenae was the centre of power in the Late Bronze age from 16th century B.C. to 11th century B.C. The Acropolis of Mycenae protected the royal families inside the famous Cyclopean walls. The Lion Gates, followed by a steep path through ancient buildings and pathways, will lead you to the Palace of the mighty leader of the Greeks against the Trojans, Agamemnon who was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover after he had returned victorious from the Trojan War.

Leaving the Acropolis of Mycenae, we make a short stop on another hill opposite the Palace visiting an impressive monument, the Treasury of Atreus also known as the Tomb of Agamemnon.

After the conclusion of the Argolis tour, we continue driving through the mountains, in central Peloponnese, arriving at Sparta, a prominent city-state in Ancient Greece, situated on the banks of Eurotas River in Laconia, in southeaster Peloponnese and stay for the night. Sparta was unique for its social system and constitution, which was completely focused on military training and excellence. That is why Sparta was recognized as the leader of the Greek forces during the Greek-Persians wars.

The next day, after breakfast, we visit the Acropolis of Sparta, the Archaeological Museum and the olive oil Museum followed by a scenic drive to Mystras, a fortified town that served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of Peloponnese in the 14th and 15th centuries, experiencing a period of prosperity and cultural flowering. The last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, was despot at Mystras before he came to the throne at Constantinoupolis.

We conclude our visit to Sparta and Mystras by having lunch at a local restaurant tasting the Greek cuisine.

After the conclusion of the Sparta tour, we arrive to Monemvasia, whose name derives from two Greek words, mone, and emvasi, meaning only entrance. Located in the southeastern Peloponnese and separated from the mainland by an earthquake in 375 A.D, called as the Giblardar of Greece. The city was founded by the Byzantines in the 6th century and became an important port.
We will spend the night at a hotel in either the old or the new town of Monemvasia. The next morning after breakfast, we visit the remains of Byzantine Churches such as St. Sofia, Byzantine houses and public buildings and a vast cistern that ensured a water supply at times of siege.
In the war of Independence, Monemvasia was a major Turkish fortress which fell after a four month siege in July 1821.

We continue our tour driving furthermore to the east south of Peloponnese arriving at Diros Caves, the most beautiful lake caves in the world. Located in Mani area, they have been systematically explored since 1949. In the ten thousand square meters explored so far, Diros is comprised of chambers with a lot of stalactites and stalagmites that form imposing pillars. You explore them by small boats.

We conclude our visit by having lunch at a local restaurant by the sea tasting the Greek cuisine.

After the conclusion of the Monemvasia tour, we arrive at Olympia via picturesque towns and villages through olive and vineyards fields and stay for the night.
Olympia is well known for the Olympic Games, held every four years to honour God Zeus, beginning in 776 B.C. The next day, after breakfast, we visit the Temple of Zeus, where the gold and ivory statue of God Zeus stood, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Hera, where the Olympic Flame lights every four years, the workshop of Phidias, the ancient Olympic stadium and the Archaeological Museum.

The Archaeological Museum exhibition contains findings from the prehistoric era. Among them, you can admire the well-known statues of Praxiteles Hermes and the Nike of Paionios.

We conclude our visit to Olympia by having lunch at a local restaurant tasting the Greek cuisine followed by a drive to Delphi via Patra, Rio and the largest bridge in Europe, connecting the Peloponnese with Central Greece. We continue driving via picturesque seaport towns of Central Greece such as Nafpaktos and Itea arriving at Delphi in the afternoon and stay for the night.

Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town on the southwestern slope of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. In Greek mythology, it was the navel of the earth, the site of the Delphic Oracle and a major site for the worship of god Apollo after he slew the Python, a dragon who protected the navel of the earth. Apollo spoke through his oracle. The priestess of the oracle known as the Pythia had to be an older woman and sat on a tripod seat over an opening in the earth. Apollo possessed Pythia and she prophesied. People consulted the Delphic Oracle on everything from important matters of public policy to personal affairs. The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world and consulted before all major events.

The ancient Stadium held the Python Games, which were one of the four Pan-Hellenic Games held every four years.

The next day, after breakfast, we visit Castalia spring, the ancient Sanctuary of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, the ancient Stadium, and the ancient Theatre, the unique bronze Charioteer, and the Museum.

We will conclude our visit to Delphi by a visit to the Temple of Athena Pronaia and the Gymnasium.

We continue driving through the mountains of central Greece, arriving at Kalambaka, an important town well known due to the second largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries in Greece, after Mount Athos, Meteora. We will spend the night in a hotel either at Kalambaka or at Kastraki village.

The next morning, after breakfast, we visit the six suspended in the air Monasteries built on natural sand stone rock pillars. The Meteora Monasteries date back to the 11th century and are included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. The James Bond movie For your eyes only was filmed at the Monastery of Holy Trinity.

We conclude our visit to Meteora by having lunch at a local restaurant, followed by a drive back to Athens through picturesque towns of Central Greece and a short stop at Thermopylae, the Hot Gates. An important town well known for the battle among the Greek forces including the 300 Spartans and their leader King Leonidas and the Persians in 353 BC.

The monument of King Leonidas was erected by the battlefield reminding all of us of the sacrifice of those patriots for a free country.

Finally, we arrive at Athens driving along the National highway.

Please take a look at the right of the page for additional tour information.

Delphi, Meteora, Ioannina, Kastoria, Veroia, Vergina & Dion Tour

Six days tour to northwest Greece starts with a 70-mile drive along the National highway northwest of Athens. Driving through Levadia, we will arrive at the Monastery of Hosios Loukas, one of the finest Byzantine monuments in Greece, built in the 10th century and set on a picturesque slope on the western foothills of Mount Hellikon, near the ancient town of Steiri. The Monastery was founded in 945 AD by the hermit Hosios Loukas who was hard working, kind, compassionate, hospitable and born with the gift of foresight, which was proved unmistakable on issues of both national and individual importance. The Catholicon at the Monastery keeps the relics of Hosios Loukas. The marvelous mosaics and the architecture make the Monastery one of the most important monuments in Greece.

Departing from the Monastery, we will arrive at Delphi via Arachova, a picturesque town situated on the south slopes of Mount Parnassus. Arachova has become a popular day or weekend road trip for Athenians, mostly during the winter because of the ski centre.

At Delphi, we will visit Castalia spring, the ancient Sanctuary of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, the ancient Stadium, the ancient Theatre, the unique bronze Charioteer, and the Museum.

Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town on the southwestern slope of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. In Greek mythology, it was the navel of the earth, the site of the Delphic Oracle and a major site for the worship of god Apollo after he slew the Python, a dragon who protected the navel of the earth. Apollo spoke through his oracle. The priestess of the oracle known as the Pythia had to be an older woman and sat on a tripod seat over an opening in the earth. Apollo possessed Pythia and she prophesied. People consulted the Delphic Oracle on everything from important matters of public policy to personal affairs. The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world and consulted before all major events. The ancient Stadium held the Python Games, which were one of the four Pan-Hellenic Games held every four years.

We will conclude our visit to Delphi by having lunch at a local restaurant enjoying the view of the Itea Gulf, followed by a visit to the Temple of Athena Pronea and the Gymnasium.

We will continue driving through the mountains of central Greece, arriving at Kalambaka, an important town well known due to the second largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries in Greece after Mount Athos, Meteora. We will spend the night in a hotel at Kalambaka.

The next morning, after breakfast, we will visit as more as possible from the six suspended in the air Monasteries, built on natural sand stone rock pillars. The Meteora Monasteries date back to the 11th century and are included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. The James Bond movie for your eyes only was filmed at the Monastery of Holy Trinity. After the conclusion of our visit to Meteora we will drive northwest to the province of Epirus and we will reach Ioannina where we will spend the night.

Ioannina is a town with a history of centuries built next to the lake Pamvotida, a lake with an island inside. The next morning after breakfast we will visit the island of the lake by a boat and walk around the small village. We will also visit the castle of Ioannina, walk around the old town of Ioannina. Depending on your interests we will visit the cave of Perama that it was created 1.500.000 years ago, the museum of Greek history Wax Effigies or visit the sanctuary of Dodona, the religious centre for northwestern Greece, closely related to the cult of Zeus, father of the gods, lies in the narrow valley east of Tomaros. Dodona was also known for its famous oracle, traditionally considered as the most ancient one in Greece and referred to by Homer in his epics. Herodotus relates a myth regarding the establishment of the sanctuary, narrated to him by the sanctuary's priests on his visit to Dodona: two black pigeons, the peleiades, flew from Thebes in Egypt; one of them landed in Libya, where the temple of Ammon Zeus was subsequently erected; the other one reached Dodona, where it sat on an oak tree, Zeus's sacred tree, and spoke in a human voice, indicating the spot where the god's oracle was to be built.

We will stay in Ioannina for the night and the next day after breakfast we will continue our tour to Epirus province, to Metsovo. Metsovo is a traditional village built at 1200 meters high and it devices Pindos Sierra to North and South. You can enjoy walking, visit the folklore museum, see the traditional stone made houses and enjoy the tastes of the area. After the conclusion of our tour in Metsovo we will drive for about two hours northwest to the Greek Macedonia and we will reach Kastoria where we will spend the night.

Kastoria is built next to the lake of Kastoria and its name derives from the small animal beaver that existed the previous centuries. The next morning we will drive around the lake where you will see many species of birds. The lake is a wetland of great importance. In Kastoria we will visit the folklore museum that is settled in a traditional house, the beautiful cave of the dragon where small ponds are inside. Also we will visit Dispilio where a settlement of Neolithic period was found and the excavation brought to the surface very important findings.

We will spend the night in Kastoria and the next day after breakfast we will drive east to Macedonia province, towards Veroia and Vergina.

Veroia is an old city, first mentioned in the writings of Thucydides in 432 BC; there is evidence that it was populated as early as 1000 BC. Veroia was an important possession for Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) and later for the Romans. We will visit the "STEP" of Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul famously preached in the city, and its inhabitants were among the first Christians in the Empire. After the conclusion of our visit in Veroia we will drive to Vergina.

Vergina is a small town in northern Greece, located in the regional unit of Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina became internationally famous in 1977, when the Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos unearthed what he claimed was the burial site of the kings of Macedon, including the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. The finds established the site as the ancient Aigai. We will visit the archaeological site of Aigai where you will see the Vergina palace, the Grave of Philipp, Tomb of "Persephone’’ and the Macedonian tomb of the "free columns" and then the museum of the Royal Tombs. After the conclusion of our visit to Vergina we will drive south to Litochoro Dion in Thessaly province.

We will visit the archaeological site of Ancient Dion, located on the slope of mount Olympus, the site of a large Temple dedicated to Zeus, as well as a series of Temples to Demeter and to Isis (The Egyptian Goddess was the favorite of Alexander the Great) and the Museum. Alexander assembled his armies in Dion before beginning his conquest wars. Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, was regarded as the home of the Twelve Olympian Gods of the ancient Greek world. According to mythology, it was formed after the gods had defeated the Titans in the Titan war, and soon the Gods inhabited the palace. It is the setting of many Greek mythical stories. It is a National Park of Greece and a World Biosphere Reserve.

Followed by a drive through picturesque towns of Central Greece towards Athens we will make a short stop at Thermopylae, the Hot Gates, an important town well- known for the battle among the Greek forces including the 300 Spartans and their leader King Leonidas and the Persians in 480 BC.

The monument of King Leonidas was erected by the battlefield reminding all of us of the sacrifice of those patriots for a free country.

Finally, we will arrive to Athens driving along the National highway.

Please take a look at the right of the page for additional tour information.