North Greece Six Days Tour

take a look at the marvellous
sites and spots of north greece

take a look at the marvellous
sites and spots of north greece

How we start our trip!

We will pick you up from your preferred location and drive you back at the end of your tour. Our suggestion if possible is to start your tour at 08:00 am.You will have the added benefit of visiting archaeological sites at different times from the large tour buses and groups of visitors, thus enabling you to experience the wonderful monuments and learn their history at a time of the day when they are not overcrowded.
The six days tour to northwest Greece tour starts with a 70-mile drive along the National highway northwest of Athens.

Day 1

First stop...

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 Lucas 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.

Next stop...

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 center.
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.

OUR NEXT STOP...

We will continue driving through the mountains of central Greece, reaching 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.

Kalabaka, Καλαμπακα

Day 2

Meteora, Μετεορα

First Day in Meteora...

The following morning, we will visit three of the six suspended in the air Monasteries, built on natural sandstone 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.

Day 3

NEXT DAY...

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 , and the time we have at disposal , we will visit the cave of Perama that was created 1.500.000 years ago, the museum of Greek history Wax Effigies or visit the sanctuary of Dodona, the religious center 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.

Day 4

The next day after breakfast we will continue our tour to Epirus province, to Metsovo.

First Day in metsovo...

Metsovo is a traditional village built at 1200 meters high and its 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 visiting 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.

Day 5

Next day...

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.

Kastoria

Day 6

last day...

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 thearchaeological 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.

next...

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.

LAST STOP...

Followed by a drive through picturesque towns of Central Greece towards Athens we will make a short stop at Thermopylae, the Hot Gates.

Thermopylae has been associated globally with values such as bravery , undying will and patriotism which were embodied through King Leonidas ,with his famous 300 Spartans , and the rest of the Greek forces.

The monument of King Leonidas was erected by the battlefield reminding all of us of the sacrifice of those patriots for a free country.
Ὦ ξεῖν’, ἀγγέλλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις,
ὅτι τῇδε κείμεθα,
τοῖς κείνων ῥήμασι πειθόμενοι.
Tell them in Lacedaemon (Sparta),
passer-by that here,
obedient to their word, we lie.

Simonides of Ceos, Greek lyric poet.

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

Monument of King Leonidas at Thermopylae

Please note that in order visitors to be allowed to enter the monasteries at Meteora, they are obliged to conform to the corresponding dress code:
A) Long trousers for men.
B) Overcoats that cover the shoulders and skirts up to the knee for women

TRIP INFORMATION

• For students from E.U (student id is required)
• Free entrance: For children up to 5 years old
• Free entrance: For children up to 25 years old from E.U Countries
• Reduced entrance fee for students outside the E.U
• Reduced entrance fee for children from 6 up to 25 years old outside the E.U
• Reduced entrance fee for citizens over 65 years old from E.U Countries

• 4 Euros for the monastery of Osios Loukas
• 12 Euros for Delphi and the Museum
• 3 Euros for each Monastery
• 8 Euros for the Dodona and the Archeological museum of Ioannina
• 6 Euros for the wax museum Pavlos Vrellis
• 4 Euro for the boat to Pamvotida Lake
• 6 Euros for the Dragon Cave
• 4 Euros for Dispilio
• 15 Euros for Vergina and the museum
• 8 Euros for Dion

• Winter: From November 1 to March 31 08:30 until 15:00
• Summer: From April 1 to October 31 08:00 until 19:30
• January 1st: closed
• January 6th: 08:30 until 15:00
• Shrove Monday: 08:30 until 15:00
• March 25th: closed
• Good Friday: 12:00 until 17:00
• Holy Saturday: 08:30 until 15:00
• Easter Sunday: closed
• Easter Monday: closed
• May 1st: closed
• Holy Spirit day: 08:30 until 15:00
• August 15th: 08:30 until 15:00
• October 28th: 08:00 until 15:00
• December 25th: closed
• December 26th: closed